Victorian-born and raised Peter Nevill will captain NSW at first-class level for the first time when the Blues take on Queensland in the Sheffield Shield game starting on Friday at the SCG.
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Nevill will become the 115th man to lead the state in a first-class game after being one of five changes to the squad that defeated the Bulls in Brisbane last week. The 28-year-old takes over a new-look Blues team that is missing captain Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, who led the team last week, Steve Smith, Nathan Lyon and David Warner due to national duties.
The appointment for this week's game continues Nevill's rise up the ranks of NSW cricket after relocating from Melbourne in 2008.
''I don't consider myself a Victorian,'' said Nevill, whose father and sister were born in Queensland. His mother is from Wollongong. ''I've only ever played for NSW, this is my home, I've been here for the last six years now, I don't really think about that at all.''
Nevill joins an honour board containing some of the finest names in the history of Australian cricket, including Victor Trumper, Bert Oldfield, Bill O'Reilly and more recently Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.
''They're big shoes to fill,'' said Nevill, who has captained the state at one-day level and will be the team's fourth skipper this season.
''While it was an honour to captain the one-day team, it is a bit more special to captain NSW in a first-class game.
''It's not something I've had great ambitions to do. It's a cliched way to say it but it's a great honour. You look at your peers and they're all great characters and cricketers - to be asked to lead them on the field is pretty humbling.''
Nevill, who has captained at grade, second XI and junior levels, described himself as a ''consultative'' captain.
The wicketkeeper will enter the game with his confidence up after hitting 83 for the Cricket Australia Invitational XI last week against England, an innings that has even more merit after the capitulation of Australia's front-line batsmen at the Gabba.
The Blues are two points clear at the top of the Shield table. NSW's pace stocks have been strengthened by the return of former Test quick Doug Bollinger. Also back in the fold are Ben Rohrer, Ryan Carters and Kurtis Patterson, all of whom played for the Cricket Australia Invitational XI last week.
