Mitch Marsh has averaged 21 with the bat and 54 with the ball in Test cricket this year. Most cricket pundits and fans agree he should not be in the Australian team, but who, exactly, should replace him?
Roarers are split into two camps: those who believe Australia should play six specialist batsmen, and those who think a decent fifth bowling option is crucial to protect the frontline bowlers during a packed summer schedule.
This season, Australia are playing ten Tests in the space of five months against three strong opponents – South Africa, Pakistan and India. They desperately need their gun new ball pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to play all of those Tests.
Starc, in particular, is invaluable because of the menace and variety he provides the Australians. Were he to break down from being overloaded, Australia’s attack would look one-paced and benign. That is why Australia are so intent on having a fifth bowling option – to not only protect the health of Starc and Hazlewood, but to allow them to stay fresher, and hence more dangerous, within each session, each day, each Test, each series and each season.
For those Roarers who advocate playing six specialist batsmen, I would point out that every single Test team now plays an all-rounder in their top seven in most matches to give them five bowling options.
England have Ben Stokes. New Zealand have Jimmy Neesham. South Africa have JP Duminy. India have Ravi Ashwin. Sri Lanka have Dhananjaya de Silva, while Bangladesh have Shakib al Hasan. Pakistan have Mohammad Nawaz, the West Indies have Roston Chase and Zimbabwe play Sean Williams.
Australia have… Mitch Marsh.
The problem, as I see it, is that Marsh at this stage is a bits-and-pieces player, as is Moises Henriques who Australia used in Sri Lanka. Marsh and Henriques have batted in the top six for Australia. Yet, based on batting alone, both of them would struggle to get a gig in the top six for their domestic teams.
If they’re not good enough to play as batsmen alone in their full-strength state teams, how can they bat in the top six for the Test side? Australia either need to pick the six best batsmen in the country, and forget about a fifth bowling option, or they need to pick a genuine top six batsman who also happens to bowl regularly for his state.
Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright and Glenn Maxwell are the three cricketers who best fit this second description. Unlike Marsh and Henriques, each of those players would make their Sheffield Shield teams playing purely as batsmen. Their bowling is just a bonus.
Stoinis has made about 1700 runs at 44 in first-class cricket over the past two years. They are the numbers of a genuine top six batsman, not a bits-and-pieces player, particularly when you consider he has made most of those runs batting in the top three.
Cartwright, meanwhile, has made 682 runs at 62 in first-class cricket over the past year, including two centuries, earning a promotion to number four in the order for Western Australia. And the much-maligned Maxwell has made 1041 runs at 50 in his last 15 Shield matches for Victoria.
Granted, none of that trio are as effective with the ball as Mitch Marsh. But Australia’s problem lies with its batting, not its bowling, so they could afford to pick a weaker fifth bowler to try to bolster their fragile batting.
Marsh may one day become a fine Test cricketer. He is, after all, still young at 25 years old. But right now, he is not even close to being an adequate Test number six. It’s time for him to be sent back to the Shield, although the selectors disagree, with Mark Waugh publicly guaranteeing Marsh a place in the XI for the second Test.
In any case, Marsh is teetering on the edge. Here are the main contenders to replace him, as well as a couple of smokeys.
The Favourites
1. Joe Burns (27 years old) – 872 Test runs at an average of 42
Burns is unlucky not to be opening in the Test team after a wonderful season last summer. He started his Test career at six and could return there if Australia decide to focus on specialist batsmen.
2. Marcus Stoinis (27 years old) – 2193 runs at 38, plus 27 wickets at 47 in first-class cricket
Stoinis has blossomed as a batsman over the past two years, offering Victoria a steady presence at first drop. He missed out with the bat in his one Shield innings so far this summer but underlined his improving skills with the ball yesterday, taking 2-31 as Victoria beat Queensland.
3. Kurtis Patterson (23 years old) – 2098 runs at 43 in first-class cricket
The NSW stroke maker has had a stunning 12 months of first-class cricket, making 1210 runs at 60 in that period. He is a well-rounded batsman who thrives against pace bowling but is also comfortable against spin.
