1st Test Day 3: Cummins Cleans Up Sri Lanka and Stakes His Claims to Number One

He’s played just 18 Tests since his debut just over seven years ago. 17 of those Tests have come in the last two years. As an 18-year-old phenom who bowled above 150kph he had the world at his feet. His return as an enforcer who averages in the low 140kph but has all the aggression and fire to back up his short of a length attack he has been the man to find the wickets when his team needs them, but the main rewards have seemed to come to the bowlers at the other end rather than to him. Today’s cricket finally put paid to that, as Pat Cummins reaped the rewards that he so thoroughly deserves in delivering to Australia a much-needed Test match victory in just over two and a half days.

Australia’s bowlers have not been exempt from criticism this summer, though their job has been made exceptionally more difficult by the fac that they are getting on average only a couple of sessions rest between innings which makes it difficult for them to be at their best. Mitchell Starc has taken the brunt of this disgruntlement, and though it is not misplaced he is probably for the first time feeling the pressure of being the leader of the pack. Having lost Hazlewood for the immediate future he would be pushing even harder to make the breakthroughs, but presently it is not happening for him. Again today he tried hard but gained nothing. To me, as a hack analyist, his rhythm just doesn’t look right. He needs to g back and look at video highlights of the way he bowled in the 2015 World Cup, when everything he did turned to gold. Studying those will surely give him an idea as to what he did right then and isn’t doing now. If he can’t find his mojo soon his presence in either teams to tour England may not be in strife but actually appearing on the field could be in jeopardy.
Replacing Starc and Hazlewood here was the new pairing, Cummins and Richardson. Jhye Richardson continued on from his good work in the first innings, barely leaking a run while he attacked the batsmen mercilessly. He finished with 2/19 from 13 overs and was constantly threatening and proved to be the perfect foil for his pace partner. His was a dream debut, and with the promise of more to come.

The star though was Cummins, the new vice-captain of Australia, who started it all off with the last ball of the previous evening. With his second ball of the third day he had Chandimal caught in the gully by Patterson to a full pitched delivery. With his seventh ball of the day he had Mendis caught at second slip driving at a full ball again. With his 36th ball of the day he picked up Silva, again caught by Burns at second slip driving at a full pitched delivery. The significance of these wickets shouldn’t be glossed over. Cummins has made a new career out of getting batsmen out with short pitched bowling, but here on a grassy Gabba pitch with a newish pink ball he was using his old method of full seaming deliveries to pick up wickets. At his pace, and with a full slips cordon, it was a terrific sight to see. For those who have begun to look forward to the upcoming World Cup and especially the Ashes series in England, it was a sign that in these types of conditions Australia’s premier fast bowler can adjust his lengths and tactics to suit the conditions. At this point Cummins had 4/9 and was rolling.
In picking up Thirimanne, Sri Lanka’s last line of defence, with the same ball and method of dismissal as Karunaratne the previous evening, Cummins secured his fourth five-wicket innings in Test cricket. When Kurtis Patterson took one of the catches of the season, diving full length from gully to take the ball one handed while horizontal a few feet off the ground to dismiss Perera, Cummins had taken his first ten-wicket match in Test cricket, and finished with his best ever bowling figures of 6/23 from 15 overs. Paine’s stumping off Lyon to end the Sri Lankan innings at 9/139 (with the injured Kumara unable to bat) left Australia as victors by an innings and 40 runs, and the smiles everywhere were a reward for the effort.

The three days of this Test have brought a refreshing look to the Australian team, though not one that has the feel of permanency to it. The catching in the cordon of Burns, Labuschagne and Patterson was excellent, as was the fact that Australia’s bowlers were able to garner so many false strokes and edges from the batsmen. The positives in the batting outweighed the one possible negative of Khawaja again failing to deliver a big score himself. That the win was secured over an already understrength Sri Lankan team that suffered further injury concerns through the course of the match probably hasn’t been highlighted. That this team needs to do a similar job next week in the 2nd Test is also something that needs to be made clear. A win is a win and should be celebrated. That it was brought forth by a man who has fought so hard to gain full health and deliver on his undoubted promise is perhaps the best news of all.

1st Test Day 2: Middle Order Stands Up to Deliver Significant Lead

The Australian team would have been hoping for a better day of output from its batting line-up, instinctively hoping that they could bat out the day five or six wickets down and with a huge lead having been amassed. That they did not came from the excellence of the Sri Lankan bowling, especially their occasional fill-in skipper who bowled his heart out to keep them in the match and giving them the chance to now rectify what happened on the first day.

Much has been made of the lack of individual centurions in the Australin Test team in recent times, and Maruc Harris’s soft dismissal early on day two didn’t improve the conversation. Having struggled through the previous evening’s session he must have been almost as disappointed as those watching were with his method of being dismissed. Coming to the fore instead were two batsmen maligned for different reasons over the past four months.
Marnus Labuschagne was returned to the Test squad on the whim of the selectors rather than weight of runs, and his inclusion over the young gun Pucovski here had encited grumbles. Inserted at four but dropped down a place after the intervention of Ntahn Lyon as night-watchman, Labuschagne showed the kind of patience that has effectively been missing from the Ausralian batmen this summer, most notable given one particular opponent who showed its positives in his perfrromance this season. Labuschagne was happy to bide his time, and showed a penchant for leaving balls outside the loine of the stumps and keeping an eye on the swing available. Only towards the end of the first session did he take advantage of the ball being further pitched up and closer to the line of his stumps. In the second session he appeared in complete command, picking the right ball and defending well. It was a complete surprise when he popped up a simple catch to mid on with two overs to go before the second new ball to be dismissed somewhat lamely for 81. For all that disappointment, Labuschagne has shown that he does have a temperament for Test cricket. His innings apart from one show an improvement numerically every time he has been to the crease – 0, 13, 25, 43, 38 and now 81. How he fits into this team in the coming few months is yet to be determined, but further improvement over the remainder of this series and the possible introduction of his bowling will make him a very difficult man to cast off easily.
Travis Head has had his problems with loose shots costing him his wiocket when his team has needed more from him, and he as much as anyone would have realised he needed to improve this aspect. Even so, he again gave two chances to the cordon, one a typical Head flash that flew high and wide of second slip which while not technically catchable was a symptom of his rash play, and a second an edge that was dropped by the keeper caught in the middle of nowhere. Both of these chances were where Head’s weaknesses lay and yet given how hard he has fought this summer he was due a little luck, something he then needed to double up on. To his credit he did, fighting against his natural instincts to carefully watch the pink ball and feed off the energy from his partner at the other end. He raised his fourth Test half century in his seventh Test. His partner’s dismissal did appear to stall his progress after the dinner break, and whether or not it was because of his determination to break through to triple figures or not is open to question. The second new ball had proven to be another Test, and eventually his luck ran out when he was adjudged LBW to Lakmal, with the ball tracking showing the ball would have just tipped the bails off. His 84 is his highest Tet score and continues to show the class he has for the game. Like Labuschagne, more of the same this series will make it hard to cast him aside if others are deemed necessary to return in the coming months.

Australia was eventually bowled out for 323, following an excellent debut innings from Kurtis Patterson of 30 who was dismissed in the team cause of chasing late innings runs. It had been a hard slog against some good bowling which was even better in retrospect given that the Sri Lankans had lost Kumara early on day two to back ang leg soreness, as well as Chameera for portions of the day to feet problems. The warrior of the day was Suranga Lakmal who bowled himself into the ground in their absence. He rarely got his pace into the high 130kph range, but he was accurate and dangerous with both swing and seam, and caused all of the batsmen trouble. In the high humidity and temperature engulfing the Gabba he was truly magnificent and produced a number of spells that must have been up there with the best of his career. He dismissed Burns and Lyon, and then Head and Paine with consecutive deliveries, before finishing off with Patterson to claim 5/75 from 27 wonderful overs, and almost single handedly kept Sri Lanka with some semblance of being in the match in restricting the deficit to 179 runs.

They had six overs to survive before stumps which seemed a little light on by the Australians, who could have declared earlier to give them a better use of the advantageous conditions. With one delivery to go it looked as though Sri Lanka was going to survive and set themselves up for a good shot at the next day, but in a Boys Own Annual page, the warhorse Pat Cummins found the edge of the tourists’ best batsman Karunaratne and Paine accepted the chance to leave Australia elated with their evening’s work and have Sri Lanka at 1/17 in the process. It leaves them with a tough road back if they are going to push the match beyond tomorrow’s scheduled third day.

1st Test Day 1: The "One Ball" Day Has Australia Motoring

Despite all of the likelihoods, despite the loss of key personnel for the Sri Lankan team, despite another two young players making their debut for Australia, despite the fortress that is “The Gabbatior”, it was still a strange thing to see Australia dominate a day’s Test cricket like they did on the opening day of the 1st Test after the tumultuous occurrences of 2018.

The day was highlighted by one ball from Jhye Richardson in the first over after the first ‘tea’ break, and it seemed to set the agenda for the commentary panel for the rest of the day. Richardson was one of the two debutants on the day for Australia, and his opening salvo had been well received. Though he was chosen for his raw pace and ability to swing the ball it hadn’t been overly prevalent in the first session. Mendis had made a cautious start with 14 from 43 deliveries. The third ball of the session was a peach, full and finding Mendis leaning towards pushing it through the leg side. From wide of the crease Richardson’s delivery pitched on the stumps and seamed away to take off stump. It would have gotten most batsmen in the world out. It was a ripper, and the celebrations were long and loud. Almost immediately the experts had Richardson opening the bowling at Edgbaston in eight months' time in the first test of the Ashes series, ignoring the fact that he still had work to do here, along with any number of matches in all forms of the game along the way. It was however the magic moment of day one. 

