Michael Clarke to misses last round of Shield games but batting line-up in form Back in form: NSW batsman David Warner. Michael Clarke will miss the final round of Shield games before the first Test but knows most of his batting line-up are fit and in form in the countdown to the Ashes. While England battle the elements and injury to bed down key spots in their batting order, Australia's top seven all but pick themselves after a strong start to the summer. Chris Rogers and Steve Smith have made centuries, so, too, David Warner, who is poised to remain as Test opener after backing up his excellent form in the Ryobi Cup with scores of 104 and 51 not out last week for NSW in Melbourne. Clarke fell 12 runs short of a ton in his first Shield innings of the summer, while George Bailey, tipped to claim the final batting spot, spent decent time at the crease to make 34 and 41 after his his red-hot limited-overs form in India. The injured Shane Watson is the only frontline Australian batsman yet to face a red ball this season, though he is not short of match practice after playing in India. Although Watson received an encouraging report on his fitness at the weekend, selectors may yet name a 13-man squad on Tuesday. Tasmanian Alex Doolan, averaging 73 in the first-class arena this season, is the favourite to be placed on standby. The strong form of Australia's best batsmen should allay some fears over the country's woes, which prompted a batting forum last month. It is also a marked improvement on Australia's preparations for the last home Ashes series three years ago, which former captain Ricky Ponting branded a "shemozzle" in his autobiography. The promising early season form will be vital if the hosts are to receive the even output across the board that retired star Michael Hussey believes is a key ingredient to reclaiming the urn. "To beat this England team, who are very, very good, you need contributions from everyone," said Hussey, who is promoting the CommBank Cricket Club initiative, which is aiming to provide 90 grassroots clubs with funding, equipment and support packages. You just can't rely on Michael Clarke or Shane Watson to score the bulk of the runs. Hussey was impressed by what he has seen recently from Smith, who earned a recall to the baggy green this year in India and made his maiden Test ton during this year's Ashes series in England. "He's certainly playing with a lot of confidence, which is really good to see," Hussey said. He went through a tough couple of years after getting a taste of it. He appears to have gone away and worked very hard on his game and is playing with a lot of confidence. Having him feeling confident and coming into the series playing well and in form with runs under his belt is very, very important. Cricket Australia has pulled Clarke from the final round of Shield games before the Ashes with the view of managing the back problems that have troubled him throughout his career. "We're very pleased with Michael's preparation ahead of the first Test," said national coach Darren Lehmann. "The plan for his Ashes build-up was to play two Sheffield Shield matches, which he has done successfully," he said. He has spent valuable time in the middle, batting and fielding. Clarke will head to Brisbane to train at CA's new high-performance facility along with Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, who will also miss their state's Sheffield Shield fixtures.