OK, let’s not muck about.
This is very serious. It’s just over 100 days until the first Ashes Test in Perth, the Poms are bringing over Bazball and a very formidable batting line-up, and Australia’s top order is as winning over as many fans as a CEO at a Coldplay concert.
The West Indies tour was supposed to shore up Sam Konstas as the heir to the throne and give Usman Khawaja enough licks of the ice cream we can nervously see him through to the Sydney Test, while still confident of retaining the little urn.
Alas neither of those two things happened; comfortable with our openers we are not. Look, do we love Cam Green as the long-term No.3? No. But in the absence of any mates he at least made some runs and occupied the crease. For now, until that inevitably falls in a heap by day three of the Ashes, we’re going with “head in sand” on that position.
But the openers, good grief. Usually, Australian teams have their top two locked away, or worst case, we might be on the hunt for one, but never mind, they pick themselves right?
Wrong. We have no-one blindingly obvious for a spot, and four months out we are wrestling with Shield form and scouring County Cricket Div 2 for any green shoots.
So, without further ado, in the interest of taking this very, very seriously, we launch the first run through of the Ashes Opener Power Rankings. A quintessential guide to where Australia’s opener choices sit periodically through the lead up to the First Test. We can’t lose the Urn, on home soil, because we chose the wrong openers. We mustn’t.
This will be our first go of many, post the world-shattering two-match red-ball encounter between Australia A and Sri Lanka A up in Darwin. It wasn’t on telly, which was a miss, but we’re all over it.
We’ve researched County Cricket, the last Sheffield Season in strenuous detail, gone over the record books and worked out who has opened before, who could, or more importantly who needs to be overlooked.
These are the definitive ratings, don’t let any News Corp journo still emanating Jamaican rum from their pores tell you otherwise, you won’t get anything more factual and refreshing than the below.
Marnus Labuschagne walks off the field after being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj at Perth Stadium. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
We’ll redo this after the next Australia A red-ball excursion to India in around the footy finals, before getting properly granular round by round as the nation is gripped by Sheffield Shield fever. Who will impress, who will absolutely stuff it, its all to play for.
Before we reveal our top 10, the honourable mentions, those on the bubble but with a lot of ground to make up:
Sam Whiteman.
Matt Renshaw: I’m sorry…. no, actually, not sorry, when Renshaw’s name comes up I have mixed feelings. The first one is frustration, because Renshaw would be such a great candidate for this moment in an alternate timeline. Right age, plenty of talent, suitable skillset, one of the very few who are active Australian cricketers with a century opening the batting.
But that segues into my other feeling, proper frustration, because he is just nowhere near it. White-ball cricket, fine, different story, don’t care. Red ball? Last Shield season he made less than 500 runs at 29, and whilst part of the Australia A setup for the short-form stuff, wasn’t given a sniff for the four-day setup. And with good reason. Way, way too far back.
Marnus Labuschagne: Yep. 13th. And its spot on. What else do you need to hear? Last Test series he played, in Sri Lanka, averaged 25. India last Summer, here, averaged 26. When we went over to New Zealand for two Tests before then, averaged 25. The two West Indies tests at home the previous Summer, averaged 6.
He made three 60s against Pakistan just before that, fine, that’s some time ago now. Since a 163 against the West Indies in Adelaide in December 2022, he has scored one century in 54 innings. At #3. And we want him to open?
And just because he still has a test average of 46 is redundant. Matty Hayden’s average is 50, should we pick him? Yes, I know big Dos is the wrong side of 50 and long-retired I know, but be fair, Hayden and Marnus are both equally out of form. Can’t pick him. Make some runs for Queensland before the first Test and get back to me, we will re do this. But now. Not even close.
Jayden Goodwin
Cameron Bancroft: Yes, he made a very nice County century a few weeks back. But his Test average is 26, his Shield average last season was 26, I’ll keep shopping around for now, thanks.
Ok, to our top ten.
South Australia’s Henry Hunt. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
10. Henry Hunt: Firstly, he plays for South Australia, but he is from Cowra, so that NSW pedigree should sooth some of your angst. But look, has some tools, bit more old-school, not likely to be on your screens come BBL time, but can occupy the crease, bat time, and make some big scores. Last season four blokes scored three Shield tons, no-one got to four, and Hunt was one of said four.
