Hobart axe Mills for BBL semi-final

The Hobart Hurricanes have axed import Tymal Mills from their squad for the KFC BBL semi-final against the Perth Scorchers, who welcome back the Marsh brothers.

Mills has been chopped after conceding 56 runs from his four overs against last-placed Melbourne Stars in the 'Canes final game of the regular season. Defeat to the Stars put Hobart's season on the brink, with a semi-final spot only secured after the Brisbane Heat lost to the Melbourne Renegades in the regular season's final match.

The second-most expensive signing at the 2017 IPL auction where he was bought for A$2.5 million, Mills went unsold at this year's auction after a below-par Big Bash. In 10 matches he has taken eight wickets, conceding 389 runs at 9.73 an over.

However the Sussex bowler will still travel to Perth with the team, but is not part of the official 13-man squad, with promising young quick Riley Meredith coming into the party.

The Hurricanes also welcome back Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine after a summer with the national team for the Test and one-day series. Paine adds some batting depth to a squad that will be hit hard by the loss of the competition's leading run-scorer D'Arcy Short, who will be watching on from the other side of the country as he prepares for his T20 international debut against New Zealand in Sydney on Saturday.

The Scorchers have confirmed both Mitch and Shaun Marsh in their 13-man squad, and the brothers will play their first match of BBL|07 in the first BBL match at the new Optus Stadium.

Shaun Marsh had been expected to return for the Scorchers in the back end of the regular season but a slower than expected recovery from a quad injury picked up in the final Magellan Ashes Test saw him kept on ice.

Mitchell Marsh, meanwhile, had been involved in Australia's forgettable ODI campaign against England, and will be one of just two players – along with Hobart's Paine – in Thursday's semi-final to have played an official match at the venue.

Both players featured in Australia's defeat to England in the fifth Gillette ODI match that marked the official opening of the new venue.

The majority of the Scorchers squad did play at the venue against the touring England Lions before the BBL season, but a full house of 55,000 tomorrow night will make a different experience.

Also coming into the Scorchers 13-man squad is Haydan Morton, with the Perth side losing Ashton Agar to Australia's T20 side while Tim David and Sam Whiteman have been omitted.

Meanwhile, the Scorchers WBBL side have named an unchanged squad for their semi-final against the Sydney Thunder.

For the Thunder, Naomi Stalenberg has been named in the semi-final squad having missed Sunday's thrilling 2-run win against the Brisbane Heat with a minor hamstring complaint.

WBBL|03 semi-final: Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers, from 3.10pm AEDT. Broadcast on ONE, live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, and mamamia.com.au

Perth Scorchers WBBL squad: Elyse Villani (c), Megan Banting, Nicole Bolton, Katherine Brunt, Piepa Cleary, Lauren Ebsary, Heather Graham, Emma King, Thamsyn Newton, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Natalie Sciver, Emily Smith.

Sydney Thunder WBBL squad: Alex Blackwell (c), Sam Bates, Nicola Carey, Rene Farrell, Maisy Gibson, Lisa Griffith, Rachael Haynes, Fran Wilson, Rachel Priest, Naomi Stalenberg, Stafanie Taylor, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa

BBL|07 semi-final: Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes, from 7.40pm AEDT. Broadcast on Network 10, live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app

Perth Scorchers BBL squad: Adam Voges (c), Cameron Bancroft, Will Bosisto, Tim Bresnan, Hilton Cartwright, Mitchell Johnson, Matthew Kelly, Michael Klinger, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Haydan Morton, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner.

Hobart Hurricanes BBL squad: George Bailey (c), Jofra Archer, Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Alex Doolan, Ben Mcdermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine, Nathan Reardon, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, Matthew Wade.