Any Australian cricket fans suffering a crisis of confidence over our current Test squad and their ability in English conditions need only to turn to the early season performances by some unfancied expatriates for some solace in a rather counter-intuitive place:
The dreary, grey, long-sleeve sweatered and anachronistic world of County cricket.
In particular, a handful of Australian journeymen are currently demonstrating the possibilities in the combination of a swinging Duke and early-season green pitches.
Though none of the current slew of bowlers are in contention for the Ashes, their successes offer hope for an attack inexperienced in England.
Two-time baggy-green wearer Trent Copeland, who has faded from the thoughts of Australian selectors, is in great form with the ball for Northamptonshire.
In the five opening first-class matches of the season he has taken 23 wickets, including a career-best 10/113 against Kent and a seven-wicket haul against Leicestershire, and notched up a five-for in the one-day game against fancied Sussex.
Copeland has found a ready bowling partner in Adelaide-born 29-year-old Steve Crook, who with 24 wickets at under 20, sits fourth on the County tally.
Crook has also surpassed expectations with the bat, knocking three consecutive half-centuries as Northamptonshire’s top order has struggled for consistency.
Even further from the thoughts of the National Selection Panel would be journeymen quick Michael Hogan. Hogan, a recent addition from Western Australia (where his loss was mourned by Justin Langer), has taken to County cricket brilliantly, taking 25 wickets at 17 apiece in a Glamorgan side loaded with Australians.
Further down the wicket tally is Hogan’s teammate Jim Allenby.
An all-rounder who has professed previously he’d play for England if offered the chance, Allenby has taken 15 wickets at the more-than-respectable average of 21 – though the true illustration of his worth to the Welsh side is in his batting – 468 runs at an average of 67.
While the exploits of Copeland, Crook, Hogan and Allenby are tempered somewhat by Northamptonshire and Glamorgan’s position in the lower division of County cricket, the quality of teams being dismantled by Sussex’s 33-year old Steve Magoffin, makes his form even more impressive.
A hard-working bowler who performed admirably in his Shield days without ever cracking the upper echelon of bowlers, Magoffin sits second on the wicket tally with 26 scalps from five games.
This is including a devastating spell of 8-20 from 11 overs last night to rout Marcus Trescothick and Alviro Petersen’s Somerset for 76.
Sussex sit fourth in division one, behind Ed Cowan’s Yorkshire in second.
Cowan, equal parts admired and admonished by Australian supporters for his penchant for invariably making middling scores, has lived up to this reputation – in eight innings he averages 35, with scores of 61, 1, 59, 15*, 40, 35, 15 and 20.
Cowan’s berth at the top of the Australian batting order is being challenged by two players whose team occupy the summit of Division One.
Table-topper Middlesex’s unanticipated rise to the top owes a huge debt to the in-form opening pair of Sam Robson and Chris Rogers.
One right-handed, the other left-handed, one young and earnest the other wise and balanced, the chalk-and cheese approach of the pair has proven incredibly effective thus far – from nine innings they average an opening stand in excess of 80 runs.
Individually, Robson has made 645 runs at 107 per innings, behind only the dangerously in-form Joe Root, while Rogers has been only slightly less impressive, compiling 495 runs at an average of 71.
And while it is highly unlikely that Robson will enter into the Ashes equation – and even more unlikely that if he does it will be on the side of the tourists – every run he scores between now and next year, when he qualifies for England, will prove another reason for the Australian selectors to test his resolve before England get the chance to.
While the rich vein of form the Australian contingent find themselves in doesn’t necessarily correlate to Ashes form – at the most, two of those in form will find themselves in the first XI come Trent Bridge.
It does lay down a challenge for both the Champions Trophy and Ashes squads; the off-casts and journeymen are mastering English conditions, let’s hope our Test team can emulate them.
graememombasa
Guest
Magoffin's figures are special under any circumstances, to add some context though, Somerset are having an absolutely shocking season so far despite having what looks like a very strong batting lineup. A couple of matches ago they managed 252 and 61/6 on a flat'un at headingley where Yorkshire made 505/9d. Yorkshire had Root and Bairstow for that game but you'd still probably prefer Somerset's batting on paper. The difference in standard between Division 1 and Division 2 seems to be quite significant judging by the views of players (including Fast Eddie Cowan and the brown nosed gnome), the match reports, the sometimes outrageous stats being posted by bowlers and batsmen in one direction or another and the difficulty promoted teams often have in staying up. Having said that Yorkshire seem to be doing ok. A good comparison with Copeland is probably Mark Davies (now of Kent, formerly of Durham) who has spent most of his career in Division 1, has taken nearly 300 wickets at 22 but has never been close to international selection. I guess selectors, despite the rotation fad, want players who have a chance of taking wickets everywhere so ignore people like Copeland and Davies despite dominating in English conditions.
