Souths left-hander Michael Sippel will make his State debut against Tasmania on Sunday with XXXX Queensland Bulls captain Stuart Law missing his first game since 1998-99.

Law and his wife Debbie are expecting their first child on Monday and it was not possible for the Bulls skipper to play on Sunday in the ING Cup match against the Tigers and return back from Hobart in time for the birth.

It will break a run of 62 consecutive four-day and one-day matches for Queensland for Law, who last missed a game in the 1998-99 season when he was on international duties.

Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Graham Dixon announced that opener Jimmy Maher would captain the Bulls in the absence of Law. It will be Maher's first match as Queensland captain and comes hard on the heels of his selection in the Australia 'A' team that plays tomorrow night against New Zealand at the Gabba.

The Queensland selectors have opted to blood the 26-year-old Sippel for the ING Cup clash with the Tigers at Bellerive Oval, with the Bulls also missing Australian one-day players Matthew Hayden, Andy Bichel and Andrew Symonds.

Allrounder Lee Carseldine, a century-maker for the QAS against Queensland Country last week, will make his first appearance this season in the Bulls one-day strip in the only other change to the team that lost to WA by 42-runs at the WACA on Friday.

Sippel, a regional sales manager for Yates Seed Company who lives in Gatton, said he was thrilled at his selection, which follows impressive performances at club and 2nd XI level this season.

"I've been pretty happy with how my game has been going this season although I didn't think this would happen. I was working on consolidating a QAS spot and getting runs for Souths so this is a bit of a shock," he said.

The clean-hitting left-hander has scored three centuries in the Brisbane XXXX First Grade competition and produced a useful 58 for the QAS against New Zealand in one of the tour practice matches in October.

Sippel, who is a second cousin of Bichel, is a former Queensland Under-19 and Colts player who has been a member of the Queensland Academy of Sport program.

The Bulls leave on Thursday for the match. The Pura Cup team will be announced later this week, with Queensland and Tasmania meeting in the four-day match from next Thursday.

XXXX Queensland Bulls v Tasmanian Tigers, ING Cup, Sunday, Hobart: Jimmy Maher (c), Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Lee Carseldine, Brendan Nash, Michael Sippel, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, Joe Dawes. (all 12 to play).

© 2002 Queensland Cricket