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The bowlers in Sheffield Shield cricket have learnt the lesson of the India/Australia Test matches by bowling containing lines, but the batsmen had little success in the weekend’s three Shield games.
In seven innings in the three games, not one team has topped 270. Using one’s feet seems to be a lost art in Australian cricket.
Western Australia tumbled sadly without Shaun Marsh and could only manage 235 against 248 by the Redbacks. Mike Hussey showed he could still be in the Test side with a spine-full 99* in close to 200 balls.
Mike Hogan got Western Australia to within 13 of first innings points with his 31, but Johan Botha’s flight and turn (5/60) was too much for most of WA’s rookie line-up, who lacked the patience required.
Mitch Marsh and young John Rogers had globes, Australian candidate Adam Voges made just three and very few batsmen showed application for long periods. Botha could teach a lot of Aussie off spinners a thing or two. A result looks likely.
Cam White (68*) and David Hussey (59*) plus Rob Quiney (45) took the Bushrangers to stumps at 4/224 in their second dig and that has been the best batting of the six days of cricket.
The Rangers limped to only 128 in the first innings against the Blues (268), so they find themselves just 84 to the good with six wickets in hand going into day three. A result is almost certain.
And young Aussie under 19 representative of the past Joe Burns batted almost through the innings in compiling a 200 ball innings of 104* for the Bulls (9/262) against the Devils (245) in Tasmania.
He won’t hurt his chances of Australian honours if you judge him by the time he spent at the wicket, and the fact that he and James Hopes (72) were the difference between a first innings lead or complete collapse.
Queensland were about 6/100 at one point. Again a result is definitely on the cards going into day three, with Ben Hilfenhaus 3/72 and James Faulkner 2/52.
Australian batsmen in general have quite some work to do if they are to play spin.
The excuse ‘Australians are good at playing the quicks and medium pacers, but don’t see enough spin bowling’ doesn’t wash, and Cricket Australia needs to take a long hard look at the programmes for spin bowlers and our batsmen playing spin.
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