David Warner v Josh Hazlewood in ding-dong grade cricket clash

DAVID Warner will go head-to-head with a former Australia Test teammate in a ding-dong grade cricket showdown on Saturday at Coogee Oval.

Josh Hazlewood and David Warner celebrate a wicket at the Gabba. Picture: Getty

DAVID Warner will go head-to-head with Josh Hazlewood this Saturday in the test you have when you’re not having a Test.

The banned opener’s much-anticipated grade cricket return for Randwick-Petersham has taken on a whole new dimension now it will also double as fast bowling star Hazlewood’s return from injury.

Hazlewood will be injected into the opposing St George attack after spending several months on the sidelines with a back injury to set up a ding-dong battle with his former vice-captain in the unusual surrounds of Coogee Oval.

Australian spearhead Hazlewood will be on heavy bowling restrictions on Saturday as he builds towards a JLT Cup one-day return for NSW in the next couple of weeks before pushing for international and Sheffield Shield game time in November.

Josh Hazlewood and David Warner celebrate a wicket at the Gabba. Picture: Getty

Hazlewood might not be going at full pelt but his mere presence automatically ups the ante for Warner in his high profile return to his roots.

One of the major fallouts from South Africa was a reported schism between Warner and the bowling group.

Hazlewood told The Daily Telegraph in an interview back in May that he was confident those wounds would heal and Warner and Steve Smith would be welcomed back into the fold.

“Twelve months is a really long time,” Hazlewood said earlier in the year.

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“Things are going to cool down … when the 12 months is up if they’re scoring runs and knocking the door down to come back into the team and as JL (Justin Langer) says, they meet the demands of the behaviours of what the team is about then we’ll definitely welcome them back no doubt.”

Hazlewood even acknowledged that there was a certain unselfishness to what the ball-tampering accused had done.

“Obviously it wasn’t going to help them individually. It was going to help us bowlers and as a team take those 20 wickets,” said Hazlewood back in May.

David Warner played for the City Cyclones in the recent Darwin Strike League tournament. Picture: Felicity Elliott

“It’s pretty unselfish what they’ve done but it still crossed the line.”

Warner and Smith are expected to play the bulk of the grade seasons for Randwick-Petersham and Sutherland respectively.

Smith will line-up alongside Shane Watson and Steve Waugh’s son, Austin, on Saturday at Glenn McGrath Oval against Mosman.

Steve Waugh warns that there is nothing guaranteed for either Warner or Smith in their long and lonely journey back.

“No it’s not automatic. I think you’d like to think they could all come back and re-join where they were but realistically a lot happens in 12 months,” said Waugh, speaking at the launch of his 2018 Captain’s Ride charity, raising money for Australian kids with rare diseases.

will line-up alongside Shane Watson and Steve Waugh’s son, Austin, against Mosman. Picture: Getty

“Players may have established themselves and be firm fixtures in the side in six months’ time.

“There’s no doubt they’ve got the talent. Have they got the desire and the determination and the fight in them? Only they can answer that.

“I’m sure they all want to get back playing for the baggy green and representing their country and you don’t want to finish on the terms they finished on in South Africa.

“But as you know in sport nothing is guaranteed and they’re going to have to earn the right to get back in the baggy green and hopefully they all will.”

Originally published as David Warner v Josh Hazlewood in ding-dong grade cricket clash