Harris and Swan return to help Queensland

Ryan Harris, the former one-day international, will play his first match of the season for Queensland in Wednesday's FR Cup game against New South Wales at the Gabba. Harris had knee surgery before the season and will join Chris Swan, who is back after a nagging groin problem, as the Bulls attempt to increase their competition lead.

The return of the fast bowlers is a boost for the side, which is on a run of five consecutive wins and sits eight points ahead of Victoria. Ben Laughlin has been ruled out with a side strain while Wade Townsend has been dropped. "It's in a different place to the last injury and not as painful so hopefully the scans will deliver positive news," Laughlin said. "I can look at being back in time for the Twenty20 Big Bash after Christmas."

New South Wales have a couple of changes to the side that lost to Tasmania on Saturday. Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, has come in for the spinner Stephen O'Keefe while Simon Keen was left out after his late call-up for a debut against the Tigers. The Blues are desperate to find form after three losses in their four games this summer

Matthew Hayden, the retired opener, will host a session at the Gabba on Tuesday with his old Queensland team-mates on Twenty20 batting techniques as they prepare for the domestic tournament that starts on December 28. Andrew Symonds is playing for the Bulls in that event and will warm-up for it by being one of Queensland's three over-23 players in the Cricket Australia Futures League T20 series in Melbourne next week.

Queensland squad Chris Hartley (wk), James Hopes, Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Nick Kruger, Craig Philipson, Chris Simpson (capt), Ryan Harris, Ben Cutting, Nathan Rimmington, Chris Swan, Scott Walter.

New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, David Warner, Phil Jaques, Moises Henriques, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Daniel Smith (wk), Stuart Clark (capt), Josh Hazlewood, Grant Lambert, Mitchell Starc.