We are two rounds into the Shield and unfortunately, no closer to selecting Usman Khawaja’s next opening partner, though Davey Warner has indicated he’s fit and available.
But while the focus has been on the very top of the order, considering the perceived weakness of Australia’s batting line-up last summer, how are we looking across the board?
Before we jump into an assessment of the season to date, we should lay out some obvious caveats – two games is a small sample size and there are still more opportunities for the players to prove themselves.
But with that out of the way, let’s have a look at who’s performing, who’s giving us what we expected and who’s on the verge of being dropped back to the seconds.
The Openers: It’s been a tough start to the season for a few of the preferred contenders to take on Bumrah & Co.
The far and away most popular pick from the professional and amateur pundits alike is quickly letting his chance slip by; poor Bancroft has scored a pair, 8 and 2 for the season average of 2.5. Although his body of work over the last two years should hold him in good stead, at a certain point you have to start considering whether or not you can pick a guy who simply hasn’t spent any time in the middle.
Sadly, for those of us from the Sunshine State, Matty Renshaw has let is chance at a recall slip by with disappointing returns of 6, 15, 2 and 21 for an average of 11. His omission from the Australia A line up was probably the nail in the coffin, but the lack of even a single score of note has put him well behind the eight ball.
So what about our third contestant? Marcus Harris started the season with a bang, but his returns have incrementally dropped inning by inning; 143, 52, 26 and 16. The usual Junction Oval comments have abounded, but runs remain the currency and an average of 52.25 to start the season leaves him within striking distance of a recall.
But what about from deeper in left-field? Henry Hunt’s name got thrown up on the back of a single score, but his second inning duck, plus underwhelming returns in the first game (23 and 7) will surely keep his name off of the selector’s handkerchiefs.
Bancroft’s opening partner-in-crime struck a fine century in his first hit out of the red-ball season, but he hasn’t been able to follow it up, with scores of 29, 13 and 4 for an average of 37 to start the season. Solid, but not screaming ‘pick me’.
Thus, as night follows day, we come to the new pin up boy of Australian cricket – Sam Konstas. Is he Ponting reborn? Do we need him in the side just to bring down the average age to somewhere south of 40? In a struggling batting line-up, scores of 152, 105, 2 and 43 and been good returns for the young fella (average 75.5). Personally, I feel he’s a couple of good score for Australia A away from a baggy green, but who really knows?
It’s probably worth mentioning that that Khawaja has continued his worrying trend of scoring between 30 and 70, without really kicking on. Scores of 31, 64*, 0, 39 (average 44.66) have allowed him some time in the middle, but this is very much in line with his recent returns at test level (no century since June 2023, only two fifties last summer and averages of 36, 46 and 22 in his last three series). Australia is going to need more than that this summer.
Sam Konstas. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)
The middle order: It’s now time to move onto the spot of least contention for the selectors. It appears we’re destined to see Labuschagne, Smith and Head line up at 3, 4 and 5. But how are they actually travelling?
Marnus started his season in a little style, but like Harris, his returns have diminished with every return to the crease; 77, 35*, 22 and 10. A not out and small sample size means he’s averaging 48 for the season, but like with Khawaja, Australia is going to need a lot more out of their first drop this summer.
If assessing a players form from two games is near impossible, assessing it from a single game is downright foolish. Nonetheless, Head and Smith are potentially heading into the series very underdone. Concerningly, with ODIs scheduled for 4, 8 and 11 November, Smith will likely not feature again in the Shield and will surely not play for Australia A, unless he straps up for the game starting on 14 of November. Similarly, Head is on parental leave so is unlikely to hit another red ball before the first Test. Not ideal.
But how are the contenders going? As I’ve separated out the blokes who roll the arm over or slip on the gloves, I’ll only mentioned two; Davies and McSweeney. Davies has started his career with a bang, but returns of 37, 36, 37 and 1 (average of 27.75) suggest he’s not going to force his way in this season.
On the other hand, McSweeney has started the season on fire, racking up scores of 55, 127*, 37, 72 to give him the Bradman-like season average of 97 in the lead up to November. As can often happen with young players, this burst of runs has also seen his overall first-class average climb from 33 to 36; this could be a breakout season for the young Captain-in-Waiting.
The all-rounders: We can now move onto everyone’s favourite type of cricketer, the all-rounder, or for those with a keen sense of history a ‘Miller-lite’, if you will.
Let’s start with the guy that has no chance this year – Aaron Hardie. It’s not because I don’t like him, but it would seem he’s simply not on the radar and opening his account with 12 and 6 has not helped his cause. But really, when he wasn’t announced for the Australia A line-up, you feel he’s going to be playing only white-ball cricket for Australia this summer.
Aaron Hardie bats. (Photo by Jason McCawley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Beau Webster started the season where he left off, with a century. A quiet second game probably doesn’t really mean anything and his call up to the Australia A side suggests the selectors are keeping an eye on him in the event Mitchell Marsh breaks down.
Frustratingly Marsh has started the season with returns that reflect his career to date; 13, 94, 9, 6 for an average of 30.5. He’s a certainty to line up for the Australians in the opening test and he’s declared himself fit to bowl as much as needed, but you can’t escape the feeling that the inconsistency that’s plagued him his entire career hasn’t gone away.
The keepers: So, let’s finish up with the feel good story that is being an Australian wicket-keeper right now. A couple of centuries (111 and 123) to go with a 90 and 42, has seen Alex Carey start the summer in the form of his life. He’ll be lining up at number seven, don’t you worry about that.
But hot on his heels is his white-ball replacement, Josh Inglis, who has plundered two centuries of his own to record 122, 48, 101 and 26* so far this season. If he was opening, he’d probably already be marked down as facing the first Bumrah bouncer. An honourable mention must also go to Philippe who has peeled off 56, 0, 45* and 88 so far this season for an average of 63.
If we’re being honest, it’s not been a reassuring start to the season. If India had scored just a few more than 46 in their first hit-out against New Zealand, alarm bells would likely be ringing. In fact, you get the real sense that this could be all about the bowlers this summer.
I’m going all the way out on the ledge and putting forward Konstas as Khawaja’s opening partner in a few weeks time. I genuinely feel he’s one Australia A score away from being selected. Poor Bancroft couldn’t have picked a worse time to register a few low scores.
It’s heartening to see McSweeney start to live up to the hype; success against India A might yet see him get his chance if Labuschagne and Smith struggle this summer. But the selectors are a conservative lot, so they’d have to be some pretty amazing numbers.
Webster feels one injury away from selection due to Green’s absence and so far he’s kept his name at the top of the list, because selectors do love a well-timed century. You feel Hardie remains some way off.
>Cricket News
%20(3).jpeg)
0 Comments