Tasmania's selectors have reacted to their team's dismal recent form by swinging the axe today, dropping three of the state's most experienced players from the side to play Queensland in a Pura Cup match in Hobart starting on Thursday.

Opening batsman Dene Hills, upper order batsman Michael Di Venuto and all-rounder Shaun Young are the trio dumped from the side which lost to the Bulls by ten wickets inside two days in a match in Brisbane last month.

All have been near-permanent fixtures in the state's team for the last decade.

Unusually, the starting eleven has been named three days ahead of the match, with left handed opener Scott Mason, all-rounder Scott Kremerskothen and left arm wrist spinner Shannon Tubb the new inclusions. Di Venuto has been named as twelfth man.

Mason, who has been in sparkling form in club cricket and in ACB Cup competition, has already played once at Pura Cup level this season - scoring 30 as wickets tumbled on the opening day of the match against Victoria in Hobart in November.

Kremerskothen returns to first-class cricket after being felled by a Stuart Clark bouncer and sustaining a fractured cheekbone in the state's opening match of the season.

Tubb, who has been in brilliant form for club side Clarence, has been included in the state squad for the first time this season. He last represented the Tigers in a Pura Cup match in Sydney nearly twelve months ago.

The changes follow a disastrous run of results for Tasmania. After securing first innings points in their first-class opener in Sydney, and crushing Western Australia in a limited-overs in Perth the following week, the Tigers' only other points in the two domestic competitions have come against Victoria.

Queensland has meanwhile made one alteration to its squad, including young pace bowler Damien Mackenzie as cover for Michael Kasprowicz. Kasprowicz bowled only two overs in the Bulls' 76-run ING Cup win in Hobart yesterday before leaving the field with slight soreness in his hamstring.

Teams:

Tasmania: Jamie Cox (c), Sean Clingeleffer, Michael Dighton, Shane Jurgensen, Scott Kremerskothen, Daniel Marsh, Scott Mason, David Saker, Shannon Tubb, Shane Watson, Damien Wright, Michael Di Venuto (12th man).

Queensland: Stuart Law (c), Jerry Cassell, Joe Dawes, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Michael Kasprowicz, Martin Love, Damien Mackenzie, Jimmy Maher, Brendan Nash, Ashley Noffke, Clinton Perren, Wade Seccombe (12th and 13th men to be named).

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