THERE'S good news and bad news for Palm Beach Currumbin this week as the team prepares to do battle with Surfers Paradise on day one of their Gold Coast Cricket round two first-grade clash at Sir Bruce Small Oval this afternoon.

The bad news is that slippery fast bowler Jack Boote has been forced to miss the match because of a nagging elbow injury. The good news is that returning to Palmie ranks is one of the best quicks in the competition, Matthew Boyd.

Boyd, a top all-round sportsman, decided to have a short break overseas before donning the flannels after an arduous winter playing for Palm Beach-Currumbin in the Queensland AFL Premier League.

The medium-pacer, man-of-the-match when Palmie won last season's grand final, has been going great guns in the nets and his captain, Ryan Armstrong, reports he is "jumping out of his skin" to get the ball in his hands.

"It is great to have Matthew back and he'll open the bowling with Jason Simmons who did a terrific job last week in getting two (2-22) wickets bowling with good line and length and doing a bit in the air," he said.

Experienced opening bat Richard Burgess will also play despite badly twisting an ankle in last week's rain-affected draw with Broadbeach Robina.

"Richard is as tough as nails. I just know he'll front up wanting to play," Armstrong said.

"If we field I'll put him into the slips where he won't have to do any running and if we bat first we'll discuss dropping him down the order, but knowing Richard's tenacity, he'll probably insist on opening."

Work commitments have forced leg-spinning all-rounder Ryan Kettle to miss the game but Palmie is fortunate to be able to call in Shane Stine, another leg-spinner who can also wield the bat.

In other matches, Queens host Runaway Bay, Southport Labrador takes on Alberton and Broadbeach Robina clashes with Mudgeeraba Nerang.