Peter
Guest
Well done to Steve Magoffin, may be a journeyman, but showing his talent regardless. This also raises the question of your comments re standard and huge gap between Div 1 and Div 2 County cricket. Somerset must be pretenders and are not a quality Div 1 team. So I guess some may feel his 12 wickets are pretty special, and some may not...when a team can be bowled out for 80 and 108 and to quote the author - "the quality of teams being dismantled by Sussex’s 33-year old Steve Magoffin, makes his form even more impressive.” Does it really, one has to ask?
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Definitely, there is a long and reasonably impressive queue of young talent waiting for a shot in the English batting lineup. Obviously it wouldn't be ideal for Robson to make such an important choice with such a prosaic reason as having better players in front of him in mind...but then again, if it plays a factor in getting him in a baggy green, it's not such a bad thing.
rishabh
Guest
I think Robson should keep his options open.... Apart from new FEC, Root England has fine young batsmen like Bairstow, Taylor, Butler, Hales, Chopra and Ben Stokes and they are much higher in pecking order than Robson....So unless he is fully contended with plying his trade for Middlesex, he should consider playing for Australia who needs him more because of dearth of quality batsmen....
cjones
Guest
John, Don't put the mockers on Northants there's still a long way to go yet but a good start all the same. Although the one day side aren't fairing quite so well.
Disco
Guest
Yes, Uncle Arthur loves playing favourites.
Johnny Howard
Guest
+1
Chui
Guest
I seem to remember Stuart Clark killing it in County while we were struggling in an Ashes series. The chances of someone getting a call up are very remote. It would be like the selectors admitting they were wrong :0
John
Guest
Wickets also include test players Key and Nash (WI test player) in both inns vs Kent, G. jones in same match. Niall O'Brien in both innings. How many more test player wickets do you want for Copeland to be worthy?
John
Guest
So the fact that Northants are being dominant and have quite a lead in Division 2 counts for nothing in regard to improved performance and stronger team culture/professionalism. People were expecting them to finish last, so surely that deserves some recognition for their players who are consistently performing.
John
Guest
Coulter-Nile has always been a Mickey Arthur favourite from his time with WA, so it's hardly surprising he's got a gig. Surprised they didn't sneak him into the test squad as well to be honest. Watch this space, won't take long...
John
Guest
Better research required, Copeland has played 3 tests. @ Don't look back - He was leading NSW Shield wicket taker in 2012/13 season, NSW Shield Player of the Year, twice in 3 seasons. Just missed Steve Waugh Medal by 10 points, which tells me he is a very valuable team contributor. Would have won it had he not been made 12th man and missed 2 shield games. In top 10 bowlers for Shield in 2012/13, under 2.5 ec, and gets top order wickets. He got Cowan out twice in one match, I do believe he opens for our current test team. Scored nearly 400 runs in shield, including his maiden FC 100 in Hobart. He also currently has a batting av of 50 in the UK and leads the PCA MVP overall across all Divisions. His wickets include Prior, Sarwan, yep, test players! Oh, and he can field or even wicket keep if he had to. Complete player, hope he takes heap before he comes home. Worth another test if injury becomes an issue without a doubt.
Walter Hammond
Guest
Don't forget Phil Jacques!
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Don't think it's fair to say Copeland is a better all-round option than Smith- the selectors haven't picked Smith for his bowling for a long time (thank God). The interesting thing is that Copeland is batting at no.11 in County. He's said recently that he wants to develop into an all-rounder (he started off as a wicket-keeper/batsman, funnily enough) but it appears that he's not going to get the chance in County cricket. Disco, you're definitely right in saying he's not been deemed fashionable. Both McDonald and Copeland falling behind the likes of Henriques is really unfortunate. Let's hope Watson actually comes good this Ashes series, or Faulkner does, so this becomes moot.
Max Weber
Roar Pro
"While the exploits of Copeland, Crook, Hogan and Allenby are tempered somewhat by Northamptonshire and Glamorgan’s position in the lower division of County cricket, the quality of teams being dismantled by Sussex’s 33-year old Steve Magoffin, makes his form even more impressive." I made mention of the gulf in class between Divisions One and Two. My mistake with Cowan, not sure how I messed that up, I know he plays for Notts =/
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Yeah, I don't think he's anywhere near the selection panel's thoughts to be honest. When it comes to worthy additions to the team who are the wrong side of 30, Chris Rogers is definitely the exception to the rule.
Disco
Roar Guru
Hogan, Duffield and Cockley certainly performed better for WA this last first-class summer than the more hyped Johnson and Coulter-Nile. But not being express, Hogan's always flown under the radar, so to speak.
Disco
Roar Guru
I think the gulf has widened in the past couple of years with the likes of Notts and Middlesex hoovering up talent from perennial second-tier sides such as Leicestershire and Glamorgan. See also, how much Derbyshire are struggling this season after being promoted.
Disco
Roar Guru
I agree. But as with McDonald he's not been deemed fashionable by Australia's last two captaincy/coaching/selectorial regimes.
The Bush
Roar Guru
This is something I've always wondered about County - just how poor is the secon division? I seem to remember Hughes getting plenty of runs in County one year, but then found out it was in the second division and have always been unsure as to what sort of reading you can take from that cricket.