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Peter Siddle’s incisive spells for Lancashire in County cricket over the past month have put him in strong contention to make Australia’s starting XI for the first Test against the West Indies next week.
Opening the bowling for Lancashire, Siddle has snared 18 wickets at 21 in division two of the County Championship.
What will have grabbed the attention of the Australian selectors is the fact that 13 of his wickets have been top six batsmen.
The veteran paceman has suffered from a prolonged form trough at Test level which saw him lose his place in the Australian side last summer. But he rebounded ferociously in the Sheffield Shield for Victoria, grabbing 28 wickets at 21.
These displays earned him a place in Australia’s 17-man squad for the upcoming Test tours against the West Indies and England. His experience and solid performances in Tests in England will have informed that selection decision.
Siddle’s efforts for Lancashire will have ensured that he remains in contention to make the starting XI for the first Test against the West Indies next week.
Not only has he been taking regular wickets with the new ball for Lancashire but he’s also been in fine touch with the bat with 204 runs at 34, including three scores of 40-plus from six innings.
His impressive strike rate with the ball both in these County games and the second half of last Shield season is a major selling point for Siddle. While he has remained an accurate, tight Test bowler, his penetration has waned miserably.
Over his past 12 Tests, stretching back to the 2013 Ashes in England, Siddle has taken only 26 wickets at 45. His strike rate of 96 during that period is almost double what you expect from a good Test quick.
Significantly boosting Siddle’s hopes of a Test recall is the fact that fellow experienced seamer Ryan Harris will not be in the West Indies, instead opting to remain in Australia for the birth of his child.
That leaves left-arm spearhead Mitchell Johnson and incumbent spinner Nathan Lyon as the only locks in Australia’s Test attack. The final two bowling positions will be contested by Siddle, young quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and late-blooming leg spinner Fawad Ahmed.
As Australia appear certain to field at least one pace-bowling all-rounder – either Shane Watson or Mitch Marsh – Ahmed is a genuine chance to debut. The selection of the final two bowlers will depend on the condition of the pitch in Roseau, the venue for the first Test which starts next Wednesday.
Siddle, Starc, Hazlewood and Ahmed may all get a chance to push their cases in Australia’s sole warm-up match, a three-day fixture against a West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI starting on Wednesday.
That match could also turn into a shootout between Marsh and Watson for the all-rounder spot, and between Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges for a specialist batting role.
Voges is one of a host of Australian cricketers currently honing their games in the English county competition. Here’s a wrap of how they’re faring in the first-class matches:
Peter Handscomb (Gloucestershire) – 309 runs at 39, with three fifties, from five games.
Mark Cosgrove (Leicestershire) – 463 runs at 46, with one hundred and three fifties, from six games.
Michael Hogan (Glamorgan) – 15 wickets at 22, with one five-for, from three games.
John Hastings (Durham) – 19 wickets at 29, with one five-for, from five games.
Steve Magoffin (Sussex) – 17 wickets at 26 from four games.
Clint McKay (Leicestershire) – 20 wickets at 27, with one five-for, plus 221 runs at 28, from four games.
Adam Voges (Middlesex) – 451 runs at 56, with one hundred and three fifties, plus six wickets at 22, from four games.