| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Sydney: Michael Clarke will wait until Friday before deciding whether his back is strong enough to return to the domestic scene with New South Wales on Sunday. Clarke, the Australia vice-captain, has not played since the one-day tour of England due to the degenerative condition and he completed a training session with the Blues at the SCG on Thursday.
While Mitchell Johnson and Michael Hussey are being rested from the state games over the next week, Clarke is desperate to return in a bid to be fit for the first West Indies Test at the Gabba on November 26. But he will wait to see how the problem reacts to the session before determining when he will come back.
Clarke went to Melbourne to meet with Alex Kountouris, Australia's physiotherapist, on Wednesday and was encouraged by the progress.
The Blues have an FR Cup match against Tasmania at North Sydney Oval on Sunday before the Sheffield Shield clash starts on Tuesday. Those matches will also determine whether Brett Lee, who has an elbow problem, is a contender for Australia's first Test squad.
Clarke has increased his load this week, starting with short bats in the nets and building up to longer stints. "I'm very excited," he said. "It's great to be back."