Without Angelo Mathews to hold back the tide the Sri Lankans were routed in the second session. A fighting innings from Niroshan Dickwella frustrated the Australian bowlers as he treated the spectacle like a T20 fixture. His 64 out of the eventual total of 144 was massive, and saved massive blushes for the tourists. Given the way they fought in New Zealand recently they would have been disappointed with their start. 

Mitch Starc again didn’t look anywhere near his best. His rhythm is completely off at the moment. He could do worse than go back and look at replays of his bowling in the 2015 World Cup when he couldn’t do anything wrong. Perhaps it would shine some insight as to what he is missing. Richardson on debut was superb, and his 3/26 perhaps deserved better. Pat Cummins started well and finished less so, but his 4/39 is as much a reward for his bowling all summer than just here on the first day. Nathan Lyon bowled more overs than anyone and got surprising spin and bounce, both of which accounted for an unbelieving Karunratne. He bowled too fast again and would surely have benefitted from tossing the ball up a bit more. It was the slower paced ball that did for Karunaratne.

Batting in the final session under lights, the Australians survived, which is probably the best way to put it. Joe Burns return started well but was cut short by a good away swinger from Lakmal for 15, while Usman Khawaja again fell to Dilruwan Perera – his first ball of the match – trying to cut a straight ball. It is the fourth time he has fallen to him, and he again didn’t fail to disappoint. He has some work to do in his next couple of Test innings if he wants to retain his spot in the mix for later in the year. 

Marcus Harris started beautifully, but as the ball and lights took effect he found himself confused and puzzled as to what shots to play and which balls to play or leave. He had a certain amount of luck which he was probably due after the Indian series. Perhaps against the Indian attack he would have been found out, but he fought hard against the rogue conditions and finds himself on 40 not out at stumps, with a flat wicket and older ball and more batsman friendly conditions ahead of him on day two. He needs to cash in with a big innings to give Australia the boost it needs. 

Australia is halfway to the Sri Lankan total with eight wickets in hand and has their best chance of the summer to post an imposing first innings lead. There will be plenty of interest to see how Harris, Labuschagne, Head and Kurtis Patterson take their chances to make big individual scores on a good batting wicket. For Australian supporters sakes at least, let’s hope they take their opportunities.

Selection Roundabout Continues as Sri Lankan Series Arrives

Depending on your point of view, the current situation with the choosing of the Test sqaud for the Test series against Sri Lanka either shows that the National Selection Panel (NSP) of Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell and Justin Langer are on the right track and are ensuring the best team possible is being selected while trying to avoid as much controversy as possible, or they are proving to be stumbling from one cock up to another. As always they will be judged by the performance on the field of the players they have chosen, but does the process itself come across as inept? 

The selection of the squad for the Test series more than two weeks out from the 1st Test is the first case for conversation. On the face of it, this appears to have been done in order to stop talk in the media of the possible fate of the Marsh brothers in particular but of any number of others that you could mention (including Peter Handscomb’s omission), which no doubt would have dominated the airwaves throughout the ODI series if it hadn’t been done. It also allowed a ‘good news’ story to emerge to instead take most of the media airtime, in that Will Pucovski in particular had been chosen, and that both Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw were being given belated chances to re-establish themselves in the Test arena. Perhaps this tactic worked fine for the NSP. Given that Shaun Marsh and Handscomb both succeeded (relatively) in the ODI series, did the early call on the Test team save the selectors some pot shots from an eventual decision to exclude them from Test squad? The answer is probably yes. It also abbreviated any possible shaky thoughts they may have had with both of those players, perhaps saving them from second thoughts about their Test removal given their form in the white ball arena. In Marsh’s case at least, this is a good thing. 

There was then the selection of the A team to play Sri Lanka in a warm up game in Tasmania, which looked to become a bat-off between the four batsmen chosen in the A team that were also chosen in the Test squad - i.e. Burns, Renshaw, Pucovski and Marnus Labuschagne. It may have appeared to the NSP as the perfect way to decide who would play in Brisbane and who would miss out on their form in the warm up game. 

Then Kurtis Patterson scored a century in each innings of the warm up match, and Jake Doran a century in the first innings. Neither was in the Test squad. In fact, while they plundered the Sri Lankan bowling, the four batsmen trying to secure a place in the Test starting XI all struggled. It was a bad look and with foresight was the biggest problem the selectors faced in naming the Test team before the warm up game had been played. So, to counter this, they added Patterson to the already bloated Test squad using ‘form’ and ‘centuries’ as the base point they claim to have been using in selecting teams this season – something that, as has been mentioned before, they only appear to use when it is convenient for them (Renshaw’s selection for this squad is a perfect example of ignoring those two case points). Also, to any of the four new names added to the squad two weeks earlier, how do they feel when they are suddenly joined by another, one who now looks like leapfrogging all of them into a Test debut? Batting has not been Australia’s strength in recent times, but with eight now in the squad trying to squeeze into six positions it feels like overkill. 

On top of this, Josh Hazlewood was then diagnosed with the beginning of stress fractures and was ruled out of all cricket for the foreseeable future, and was replaced by Jhye Richardson who was playing in the ODI team. And yet Chris Tremain, who was a most recent member of the Test squad without getting a game and was currently playing in the warm up match against Sri Lanka, was overlooked. It’s another off-track decision, even given that Richardson toured South Africa ten months ago. Using form as a guide, you could argue for either case. Yet Richardson looks to be on the NSP’s fast track while Tremain appears to be being strung along in a similar way that Chadd Sayers was for two years. 

So where do you stand? Do you applaud the NSP decision to name a Test squad early in order to make clear that certain players are now out of the running, to announce that there will be new faces in the team for Brisbane, and yet are courageous enough to add to the squad when a player’s form demands it? Or do you think the NSP has a doddery look when players in the team they named then fail to fire in the warm up match and are exposed by one who wasn’t named in the original squad, meaning they have to accede and name him or look foolish... but look foolish for having to do so? There is a case for both arguments. To me it feels like they took a gamble, and it is one that didn’t pay off. 

In once again passing over Tremain they are playing God with his career, and it feels eerily like what has happened to Sayers and Joe Mennie and countless others in recent years. Players that show great form for a 2-3 year period without getting a chance at the highest level, and are then gifted a one-off chance at a time that their previously excellent form has waned, and they are unable to produce enough for the selectors to ever try them again. While Richardson may well be brilliant in this series – and we all hope he is – surely the Brisbane wicket against a Sri Lankan team somewhat adverse to pace bowling would have been the perfect place for the tall and fast Tremain to debut. I can’t help but feel it is a massive missed opportunity by the NSP. 

Patterson was the victim three years ago when he probably should have been the one to debut against South Africa in Adelaide, when instead Nic Maddinson was chosen, ironically when his best form too had waned. He appears to be the kind of player Australia is searching for, and if he gets his chance it will be interesting to see how he performs. But it exposes the unusual decision to bring Matt Renshaw back into the fold with no first-class form behind him and ignore those that have been making runs in the Shield this season, and again brings a cloud of uncertainty and suspicion about the way the NSP goes about selecting our national teams. 

However, we are now at this point, and in two days time our revamped Test squad will take on an eminently weakened and shallow Sri Lankan team that under normal circumstances you would expect to be well and truly thrashed over the next two weeks. But this is not the Australia we have seen over the past two decades, and despite not possessing some of their best performers due to injury, Sri Lanka acquitted themselves well against a strong New Zealand team over the last month and will be looking to create some history of their own. Whether the NSP will be happy with the eventual outcome of the next two weeks may well also decide their own fate.

World Cup Squad Questions Getting Closer to Answers

If the Australian selectors were using the one-day series against India as a method of deciding who they were going to choose in their World Cup squad for this year’s tournament in England, they should have had some of those decisions now made for them. Performances, good or otherwise, have been to my eyes extremely obvious in showing those who can almost book their ticket to England, and those who can plan for an Australian winter at home. These decisions are not a matter of age nor are they a matter of youth, but instead come down to actual performance in those three matches.

Not all of the performances have been clear cut, nor can it be guaranteed that the selection of those players involved in those particular performances is iron clad. Indeed, it will still take a great deal of sorting to work out which of the players will still fit in with the selection of the World Cup squad and those who will no longer be required. There also is still no doubt that the balance of the squad will be dictated by the return of both Smith and Warner to the one-day team, should they be fit and should they be considered.

Some of the questions that should be asked and perhaps answered from this series are as follows:

1. Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja cannot play in the same team. Though both Marsh and Khawaja were the best performed batsmen in this three match series, it seems unlikely that both will be able to be accommodated in the same team when the World Cup begins. With both Warner and Smith being required to be in the top four in this team, the only way both Marsh and Khawaja can play is if Aaron Finch Is left out of the top four, which appears unlikely in the long run. Though this may seem harsh or even inconceivable given the woes of Australia’s top order, as a matter of team balance it is a fairly obvious point that will come under consideration. While an accumulator is probably a necessary evil in the top four in the current line up it is not something that the team can afford two of. There also seems little likelihood that either would be considered in the vital middle order spots. Both have batted well but at this point in time they are obvious candidates to be facing as many balls as possible at the top of the order. Thus one of them will have to miss out, given that Warner is likely to take the opening position alongside Finch and Smith will likely return at number three or four. With further one-day games to come in India and Pakistan before the World Cup squad needs to be announced this is one of the positional questions that will need an answer sooner rather than later.

