The suspended Australian captain will represent Sutherland alongside Shane Watson, Minnamurra’s Flynn Parker and Austin Waugh in a Kingsgrove Cup trial match against Greater Illawarra Zone at North Dalton Park on Thursday night. 

Greater Illawarra boast star power of their own, with former Sydney Thunder squad member Kerrod White captaining the side and Sri Lankan international Udara Jayasundara set to feature. 

White said the clash will provide his side with a valuable opportunity to refine their Twenty20 skills prior to their first competition game in Wollongong next Sunday. 

“There will definitely be a lot of guys who haven’t played against players of that calibre,” White said. “It’s a big occasion, Sutherland are one of the strongest sides in the Sydney competition, but we’re hoping to put our best team forward and hopefully we can match it with them. 

“Steve and Shane are two of the best players that have strapped on the boots for Australia, so it will be a good challenge. It’s a good opportunity to face those two guys with no points on the line, try a few things and see what works.”

Having spent much of the past decade playing in Sydney, White has found himself both a teammate and opponent to both men.  

The Lake Illawarra batsman first made the move to Sutherland in 2010, where he spent three seasons at the southern-Sydney club.

White’s biggest success, however, came during his second stint in Sydney, where, while playing for Bankstown, he earned a Sydney Thunder contract. 

While he never found himself in the side’s starting XI for a Big Bash fixture, White was able to travel with the side and learn from the team’s captain, Watson. 

“I only played one game with Steve, six or seven years ago and that was a pretty cool experience. I’ve got a lot of time for Watto. He was our captain at the Thunder and I’ve got a lot of respect for him, he helped me out with my own game a lot. 

“I was trying to go as far as I could and he helped me out technically and mentally. He’s a very mental player, he has one of the best cricketing brains and taught me about the different ways of playing bowlers, match preparation, game-day awareness, not getting too far ahead of yourself and staying present.”

It is some of those lessons White is hoping his Illawara teammates will also learn on Thursday night when they take on two of Australia’s best batsmen throughout the past decade.

“I’d say Shane will open the batting and our bowlers will be able to take a few pointers off the way he bats.

“It’s all about being aware of the situation and where he’s wanting to hit the ball, and how you counter that. Our bowlers should be able to try a few things, don’t let him dictate and and hope he makes a mistake.”

Overall, irrespective of the result on Thursday night, White is confident the trial will act as a springboard for a successful Kingsgrove Cup campaign. 

“If we can put the region’s best team on the park, I don’t see why we can’t match it. The best side we’ll come up against will be Sutherland, so it’s a good test to see where we’re at and where we need to improve.”