Rimmington steels for Queensland debut

Michael Kasprowicz's Test-squad elevation has opened a gap for Nathan Rimmington to make his first-class debut for Queensland against Tasmania on Friday. With the Bulls already in the Pura Cup final, they have the perfect chance to blood a new fast bowler in Hobart.

Rimmington, the 23-year-old who plays for the Sandgate-Redcliffe club, was named in the original squad on Wednesday, but his chances of appearing went from unlikely to almost certain after Kasprowicz was picked for the South Africa tour. Craig Philipson has been added to the squad to cover Daniel Doran, the legspinner who dislocated his spinning finger last weekend.

A Cricket Academy graduate in 2005, Rimmington was the second-youngest winner of the Peter Burge Medal as the best and fairest Brisbane first-grade player in 2003-04. He made his Twenty20 debut for Queensland this season in the rain-affected game against the Tigers at the Gabba and was ready for his first ING Cup fixture against South Australia before Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson decided to play.

The Bulls sealed a home final with their 106-run win over Victoria on Sunday and the only downside was Doran's injury. Doran, who has collected 12 victims in his first four matches this season, bowled through the pain to pick up two second-innings wickets and will be reassessed on Wednesday.

Ray Phillips, the Queensland chairman of selectors, said Nathan Hauritz would play only if Doran was ruled out of the 13-man squad. "We'll keep a pretty close eye on Daniel because we'd obviously prefer to have him right for the final,'' Phillips said.

Jimmy Maher, the captain, will have the chance to work on a new opening combination with the loss of Matthew Hayden to the Test tour. Rimmington has replaced Hayden in the state squad, but the batsman's spot will be filled by Lachlan Stevens, who was 12th man at the Junction Oval.

Queensland Jimmy Maher (capt), Lachlan Stevens, Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Chris Hartley, Andy Bichel, Nathan Hauritz, Ashley Noffke, Daniel Doran, Nathan Rimmington, Craig Philipson.