2. How much leeway will Finch receive as captain in this team. This time last season Finch was Australia’s leading one-day batsmen scoring three centuries against England before injury came to keep him out of the remainder of the series. Having been announced as the captain of the one-day team following the suspension of Smith and the dropping of Paine he has barely made a run and it is starting to affect the team balance. Though as captain he cannot be held completely responsible for the form of the one-day team the fact that he is unable to score runs at the top of the order and get the team off to the start that it needs is creating major problems for the middle order. in in this way is creating the basis of the losses that are coming. His form has left his team and the selectors in a quandary. Having been anointed as the leader of the team to the World Cup a full nine months before the tournament begins, he now appears to have sewn up a spot despite the fact his form is completely lost. Unless he is able to find a reverse gear and quickly, his poor run will be held against him and his team as they move into the Cup itself. He still has time on his side, but further losses by the team combined with a continued lack of runs will be an enormous pressure on both himself and his position in the squad.

3. Alex Carey as keeper and his position in the batting order, or in the team itself. Whoever’s idea it was to trial Carey at the top of the order has probably gotten the answer they were looking for. Against South Africa Carey batted at number five and spent most of the time rescuing Australia from peril. So well did he do the job that he was then asked to do it at the top of the order against India. Scores of 1,1 and 1 have probably put paid to that occurring again, but has it also put unwarranted pressure on his position in the team as a whole? Carey is the current vice captain of the ODI team and has done nothing wrong with the gloves as well as showing in the BBL that he is more than capable with the bat. The logical step is to return him to seven in the batting line up and move everyone else up one place, but already the knives appear to be out. Given Peter Handscomb’s satisfactory return to the ODI line-up it has been mentioned that perhaps could once again take the gloves, but why put that pressure on his own batting? Former keeper Matthew Wade is having a season out of the box in both Shield and BBL and is another being mentioned, while the better than expected return of Cameron Bancroft with the Scorchers has opened up another possibility. Surely the selectors have found their man in Carey and will stick with him, but stranger things have happened...

4. Glenn Maxwell‘s position in the batting order. Many have question marks over Maxwell being in the team at all, but surely he is being wasted at number seven. He made 1,1 and 1 in the three matches against India, and Langer himself has come out and said this is the role they want him to play going forward. This is fine if you are going to back him when he fails in the quest to up the run rate of save the position of the game, but if not then it feels as though he is being left to be the scapegoat if (when) something goes wrong in the top order. The role looks to be set now, and if so hopefully this has been fully conveyed to Maxwell and he knows exactly what is expected of him. He deserves that much at least.

5. Adam Zampa and the spin position in the team. Nathan Lyon got the first two games to try and nail down a spot in the future squad, and while reasonably economical he did not take a wicket or look threatening to do so, which would be the reason he would be selected. Zampa looked like the afterthought again until getting the third game where he bowled well enough, also without taking a wicket. Dhoni blocking out his final over gave him an interesting boost. Other squads around the world are showing that to be successful you need to have a leg spinner in your team. England has Rashid, South Africa has Tahir, New Zealand has Sodhi, India has several, Pakistan has several. Australia is falling behind the game even though the BBL is also proving a wrist spinner is almost essential to success. It boggles the mind that with all of this in front of them that the selectors still have not promoted Fawad Ahmed to this level again. It could well be their undoing down the track. Surely, with matches in India and UAE to come, Fawad will get a chance to showcase his talents.

6. Old dogs or new kids in the bowling. Though Peter Siddle has been given his chance on the back of his form in England last winter, his performances in this series must show that what he has to offer is probably not sufficient to help Australia win a World Cup. The form of Jhye Richardson has pushed him well in front in the selection stakes in this regard, and despite the push the selectors have made with Siddle in the last six months you would suspect he can plan for a Melbourne winter instead. Especially considering that Starc and Cummins, and hopefully a fit Hazlewood, should come back into this squad, probably with a fit and firing Nathan Coulter-Nile.

7. Are Short and Lynn still in the firing line. Both played against South Africa without being able to cement their spot, and then both missed out on the Indian ODI’s. D’Arcy Short in particular keeps piling on the runs in the BBL, while Chris Lynn is as hit and miss as ever, being brilliant when he comes off but a disappointment when he throws his wicket away. At this stage it looks like only one of the two could make the squad unless different decisions are made. So who do you go for – the one who consistently scores the runs but has an obvious weakness against spin bowling, or the guy who if he comes off will win you a match off his own bat, but it may only happen in one of every four matches? The selectors may take both, but given the balance needed my guess is only one will go to England.

8. Who will miss out if you need to squeeze in Warner and Smith? There’s only fifteen spots for the World Cup tour, and not everyone can go. I’ve already mentioned Short and Lynn, but what about Handscomb if he is just considered a batsman? Can he still find a place once the two suspended players come back in? What about Travis Head who has been in the ODI team the last World Cup. Can he find a way back? It’s going to be a tough scenario, and balance is always the key, but you can be sure that the team that played the last ODI on Friday won’t be even close to what takes the field in the first World Cup match come June. 

Australia still has at least five ODI’s before the World Cup squads must be announced, and one can only imagine what sort of combinations will be used before their final decisions are reached. Or perhaps the selectors already know what they are going to do.

For my part, if I was picking a team today, this is what I would take, for better or worse. 

Aaron Finch ©
Dave Warner
Shaun Marsh
Steve Smith
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Alex Carey (vc)
Pat Cummins
Mitch Starc
Fawad Ahmed / Adam Zampa
Josh Hazlewood (pending fitness) 

Usman Khawaja
D’Arcy Short / Chris Lynn
Jhye Richardson
Nathan Coulter-Nile

Albion Park Under 13's: Round 11 vs Shellharbour Blue at Myimbar East

The return of junior cricket to the fields of the south coast saw the Albion Park Eagles Under 13 team travelling to Myimbar East to take on the might of the Shellharbour Blue team. With home team batting first, it gave the Eagles boys a chance to test themselves against one of the better batting line ups in the competition. The team’s four representative players, Kynan and Kasey Barton, Will Schofield and Aiden Campion, who all played in the South Coast Under 13 team at Orange with distinction, were going to be keys to finding the chinks in the Shellharbour players armour.

Unfortunately, it was a bedraggled sluggish and almost disinterested team that took the field, and they were dealt with accordingly early on. The bowling was serviceable rather than on track, the fielding was only average and there was next to no enthusiasm between the team at all. This can come as a hangover to being away from the game for six weeks but it was noticeable to all who were watching. A couple of spilled chances and misfields gave the Shellharbour team little trouble in starting to knock up a big score. Will Schofield made the first breakthrough, forcing the opening batsman to pull the ball into the air to square leg where Tom Denyer took the catch. The only other wicket to fall in the first 15 overs went to Liam Cergovski with his first delivery which the left hander hit high and wide to deep square leg where Tom Denyer took his second excellent catch. With the drinks break having arrived and Shellharbour already over the century and only two wickets down, a serious talk from coach Anthony Pickering let the team know that this was not the way this team plays its cricket and they needed to pull their socks up, and quickly.

The effort in the second fifteen overs was much more indicative of what this team can do, and proved Anthony’s point that they are better team than they had shown. While wickets didn’t come early, the team stifled the run scoring ability of their best two batsmen and made it much harder for them to get away. The bowling improved and the fielding most certainly was better. Three batsmen retired but they were all required to come back in at the end of the innings as the Eagles bowlers reaped the rewards of better pressure with the ball. Kasey Barton got a well deserved wicket when he bowled McDonald with a perfect fast straight delivery. Josh Peters then gained a wicket with his final delivery, when a miscued shot was hit straight to Kasey at square leg for the catch. Tom then topped off a wonderful fielding and bowling display from himself by bowling the last batsman with a ripping inswinger. Will chimed in with his second wicket, coming from a good caught and bowled from a full toss, which had followed three consecutive long hops. Variety is what will get you wickets. The final wicket came from yet another terrific piece of fielding from Tom, who chased a ball down to deep mid on, turned and threw down the stumps with a direct hit with the batsmen well short of his ground. The last five wickets had fallen for 31 runs, and in the end Albion Park had bowled out their opponents for 182.

Kasey Barton bowled his best spell of the season, concentrating more on line and length than trying to bowl like Brett Lee and fully deserved his figures of 1/9 from four overs. Rob Denny also bowled well today to finish with 0/19 from four overs. Blake Ison was a bit unfortunate in his two overs and just couldn’t quite find the stump line, finishing with 0/23. Kane Rex bowled better than his figures of 0/31 off three overs suggests, which contained some good straight full balls which he has been working hard on. On the other hand, Will Schofield mixed some excellent deliveries with some liquorice allsorts to finish with 2/10 from his three overs. Kynan Barton looks like he’s been watching the darts in the holidays, firing in his off breaks for his two overs for the figures of 0/12, and was also excellent with the gloves in the second half of the innings. Lucas Thompson benefitted from a good spell at training during the week and will improve even more as he gets more overs under his belt every week. He finished with 0/15 from his two overs. Liam Cergovski too is showing great improvement at training and will also benefit with more time with the ball, and today 1/17 from his two overs. Tom Denyer had late tail going with the ball today into the wind and like Kasey looked to have better control by not trying to bowl too fast. His three overs brought 1/15, and along with two catches, a run out and great run saving in the field he led the team by example today. Josh Peters was good again, a bit short in his first over, good in his second and a little wide in his third but finished with 1/10 from three overs. Aiden Campion kept for the first half of the innings, and though he bowled well for 0/9 from two overs perhaps lacked his usual perfect length and penetration from not having his run up quite right today.

