Jordan Silk yesterday registered his third Shield ton in just his fifth match, scoring 107 against Queensland.
It is a remarkable feat, which is all the more stunning in an era of Australian cricket in which a Shield batting average in the 30s is sufficient to earn Test selection.
Tasmania’s 21-year-old opener is in the infancy of his career.
But the dazzling start, which has seen him score 454 Shield runs at 50 since debuting in March, is particularly noteworthy in light of the country’s deplorable Test batting stocks.
The Australian cricketing community is frantic to unearth a young batsman who can flourish despite the rigours of the longest form of the game.
In an environment of such desperation, every decent innings posted by a blossoming player is heralded as a sign they may just be The One.
For a while, Phil Hughes was The One. For a briefer period, Usman Khawaja was The One.
Then the mantle was taken by Shaun Marsh who, after a brilliant maiden Test ton, swiftly became The One who couldn’t hit the ball off the square.
More recently, New South Wales dasher Nic Maddinson has been offered up as a potential saviour.
The 21-year-old is unmistakably gifted. He showcased his powerful batsmanship on the recent Australia A tours of Europe and Africa, churning out 528 runs at 75, including two belligerent tons, while scoring at the astounding strike rate of 109.
Silk does not thrill spectators in the same manner as the cavalier Maddinson, who is yet to find an appropriate balance between defence and attack.
Silk is old school. He leaves balls pitched in the corridor of uncertainty. He defends deliveries worthy of respect. He makes the bowler come to him and then despatches them when they stray into his scoring zones.
It is a method of batting which has served many Test openers well.
The greatest opener of the current era, England’s Alastair Cook, operates in a similar fashion.
As does Australian veteran Chris Rogers, who has used it to score more than 20,000 first-class runs despite not being the most naturally-gifted player.
This hardnosed, humble and patient batsmanship manifestly has been absent from the Australian line-up in recent years.
Too often the Aussie batsmen seek to immediately assert their authority over the opposition attack when they arrive at the crease.
Rarely have they been prepared to shelve their egos and graft while the bowlers are on top, as English batsman Ian Bell did to great effect in the recent Ashes.
This does not appear to be a problem for Silk.
He is content to bat time and clearly has a voracious desire to remain in the middle, regardless of whether or not he is scoring at a decent pace or in an attractive manner.
At the lunch break yesterday, Silk was on 29 from 103 balls, having thwarted the disciplined Queensland attack.
His final 50 runs came from just 80 balls as he enjoyed the fruits of his labour.
What made Silk’s ton yesterday even more commendable was that it was a redemptive display following his horror outing in Tasmania’s Shield opener against NSW last week.
In that game, he bagged a pair, caught behind off the bowling of Doug Bollinger in the first dig and trapped in front by Test tweaker Nathan Lyon in the second innings.
It was a timely reminder for the prodigy that first-class cricket is an unforgiving environment.
To immediately bounce back in the way he did yesterday offered further evidence of his admirable mental strength.
While Silk only debuted eight months ago he has shown enough in that time to suggest he is better equipped for success at first-class level than any other Australian batsman aged under 25.
What to do with him then? David Warner appears locked in to partner Chris Rogers in the first Ashes Test after appeasing the selectors with three tons in the space of eight days in the Ryobi Cup, albeit on flat decks at a tiny ground.
Should Warner falter in this series, as he did in the last Ashes and on the Indian tour which preceded it, there will be a temptation to blood Silk alongside the calm veteran Rogers.
While some players take their game to a new level when offered a chance to compete in Tests, there is little doubt taking such a big step after a mere handful of first-class games is fraught with danger.
It seems logical Silk would benefit from completing his first full season of Shield cricket followed by a solid stint in English county competition before being considered for a baggy green.
India’s weak pace battery would offer a gentle introduction to Tests next summer (should he earn such a privilege), as opposed to the frightening prospect of debuting against England’s skilful and vastly-experienced attack amid the blinding hype of an Ashes series.
Then again, maybe the kid will show in the coming weeks he is patently prepared for such a challenge.
Or maybe in a few months he’ll just be another young batsman failing to live up to the title of being The One.
Josie
Guest
Jordan silk is definitely a test player of the future. However players like silk need to be sheffield shield "seasoned".Too often we anoint the next best thing based on a purple patch .A purple patch does not a test player make. Give him time and experience and with a batch of consistent performances over varying conditions and opposition the selectors will have no choice.
Shouts Chen
Guest
I hope Jordan Silk might be placed in the 3rd Ashes test. What a good talented cricketer he is.
V44
Guest
Have come into this late but agree 100% unfortunately.
Dan Ced
Roar Rookie
Silk should definitely be considered for the Ashes, just not THIS Ashes :P I think Cosgrove is a safer bet than Silk, Doolan, Maddinson, Shaun vomitbat Marsh. Klinger is my choice but probably not in the age bracket CricAUS are after sadly. I will deal with it If it's Warner, Rogers, Watson, Smith, Clarke, Bailey, Haddin, Johnson, Siddle, Harris, Lyon.. which seems likely. Klinger/Sayers/Hartley would be in the team if I was picking (in place of Bailey/Haddin/Siddle) Faulkner 12th man, did good in England/India, always looks dangerous when bowling and past shield form has shown batting temperament required even if he doesn't have the scores to back him up.
macca
Guest
I just wnated to make sure, sometimes things get taken the wrong way on this site and it can lead to issues across a number of threads, didn't want to offend someone whose posts I enjoy.
