Ed Cowan in line for NSW debut

Ed Cowan is set to make his New South Wales debut after being named in the squad for next month's ING Cup clash with Western Australia at Perth, according to the Australian Associated Press.

Cowan, 22, has been in impressive form for his Sydney grade side Sydney University this season, scoring 398 runs at an average of 99.50 in just five games. However, he already has experience of playing against professionals: in 2003, he was an exchange student to Oxford Brookes University, and after playing against English counties for the Academy side twinned with Oxford, he was selected for the British Universities, and scored an unbeaten 137 against Zimbabwe in the opening match of their tour.

Simon Katich, NSW's captain, and Stuart Clark, the fast bowler, who is recovering from a leg injury, return to the line-up for the Perth game, which starts on January 2. Greg Mail and Aaron O'Brien, both batsmen, and the offspinner Jason Krejza have all been left out of the side which lost to South Australia earlier this month.

New South Wales squad
Simon Katich (capt), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Shawn Bradstreet, Stuart Clark, Ed Cowan, Brad Haddin (wk), Phil Jaques, Stuart MacGill, Matthew Nicholson, Matthew Phelps, Dominic Thornely.