The total always looked beyond the Eagles kids but there is always a chance if you can stick to your guns. This didn’t look too likely in the initial stages as the Eagles bats found the bowling was of a pretty high standard. Tom played and missed at one before French cutting the next delivery, and then being bowled opening up the off side on his third ball. After his great effort in the field he was disappointed to end his innings so early. Liam batted well during his time at the crease, leaving the ball well and playing a couple of nice shots, before he received a ripping Yorker that took out his middle stump for 3. He was followed next ball by the unfortunate Lucas, who got the ball of the day which was a yorker that dipped late and also found middle stump waiting for it. Wacky came out and saw off the hat-trick delivery (albeit a skied shot towards mid-wicket) and played a nice hook shot for four not long after. However, it was obvious he was being targeted with the short ball, and it worked when he skied one straight to mid-wicket to be dismissed for 5. At 4/35 things weren’t looking good.

At the other end Josh battled away against the excellent bowling attack and held firm, and he retired unbeaten soon after. This brought Will to the crease to partner Kynan and these two put together an excellent partnership, with Will playing solidly in the V as Kynan took every opportunity of a loose delivery to hit two’s and fours. They were still together at drinks, after which both launched an attacking raid that, just for a few moments, harboured the thoughts of a famous victory. Will retired after his quota of deliveries was reached, and the score was 97. Kane came in after waiting a long time with the pads on and was unfortunate to get a great delivery first up which just clipped his off bail. Blake came to the crease to support Kynan. Unfortunately, Kynan finally died by the sword he had been living by and was caught looking for another boundary with just three deliveries to go until he could retire. Kynan’s innings of 36 was a terrific knock, exactly what the team needed at the time to lift their outside chances of victory, and he played all of the bowling with aplomb. Blake fell next ball to an almost instant replay of Kynan’s shot. Josh played out the hat-trick ball but was out the following over to end the innings. Josh made 13 runs having seen off the opening bowlers, and his practice over the holiday break was seen to be justified. Will remained 18 not out at the end, completing yet another excellent all-round game. He continues to improve every game which is great to see.

The Eagles had been dismissed for 103, tasting defeat by 79 runs. And yet, if only the team had bowled and fielded in the first fifteen overs like they did in the second fifteen, it could possibly have been a different story. The great thing about cricket is that they will be able to use that knowledge to change things around and hopefully come back bigger and stringer in their next match.

Selectors Mindgames Don't Bear Up Under Scrutiny

The Australian selectors – Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell and Justin Langer – have named their Test squad for the two Test series against Sri Lanka in a couple of weeks, and it’s fair to say that the playbook has been thrown out the window and they are writing another one. There is little rhyme or reason about the way they have gone about the selection of this team compared to the ones that have been chosen in the first half of the summer. Certainly most thought change had to come, but how can they justify the way they are going about it? It doesn’t feel like there is any consistency at all in the way players are being chosen and that must be the hardest things for the players involved to handle. There’s no doubt it continues to create confusion for the viewing public. The selectors have their reasoning which they are unlikely to share with us, but a sharper look at what has occurred may provide those answers that are not going to be publicly aired.

Will Pucovski. 
Yes we need a kid in the team, and Pucovski appears to be the real deal. The real question is this - is it the right time? Pucovski has had well documented mental health issues. He has only been back in cricket for six weeks or so after spending six weeks away from the game to deal with these issues. He has also been hit in the head three times over the past two seasons, and though I am not aware of his health one can only imagine that these have also been playing on his mind. Leaving all of this aside, my major concern is whether or not now is now the right time to pick him in the Test team for his career sake that his health sake. My thoughts on his talent and likely importance to Australia’s cricketing future is well documented. However for some time I have felt the best way to handle him was to wait until next Australian summer, especially if (when) we were to come back from England without the Ashes. My feelings were that if that is to happen then he would miss the disappointment of that series and be away from any fallout from that loss. The new season with Tests against Pakistan and the West Indies would then be the perfect time to inject him into a team that would require rebuilding. Following his selection in this squad it is a concern about how they will handle him when it comes to the Ashes. Does he start that series or is he left on the bench? If he comes back from an Ashes tour with not many runs and Australia having been dominated, how is he handled at the start of next summer? These are the immediate problems I see. But let’s not be stuck on that for the moment. He will get plenty of support from the Australian public who will rally behind him and hope he succeeds. Whether the selectors have handled this selection well is to be determined in the next few weeks, but I for one cannot wait to see him bat for Australia in Test cricket. 

Joe Burns
What is happening in the selectors’ minds with both Joe Burns? It has been well documented (again as much in this blog as anywhere else) that he has been poorly dealt with in recent times. He made 42 in his last Test innings in South Africa after he was called over following the fall of the three involved in Sandpapergate, and on his first class form from the 2017/18 Sheffield Shield season should never have been in doubt of holding his place for the next Test series, which was in the UAE against Pakistan. He was not selected in A team that played in India where many of the batting candidates were sent, following which he was then overlooked, somewhat unbelievably, for that Pakistan tour. Then despite solid form back home in the Sheffield Shield this season he was again overlooked. Now suddenly he has finally been chosen after the tough run of Aaron Finch. The concern is that there is little solid base behind the selectors decision to decide that he was to be demoted from the Test team after just one Test back in the fold, and that his now subsequent elevation back into the Test team feels like it is a convenient time for them to bring him back so they can point their finger and say they are picking players on the basis of form. Well, only when it appears convenient to them. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great he is getting another chance, but to me, on form, he shouldn’t have been out of the team in the last nine months. 

Matt Renshaw
Renshaw’s selection in this squad is as strange as any in recent times. Like Burns, Renshaw played in that 4th Test in South Africa, but unlike Burns he then DID go on the A tour and was then picked in the Test squad for the UAE. He was then concussed while fielding in close before Test and did not bat in the lead up match. Despite enough form in the lead up he was then left out of the Test, ostensibly because he had not had enough batting in the lead up because of his concussion and was passed over in favour of Marnus Labuschagne. It was an ordinary selection tool. On his return to Australia Renshaw has broken records in Premier Grade cricket in Brisbane but has barely scored a run in the Sheffield Shield to challenge for a recall. And yet now finds himself back in squad again, and it certainly is not on the strength of big Shield runs, which is what was used as the mantra at the start of the season for selection by the selection panel. 

Marnus Labuschagne has been retained in the Test squad but Peter Handscomb has been left out. Given Labuschagne’s Shield form was similar to Renshaw’s coming in to the BBL break – i.e. not great - it looks on the surface to be a tough call on Handscomb. Both played similar innings in 4th Test against India but one man was retained, and one was not. Is one being retained over the other merely for the fact that one bowls a bit of part-time leg spin? 

On top of these selections, what do we make of those that have been overlooked on this occasion. Do we accept Hohns saying that Maxwell and Wade know what they have to do to make Test team and that it has been clearly communicated to them? A majority of cricket watchers in Australia probably aren’t concerned that they aren’t in the side. What is a problem is that it was clearly said by Langer at the start of the season that runs in the Shield would be a major factor into forcing their way into the Test team. That now appears to be a half truth given the selection of players such as Renshaw and Labuschagne, and that the selectors once again are using the “form” guideline when it suits them, and then ignoring it when it suits other purposes. No matter what Hohns and Langer may have said, the selections made for this squad are not clear cut and the reasoning behind them not necessarily on a solid base of form and ability. Also suggesting that both of these gentlemen needs to make runs batting higher in the order is facetious. You can’t have 50 cricketers all batting at three or four in the batting order. Also, team balance is still important at state level, and states are trying to win a Sheffield Shield title not just be at the whim of what the national selectors want. The selectors in recent years have completely forgotten or ignored this fact, which is part of the reason the competition is stalling. Instead of letting the states pick their strongest teams on their own terms they are being dictated to by the selectors when they want something different. Calling the Tasmanian coach at the start of last season to have Tim Paine bat long enough to make good runs at the expense of Tasmania winning a game of cricket is a perfect example. The selectors trying to dictate to Victoria where Aaron Finch should bat in a Shield game is another. It is this kind of interference that is hurting cricket in Australia at many levels. Maxwell and Wade are both within their rights to believe their cards have been marked as ‘not to be picked again’. 

So, what is the actual reasoning behind all of this? I can speculate and offer some thoughts that I think are close to the mark. Whether you choose to agree or not is another thing altogether. 

1. Matt Renshaw and Peter Siddle have both been chosen on the form they both showed in England last season in County cricket, with an eye to them both as probable tourists in the Ashes squad. Siddle in fact looks to have been carried around all summer with that in mind. Siddle has been good in Shield and BBL as well, but in Renshaw’s case this appears the only possible reason as to why he has been recalled at this time, to get him back around the team that he will be touring with in August and September. 

