Opener Caleb Jewell left out of Hurricanes squad for BBL final against Sydney Thunder while Simon Milenko gets second chance

Hobart Hurricanes have axed an opener to make way for an all-rounder. See the Canes’ BBL elimination final squad here.

BOWLING all-rounder Simon Milenko has firmed as the man to replace David Miller in the Hobart Hurricanes’ side for their Big Bash elimination final against Sydney Thunder at Blundstone Arena on Thursday night.

Caleb Jewell has been ruled out of the equation, while Milenko was brought into the Hurricane’s 12 after the players in purple trained at Blundstone this morning.

HURRICANES OUT TO END HOODOO

Canes coach Adam Griffith would not show his hand on whether Milenko (batting average 8.5, strike rate 98.6) or Jake Doran (average 14, strike rate 80) would ultimately make the final cut.

“We’ll have a think about it overnight and work out what we’re going to do,” Griffith said.

“It’s a matter of do we replace someone at number four and keep Ben McDermott and George Bailey where they are.

Hobart Hurricanes open training session from Blundstone Arena. Simon Milenko. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Or do we bring in ‘Milly” and shift them up.

“We’ll chat through that.”

Fresh of an unbeaten century in a CTPL one-dayer last weekend, Milenko

“He’s played some games this tournament, he just had a really good T20 Second XI Tour up in Queensland where he made some runs that’s why we’ve brought him into the squad.

“Jake Doran is already in there, and they are our two spare batters.

“Caleb has to bat up the top and we’re not going to change what we are doing there, whereas Doran can bat in the middle order and Milenko has played this tournament and has done pretty well over the past week or two.”

Hobart Hurricanes Squad

Matthew Wade (c)

Qais Ahmad

George Bailey

Scott Boland

Jake Doran

Nathan Ellis

James Faulkner

Ben McDermott

Simon Milenko

Tom Rogers

Clive Rose

D’Arcy Short

Mac Wright

The game between the Hurricanes and Thunder will begin at 7.40pm at Blundstone Arena Thursday night.