4. Peter Handscomb (25 years old) – 3639 runs at 39 in first-class cricket
The wicketkeeper-turned-specialist batsman has flourished since he started concentrating on his batting three years ago. Handscomb has cracked 1936 runs at 47 in the past two years in first-class cricket, including seven centuries. He has stepped up when given opportunities for Australia A over the past 18 months, making 357 runs at 45 from five matches (two played in India and three in Australia)
5. Moises Henriques (29 years old) – 2824 runs at 31, plus 98 wickets at 31 in first-class cricket
Henriques forced his way into the Test team on the tour of Sri Lanka but has made just 15 runs at an average of 2.5 in his past six Test innings. Handy with the bat, handy with the ball, but not close to being a specialist in either skill.
6. Travis Head (22 years old) – 2772 runs at 33, plus 18 wickets at 59 in first-class cricket
The Australian selectors clearly rate Head very highly. He broke into the ODI squad this year despite owning only a modest record in domestic 50-over cricket. Head is the reigning Sheffield Shield player of the year and has started this season decently, with scores of 66 and 43, plus four wickets at 26 with his modest but improving off spin.
The Outsiders
7. Hilton Cartwright (24 years old) – 717 runs at 48, plus 11 wickets at 33 in first-class cricket
A compact and patient batsman, Cartwright has become one of the most important players in the West Australian line-up. He adds value with his accurate medium pace.
8. Callum Ferguson (31 years old) – 6720 runs at 40 in first-class cricket
Ferguson has been perhaps the most consistent batsman in the Shield over the past three years, making 2000 runs at 54 in that time, including seven centuries. Ferguson’s best opportunity of earning a Test debut may come if veteran Adam Voges continues to struggle. Were the selectors to drop Voges this summer, they might want to keep some experience in the middle order and replace him with an old head like Ferguson rather than the comparatively inexperienced Patterson, Handscomb or Head.
Arky
Guest
Interesting that BOTH "Outsiders" from this list, as well as #4 in the main list, have debuted for Australia, albeit poor Callum Ferguson debuted in exactly the wrong game then got hurt at exactly the wrong time.
Don Freo
Guest
Cricketers play for the team...not for test selection. Stoinis bats at #3 because he is a top order batsman. He is not an all rounder. A top 3 batsman who bowls a bit. Know your players, John.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Stoinis missed an opportunity today. I am not sure why he would bat at three when a decent score at five or six could have seem him make his test debut. Burns is gone but to be honest, he isn't a test opener. His style is more suited to a middle order stroke player and I am amazed that our selectors are so bewitched by short format runs on flat tracks that they cant discern this. Voges' concussion today may soften the blow of being dumped for his very poor current form, with a possible doctor's call ruling him out of next week's test. If he is fit, he should be dropped. At 37 and out of touch, his stellar form of last summer seems a light year away.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Greg Matthews averaged over 40 with the bat and batted mostly at seven. Its little more than ego and arrogance to have Mitch Marsh at six with his ordinary batting figures. He was selected as a "project player" and given a Baggy Green without having done anything to deserve one. This sums up much about what is wrong with Australian Cricket. Not even our selectors respect the true worth of the test cap. Nathan Lyon is an other. Half a dozen first class matches and into the test team. He had more experience rolling and mowing domestic cricket pitches than bowling on them when first picked and guess what? He has proven, despite some modest improvement, that he has next to no penetration at test level. We shouldn't be surprised though. His domestic stats are no better than Glenn Maxwell's part time, catch up the over rate tweakers. How about selectors choose players who have done enough to actually earn the baggy green and maybe we will start batting like it means actually means something.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
24 batting at six is terrible.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Mitch Starc's figures are better both with bat and ball than Mitch Marsh's. He bats at eight, where he should. Mitch Marsh at six is at least two spots too high and completely unbalances our batting line-up. the trouble is Marsh only averages 29 in domestic cricket so we are getting all we should expect from him. Nevill, however averages 37 in First Class cricket when he isn't following an underperforming Marsh out to the middle.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Pedro needs to knuckle down and ignore distractions that impact his spelling of "Khawaja"
Don Freo
Guest
The coaching is that good that players like Bancroft, Cartwright, Turner, Marsh have elevated above them so they go to a second tier but one where umpires will favour them so their numbers work better. That's how it seems. One only has to look at that team you have named. It is quite a fragile, lightweight list. Dean, Quiney, Finch, Siddle, Worrall and Boland would not get a game in another state side. Siddle might be a first change at Qld or Tassie. White is unlikely too.
