Strong Bulls team to take on England

The XXXX Queensland Bulls will take a top-strength team into their tour match against England this weekend at Allan Border Field.

The Queensland selectors today made one change to the team that played the last Pura Cup match against NSW, adding Australian One Day spinner Nathan Hauritz in place of left-arm spinner Matthew Anderson.

Test players Matthew Hayden and Andy Bichel were not available for the match as both players will be in camp from Sunday with the Australian team, preparing for the First Orange Test match at the Gabba from November 7-11.

The three-day tour match against England will start on Saturday, with England scheduled to arrive in Brisbane late on Thursday. The tourists will train on Friday at Allan Border Field.

The Bulls are keen to disrupt England's preparation, having gone within one wicket of beating their rivals on the previous Ashes tour. The tour match in 1998 was played in Cairns, with England winning a thrilling match late on the third day.

England also beat the Bulls later in the summer in a day/night limited overs match at the Gabba.

Bulls pace bowler Michael Kasprowicz, who played alongside new England quick Simon Jones at Glamorgan during the off-season, said the match presented a dual opportunity for Queensland.

"We get to test ourselves against international opposition and maybe give them a few headaches before the first Test but we also get a chance to build our form for our Pura Cup clash against Victoria in Melbourne next week," he said.

The match is at Allan Border Field, 1 Bogan St Albion. Play starts 10am daily. Tickets: $8 adults, Children U-16, pensioners: $2. Entry will also be via Brothers Rugby Union, Crosby Road.

Meanwhile the selectors have also named former Australian pace bowlers Adam Dale and Scott Muller in the Queensland Academy of Sport team to play South Australia in the ACB Cup 2nd XI match in Adelaide next week.

Dale is continuing his steady comeback from major shoulder surgery last season, taking 6-61 for Wynnum-Manly on Saturday, while Muller has been among the leading wicket-takers for the Gold Coast in the first three rounds of the Brisbane XXXX First Grade premiership.

XXXX Queensland Bulls v England, Allan Border Field, Sat-Mon: Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, Nathan Hauritz, Joe Dawes, Damien MacKenzie (12th man to be named).

Queensland Academy of Sport v South Australian 2nd XI, Adelaide, Mon-Thurs: James Hopes (c), Duncan Betts, Jerry Cassell, Daniel Payne, Clinton Perren, Chris Simpson, Chris Hartley, Scott O'Leary, Adam Dale, Scott Muller, Scott Brant, Matthew Anderson. (all 12 to play).