So, there’s a lot to like, why isn’t he higher? Yes, its tough opening the batting on Australian pitches these days, but the lad likes a single-digit score. Three ducks to go with his three hundreds, plus there’s also a 4, a 6 and a 7 in there too for good measure. Makes the list because he is a proper opener who could do really well, but sits this low because at times he is the Abe Simpson meme, and that’s not ideal.
9. Marcus Harris: Could he do it? Probably. Do we really want to go back to this well? Not entirely. Test average is something, won’t bother checking it, we all know its not great. But here’s the thing, not even the best, or most appealing opener from Victoria anymore (he is to come) and “but he is making runs in County Cricket, very impressive” – just no. He is batting four, for a Div 2 team, and I’ve looked up the leading run scorers in Div 2 and it’s a whose who of Fawlty Towers supporting cast and Love Island UK misfits. Doesn’t stack up. Better options. Sorry Marcus.
8. Travis Head: Hear me out. Should he do it? God no. Do we really want to play this card? Not on my watch. Would it solve the problem, and actually solve another at the same time? Yes.
“Trav, come in, go nuts, you’ve got ten goes at opening the batting across the summer, we reckon you could crash and bash you way to a ripping score by lunch in six or seven of those, and that would be a pass.” And what it would also do is allow Josh Inglis and/or Jason Sangha, two blokes befitting of a middle order spot easy, to come into the team. A lineup of ‘TBC’, Head, Green, Smith, Sangha, Inglis, Carey, that’s left field but if it came to it, I would unclench my buttocks. But let’s not.
7. Campbell Kellaway: Bona fides? 22 years old, so properly young, but not ‘just got my pen license’ Sam Konstas young. There’s a pseudo pathway of ‘did you star at an Under 19 World Cup?’ these days and Kellaway did, so whatever credits that gives him, tick.
Look clearly this is a guy who’ll open the batting for Australia eventually, he just has that look about him and he is uber talented. But to be fair, in the now, he became Victoria’s mainstay opener last season and put together the fourth most runs, overall, no filters on that, with two 100s and six scores over 50, and only one bloke achieved seven.
His back half of the Shield season, arguably, was as impressive as Konstas’ first half to put that into perspective. Granted, he did sweet you know what against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, otherwise he could have been top five. But early Shield runs and he will be in the mix.
Sam Konstas. (Photo by Jason McCawley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
6. Sam Konstas: This one’s simple. His West Indies tour made him look like a failure, someone who is not ready and might not be ready for some time. Long have we forgotten that the only batsman that looked any good against Bumrah last summer was Sam, at the MCG? Can’t have it both ways.
The Windies tour was a trainwreck, and his numbers look really bad, no hiding that. That’s why he is sixth, and no longer one or two. But in Australian conditions, there’s no doubting early Shield runs propels him back up into the same contemplation that got him a Boxing Day debut last season, no question.
5. Nathan McSweeney: Did you know in the three Tests he played in last summer, as opener, when he hadn’t opened before, he out-averaged Usman Khawaja? He didn’t do well, but he wasn’t holding the top order back singlehandedly. He went back to SA and had a really solid Shield campaign batting at three (averaged 52 for the season), leading his team to a much-celebrated title, and made a really nice 94 for Australia A recently.
Here is a guy near or at the level. I don’t think he would be anywhere near as bad next time if he got a second go. He was close last time and just got Bumrah’d, put simply.
4. Usman Khawaja: And you know what, probably too high. If I told you that if you remove that Galle outlier double hundred that he hasn’t made a run since Moses was playing Milo Cricket, and is now weeks away from turning 39, you’d say it’s preposterous he even makes the power rankings.
Let’s be real, there’s a high chance that he is cooked; great career, but Father Time is unbeatable. Last summer he averaged 20 against India, and that one innings in Sri Lanka aside its all looked a bit familiar and tragic since. But there’s also a chance come the early Shield runs he’ll pile them on for Queensland and get himself picked.
He should not be given a spot like many suggest “because he should” or “just has to”, no, make runs for Queensland otherwise its done, you’re 39 in a minute. But if after two Shield rounds he has outplayed his peers, ok, go well Uzzie, but heavens above you’re on a very short leash if there’s better options.
