WA opener hits unbeaten 228 as Renshaw woes continue
Thursday 16 November 2017 12:09, UK
With Australia's pace bowling options all but confirmed by the decision to withdraw Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Jackson Bird from action, all eyes were on the batsmen in the latest round of Sheffield Shield fixtures.
With the squad for the first Test set to be announced on Friday and as many as three places in the top seven up for grabs, this was the last chance for Australia's Ashes hopefuls to try and force the selectors' hands.
The first of those spots is at the top of the order, opening alongside David Warner, and until the past couple of weeks, Matt Renshaw appeared a shoo-in.
However, the English-born left-hander has endured a torrid beginning to the campaign that continued with scores of 16 and one in Queensland's defeat to New South Wales. An average of 11.66 and a top score of just 19 after six innings has left Renshaw sweating over his place.
The news that Cameron Bancroft followed up scores of 76 not out and 86 last week with a mammoth 228 not out at the top of the order for Western Australia will not have gone unnoticed and he appears to have put himself at the front of the queue to replace Renshaw.
Bancroft's opening partner for WA, Shaun Marsh is another option but even after a fifty this week, a recall, especially at the top of the order would come as a surprise.
Meanwhile, Warner himself isn't in the best of nick, scores of 26 and 37 in NSW's win meaning he has managed just one fifty in six Shield innings this season. The intensity of an Ashes Test is sure to bring out the best in the feisty opener but he would still have hoped to arrive at the Gabba with more runs under his belt.
The good news for the Aussies is that numbers three and four are nailed on and both Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith are in decent touch.
Khawaja made two fifties, 78 not out and 52, in a losing cause for Queensland, while in the same game Smith hit a first innings 44 for NSW. The skipper made just nine second time round but after a fifty and a century in the last game, Smith's form is the least of Australia's worries.
Peter Handscomb will keep his place at No 5, although his form for Victoria has been far from stellar. He has managed just one fifty in the Shield this season with scores of 0 and 13 against Tasmania this week.
It is at six and seven that things get interesting though. Glenn Maxwell occupied the No 5 berth in Australia's last Test in Bangladesh with Hilton Cartwright at six and while the pair are among the candidates for the No 6 spot, there is no shortage of competition.
Maxwell had a mixed week for Victoria, dismissed for just four in the first innings but finishing unbeaten on 45 in the second while Cartwright made starts, 35 and 18, in both innings but was unable to go on.
Mitchell Marsh hit 95 for Western Australia in the latest round of matches but given that he is still not fit to bowl, his appeal to the selectors will be significantly diminished. Brother Shaun though has slotted in at six before and if he is to be given another chance, it is more likely to be in the middle order.
Of those looking to force their way in, Bancroft is perhaps in the best position - and not only as a result of his batting form - because despite opening for WA, he would also be capable of batting at No 6 or even taking the gloves and coming in at seven.
Matthew Wade kept wicket for the Aussies for the second Test in Bangladesh but has been woefully out of nick with the bat and having scored just five in his one innings for Tasmania this week, he would be one of the less surprising casualties should he not make the squad.
Aside from Bancroft, his competition comes from Peter Nevill and South Australia's Alex Carey although, according to the Australian press, Tim Paine is favourite to get the nod.
Paine played the last of his four Tests in October 2010 and hasn't scored a first class hundred since 2006 but after a first innings duck for Tasmania, he bounced back to make 71 in the second and already has a half-century against England this winter (52 for the Cricket Australia XI in the day-night tour match in Adelaide).
Nathan Lyon was the only Aussie bowler in action who is likely to play in the Gabba Test and while serious questions need to be asked about his culinary skills, there are no such concerns about his bowling.
The off-spinner took 3-59 and 1-29 at Brisbane's Allan Border Field for NSW and, barring injury, will join three of the quicks - most likely Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins - to form the Australia bowling unit in Brisbane.
Possible Australia squad: David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.
