Leading XXXX Queensland Bulls batsman Martin Love will miss the rest of the season in a blow to the Bulls' Pura Cup hopes.

X-rays today confirmed that Love had suffered a chipped bone in his left thumb while trying to take a catch during the second innings of the outright loss to NSW at the SCG yesterday.

Love will to visit a specialist on Thursday. He expects to undergo surgery that day and is likely to be sidelined for several weeks.

The leading runs-scorer for Queensland at first class and Pura Cup level this season, Love's loss will be a bitter blow for the Bulls as they pursue back-to-back titles.

Queensland has two matches remaining – against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval starting Friday and NSW at the Gabba from next Thursday – before the Pura Cup Final.

"It's bad luck for me but I've still got plenty of confidence in our batting line-up," Love said today.

"Blokes like Stuart Law and Jimmy Maher have enormous experience and the younger blokes like Jerry Cassell, Brendan Nash and Clinton Perren have a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves at the business end of the season."

Love said he hoped the injury would not prevent him from taking up his contract to play English County Cricket with Durham. "I've got the contract and obviously I will be in touch with them as soon as I've spoken to the specialist and things are a bit clearer," he said.

Perren comes in for Love for the match against the Redbacks, which is also the last match that Andrew Symonds will play before the Australian One Day squad departs for India.

XXXX Queensland Bulls v Southern Redbacks, Adelaide Oval Fri-Mon: Stuart Law (c), Jimmy Maher, Jerry Cassell, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren, Brendan Nash, Wade Seccombe, Andy Bichel, Adam Dale, Scott O'Leary, Joe Dawes, Ashley Noffke (12th man to be named).

© 2001 Queensland Cricket Association