2. The Test and ODI squads are being separated for their respective World Cup and Ashes tilts. Finch, Handscomb and both Marsh brothers have all been left out of the Test squad for the Sri Lankan series, but they are all in ODI squad for the three one dayers against India. Both Khawaja and Siddle look like they are getting their chance in the Indian series to make the World Cup squad but everyone else is being separated into red ball and white ball corners. 

There’s lots to look forward to in cricket during 2019, and while we can only hope that Australia’s fortunes improve on what we’ve seen so far this summer, it can only happen if our players play to 100% of their ability, and our selectors perform their duty with the same level of proficiency. I continue to have my doubts over their processes and whether it will do more harm than good for Australia’s cricket in the near future. None of that will stop me cheering on those that have been chosen, and hope that they all succeed. I especially hope that when I am at the Canberra Test match that I watch our most exciting young batsman since Ricky Ponting come out and score a glorious century.

Test Changes Needed to Kickstart 2019

If all reports are accurate then on Wednesday the selectors will announce a Test squad for the two Test series against Sri Lanka at the end of January and the start of February. Given there is no four day cricket on the agenda for any of the combatants it could be argued that it doesn’t matter when the squad is announced as there is no red ball form to use anyway, and very little white ball form in the interim either. The question that needs to be asked then is are the selectors getting in early so that any controversy that may (will) come from the team selected be dissipated by the fact that the ODI series against India starts just three days later and they hope that will take the focus away from it? 

Most of the time it is fairly easy to know what is in the selectors mind before a squad is announced. Hell, in this day and age they leak it to the media the day before it is announced so why they even bother having an announcement is sometimes beyond me. On this occasion though there is a fair amount of intrigue. Australia has lost its last three series, and won only one of its last nine Tests. Batsmen and bowlers have all got to be under pressure no matter what their name and reputation is. Many fans and most commentators have already turned their minds to the Ashes series in England in August, but if Australia takes its eye off the ball anymore than its already has they could easily slip up in the Sri Lankan series and have a complete home season of embarrassment. 

I’m willing to give my opinion here and suggest what I think the selectors have to do in order to both ensure they have a team that should be capable of winning the series against Sri Lanka, but can also set up some valuable thoughts in regards to Tests down the track. It would require some tact from the selectors when it comes to communicating what they are trying to achieve, but I believe it could be the best way forward. 

The bowlers in theory have chosen themselves for some time, and that doesn’t change too much apart from a slight tweak. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon all get a guernsey again. I understand why Peter Siddle was chosen for Pakistan and why he was kept around the squad this summer as 12th man. He had a good winter in England and performed well in the conditions, and he has been looked at as that long term selection as back up bowler for that tour. That doesn’t have to change, but he should be left to play out the season with the Adelaide Strikers and be considered for the World Cup squad if that is the way the selectors are thinking. This also goes for another candidate who has terrific form in the English County circuit, James Pattinson. Coming back from injury this season – again – he has shown good pace and intent in a couple of Shield games and in the BBL for the Brisbane Heat. He is another that will be considered very carefully to make that tour, and while it would be great to see him bowling in a Test again, especially at the Gabba, he also should be left to bowl out the BBL season and then look ahead after that. 

I would choose Chris Tremain with an eye to picking him to play at Brisbane in the 1st Test, replacing Mitch Starc. Tremain has been the leading fast bowler in the Sheffield Shield over the past two and a half years, and he deserves a chance to play Test cricket. Not only would giving him a game against Sri Lanka on Australia’s best wicket for fast bowling be the perfect way to introduce him to this level, it would remind the other three bowlers that form is what you need to be selected for Australia, and not just being a permanent member of the team. There is no reason why Starc could not then play in the 2nd Test in Canberra, either ‘resting’ Hazlewood or Cummins to do so, or replacing Tremain if he doesn’t quite get it right. But playing Tremain has more benefits than down sides. If it comes off then Australia knows it has a fourth fast bowler ready to go and not coming in as a rookie if required in England. It also covers bases in case any of the three bowlers in the current cartel continue to struggle to take wickets. If they don’t try Tremain, and our current three fast bowlers continue to struggle for two Tests, where does that leave us in August? To me this is a sensible and measured selection for a player who fully deserves his chance while he is in wicket taking form, and doesn’t suffer the fate that bowlers like Joe Mennie, Chadd Sayers and others have had of being selected when they were in a form slump. 

The batting line up is just two Tests away from being able to welcome back their two best exponents from suspension, and with that in mind I think the selections need to prepare the team for their arrival. Usman Khawaja has had a summer to forget, but still looks to be the Test team’s number three, and that is where he should return to. It means that the selectors need to find an opening batsman to partner Marcus Harris at the top of the order, his third partner in his short Test career. I think it is the perfect opportunity to bring Joe Burns back into the team. He has been the best performed opening batsman in the Shield over the past eighteen months, and did nothing wrong in his latest recall to the team when he scored 4 and 42 in the 4th Test against South Africa and was then once again unfathomably cast aside with little explanation. The Gabba is his home wicket, he would form a handy left hand/right hand combination at the top of the order and he deserves the chance to come in and try and nail down his spot on the form he has shown. 

No doubt the selectors will disagree, but I cannot believe you can pick a batsman who has averaged 18 in Test cricket over the past 12 months. It defies every convention of selecting, and surely Shaun Marsh must go. It will be no surprise to see him held onto. 

Peter Handscomb has been pilloried by many commentators for his technique (cue Shane Warne), but he had such a terrific start to his Test career that you cannot believe he can’t be a Test batsman. I would stick with him for the Sri Lanka series, along with Travis Head who is still learning the long form game and continues to look good until he plays that one bad shot that gets him out. Another couple of Tests may iron that deficiency out of him. 

Number six is wide open, and there are reasonable applicants in current squad member Marnus Labuschagne, white ball all-round participant Marcus Stoinis (cue Shane Warne) and the best number six in Shield cricket Matthew Wade. Labuschagne probably deserves another chance after his good showing in the 4th Test with the bat, and he looks more suited to number six than number three. Stoinis looks a good bat and a handy heavy bowler but perhaps hasn’t quite done enough with the bat in red ball cricket to be selected. Wade has done nothing wrong since his demotion from the Test side, scoring all the runs he was hoped to do when he was actually in the Test team. He deserves his spot on form, one of the few in the country to be in that position.

I however would go with Glenn Maxwell. It is his time to show what he can do. He has still not played a Test in Australia. When he was left out of the Ashes team last season he was told to go away and make runs. He scored 278 in his next innings, averaged 50 last season and in only four innings this year has averaged above 40. He has also been captaining the Melbourne Stars and has shown some great maturity in the role. And in fulfilling the selectors desire to have someone who can bowl a few overs (umm… guys… Travis Head can do that…) Maxwell can also roll his arm over. Two Tests against Sri Lanka will soon show whether he has what it takes to be a Test number six, and whether he needs to be considered for England. 

I don’t for a second believe this team will be chosen, and I don’t believe many people will agree with me. Still, this is what I would choose to not only win the Sri Lankan series, but give us an eye towards the English series and also set the parameters for the return of the pariahs. I look forward to what we are offered when the team is announced. 

My squad: Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine (c & wk), Pat Cummins, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitchell Starc (12th), Marnus Labuschagne (13th).

BBL08 Match 23: Bailey's Heroics Can't Counter Finch Flair as 'Gades Beat 'Canes

In the wonderful The Muppet Show there was a skit called “Veterinarian’s Hospital” where the intro overdub said, “the continuing stoooory of a quack who's gone to the dogs”. I am being constantly reminded of that line the more of this season’s Big Bash that I watch, because I really believe the form guide to this summer has gone out the window. Teams are winning against opposition who they have no business in beating, and even though there was an x factor thrown into this evening’s match that gave the Renegades a glimmer of hope, surely it should not have been enough to beat the undefeated Hurricanes team. Once again however this was proven not to be the case.

The Hurricanes have built their season on bowling first and then no matter what total they are chasing being able to track it down. It has been enormously successful, so having been asked to bat first mean they would have to change their method slightly. Their devastating openers Wade and Short have caused massive damage this summer, and along with Doolan have been the mainstay of the top order. So when the Renegades through Kane Richardson and Shinwari were able to dismiss all three in side the first three overs it smashed apart their winning edge and forced the rest of the batting to stand up and find a way through.

McDermott and Bailey were in charge of the rescue rather than just the finish which has been the norm this season. Both were cautious against the bowling and the sluggish Marvel Stadium wicket. They pushed the total to 3/74 off 14 overs before they decided to go harder in order to get a defendable score. From here they scored 71 from the final six overs which was a terrific effort to get the Hurricanes close to a par score at 5/145. McDermott showed off his power skills again to finish on 50 off 43 deliveries, while Bailey again was dependable, brilliant and awesome finishing on 70 not out off 53 deliveries. It was another fantastic innings from the former captain who still shines bright despite not being in calculations for further honours in recent years.

The x factor for the evening came from the return of Aaron Finch to the Renegades side between his lost Test place and before leaving to captain the ODI team. It always looked likely that he would enjoy a return to the white ball format where he could play his strokes against less intense bowling that he has been receiving from the Indians this summer. And so it proved to be. He and Sam harper batted well together, blunting the Hurricanes attack and playing some exhilarating strokes in amongst it. When Harper (32 off 18 balls) and Finch were eventually dismissed, Finch from a direct hit run out at the bowlers end for 42 off 39 deliveries, the Hurricanes were still a theoretical chance of getting out of the game with a win. However, the Renegades winning combo of Mohammed Nabi (26 not out off 22) and Dan Christian (25 not out off 13) finished off the game once again for them, winning with a six with four balls left in the match. Clive Rose did his best for the Hurricanes with the ball, conceding only 15 runs and taking a wicket off his four overs to give the Hobart team a sniff of victory.