Andy Hill
Roar Pro
So what you are saying is you can't hold on to them cause your coaching and/ or backroom staff are not up to scratch. Oh, and it's the umpires fault too. :) Here is a current Vic state of origin team without any imports: 1 Dean 2 Quiney 3 Handscomb 4 Maxwell 5 White 6 Finch 7 Nevill 8 Pattinson 9 Siddle 10 Boland 11 Holland 12 Agar 13 Worrall Not bad I reckon. It's a shame both Nevill and Ludeman had to leave Victoria to get a game, they are both better govemen than the Tasmanian Wade. I'm not sure why both Ashton and Wes Agar decided to leave Victoria- I guess they (or their father) didn't have enough patience to break into the Vic team on their own merits. WA couldn't produce their own spinner so Ashton was given a go out West. Worral was picked out of nowhere for SA by Darren Berry- he saw something in the kid and whipped him into shape- did a good job.
Don Freo
Guest
We teach them everything they know and you just cash in when they can no longer break into the top team. That and the fact he kept on being given out when he had a yellow cap but umpires don't do that to a Navy Blue (or a light blue). The Victorian foreign legion...Hussey, Stoinis, Wade, Harris, Hastings, Ahmed, Christian, Tremain, Greg Shipperd, Damien Wright...
Andy Hill
Roar Pro
Maybe something is not right with the environment at the WACA. Early days yet but Harris seems to be flourishing since moving to Victoria like Stoinis before him. Following in the footsteps of D Hussey and Chris Rogers.
Don Freo
Guest
You could. That might stop Vics from bagging him. The reality is that he never played for the Vics. Stoinis was in and out of the WA team for years...unable to crack a game. That's when he limped off to Victoria.
Andy Hill
Roar Pro
In that case we can still claim Agar as a Victorian, right Don? Keep an eye on Stoinis' bowling, it is improving!
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Interestingly the first 3 aussies to shake hands with the SAffers were Smith, Warner and Khawaja. Not sure whether it was deliberate but that's where the order of batting power sits.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Bear. I am referring to his attitude. I have no issue with the strokeplay side of his batting. All class. He does need to be a bit more switched on.. Rather a lazy prod to be bowled in first innings. His spill at short leg.. toughie but catchable. His fielding could be sharper.
bearfax
Guest
I'm not sure what more you expect from Khawaja Craig. He played a lone hand in the second innings and shouldnt have been given out. he's averaging 44.5 in tests and that's not bad for a No 3 bat. Its Voges after a spectacular few months last summer who is beginning to worry with not one score over 50 in the past 8 innings. As for Cartwright, I was almost going to suggest he should be our all rounder given his recent efforts. he may well be the answer. But he's only played 18 first class innings, which I would suggest is a little early to judge his credentials. He's started this years Shield off moderately. I'd like to see him through this Shield season before plugging for him, but if he continues with his performance to date, he'd be a definite pick for the test side. I would go with Maxwell if Marsh is dropped.but I'm also still hanging out for Marsh to break the shackles. I suspect a confidence issue
Craig Swanson
Guest
Are we talking about players for India or this summer? If we are picking specialist spots for India then we have to start blooding them in our summer. Handscomb is one who is likely to go to India so I want him playing some sort of international cricket soon. Bancroft is another. A fine player of spin and imo our only long term opener prospect. Ashton Agar is on the up with his bowling and is a fave with CA on the strength of a good 2015 A tour of India . I believe James Faulkner with his clever variety would be a good fit on sub continental decks. With his ability to take the pace off rather than the hit the deck bowler that struggle over there.
Craig Swanson
Guest
I would like to see Khawaja show more interest in his cricket. Perhaps give him the vice captaincy. Something more hands on to knock him out of his lethargy. Is there a more laid back Aussie cricketer?
Craig Swanson
Guest
CT here Caddy, Hows things. I am at Whirlpool. As much as I have pushed for Marsh's continued inclusion. The writing is now on the wall for the enigmatic all rounder. Should he survive the axe for Hobart he needs a minimum test 50 to hold his place. I will throw up a roughie to replace him at #6... Hilton Cartwright. IMO he is our most exciting batting all rounder for decades. My other choice is James Faulkner. His record is as good as the other candidate Henriques. Should Ashton Agar continue his improvement with the ball he is also in the frame down the track.
Geoff Foley
Roar Rookie
He did fail in UK horrendously too though. The West Indies have propped up his Test career.