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I was sorry to see people such as Jordan Silk, Ed Cowan, Alex Doolan, Shaun Marsh and Marcus North fail with the bat in the Sheffield Shield.
Great knocks from Tim Paine, young Ben Dunk and Phil Hughes.
Great bowling from Chadd Sayers, Gary Putland and Kane Richardson for the Redbacks and Ben Cutting for the Bulls.
The Redbacks might be a smokey if they keep this line-up.
Greg Chappell is pulling the right strings to get kids experience against the Poms and in higher brackets.
I sense a desire from Greg to move younger players into positions of greater exposure and responsibility at an earlier age.
Sachin Tendulkar was 16 when he kicked off in first class cricket and while this is not India, the model is not broken. It can be transferred to any country which wants to adjust its thinking.
The belief systems around cricket are being questioned. There are old fables, old wives’ tales and old thinking still being applied.
It would nice to think the coaches, managers and general managers who work with the various states are thinkers outside the box, because the box is being turned upside down.
The application for the Test side is one of minimising the number of players who face England, while being cognisant of veterans and their injury potential, and so too with all young quick bowlers.
I would be extremely surprised if the mild conditions expected in Adelaide for next week’s Test don’t mean another all-out Australian assault.
It probably also means James Faulkner will be 12th man.
But Perth might be another issue.
Hard to imagine Shane Watson would not be able to bowl in Adelaide after his team have a full week and three days to be fit.
That would give Australia six bowlers to get England out twice. I don’t know how much bounce this track will have, but if it does, look out Poms.
I wouldn’t think Darren Lehmann would be keen to drop Steve Smith or George Bailey to play Faulkner, so unless Watson is hurt again, Faulkey looms as 12th man.
When they get to Perth, Australia might look to men such as Jackson Bird, Sayers, perhaps Nathan Coulter-Nile at his home ground.
They are unlikely to look to Kane Richardson or Putland just yet, but certainly Faulkner is close.
Australia’s selectors have been consistent with selections and methods of field placement, batting orders, bowlers and opportunity for the 12.
It’s lovely to see Mitch Marsh score well today, Sam Whiteman back up again and Sean Abbott do well.
Meanwhile Ashton Turner looked very able, and young Dunk looked the pick of the batsmen in the Shield.
Keep Dunk’s name close at hand.
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