The equivalent of the Australia A cricket team, the Lions have acted as a breeding ground for emerging talent in recent years.

Players with international experience such as Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Jack Leach have all featured for the side in the past 18 months.

The four-day match will commence on March 2 and could act as a prelude to a possible Sheffield Shield final. As was the case last summer, Wollongong is a chance to host the final should NSW finish the regular season on top of the table.

The announcement came as the full Australian domestic fixtures were released for the upcoming summer on Tuesday. In a move away from past policy, NSW will play all five home matches in Sydney, with four to be held at the SCG and a fifth at Bankstown Oval.