Love cleared for return

XXXX Queensland Bulls batsman Martin Love was today given the all-clear to make his return from off-season ankle surgery in this weekend's City-Country Origin match at Warwick's Slade Park.

Love underwent an arthroscopy on his right ankle in July after damaging the joint during an English League cricket stint and returning home from treatment.

Although cleared of any bone damage, the injury forced him to miss Queensland's series of practice matches against Australia and New Zealand last month and he was still in doubt for the two-day trial match this weekend until today.

"He trained last night with the team and the selectors were keen for him to have some time in the middle so we checked on him today and he was given the thumbs-up to play,'' Bulls coach Bennett King said.

"We will make a runner available for him if he feels he needs it during the match but obviously we're keen for him to get through under his own steam,'' King said.

The State selection panel of Chairman Andrew Courtice, Dirk Tazelaar and Paul Jackson have also recommended that left-hander Lee Carseldine be tried in the opening position for City, where he will partner another Bulls hopeful, Jerry Cassell.

In addition to the match, a special gala cricket dinner at the Warwick RSL on Saturday night will be held. Seminars will be held on Friday at Slade Park at 4.30pm for curators, with former Gabba curator Kev Mitchell Senior in charge of that session, and 6pm for umpires and scorers, with first class umpire Jim Torpey speaking on the revamped MCC Laws of Cricket that will apply this season.

Toowoomba umpire Graham Stuart, a teacher at Downlands College, will stand in the match along with Torpey.

CITY: Andrew Symonds (c), Jerry Cassell, Lee Carseldine, Matthew Goggin, James Hopes, Scott Prestwidge, Dale Turner, Gavin Fitness, Matthew Pascoe, Scott O'Leary, Joe Dawes, Matthew Petrie.

COUNTRY: Jimmy Maher (c), Lachlan Stevens, Martin Love, Brian May, Wade Seccombe, Darren Frakes, Andy Bichel, Brendan Creevey, Ashley Noffke, Lee Wilson, Scott Muller, Matthew Anderson.