Captain Clarke is back!

Michael Clarke scored 88 as NSW made 8/280 on day one of the opening Sheffield Shield match of the 2013/14 season at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Winning the toss and electing to bat in his first game since the one day series in England in September, the Australian and NSW captain came to the crease with his side stumbling to 2/39, after Dave Warner and Nic Maddinson departed for 21 and 15 respectively.

Clarke formed strong partnerships with Scott Henry and Steve Smith in a well-constructed innings that put NSW in a commanding position before the 31-year old was caught behind off the bowling of Sam Rainbird in the last session.

It was an arm-wrestle for most of the day, but the late wickets of Steve O’Keefe for three, Trent Copeland for 13 and Josh Hazlewood for a duck left Tasmania with the upper-hand overnight.

21-year-old Rainbird – with just a handful of first-class matches to his name – was the Tigers’ main strike-weapon, taking 5/57 off 20 overs.

Clarke appeared to ignore several distractions, including his back injury as well as a tumultuous Ashes series and the latest distraction – an apparent feud with Ricky Ponting in the wake of the former Australian captain’s autobiography release last week.

Clarke arrived at the crease in the ninth over, after Warner was unable to transfer his Ryobi Cup form into the longer version of the game and was caught-and-bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus.

Walking out with his collar popped up and that customary, confident, quick-legged gait – the closest thing you can get to swagger in cricket pads – Clarke took guard and guided his first ball past gully for two and spent the next few overs easing into his innings with some assured defence.

It was an inauspicious but steady return to the pitch before he freed the arms and hit his first four to the offside boundary off Rainbird in the 18th over.

It was another half an hour before he really hit his stride by sending a full Luke Butterworth delivery back down the ground for four and flicking two twos off his pads to go to 20 with eight from the over.

Henry provided able assistance at the other end and the pair restored the Blues’ position to 2/91 at lunch, with Clarke on 27 and Henry on 25.

It was slow going on the resumption, with just 16 runs – 11 of them to Clarke – scored from the first 12 overs after lunch.

Clarke punished a loose Evan Gulbis over for seven and sailed through the 40s to bring up his half-century (off 102 balls) with another single, flicked off the pads.

A patient 50 – aided by a quick, dry outfield – he worked the ball with ease to wherever the space happened to be and pounced on anything loose.

Henry looked set to follow Clarke to 50, but was out caught behind off Butterworth for 48.

The 24-year-old’s measured innings – scored off 148 balls – deserved a personal milestone, but he can take heart in lifting his side from a shaky 2/39, to a dominant 3/155.

Steve Smith found his timing quickly at the crease, whipping a full, straight Butterworth delivery off his pads for two before lifting left-arm spinner Clive Rose down the ground for four before tea.

Smith continued as the aggressor in the last session, slapping Rose for consecutive sixes down the ground and tallying 35 from 37 to bring up NSW’s 200 in the 69th over.

Maintaining his near 100 strike rate into the last hour and a half, Smith also looked likely to grab a half-century before being caught at mid-wicket with a mistimed pull shot on 42 off the bowling of Rainbird.

Clarke followed in the last ball of the same over attempting a late cut but nicking behind to keeper Tim Paine.

It was one of the few poor shots he made in over five hours at the crease and his frustration was evident as the Tasmanian side celebrated.

O’Keefe only lasted a couple of overs for his three, while Copeland was caught at first slip off Rainbird and Hazlewood was caught-and-bowled by Rose in the second to last over of the day.

Ryan Carters (29) and Nathan Lyon (4) were not out at stumps.

Initially expected to miss at least the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in three weeks, Clarke’s early return to the pitch – with Australian selector John Inverarity in attendance – is a significant boost for the national side ahead of the Ashes series against an England squad in ominous form.