Australia’s batting stocks suddenly don’t look so dire thanks to fairer pitches in the Sheffield Shield this season.
Aussie pundits and fans have for the past few years bemoaned the lack of players wielding their blade with success in the domestic four-day competition.
Where once State batsmen averaging 50-plus season after season couldn’t squeeze into the Test line-up, inferior players with career first-class averages around 40 were now being handed baggy greens.
But how large a role did the lively Shield pitches of the past few summers contribute to the paltry returns from our batting prospects?
There has been a considerable shift in the state of Shield decks this season.
All of the surfaces have appeared to offer less assistance to the pacemen in particular.
However, aside from Adelaide Oval, which has a sleepy new drop-in pitch, the venues have not served up lifeless bowler-killing wickets.
Instead, conditions have more closely resembled those prevalent in Test cricket, where grass-laced decks are rare.
Fast bowlers have been required to earn their wickets rather than relying on responsive surfaces to undo the batsmen.
Spin bowlers have become more relevant thanks to the drier pitches.
Meanwhile, batsmen who graft to survive the early stages of their innings are rewarded with conditions suitable for runscoring once set.
As a result we have a more accurate picture of which State players may be prepared for Test cricket.
To properly comprehend the shift in batting fortune prompted by the sporting pitches it is necessary to examine the statistics.
Of the 20 highest Shield runscorers this season, 14 were averaging 45 or higher at the time I wrote this piece yesterday.
Of the 20 leading Shield runscorers last summer, only four averaged 45 or better.
There also has been a marked increase in the number of triple-figure scores being posted by batsmen.
Up to yesterday, 23 hundreds had been notched in the first half of the Shield campaign.
Compare that to last summer when there were only 32 tons registered in the entire season.
At the risk of overloading you with statistics, I will also point out that already this summer 18 different batsmen have scored Shield centuries compared to 24 in all of last season.
Among those century-makers are young bucks like Jordan Silk (21), Chris Lynn (23) and Ryan Carters (23), while Travis Head (19), Nic Maddinson (21) and Sam Whiteman (21) are also in the top runscorers.
Much has been written about Tasmania’s obdurate opener Silk, whose two centuries this season mean he remarkably has four tons from his first eight Shield games.
Queenslander Lynn has had an even more impressive summer on the comeback trail from a terribly disappointing 2012-13 season.
Lynn’s five first-class matches have seen him reap 467 runs at 78 including a brilliant double of 104 and 61 not out against the touring England side in Perth.
Carters has been the shock performer of the summer so far after leaving Victoria for New South Wales in the off season.
The ‘keeper-batsman had managed only 11 matches in three seasons with the Bushrangers while at times stuck behind the likes of Matthew Wade and Peter Handscomb.
He has shed the gloves and been reinvented as a top order batsman with startling results.
Carters has racked up 543 runs at 78 in just four first-class outings.
Like Lynn he exhibited a capacity for taming international bowlers by registering 94 and 40 against England for the Cricket Australia Invitational XI three weeks ago.
Over in South Australia Head’s form will have the Australian selectors salivating.
Not often does a player adapt so well to first-class cricket at such a tender age.
His 453 Shield runs at 50 placed him fourth on the Shield runscorers list yesterday.
Similar to Carters, Head has been forced to shelve his ‘keeping and concentrate on his batting.
Whiteman though is churning out runs to complement his tidy glovework.
The highly-rated West Australian has scored more runs than any other Shield ‘keeper this summer, with 365 at 61.
Meanwhile, perhaps the most-hyped young batsman in the country, Nic Maddinson, has displayed a much-improved balance between attack and defence in his matches for NSW.
Since June, the belligerent left-hander has churned out 907 runs at 57 in nine first-class games for the Blues and Australia A.
His talent is undoubted and he is now showing signs of maturity.
Maybe Australia isn’t bereft of young batting talent after all?
Showbags
Guest
The problem hasn't been producing talented young batsmen, The problem is turning them into international (or even State) level batsmen who can consistently churn out runs. If there has been a mandate by CA to flatten out the pitches it gives more weight to the performances of guys like Dougie Bollinger.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Well there's a 9-week gap in the middle of the Shield season to make way for the BBL.
