We are at our fourth edition of these Power Rankings, and we need to start with three declarations up front.
1. The first two rounds of the Shield have made a mighty mess of this exercise, so your empathy if you would to this writer for trying to make wine out of vinegar.
2. Marnus has earned his spot in the Test team. He has, caps off, we didn’t like his form at all two months ago, but it’s undeniable now – he is leaps and bounds ahead of his competition, so well done, we acknowledge, we concede.
3. But we want him at No.3 come Perth next month, and these Power Rankings are clearly looking for openers. So, coming up is a rankings that both commits Marnus to making the first XI, yet sees him as the chosen first drop, and the conundrum that ensues.
Onto our revised rankings, and golly there’s been some movement. Some blokes just don’t want to make double figures, what you going to do?
Dishonourable mentions
Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman: I don’t like doing it, I take no joy, but they are not helping me help them. I do think that first round pitch at the WACA was especially tough, but Whiteman’s 17 and 6, let alone his partner’s 3 and 5, since, well they don’t help.
Honourable Mentions
Blake Nikitaris: It’s come to this.
Kurtis Patterson: The only reason to keep him in the picture, with so little runway remaining to the first Test, is because of his pedigree. The flip side is an average of 4.5 from four innings, and only facing 18 balls per innings, the lowest of anyone we’re tracking for this exercise. He is so far behind now its not funny. Tough WACA pitch two weeks ago or not, we have no choice.
Marcus Harris: Harsh? Maybe. But when Blake MacDonald wasn’t playing, did Harris go back and open? No, Harry Dixon was given a go. Victoria doesn’t rate him as an opener anymore or want him to open. Averaging 12 since his 61 on opening day. Can’t have it.
Jayden Goodwin: 30 & 48 was much more like it. Still not great, we want to see a half century first, let alone triple figures, but here is a young batter with plenty of talent, so we skew him up here. We almost snuck him top 10, we do like his prospects.
Blake MacDonald: Didn’t play last round but makes the honourable mentions. His 45 and 30 in the first round stack up, outperforming Campbell Kellaway, we don’t want him making the top 10 yet but to this point couldn’t be completely shunned.
Marcus Harris. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
To our top 10, and again, a reminder, be nice this week.
10. Conor McInerney: Wrong side of 30 years of age, barely averaged 25 last Shield season, has only made a top score of 60 so far this Shield season, what’s the go? Well, only eight batters have gone past 50 this season, McInerney is one (so is Marcus Harris mind you, but we digress). Only seven guys are averaging above 30 (Harris is averaging 24), McInerney is one. And only five guys for crease time are batting an average of a session or longer, McInerney is one. He isn’t close, but we acknowledge that he is doing alright when plenty others are not.
9. Tim Ward: He’ll be out of the top 19 and staring down Honourable Mentions before you know it, he is only marginally outperforming Patterson so we’re onto it.
8. Nathan MacSweeney: unimpressed, top score of 41, averaging under 20, there’s not tonnes to like here, honestly could have been out of the top 10 but such is the tediousness of ranking a bunch of batters who aren’t doing much to judge them from.
7. Campbell Kellaway: too high, probably, over indexing on two good 40s, the 47 particularly in the last match whilst not a half-century a good dig, unlike some others who can’t get into double figures.
6. Henry Hunt: that opening day, batting from first ball through until stumps, big century looks even better with time. Only three batters through two rounds have scored triple figures, two of which make our top three in the Rankings, the other is Hunt. A duck in the first innings last match but otherwise two 30s to round out his season to date, averaging high 40s, so far so good really, can’t knock. Could easily be top three in a minute if he performs well in Perth next week.
5. Usman Khawaja: Batted three times for a 60, 40 and a duck. Not lights out. Just isn’t. And every chance he won’t bat again for Queensland before the first Test. So that there becomes the case for sticking with, when, again, there is a compelling argument that this is a wonderful Test career that is now going a series or three too long. Remember, if the opposition is brimming with glee at the prospect of bowling to you, that’s not a good sign.
And given that pound for pound, Marnus has totally outshone him on the same pitches against the same bowling attack, there’s not nothing in that. Anyway, fifth for us, not in our team.
Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)
4. Sam Konstas: too high, way too high. Yep. This one is a bit illogical. But here’s why. No-one’s making scores, only eight batters have gone past 50 this season. Only four scores 50 or over this last round. Konstas’ 53 has kept him in the top five, when otherwise he shouldn’t. But to pad that case, if we can, the 53 was against Boland and O’Neill, two of the better domestic quicks, it was the best score by a top-order player all match on a pitch that was not a road by any stretch. And if we are to give NSW and WA players a mulligan for that first round pitch, Konstas is showing signs of life.
We do think he was the best ‘looking’ opener last Test summer, he was the best against Jasprit Bumrah certainly, and we think even playing field against Khawaja, he’d be a chance to do something, whereas the curtain on Khawaja’s career was probably called a long time ago, just no-one’s bothered to pull the chord.
So yes, too high. This feels a bit more ‘optimistic vibe’ than rational. Forgive us.
3. Marnus Labuschagne: if this was the “First Drop Power Rankings” he’d be number one. But this is “ok, pick Marnus to open, specifically”. Is it that different, no, otherwise we wouldn’t be including No.3s in this exercise, but it is a factor.
His form is brilliant, we got this one wrong, kudos to those who believed he could turn it around and when he does play in Perth, either as opener or at three, we hope and pray he makes runs, he has our support.
But we prefer him at three, so to open, we prefer the two coming.
2. Matt Renshaw: I know, blasphemy. He was barely ranked two months ago, a really compelling case for why at the time, and one century later has seen him skyrocket to sixth last go, and without playing last round gets into the coveted top two; have we gone mad? No, we haven’t, never felt more sure of our faculties.
Let’s look at the form. Only Hunt, Marnus and Renshaw have scored a century this season. Patterson’s highest score is eight, we’ve over-indexed on Konstas with a top score of 53 and Kellaway who has a highest score of 47. Comparatively alone its starting to stack up.
Renshaw’s 128 could well be an outlier, and yes, it was against the Tassie bowling attack on a flat AB Field. But underlying all our criticisms of Renshaw was that he was probably the most talented man for the job but had underperformed all this time. Well, big hundred in the first match, tick, outperformed Test incumbent Khawaja, and clearly too, tick, and is now with the national team for white-ball honours, shows he is in good nick, tick.
It’s a gamble, but if he is indeed seeing them well, balls of any colour, and that hundred does indeed carry weight – sign me up.
Jake Weatherald. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
1. Jake Weatherald: continues to impress, deserved a ton last match with that outstanding 94, he has done nothing to see this column wavering on giving him a baggy green for Perth.
At worst, if you dislike the Renshaw punt, go with Weatherald and Marnus, two clearly in-form batters who would make a very intriguing opening pair, left-right combination, can get busy, push ones and twos, both have 360-degree games. Or you start with Weatherald and Renshaw, in form, proper openers, lots of talent, with Marnus coming in first drop. I can get behind both.
We’re back on the 1st of November with our next edition, and pending the naming of the first Test squad this next round taking place in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth is likely the last chance saloon for the combatants on this list. Good grief!
Until then, be kind in the comments.
>Cricket News
%20(3).jpeg)
0 Comments