It will be interesting to see the Hurricanes next few matches. They lost tonight away from home and having been forced to bat first. Which was the greater consequence of the loss, or was it a combination? No matter what, if they are forced to bat first again in the next game it will be eye opening to see just how they go about it after tonight’s match.

4th Test Day 5: Rain Fails to Dampen India's Massive Achievement

With the final day of this series washed out without a ball being bowled – by the lightest and most unassuming drizzle probably ever seen near a cricket field – India completed their first ever Test series victory in Australia with a 2-1 victory margin. It is a significant and game-changing milestone for the cricketing nation, and the unabashed joyous scenes that broke out in the dressing room when the match was officially called off shows that they are aware of just how important it is. 71 years of touring Australia against teams that varied from average to superhuman finally saw them achieve this moment. Much like Australia’s victory in India in 2004, their first in India since 1969, it was a great moment for the history and future of cricket in the same instance.

Australia has been completely outplayed, and yet did not lack chances to change the result. On the first morning of the 1st Test in Adelaide Australia had India 4/41 with Virat Kohli back in the shed. Even at 5/86 or 6/127, Australia should have had India out for many less than 200. It is difficult to assess whether or not that could have been transferred to a victory given the way their top order collapsed in their own first innings, but the final losing margin of just 31 runs suggests that they probably should have won that match if they had not allowed Pujara to coax the tail along. In Melbourne too, despite India batting for two days for 7/443, Australia had the chance to bat time and get much closer to the Indian first innings than the 151 they managed. On the other side of the coin, if only India had played either Jadeja or Kuldeep in Perth rather than four fast bowlers, they could well have gone close to winning this series 4-0.

India had plenty of standouts, Pujara and Bumrah the outstanding stars. Nut they received great support from young Agarwal, Pant, Shami and Jadeja while Kohli, Rahane, Ishant and Vihari hardly embarrassed themselves, along with Ashwin who was so influential at Adelaide and then injured for the remainder of the series. Australia, with no century makers for the whole series, something that hasn’t happened for about a thousand years, and barely a ripple on the wicket taking front, can take few positives out of the series. It is fine to suggest that they have found a promising opener in Marcus Harris and that Travis Head played wonderfully well except when he threw his own wicket away in five of his seven innings when the team needed him to go on and make the match defining innings. It is great to laud the late order batting of Pat Cummins as his top order failed and that his bowling in Melbourne was fast and furious. And it is also fair to applaud the beautiful clean wicket-keeping of skipper Tim Paine who retained dignity and positivity throughout even as his team failed to make much impression on their visitors. But there isn’t much to be excited about when you look at the series as a whole rather than just selected highlights.

Congratulations to India and their victory which is very much deserved. It will be interesting to see how they go now that the new Future Tours Program is in place, and that they must play three series away from home every two years, rather than the way the BCCI has structured their recent tours by ensuring they tour South Africa, England and Australia in a 12 month period, and then play at home almost exclusively for a three year stretch. What this tour proved is that they have the players to adapt to any conditions, which should ensure they are better prepared in the future and indeed better prepared to retain their #1 Test ranking for some time to come.

BBL08 Match 22: Sixers Shock Strikers at Home to Continue Giant Killing Spree

BBL08 becomes less predictable with each passing match, where the teams that look to be certainties against teams that look to be struggling suddenly switch roles and the result goes in a completely different direction from what should happen. Coinciding with a continuing curse on teams batting first on what appears to be good surfaces, it might be keeping the competition interesting but it sure is making it difficult to see where the runs are going to come from that have gone missing in season 2018/19

The Strikers have had an excellent home record in recent times and with good form going into this match looked as though they would be more than a match for the Sixers. A lack of runs at the top of their order has hampered the Sixers season so far and all things pointed to this being their downfall again. The Strikers won the toss and looked to post a total to defend which has not been the norm this season in the BBL but in most circumstances is a good move at Adelaide Oval. Yet the Sixers strength has been their bowling, and even though the Strikers made a promising start apart from the run out of Alex Carey, the Sixers bowling and fielding dragged them in and stifled their ability to get away. O’Keefe, Curran and Abbott have been huge for them. O’Keefe went for 15 off his first over this evening but only 6 off his next two which was terrific stuff. Curran went for 15 off the 20th over but was great before this. Dwarshuis bowled the best death over of the season with six almost perfect yorkers and a wide in the 19th over, proving that it can be done and it can contain most batsmen. Despite another excellent innings from Jake Weatherald with 50 from 40 deliveries – and surely his is a name that is cropping up in selection circles – the Strikers were contained to just 5/150, a score that historically was at least 20 runs short of a par score.

The Strikers hopes lay with the leg spinning options of Rashid Khan and Liam O’Connor, and between them they picked up three wickets and made a mess of the middle order of Hughes, Henriques and Silk. It was great to watch, but in that time Joe Denly was dropped off a simple chance, and that proved vital. It was the first time this season that Denly has been able to get going, but at 4/99 off 13 overs there was still work to do. Enter Josh Phillippe, the 21 year old West Australian wicket keeper with the Steve Smith looks and technique who looks to be a kid with a big future. It was his first chance to do a job this season and he didn’t disappoint, scoring 30 not out off 15 deliveries with three fours and a six. Alongside Denly’s excellent 76 not out off 60 deliveries with eight boundaries and a six, the Sixers saw off the much-vaunted Strikers attack to pass their total with ten deliveries remaining.

This was a game that the Strikers would have targeted as a win, and yet the Sixers managed once again to do the right things in the field and with the ball to keep their chase to a manageable one, even given two of the best T20 bowers going around in Rashid and Siddle were in the Strikers team. It’s a setback for the Strikers, while the Sixers have put themselves into a great position at the halfway mark of their BBL campaign.

4th Test Day 4: Bad Light Laws Create Frustrating Day

On a day that should have either shown just what kind of fight the Australian batsmen had in them after such a long season of disappointment, or been a day when India completed a fabulous achievement that has escaped them for 70 years, we instead spent the majority of the day looking at a ground where the lights were blazing away highlighting only the ground staff as either a light drizzle or umpires light meters kept play to a minimum. In the modern age of cricket, it seemed a very strange set of circumstances.

I was not at the S.C.G. today but was not so far away that the weather and cloud cover was so different. Perhaps the light was shallow, but at no stage did it appear to degenerate to a level when cricket could not be played. Now while I understand that international cricket has much faster and more dangerous fast bowlers, there is no way that it was dark enough today that any Grade cricket match would have been held up due to poor light. Nor, to be honest for the light rain that fell. Yes it’s a different level, but it’s also a level where 30,000 people have paid for the privilege of coming to see cricket played. But these are the current standards that are set by the ICC and are regulated by the standing umpires in the match, and that is how the day progressed. Play was unable to start until 1.50pm, and when play was suspended it was 3.40pm, and it stayed that way until stumps was called at 5.30pm. As it turns out neither side is terribly affected in this case. India had already retained the trophy and only had to draw this match to win their first ever series in Australia, and Australia was already no chance of being able to force a victory which could have changed that occurring. All it did was frustrate the paying public, the viewing public, and the game of cricket in general. 

One of the innovations trying to be brought into cricket is day/night Test matches, albeit with a pink ball rather than a red ball. Still, if these games can go forward with floodlights being used to play cricket through twilight and into the evening, then how is it that cricket cannot continue now under floodlights with a red ball? It isn’t that much different, and yet much of the day was lost because this apparently cannot go ahead. Questions were asked all day, and will no doubt continue into tomorrow, at which point they will no doubt be promptly forgotten and ignored until the next time this same scenario occurs. 

In the short period that play occurred, Australia managed to get to 300 before finally being dismissed, with young left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep taking his first five wicket haul in Tests. He bowls at a lovely slow speed with good flight and a lovely drift on the ball, and he is great to watch. He was not unplayable today, which was proven by the fact that Starc and Hazlewood played him and the other bowlers with relative ease on the flat surface to the tune of 42 runs and 15 overs. They may be having their problems taking Indian wickets, but the bowlers seem to be contributing more to the batting than the top order is. There was no surprise when Kohli enforced the follow on, but at 0/6 the light forced an early tea from which the players never returned. 

One day remains in this series, and at the end of it no matter what occurs on the field India will be celebrating a great victory. For Australia, they bat tomorrow for pride and for their individual Test futures. Hopefully for both teams they get a full day in so all of those questions can be answered.

BBL08 Match 21: Mujeeb Spins Heat to First Victory of BBL08

The Scorchers BBL is officially in freefall following their fifth loss in six games, and this one at their new home ground would have been a bitter pill to swallow. Playing against the winless Heat team the home team would have hoped for a better return given they had their captain in Mitch Marsh back in the team, and having only missed the finals of the BBL competition once they are now well and truly under the pump if they are going to keep that record intact.

