Two games of differing participation in the JLT Cup double header confirmed Western Australia have the jump on the field, though the remainder of their matches will now be on foreign soil, and just further confused the pecking order of the remainder of the teams in the competition as Queensland held on to stave off a fast finishing Victoria.
Why teams insist on winning the toss and sending their opponents in is still beyond me, but Queensland made perfect use of the invitation from Peter Handscomb in compiling a solid opening partnership. Both Matt Renshaw and Usman Khawaja are looking for plenty of time in the middle leading up to their date in Brisbane in November, and both had plenty of that today. They got off to a rollicking start and stayed with the momentum for the first half of the innings. Renshaw has shown in these one day games that he is capable of scoring at a decent clip, and no doubt he will be hoping to parlay this into his Test batting this summer. Khawaja has been a premier one day and T20 batsman over the past two seasons, and it continues to surprise that he doesn’t get more of an opportunity in these forms at international level. His play against the seam attack on a docile wicket here showed he is still at the top of his game in such conditions.
The best spell of bowling came from forgotten leg spinner Fawad Ahmed. Renshaw has faced a lot of spin bowling in recent times, and that is also the main reason Khawaja has been hidden from the Test team in 2017. This spell did nothing but reinforce what those in India and Bangladesh already knew, the Queensland opening pair is susceptible to good spin bowling. Their momentum halted as soon as Fawad was introduced, and he bowled a beautiful mixture of leg spinners, top spinners and googlies that confused and bamboozled the pair. It was brilliant to watch for anyone who considers themselves a part of the Leg Spin Union. Khawaja was obviously all at sea, whilst Renshaw played carefully and wasn’t keen on over extending himself. With the run rate dropping, Fawad put his stamp on the innings by claiming three wickets – Renshaw cutting straight and low to point, Khawaja a slog across the line to be caught on the mid-wicket boundary, and Burns completely beaten to be stumped. Fawad’s figures of 3/44 off ten overs at the notoriously high-scoring North Sydney Oval was a masterclass, and a reminder that he would not be out of place for higher honours.
With Queensland slowed right up, at 37 overs they were 2/179, meaning they had to get 121 runs from the final 13 overs to crack 300 which is considered to be a minimum total to defend at North Sydney Oval. Almost 10 and over for the last 13 overs. It didn’t look likely at all. And they did it in style, in fact reaching 6/309 thanks mainly due to two of the younger members in Marnus Labuschagne (52 off 40) and Jimmy Peirson (46 off 27). Both were superb, taking apart Boland and Tremain in the final overs to take the advantage they needed when batting first. Both of these two young men are making great strides, and good things look to lay ahead for them. Once again the pick of the bowlers, apart from Fawad, was the veteran People’s Champ, Peter Siddle. His ten over spell brought forth 0/33, and his Test stocks as at least the fourth seamer/12th man must be rising with each game.
The Victorians in reply lost their major run scorers from the last game in the first nine balls, and once both Dean and Handscomb had departed for run-a-ball 40’s the game appeared well beyond their reach. At 6/135 they need almost 8 an over, 175 runs off 22 overs. But Short (51 off 49), Tremain (50 off 45) and the indefatigable Siddle (62 off 45) took it to the last over, where they needed 16 to win. A boundary to Siddle left 12 required from three balls before he was bowled to complete the innings and the match. Was it poor bowling? Or gutsy batting? Honestly they should never have gotten that close.
Tasmania was destroyed by a Western Australian team missing their first choice bowlers but doing fine with their revamped batting line up following Adam Voges’ retirement. Dunk. McDermott and Doolan all failed to deliver, leaving George Bailey to shoulder the responsibility – again. Once he went for 36, Jordan Silk played with the nous and calm we know he possesses to make 80, but 207 all out was never going to be enough on the fast W.A.C.A pitch and ground. There is enough talent in that Tasmanian batting to make good runs, but they just can’t seem to get it together. Though Jake Doran appears out of favour, perhaps it is time to give him some responsibility and a chance at the top of the order to build on the ability he obviously has.
The reply from the Warriors was swift and merciless, reaching the target only two wickets down and with more than 12 overs remaining. Michael Klinger and Shaun Marsh set up the chase wonderfully, with Klinger making 45 and Marsh another serene 62. If numbers ensured national selection he’d be a lock. He needs more and better numbers to force his way back in, one would suspect, given that he has shown in the past that his form at domestic level doesn’t always translate to national level. Skipper Mitch Marsh showed the potential he can have with the bat, smashing 67 not out off 49 deliveries to bring home the victory. By not being able to bowl, and by having inherited the captaincy, perhaps this period could be what finally brings everything together for Mitch marsh the potential Australian All-Rounder. By having to score runs to hold his place, it may well be that catalyst that helps him when his next chance comes for Australia.
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