For the last three to four years, we have been hearing how bare the Australian batting cupboard is. It seems there are no able replacements or young batsman coming through.
However, there are several young batsmen coming through and starting to put their hands up. A look at the batting charts of this year’s Sheffield Shield competition confirms that.
As we can see there are quite a few exciting potentials.
Joe Burns
Now selected to make his debut in the Boxing Day Test, Burns’ career path is definitely on the right track. A fabulous genuine batsman who can bat any where from 1-6. I hope that they are going to give him a fair and long run in the side. He can become one of the prized assets of the Test team for the next 10-12 years.
Chris Lynn
Injured and out for half of the Shield season, Lynn is another precocious talent. He already has an average of 43 and is ever improving. A good second half of the Shield season will have him knocking on the doors pretty quickly.
Ryan Carters
Struggled early in his Shield career, but Carters really started to put his hand up last season. Interesting to see if he can keep up the good form – though he already has scored a big hundred under the selectors’ eye – and how and when he presses his claim to the highest honours.
Kurtis Patterson
Another genuine talent. Patterson scored a big ton on debut and followed it up with his second hundred this year. It’s very early in his career though and he would require another two or three seasons to firm up and be ready for the Test cap.
Nic Maddinson
Maddinson is a player with a tremendous eye and an array of strokes. He is very much like what Warner was before his Test debut. Needs desperately to bring the consistency required in his game which will allow him to take the next step.
Jordan Silk
In my opinion, he would be the long term and permanent fixture in the Test side as an opener. Tremendous temperament and ability to play long hours and get hundreds. Silk is struggling a little bit for runs this year though I am sure he will get back to scoring hundreds soon.
Peter Handscomb
Two tons and a 96 this season, Handscomb is starting to realise his enormous potential. Highly regarded in many quarters, he can keep but it will be in the best interests of the team if he earns his cap as a pure batsman.
Travis Head
The current 90s man, I hope Head gets the coveted maiden ton soon. A squash buckling batsman and again, has a tremendous eye and is a genuine potential long-term prospect. Always seems to get a 50-plus score, now must kick on and make some big ones to be counted.
Cameron Bancroft
Has finally started realising his talent which many people have been talking off. Two tons and a 99 are proof enough of that this season. Can be another exciting prospect for the opening slot.
Nick Stevens is another interesting case, a big ton in the first Shield round this season, would be interesting to follow his progress.
I have also been following the U-19 team for the last few years. Some very good talents are emerging from there, such as Jake Doran, Jaron Morgan, Matthew Short, Damien Mortimer and Kelvin Smith.
The batting spine of the new Test team is taking shape in the form of Warner, Smith and Mitch March. Given the batting talent coming through and the bowling strength that we already have, I can see Australia returning to a position of dominance once again – provided that they sort out the subcontinent woes.
Again, if we look closely, the younger ones like Warner, Smith and Mitch Marsh performed relatively better in the UAE, which gives me hope.
What do you think Roarers, do we still have a lack of batting prospects?
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