Outstanding once again was Mujeeb ur Raham who, on a wicket that is seen as a paceman’s delight, bowled four amazing overs for the figures of 2/10, which included two wides in his first over. The batsmen found him impossible to read and impossible to get away, and he completely bamboozled Michael Klinger, bowling a ball that came in a foot from outside the off stump to miss it by the smallest of margins before next delivery bowling the leg break that Klinger again didn’t pick and found himself stumped by a long margin. It was an amazing piece of bowling to the most experienced batsman in this competition. He also dismissed Marsh on his return in his spell. Mujeeb continues to be the Heat’s jewel, though he was supported by the pace and fire of James Pattinson whose return to top level cricket is gaining traction. He took 1/30 from his four overs, though he looked to have another wicket that was halfway to being given out by the umpire before he changed his mind. Pattinson was furious, and replays suggested he was right to be. Even though he went for some runs it was his speed and lengths that again lifted fans of the game, with the hope that he can continue his rise injury free back to higher honours as soon as possible.

The Scorchers total of 6/135 was nowhere near enough to challenge the Heat batting line up unless they could take wickets quickly, and even though wickets fell at regular intervals the required run rate never dropped low enough to cause the chase any problems. The top five all scored at a run a ball, and Ben Cutting gave the team some breathing space with his 26 off 16 deliveries that enabled the Heat to pass the score five wickets down with ten balls to spare. Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was apparently left out of the ODI squad because of back soreness, showed none of that as he took 3/25 from his four overs with good speed.

The Heat now join the Scorchers on one victory for the season but will feel as they are headed in the right direction, while the Scorchers are under the pump. They have the best fast bowling attack in the competition but have been let down by their batting all competition. With no one else to call on it becomes the responsibility of those in the team to improve their output if they are to recover from this downturn. Perhaps getting Ash Turner up to number three would be a start, after he once again top scored for the Scorchers with 47 runs off 30 deliveries. If he faces twice that many deliveries then a decent score could be achieved.

BBL08 Match 20: Stoinis and Maxwell Show Aussie Colours in Thunder Domination

The Stars gamble to take a home game to Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast paid dividends as they dismantled one of the favourites the Sydney Thunder in emphatic fashion, losing only two wickets in their chase and perhaps proving in the process what a tough job the Thunder will have once their English exports head off in a week’s time.

The question had been asked of the Thunder team as whether or not they could produce a winning total without a big contribution from Jos Buttler who has been excellent this competition, and conversely opposition teams knew that if they could get him early they could pressure the rest of the Thunder batting line up. That was achieved today when both Buttler (18) and Ferguson (0) were dismissed in consecutive deliveries by Scott Boland, and when Watson (14) went not long after the Thunder suddenly found themselves in uncharted waters. Joe Root (26 from 28) again struggled in this format of the game, and it wasn’t until the livewire Daniel Sams came to the crease that the Thunder made some forward progress. Sams scored 42 runs from 25 balls at the back end of their innings which saved his team from a score that looked as though it would struggle to get too many over 100. The final total of 8/135 never looked enough but it was at least something to bowl at.

It is difficult to work out just what kind of captaincy string Watson tried to pull by bowling his young leg spinner Jono Cook in the powerplay six overs – not for one over but two! So much pressure on the inexperienced shoulders, and the 22 runs that came from those two overs gave the Stars the kick along they needed at that point to make the chase a comfortable one. It a decision that cost his team any real chance of victory.

Dunk and Stoinis got the Stars off to that fast start, before Maxwell and Larkin calmly and methodically chased down the Thunder score. They negated the danger of Fawad Ahmed and simply went at a run a ball. Larkin has been a revelation for the Stars since coming in as a replacement for the injured Nic Maddinson and his 41 not out off 41 deliveries again continued his breakout season at the domestic level. At the other end Maxwell showed the kind of batting maturity that he has always been capable of but at times does not show, his 41 not out coming off 31 deliveries and leading his team to victory with almost three overs to spare.

As can be expected, the competition is beginning to tighten up again with each team showing they are capable of winning if they do all the simple thing right. The Thunder will be mulling over how they will score runs once Buttler moves on, while the Stars now lose both Maxwell and Stoinis for almost two weeks of their season – or perhaps even longer if either or both gain selection in the Test team, which isn’t such a long shot.

4th Test Day 3: Careless Australia Again Sell Themselves Off Cheaply

Back in 2010/11, when England did a number on the Australian cricket team and Ricky Ponting presided over his third failed Ashes series, there came a time when it was impossible to keep saying the same things about what was happening. Describing poor bowling plans, asking for more penetration from the bowlers, imploring the batsmen to stand up and make a stand and build an innings under pressure like past Australian teams had been able to do. Eventually it just became too much asking and looking for the same things day after day, and nothing more could be said. 

We have now reached that same stage in this series against India, who are now without a doubt about to win their first ever Test series in Australia.

On a perfect wicket for batting, against bowling that was persistent without being brilliantly penetrative, four of Australia’s six dismissed batsmen once again found a way to get themselves out rather than be taken out, in the most disappointing way imaginable. At 1/128 early in the second session Australia had finally shown some initiative and solid batting, setting a platform that should have been the perfect way to get through to stumps with a good total behind them and few wickets lost so that there was still something to play for on days four and five. Instead what we saw was another collapse, one that tore the heart out of the watching public while being joyously celebrated every step of the way by India and their supporters.

The two positives on the day were Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne. Harris was superb, looking to be proactive immediately and not be dominated by the Indian bowlers. He almost holed out to the first ball he faced from Jadeja on the day but from there looked as though he belonged in Test cricket. He brought up his second Test half century and at lunch looked as though it was only a matter of time before he passed the century mark. After lunch though he got into a bad habit of just trying to dab the ball on the off side rather than playing a definitive cut shot, and it brought about his down fall when he dabbed one off the inside edge onto his leg stump. It was a deflating way for his innings to end, and it was the start of a bad period of play for the Aussies. 

Labuschagne had come to the crease at the fall of Khawaja’s wicket under the shadow blanket of criticism over his selection and played a circumspect and solid innings. He watched the ball carefully, he played straight and waited for the ball to be in his scoring areas. He looked assured against both pace and spin, and still found a way to smile at the end of each over. He played some lovely drives to the boundary and didn’t look overawed at the situation. Even the shot he played on his dismissal was not a poor shot, it was played with authority and barely off the ground, only to be snared by a brilliant catch at short mid-wicket. It was an unfortunate way for a promising innings to end, and his disappointment at having made such a good start and not gone on with it was obvious for all to see. 

On top of this was the major disappointments of the day, perhaps of the summer. Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh came into this series needing to take on the role and responsibility of senior batsmen and be the ones to score the big runs and lead the inexperienced batting line up. If Australia was to succeed, they both needed to perform. The fact that they have not, and both got out to poor shots again today, leaves their immediate futures up in the air and under a microscope. Khawaja and Harris had put on 71 for the opening partnership and looked to be doing it easy, until Khawaja went down the wicket and scooped Kuldeep straight to mid-wicket for a particularly ordinary dismissal, handing his wicket to India when they hadn’t earned it for just 27. He sold his wicket cheaply again when Australia needed him to stand up, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. His Test average is close to dipping below 40, and there can be no guarantee of his spot for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Shaun Marsh too just keeps on not producing, making only 8 today before he meekly edged Jadeja to first slip. Khawaja has 194 runs at 27.74 in this series, and Marsh has 183 runs at 26.14. Khawaja has Australia’s only Test century in its last nine Test matches, while Marsh in his last 11 Tests over three series has scored 344 runs at an average of 18.11. Those are seriously awful numbers for a Test batsman. He cannot be – CANNOT BE – selected any longer. It would be a travesty to every batsman who has only received one chance in the Test team if he is retained any longer. 

Australia finished the day early when rain moved in to curtail play. At 6/236 they have now no chance of forcing a victory but perhaps more importantly avoided the chance of being bowled out on a road in less than a day. Travis Head will still be cursing himself after once again throwing his own wicket away for just 20, while Peter Handscomb on 28 not out still has the opportunity to make a career saving innings tomorrow. With him stands Australia’s most consistent batsman Pat Cummins, who with 25 not out looked the most comfortable of all the batsmen on the day. The bowlers toiled long and hard, and will have the second new ball available tomorrow in order to hasten the end of Australia’s first innings. The only question remaining now with two days to play is will India force a victory to win this series 3-1, or will they be happy to draw this without any qualms and take the series 2-1. Tomorrow could be the final day of this series unless Australia can fight again, something that it feels as though only their tail can do.

Is It Time to Replace Australia's Selection Panel?

Australia’s cricket is in its greatest peril since 1986, and everyone has their own opinion on what is the root cause of our problems, and who is to blame, and what should be done to turn it all around. I’m no different from anyone else, and for me there are a number of things that need to change or be revamped if we are to start turning things around. There have been changes at board level of Cricket Australia, but one wonders if there have been enough. The coaching staff has had some change, but one can only assume that there needs to be more of a revamp there. More than anything else though, the one place where change has not occurred at this point is in the way our teams are selected and those that are in charge of selecting them, and more than any other piece of the puzzle this appears to be the one that needs to be reassessed and revamped. 

At the start of the season we were informed that form in the Sheffield Shield was going to be the parameter used for selection in the Test team. That was refreshing to hear, even if given recent times it was difficult to believe. But looking at that first Test team you couldn’t argue too much with what the selection panel went with. Shaun Marsh had had a poor tour of the UAE but had scored plenty of runs in the Shield on his return so he had to be given another chance. Marcus Harris on form was the best opener in Australia and deservedly received his chance. Aaron Finch had done a good job in the UAE and deserved a chance to consolidate. Peter Handscomb had scored a Shield century and had made his case. Both Khawaja and Head were selections after being solid in the UAE. Cases could have been made for players like Joe Burns and Glen Maxwell and perhaps even Mitch Marsh to be in the team but those chosen could use form as a selection option. 

