With the Sheffield Shield season recommencing on Thursday, it will be interesting to see which players are quickest back into form following the competitions six-week hiatus, and whether the break will be a impediment to the continuing form of players pressing for higher honours.
Pre Christmas, Queensland batsmen Peter Forrest topped the first-class domestic averages with 581 runs at 58 per innings.
However, Brisbane Heat player Forrest was unable to adequately adjust his game to the crash and bash style of the BBL returning 154 runs with a reasonable strike rate of 125 and just one half century.
Now the former New South Welshman will have to change his style again to the rigours of four day cricket if he is going to regain form fast enough to be considered for Australian side touring the West Indies from March.
Dumped Australian batsmen Usman Khawaja is another to be hindered by the lack of first-class cricket over the summer holidays.
Dropped from the Test team, Khawaja has not had the opportunity to spend time in the middle, constant criticism about low scores and poor strike rates in the BBL sapping his confidence further as he looked for opportunities to adjust his technique and mind set to be able to succeed at the highest level.
Khawaja eventually went back to grade cricket to find a chance to play a long innings.
While halt to long form cricket may have been a hindrance to some, more comfortable surrounds of the Twenty20 game may have a rejuvenating effect on others.
After scoring 850 runs at an average of 50 in his first full first-class season in 2005-2006, Travis Birt failed to build on that achievement, and eventually moved from Tasmania to Western Australia for this season after scoring only 182 runs at 26 from five matches in 2010/11 Shield season.
During that time he has continued to be a strong limited overs player, and a return to his first state to player for the Hurricanes in the Big Bash proved a huge success topping the run scoring for the competition.
Whether the short format form can revitalize Birt’s first-class credentials, which have not improved this year averaging 30 with two fifties before Christmas, will be something to watch for when WA travel to Brisbane next Monday.
The form of some of Australia’s second tier cricketers is another aspect to look at as first-class cricket returns with Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia all fighting for second spot and a place in the Shield final against a Queensland side returning to its old dominance under the tutelage of Darren Lehmann.
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