Kurtis Patterson. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
3. Kurtis Patterson: Yes, I’d play Patterson over Khawaja. And you should too. Here’s why.
Patterson bats at three for NSW, and if its good enough for McSweeney 12 months ago, its good enough for Kurtis here. I also think Patterson is a more talented cricketer than McSweeney, plus is one of the very few on this list with a Test 100 (although let’s look past the fact he got that 114* batting six against Sri Lanka on a Manuka road).
But let’s get serious for a second, last Shield season he was third for runs with 743 at 57.15 – had he played every game he was on track for over 1000 runs, and got to that six scores over 50 mark which stands above all but one. He was also one of only five to average over 100 balls per innings, underrated, I’d much rather someone make lunch on day one than get out reverse sweeping in the second over.
Then, a solid 59 for Australia A recently, backing up his very impressive 137 against the England Lions last summer the last time he wore the prestigious Australia A cap. At 32 years old, seasoned now, and clearly in form. I’d be comfy. Confident? Ask me later. But comfy.
2. Tim Ward: You’re saying “who?” and I’m ashamed for you. You’ve read this far, clearly a cricket nuffy, and you don’t know Tasmania’s first drop, let alone why he is at two in the power rankings? For shame.
Let’s make this really simple: the 2022 Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, I know, doesn’t guarantee squiddly, but it gives us a glimpse into his talent, clearly someone who was spotted early on as something special.
Last Shield Season, I’ve mentioned a few times in this articulate piece blokes who scored over 50 six times, and how someone managed seven. That was Tim. But why so impressive, because he only batted 13 times for the full season. His conversion of starts to scores significantly impressive, and in my view by some margin. 665 runs at 51.15; only Alex Carey converted more starts into scores, only McSweeney averaged more balls faced per innings.
The only weakness, he didn’t make as many 100s as some of the others, but he did score two match winning 90s in the same match against Queensland.
Tim Ward. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Also, Tasmanian, not quite, he is actually from Sydney’s North Shore, so cynically that helps too, right? Lastly, England sent their A team, England Lions, here last summer, Ward an important distinction opened the batting for the CA XI, in back-to-back matches scored 115* and 120. His combined record for Tasmania, Australia A and the CA XI the last 12 months is over 900 runs at 54.
Other than you not recognising the name, and seemingly left field, his case is as rock solid as any. And it doesn’t not help that he shared six partnerships last Shield season with the bloke I have ranked No.1 and their stands together averaged 97. If we’re not going to pick any incumbents for continuity, you could do worse than pick two guys who are familiar with one another to somewhat combat that.
1. Jake Weatherald: Firstly, no, he is not too old. If he was to debut in the first Test he would only be six months older than Mike Hussey when he debuted. Let’s put that to bed.
Otherwise, simple numbers game: top scorer in the Shield last season, 906 runs at 50.33, opening the batting for Tassie. Three centuries including 186 against Queensland, it’s a compelling case as is, arguably the most in-form batsman from last season, and he was opening the batting most crucially.
Then he goes and scores 183 against Sri Lanka A this week after a very neat 54 last week. His last 20 red-ball innings he has made 1143 runs at 57.15.
Your witness.
Jake Weatherald. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
End of the day, this is all about who is most likely to do well if given the assignment. And yes, there’ll be Khawaja backers because of friendship or romance or long memories to when he was in form (you’d need long memories that’s for sure). But if I’m England, please pick him. He is almost 39 and is not making runs, how good?! On that basis, he can’t be handed a spot four months out, that’s irresponsible. He would need to earn it.
So as it stands, for our first edition of the Power Rankings, come the First Test, Optus Stadium, Aussies have won the toss and will bat, we send out the reigning Shield season highest runscorer, because that makes sense, and with him is the guy who batted first drop behind him down there at Bellerive, why, because if anything he was more impressive; Weatherald got over 50 one in every three innings, Ward was going at better than one in two.
And the last time they batted together they put on 146 for the second wicket, that’s your cherry on top.
Next Edition: the Australia A tour bus is heading over to India in September for two four-day matches, we shall reevaluate and review the power rankings then.
Until then, enjoy the footy.
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