So what has happened since that first team was chosen. Handscomb was dropped for Mitch Marsh for the 3rd Test, then came back in at his expense after one Test performance, essentially on the strength of one slogging 70 in a BBL match in which he was dropped a couple of times and enjoyed some good fortune. An extra bowling option was felt to be required in Melbourne, and though it was also seen to be necessary in Sydney it was decided that a different option from Marsh was needed, so Marnus Labuschagne was drafted in. This could not possibly have been on form, given he averaged 28 with the bat and 60 with the ball in the Shield after his return from the UAE, which was why he didn’t make the first Test squad – because of a lack of form. Finch was seen to be a liability at the top of the order but could perhaps still be an option in the middle order, but the selectors took him out of the team completely to fit in Handscomb. It all looks a bit muddled, and more than anything else sends mixed messages not only to the players but to the public as well. 

All we ever ask of umpiring is consistency. All we ask of our players is consistency. And all we can ask of our selectors is consistency. They have had over the last nine months, and will continue to have over the course of the next nine months, a very testing time. They have had to balance a Test and ODI team that lost its captain, both openers and by far the best two batsmen in the country. In doing so they have had to play an away Test series against Pakistan and then face India at home who possess their best-balanced attack ever. They also have to somehow cobble together a squad to defend their World Cup crown and then a squad to immediately after that defend the Ashes in England. There was a lot of public pressure bearing on all of those series – two of which are now lost – and choosing the right players is paramount to any success coming their way. 

Up to this point you can assume that the National Selection Panel (NSP) has been all about finding replacements for those players who were suspended, and hoping that these replacement players would do the job successfully enough that there would be a great battle for places on their return. It is fair to say that, in all formats of the game, that hasn’t occurred. Players have been tried – Finch (278 runs at 27.80) and Labuschagne (81 at 20.25) in Tests, Short (83 at 27.66) and Lynn (75 at 18.75) in ODI’s and McDermott (72 at 14.40) in T20I’s – and have not done enough to be considered first choice players. We would all have loved those guys to succeed, but the figures show that they have not. 

So now we have a point where the scales have started to fall the other way. Bancroft is back playing, and it is now only a matter of weeks before both Warner and Smith will be able to play at international level again. With that in mind, you can assume that now the NSP is suddenly changing tack. Instead of finding replacements, they are now beginning to try and find players who will complement their return to the ODI team initially, and eventually the Test team. Australia has only the two Test series against Sri Lanka ahead of them before they have to defend the Ashes. They also have very few ODI matches ahead of them before they must be ready for the World Cup. These things will have come into the minds of the NSP as they chose the ODI team for the Indian series and will no doubt also be in their minds when they announce the squad for the Sri Lankan Tests. 

Justin Langer had come out after the loss in Melbourne saying it was tough to select teams at the moment because no one was knocking down the door with runs or wickets in the Shield. Given the comment at the start of the season that they would be picking on form, this then appeared to be a dodge on what then happened with the team selected for Sydney. It has been well documented about just how that statement would have gone across to players such as Joe Burns (472 at 47.20), Matthew Wade (571 at 63.44) and Kurtis Patterson (428 at 47.55) in particular. 

Burns was the best performed opening batsmen in the Shield last season as well (725 runs at 55.76) and played the 4th Test in South Africa after the three players were sent home, scoring 4 and 42 in a devastating loss. He was then passed over for the UAE tour as the selectors preferred Finch and his white ball form over his red ball form, which certainly seemed unfair at the time. Then Harris made a compelling case for selection and was rewarded while Burns again missed out to Finch. Now Finch has gone, and Khawaja moved up to replace him, and Burns has seen his Queensland teammate Labuschagne chosen in front of him with a batting average almost 20 runs less than his own. Any fair minded person would see this tale and make an assumed guess that the selectors are looking for any way possible not to pick Joe Burns as Australia’s opening batsman. 

Wade had an accomplished season with the bat for Tasmania last season as well (654 runs at 43.60) and while he would not have been expecting a Test recall as a batsman at the end of last season, circumstances last March meant that opportunities were available come the start of this season. With one century and five half centuries he is the form batsman in the competition, and he surely had to be in conversations to bat at number six in the Test team. Apparently though, one can only suspect again that the selectors are looking for any excuse not to pick him, despite the fact he also started off the BBL season with good runs as well. 

Patterson has been on the fringe of international selection for four years, and indeed was expected to get the call two years ago when Nic Maddinson instead got his call up in Adelaide. His 2017/18 was only average (672 at 37.33) but having improved that this season and again shown he is willing to bat time as well as runs he would look like the perfect foil for the Test team. Once again though, his card appears marked as not to be selected by the panel. 

An argument was also made for players such as Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell to be chosen as an all-round option rather than Marsh or Labuschagne. Both had had limited red ball exposure due to their international white ball commitments which no doubt the selectors would have used in their favour not to choose them. Maxwell (126 runs at 42.00 and four over only) and Stoinis (298 runs at 42.57 and 10 wickets at 25.20) both had reasonable form compared to Marsh (264 runs at 37.71 and 6 wickets at 62.16) and Labuschagne (254 runs at 28.22 and 5 wickets at 59.60), but for reasons only known to the selectors it was the latter two who have received Test call ups this summer. On top of this, last season Maxwell was told to go away and make big runs to gain a recall after being ignored for the Ashes. His next innings was 278 and he eventually scored 707 runs at 50.50 for the season. Once again, here is another player who appears to have done everything asked of them in trying to gain national selection but is being ignored by the selection panel, and in an age where Australia just isn’t capable of putting together a defendable total it seems unbelievable that this is the case. 

The announcement of the ODI squad to play three games against India caused more rumblings. In particular, the omission of power players D’Arcy Short and Chris Lynn was universally panned given that they had received little opportunity to establish themselves in the team, while long term middle order player Travis Head has been dropped. Instead, Usman Khawaja has been given the chance to make his way into the ODI squad as a solid presence at the top of the order, while Peter Handscomb also returns to the squad. Handscomb appears a surprising choice on the surface, but he did finish fifth on the aggregates of this season’s JLT Cup ODD competition with 361 runs at 51.57 with four half-centuries in seven innings. Reasonable form to be selected on. The top three though? They were Chris Lynn (452 at 75.33), Ben McDermott (427 at 71.00) and D’Arcy Short (404 at 80.80, including a top score of 257). Given that both Lynn and Short have only been given four matches each in 2018 in which to establish their credentials in the top team, it seems a harsh assessment to leave them out on those figures. 

One of the biggest problems with the ODI squad is the ‘resting’ once again of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins after their Test bowling load, and with two Tests still to come against Sri Lanka. Why is it a problem? Well, if all three are considered our number one bowlers with a view to the World Cup, then when are they going to show us they are up to bowling in 50 over cricket? They all played all three ODI’s against South Africa in November but have played no others since January 2018. Missing these means they will only get an opportunity against Pakistan in March to show they deserve to be chosen. If they are our best then they should be playing, and if they are not then it should be explained why they are not. Is Siddle the answer at his age, despite his excellent winter in England in County cricket? Is Stanlake a realistic chance of touring? Is Jhye Richardson? If we are going into a ODI series against India with our second string bowling attack, how do we expect to win it? And if we aren’t picking our strongest team at all times in order to try and win every match, then what exactly are we doing? 

Our current selection panel consists of chairman Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell and Justin Langer. Hohns and Chappell have been on the panel numerous times over the past thirty years. They are knowledgeable cricket watchers and both fine players in their own right. In Chappell’s case he is a legend of the game. Langer is a selector by being the Australian head coach, something that still grates with me. If you are the coach of the national team you should be allowed to have an input into the selection process by expressing your views on the merits of the players in contention for selection, but you should not be one of those who is actually selecting the team. It is a conflict of interest, given that players should feel comfortable in going to the coach to discuss problems they may be having with their game without the coach being able to then decide on the validity of whether or not that person plays in the next match. 

As much respect as I have for these three gentlemen, it is time for them to move on and allow the next generation to come in and help Australia move forward. New selectors will not make our players any better. It will not make them score more runs or take more wickets. But it really feels like we need some new eyes and new minds and new ideas in the selection of our national teams, and return to a method of selecting players through performance first and mixed with an eye for rising talent through the junior ranks. Hohns and Chappell have been selectors through different ages of Australian cricket and perhaps their ideas are now outdated. We should also immediately remove the national coach from the NSP, allowing both the coach and captain to have their say without being able to exert any further influence on selection than that. 

Who should we have as our selectors? I can offer some ideas. Firstly, not Shane Warne. If Warne was in charge then we would have five different players every match as his own ideas change. Certainly people who come to mind who are ex-players with good cricketing minds who watch a lot of cricket as it is who would be excellent in the role would be Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich, as well Tom Moody who has coached all around the world and knows cricket in all forms. Of course they would have to be approached, but it is people such as these three who I believe would offer a fresh insight into what needs to be done, and how teams need to be selected, to help Australia regain their way in the cricket world. 

Or, better yet, pick me as selector. I’m ready, willing and able to put my hand up and do the job.