Bearfax
Guest
Should I have believed you were being critical even though you werent. I hadnt actually thought your comment was critical at all, just suggesting modification. I'm not that sensitive Macca. Then again........
macca
Guest
I wasn't criticising your inclusion of the older players, just saying that they could of been much more advanced if they had of had some test exposure a few years back.
Bearfax
Guest
I guess I'm referring to players like Silk, Sandhu, Head etc who are still needing a more time in the Shield. Cosgrove, Doolan, Maddison I believe could be put straight in. And I agree that players have to experience failure for a while to ultimately succeed.
macca
Guest
Bearfax - If you look at Cosgrove how long has he been the next big thing? A taste of test cricket earlier might have seen him being a regular now, The one area I disagree is that it need to be more than a dead rubber - they need to have a series and be told at the start of the series they have the whole series, this would allow them to settle a bit and not feel like they have 1 game or innings to make their mark. Most of the comments against me seem to think failing will destroy a young player but to me if a player never fails they never learn, and if they let failure destroy them then they wer never going to suceed at test level, better to find that out early than later.
Bearfax
Guest
Well said Macca. You've touched on a fundamental, most seem to ignore. Firstly that players need to be exposed to the best bowling or batting attack in the World after a brief Shield career....one to two seasons only if they are getting close to topping the averages....so that they can find out early what they have to address to compete effectively at test level. They are not going to be champion players immediately and wont reach their peak for years. Maddison, Cosgrove, Doolan, Sandhu for example should be given the chance at the top level if they are performing well, so they can see where they stand. If Silk performs well during this Shield season, I would be giving him a taste of test cricket by the end of this test series or the beginning of the next. Doesnt mean they become the incumbent but if its a dead test match, give them a go. The faster they learn about their flaws, the faster they will address them. Your example of Hughes is a perfect one. The kid is very talented but he needed to find out what he has to work on. Now that he knows, a far better batsman is likely in a year or so. But CA need to bring in specialists where a young player is needing to address a problem, just like they do in tennis and in some Rugby league clubs to name a few. Dont just throw them back unattended. Take them to the cricket academy with a small group of the former greats who are also good teachers and work on them individually. I'd also have a sports psychologist on hand for those young players who have lost confidence such as Burns, Khawaja and Hughes and have them on regular one on one seasons. I know it works if the psych is up to scratch. Seen it achieve some wonders in other areas. Self belief often needs outside support
macca
Guest
"whereas getting an AFL game only requires being of the best 380 or so players in the country" Yet blokes like Selwood are in the elite group straight away. And under your logic shield games where only the top 66 players in the country get to play are worth more than county games where the top 198 players get to play. And Red Kev - England are not the heavy weight champions - South Africa yes but England are far from it. And your solution to bridge the gap is simply to have him fight more amateurs?
macca
Guest
Sideline - I never said "ditch him back when he fails, confidence shattered and in the bad books" quite the opposite in fact - give him exposure to the top level, let him see where his game is at and where it needs improvement and if he needs to go back then send him back with support to fix the issues. Players can hide technique flaws for years in Shield cricket only to be exposed in quick time when promoted to tests (see Hughes and Elliott), why not let them fix the issues when they are 21 rather than try to fix them when they are 27?
macca
Guest
It wasn't the exposure that ruined him it was the huge flaw - which was obvious to anyone that was looking it was just that Shield players weren't good enough to exploit it - Hughes could of played for years at Shield level only to have his huge flaw exposed at test level. At least by having it exposed early players can correct it in time to return a better player, if they are good enough. If they aren't good enough they were never going to be test quality.
Deccas
Guest
So well said re watson Red Kev. He is the reason we can't carry young fella's learning their game.
Deccas
Guest
Bugger this contrasting nonsense Ronan. Dour boring defensive are all the qualities. I'm far more intimidated of openers comparable to barnacles than ones comparable to bombs.
Deccas
Guest
Players come good though, especially allrounders. Shaun Marsh is talented but has failed to come good but both maxwell and henriques are capable of producing good form over the next 3 - 5 years and earning themselves a spot in the team.
jammel
Guest
Agreed. Suggesting Maxwell, Shaun Marsh and Henriques, seriously for the Test team, is a bit far-fetched!! :)
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Unless the only other option is Tiger, who in their previous incarnation were known to leave people stranded in Tasmania for three days on one occasion and 24 hours on a few ocassions.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Meanwhile, Johnson has gone at 4.7rpo this match against SA's weak batting lineup while his fellow WA paceman Michael Hogan has conceded just 2.2rpo and Agar just 2.3rpo.
David
Guest
Now I know who you are - James Sutherland!!!