Don Corleone
Guest
Sorry, I can't agree with the notion that the BBL dominates the core of the domestic season. If you hit the Wisdens, you'll find out that there was a traditional break in domestic cricket from the week before Christmas to the second week in January. Occasionally, there would be a single Shield game around the first week, not a whole round. It wasn't unusual for a couple of teams to have a month's break in the Shield. A fair chunk of the BBL is being played in a period where there has been traditionally little or no cricket.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Just a side note, is there any reason why the test batsmen at least didn't play this round of shield games? This is why the Shield is at such a low ebb. It is not like our middle order couldn't use some more time in the middle.
David
Guest
No doubt they will go with Bresnan - even if he's under done. Finn, Rankin and Tremlett (Fe, Fi and Fo) are not up to it and would all get belted at AO. Surely Panesar is not being considered - with only 2 quicks they'll struggle and they have back up for Swann with both Root and KP. Haven't heard much about Stokes but I guess he's an ODI specialist? Bresnan for Tremlett and maybe Bairstow comes in for Trott. Their squad starting to look a little thin to me.
Praveen
Guest
Both Hughes and khawaja will come back strongly, give them a full shield season
Balanced?
Guest
The top four bowlers in Shield cricket are spinners (from a post above). Might that not indicate that the pitches aren't all that conducive to pace. Or are the seamers that bad? Last season, green tops - oh no, our batsmen are rubbish. This year, spin friendly, but using the same logic of the previous season, the available seam talent is rubbish. How did that reversal happen over one winter?
atgm
Guest
He hasnt had any m.p of late
Paul Giles
Guest
It would be ideal to blood new batsmen for a home series against India. Our batting is not strong enough at the moment though that we really can afford these luxuries. Shane Watson needs to make runs, his batting average is 28.90 in the last 3 years in 21 test matches. He has also only taken 22 of his 64 wickets in that time. This means that in his other 26 tests he had averaged around 40 with bat and taken 42 wickets at about 29. I hope George Bailey proves me wrong but he nearly went out about 7 times last test, His first class record is worse than teammates Silk, Cosgrove, Doolan and Cowan. The question is can Silk or Maddinson make more runs than Bailey for the rest of the Ashes, my answer is an emphatic yes.
Paul Giles
Guest
Shane Watson is even worse in that regard. He either hits boundaries or nothing and when the opposition dry up his boundaries, then his scoring totally dries up.
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
I would pick Bresnan. The wicket's too dead for Tremlett, I don't think much of Rankin, and two spinners in Adelaide is asking for trouble if you lose the toss.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Seems almost certain it will be Bresnan
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Fair point on that Blackie thanks for the stats breakdown.
Gav
Guest
Nice I agree India next yr will be a prime opportunity for a changing of the guard. Rogers, Watson if he has a poor Ashes and the no 6 pos (currently Bailey), and Haddins spot should all be up for grabs by young guys. I do include Hughes in that group though, should be looking at blokes <28 A season of County cricket should also be a pre requisite
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Although there's a fair difference in the spinning characteristics of Indian pitches (dry, dusty, low), and say, Brisbane with its bounce. Australian batsmen struggled in India, and English batsmen have struggled in Australia.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Fair enough.
atgm
Guest
Ashes soundtrack-track #2 Get ready for a broken toe whether its bell or joe cause we've got mojo get ready for a broken toe hey baby-face joe Its gonna be a fiasco no matter who comes one down yo!yo!yo! Get ready for a broken arm anderson and swann Hey joe Better play tic!toc!toe so that you dont get a b-b-b-broken toe.
atgm
Guest
Rankin,Tremlett,bresnan or panesar?who are they gonna pick?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Rob there is little doubt that we're seeing better cricket in the Shield as a result of these more even-handed pitches. Bellerive in particular has been far less tailored in favour of the quicks.
Blackie
Guest
The fact is since the start of the last shield season when he debuted for South Australia Phil Hughes has scored 1062 runs in the Shield competition. Last season on the "more difficult wickets" he scored 633 runs @ 79.12. Of these he scored 171 at Adelaide and averaged 42.75 . On the other grounds he scored 489 @ 81.5. This season on the "easier wickets" he has scored 429 runs @ 61.28. Of these he has scored 278 at Adelaide and averaged 92.66 on that strip. On the other grounds he has scored 151 @ 37.75.. Conclusion is that he has not scored all his runs on the road at Adelaide and his batting has been good all around the country on all different wickets.