The 2017-18 Sheffield Shield is fast approaching, but before the first round kicks off in October, it is worth having a brief look back at last season.
The 2016-17 Sheffield Shield was taken out by Victoria, after a drawn final game against runners-up South Australia.
Western Australia came in third, followed by New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania at the bottom, with only the one win for the season.
The top run-scorer was NSW’s ex-Test opener Ed Cowan, who fell agonisingly short of the symbolic 1000 runs a season, with 959. Cowan achieved an excellent average of 73.76 with three centuries from only nine games.
The highest wickettaker was Chadd Sayers, who snagged 62 wickets at an average of 19. The South Australian also worked with the excellent economy of 2.63, and a strike rate of 43.1.
The high-score of the season was taken out by Moises Henriques, who ground out 265 against Queensland in February. The best bowling figures were taken by Western Australian Jason Behrendorff, who claimed 14 for 89 against Victoria in Perth, including an incredible 9 for 37 in the first innings.
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Disappointment of the season: Adam Voges
After an ascendant Test summer in 2015-16, while also averaging 66.16 in that summer’s Shield season, Voges was dropped from the Test team after a run of bad form.
Back in the Shield, he achieved a lowly average of 24.40 after eight matches, with no centuries. It seems age finally caught up with the evergreen Western Australian star.
A (dis)honourable mention also goes to Tasmanian Ben Dunk. The top run-scorer in 2015-16, with 837 runs and four centuries, Dunk scored only one 50 from the first ten innings of the season, and was dropped by the Tigers to make space for George Bailey and Alex Doolan.
Steady performer: George Bailey
After being dropped from the Test side following the 2013-14 Ashes, Bailey looked to refocus on red-ball cricket. While only managing three matches in the 2014-15 series, Bailey rebounded by ranking fourth in runs for 2015-16, and backed it up by ranking third last season, with 839 runs at 59.92.
An honourable mention goes to Victorian fast bowler Chris Tremain. Ranking fifth in the 2015-16 Shield, with 36 wickets at 21.05, Tremain followed that by ranking third, with 42 wickets at the excellent average of 18.97 last season.
Surprise of the season: Peter Nevill
Following our disastrous first two Rests against South Africa last year, Nevill was victim of a wide-ranging cleanout.
However, the sturdy wicketkeeper rebounded spectacularly, posting a number of big scores, which he had failed to do in the Test arena.
Nevill ended up averaging 56.81 after nine games, with an equal-season-high three centuries.
Honourable mention goes to another keeper, Queenslander Chris Hartley. Often viewed as one of the best pure keepers in Australia, Hartley is thought to have been omitted from international duties due to average skills with the blade. However, he proved everyone wrong last season, scoring 535 runs at the excellent average of 76.42. If only it was a few years earlier.
Most overlooked player: Chadd Sayers
For the last two years, Sayers has been a standout player for South Australia, and possibly the best swing bowler in the country.
Despite this, the closest Sayers has come to international honours is being picked for the touring party of New Zealand in early 2016.
Having topped the Shield’s wicket-taking list yet again in 2016-17, Sayers should be next in line for an international debut.
Stephen Vagg
Roar Guru
that was an odd decision and I wonder who pushed it. It feels like a compromise selection eg "okay I'll take Callum Ferguson if we take Mennie as well" or something like that. I could be wrong - it's just what it felt like.
Don Freo
Guest
Alderman's pace was always under rated. He was no medium pacer.
Don Freo
Guest
Nothing wrong with Carey's batting. He debuted for SA as an opener while Ludemann had the gloves. He has played 2 blinders at the WACA. He and Whiteman are the best batsmen of the keepers.
danno
Guest
Terry Alderman would never had played a Test under Lehmann in any conditions. Same goes with Sayers. Pace over rides skill with Lehmann.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Edward I think Australia really missed a trick but not playing Sayers ahead of Mennie in the second Test against SA last summer. Sayers has consistently outperformed his teammate Mennie all over Australia and it's not as if Mennie is quick - he bowled in the gentle 130 - 135kmh range in that Test. But now that Pattinson and Cummins are back in the mix, Sayers is a long way back in the pecking order. A Test debut looks distant.
Andrew Young
Roar Guru
Nice to see some focus on the Shield! Nevill and Sayers both had outstanding seasons. Hope to see Nevill back in the baggy green soon. Unfortunately for Sayers, it seems that if 'the big 4' are all together, he won't be able to force his way in.
Stephen Vagg
Roar Guru
agree with Rellum - Hartly's treatment breaks my heart. Your keeper should always come from Queensland! :) (ok, unless he's Adam Gilchrist...)
Stephen Vagg
Roar Guru
agree with Rellum - Hartly's treatment breaks my heart. Your keeper should always come from Queensland! :) (ok, unless he's Adam Gilchrist...)
Rellum
Roar Guru
Great to see a Shield article. Looking forward to this season even if I think QLD has little chance of winning with Harts now retired. Peirson has big shoes to fill and his keeping needs to improve to come close to meeting that challenge. I would disagree on Sayers in I think Hartley has been to most over looked player of the years and to me last season was no different. Sayers situation is unfortunate but hardly unique. Players are marked basically on first impressions in my experience and you can never escape that.
Hamish Hutton
Roar Rookie
Yes i heard that also, a great athlete indeed. I feel like his rise from grade cricket to earning a spot off an established keeper in Tim Ludeman on his way towards the 50 dismissal 500 run milestone is only the beginning of what we will see from Carey! Cant wait.
Sideline Commentator
Roar Guru
Thanks Hamish, I was indeed thinking of writing a review for next season, and I think Carey might well deserve a mention. There are interesting things happening around the country with 'keepers. My only concern with Carey is his batting average, but I'm sure that will creep up. He's certainly a great athlete, I only recently heard he was previously signed by GWS.
Sideline Commentator
Roar Guru
Thanks a lot, Ronan. And I completely agree about Sayers' lack of pace being the main reason he's missed out on test cricket. Bowling in the high 130s, Jackson Bird is always going to seem a better option than Sayers at low 130s. But, like you say, to have performed so well on Australia's flattest wicket shows his potential. If he played for the Tigers and had regular access to Bellerive, I can only image his stats. I also imagine his swing would be a nightmare in day-night tests, though I admit I haven't looked at his stats for those he has played in the Shield.
George
Guest
Tell that to the almighty Boof.
Hamish Hutton
Roar Rookie
Couldn't agree more with alot of these, especially sayers! It's alittle disheartening to see him so often being left aside when selection comes around. Hopefully he just continues to take wickets so they don't have a reason to ignore him! If you are to follow this article up with a preview of the new season I would suggest that a mention of Alex Carey making an even bigger impression this year wouldn't go astray, kids a gun!
Stephen Vagg
Roar Guru
I love an article which focuses on the Shield! And with three rounds before the 1st Ashes test, it's fantastic to see the comp getting a bit of attention. Sayers' constant international omission is really depressing. Those sort of wickets demand selection. Pace isn't everything. Indeed, sometimes pace is useless. I'd also add that Jon Holland had a really outstanding season.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Nice article Edward. I think Sayers has been the standout Shield bowler over the past five years combined but there's no doubt that his lack of pace is the reason he hasn't played for Australia. I understand England not picking some slower bowlers like Rushworth because of the perception that they rely heavily on seaming English wickets to be successful at their gentle pace. But Australian Shield wickets are largely flat and Sayers is based on arguably the flattest pitch in the country at Adelaide, so there's no good reason to doubt his ability to remain effective in Test cricket.