When Rod Marsh, Mark Waugh, Darren Lehmann, and Trevor Hohns named their 12-man baggy green squad for the first Test of the summer against South Africa, they didn’t make public it was for the second Test at Bellerive as well.
When it was obvious the Australians were going to lose the opener, the selectors brought Bellerive into the conversation.
After Australia was flogged by 177 runs for the fourth Test loss in a row, injuries came to the selector’s aid with a broken finger for Shaun Marsh, a back injury for Peter Siddle, and a hamstring problem for Adam Voges – which for a 37-year-old is serious.
All three are out of Bellerive, giving the selectors an out to make forced changes – Joe Burns for Marsh, Callum Ferguson on debut for Voges, and WACA drink waiter Joe Mennie for Siddle?
No, no, no.
Mennie was a mistake for Perth, with Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers by far the better performed pacemen.
Even more so for Bellerive for Bird – his home track.
While it may seem tough on Mennie, the selectors have been given a chance to make amends for his original poor recognition – and the selectors must grab the opportunity to correct a wrong.
The batting order for Bellerive starting Saturday would read.
David Warner (vc)
Joe Burns
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (c)
Callum Ferguson
Mitchell Marsh
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood
Jackson Bird
Joe Mennie (12th man)
I thought Burns was unlucky to miss out for the WACA, but it was a 50-50 call with Shaun Marsh.
The Burns-Warner combination went gang-busters in their first ten digs together, accumulating 750 runs at 75.
But their last seven together netted only 82 runs. Overall 17 starts for 832 at 48.94 wasn’t shabby.
The Marsh-Warner combo has netted 480 for eight starts, average 60, so the selectors can be saluted for standing by Marsh.
Voges is the more intriguing situation.
Rarely would an Australian batsman averaging 67.40 be under the pump, but Voges has had an extraordinary career as a very late bloomer.
It was only a few months ago Voges had a Bradmanesque average of 90-plus, including a ludicrous 542.00 average against the West Indies and 99.00 against New Zealand.
The more realistic averages of 28.71 against England, 19.66 against Sri Lanka, and 14.00 against South Africa has come about with a lean run in his last nine completed scores totalling just 216 runs at 24.00
Ferguson has been knocking on the Test door for sometime with 101 first class games for South Australia for 6720 runs at 40.23 with 15 tons, and 35 half-centuries.
Not brilliant, but genuinely worth a look-in.
Jackson Bird has Test figures Chadd Sayers and Joe Mennie would dearly love to own.
In five Tests spread over four years thanks to ongoing injuries, he’s captured 21 wickets at 25.28. In first class cricket 228 wickets at 24.61 is further proof he is a first choice paceman.
It would be a travesty if Bird is overlooked for Bellerive.
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