Cricket Victoria has named Sam Harper in its 12-player squad for the Round 3 Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba, starting Saturday, October 31.
Harper, the reigning Bill Lawry Medallist, returns after touring South Africa with the Australian squad. Victoria's Head of Male Cricket, Wade Seccombe, said it was great to welcome the 29-year-old back into the group following his time with the national side.
"He brings valuable experience and quality to our batting line-up, while Mitch and Matt have earned their opportunities following strong performances in the One-Day Cup," Seccombe said.
Harper scored 677 runs in last season's Sheffield Shield competition for Melbourne Cricket Club.
Mitch Perry and Matt Hennig have both been included on the back of strong one-day form. Perry, from Richmond Cricket Club, claimed Player of the Match honours in Victoria's Dean Jones Trophy match against Tasmania with figures of 4-9.
"Mitch's spell against Tasmania was outstanding, and it's exciting to see him carry that form into our red-ball squad," Seccombe said.
Hennig, of St Kilda Cricket Club, earns his maiden Sheffield Shield selection after making his List A debut for Victoria last week.
Liam Blackford keeps his place after an innings of 80 against Tasmania that nearly carried Victoria to victory in Hobart. Seccombe praised the character of the Geelong batter.
"We were also really pleased with Liam's determination against Tasmania. His innings showed great character and maturity, and he continues to make the most of his opportunities at this level," Seccombe said.
Marcus Harris, of St Kilda, arrives in form having scored back-to-back half-centuries.
Harry Hoekstra has been rested for the match and David Moody has been omitted from the squad. Matt Short is unavailable as he recovers from a hip procedure, with Cricket Victoria expecting him to be sidelined for four to five weeks.
The full squad named by Cricket Victoria is: Will Sutherland (captain, Prahran), Austin Anlezark (Richmond), Liam Blackford (Geelong), Peter Handscomb (St Kilda), Sam Harper (Melbourne), Marcus Harris (St Kilda), Matt Hennig (St Kilda), Campbell Kellaway (Melbourne), Todd Murphy (St Kilda), Fergus O'Neill (Melbourne), Oliver Peake (Geelong) and Mitch Perry (Richmond).
Seccombe said the Gabba would again test Victoria's discipline over the course of the match.
"The Gabba is always a challenging place to play, and we'll need to be disciplined and consistent across the four days," he said.
The match runs from October 31 to November 3 and can be streamed live on Kayo Sports and cricket.com.au from 11am AEDT on the opening day.