Hayden to play at Lilac Hill

Queensland run-machine Matthew Hayden has been chosen as a special guest player for the tenth annual Lilac Hill festival match in Perth later this year.

Speaking from Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he is touring with the Australian team, the 27-year-old opening batsman said he was honoured to be selected and would be delighted to play.

The powerfully built left-hander, who is making a spirited bid for a Test recall, will open for the Australian Cricket Board Chairman's Xl against Pakistan at Lilac Hill on Tuesday, October 26.

Other guest players in the home side will be former champion Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, his son Adam and Tasmanian allrounder Dan Marsh, son of former WA and Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh. The rest of the side will be made up of Western Warriors.

Rod Marsh, who made his only guest appearance at Lilac Hill against England five years ago, has accepted an invitation to be a special guest and will toss the coin.

Australian selectors treat the traditional tour-opener seriously and in recent years have recommended that players pressing for national selection be given an opportunity to impress. Tasmanian Ricky Ponting scored 82 off 82 deliveries against England at Lilac Hill in 1994 before making his Test debut the following year. Since then, Victorian opener Matthew Elliott (twice) and South Australian batsman Darren Lehmann have both made guest appearances.

Hayden has played in seven Tests, but with the poor form of Australia's openers in the first Test in Sri Lanka, he has an excellent opportunity to regain his place at the top of the order.

Tickets for the festival match are available at $12 (adults) and $8 (pensioners, children and students) from the WACA and Slater-Gartrell Sports in Midland.