The opening round of the Sheffield Shield only added to the intrigue surrounding Australia’s Ashes line-up.
Test incumbent Glenn Maxwell failed twice against Queensland while his key rival for the number six spot, Hilton Cartwright, had a good game against Tasmania, scoring 61 and 38.
Usman Khawaja ended any conjecture about his Ashes spot with a sensational double of 40 and 122 against the very-strong Victorian attack on a tricky pitch at the Gabba.
Test opener David Warner also looked in fine nick as he made 83 and 32 for NSW in a low-scoring match against South Australia.
Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers kept themselves in the minds of the Test selectors with fine bowling performances, each taking six wickets. Here are some of the other key talking points from the Shield.
Steve Smith is in a form trough
Since the start of the Test tour of Bangladesh, the Australian captain has made 328 runs at an average of 27 from a dozen innings across 50-over and first-class cricket.
Smith failed twice for NSW this week against South Australia, out LBW to Chadd Sayers for three in the first innings and caught behind off Daniel Worrall for nine in the second dig.
His form has been so extraordinary over the past four years that many pundits and fans have wondered just when he would finally encounter a rough patch. Is this it? Is Smith finally out of form?
His return of 119 runs at 30 in Bangladesh was the first time in four years Smith had averaged less than 40 in a Test series. During that period, Australia’s batting line-up has relied heavily on the 28-year-old’s phenomenal consistency.
Smith’s double failure in the Shield this week was particularly notable given the way he has destroyed State attacks in recent years, having churned out 717 runs at 90 in his previous five Shield matches.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Nevill, Wade and Carey struggled
It was an awful round for the three contenders for Australia’s Test keeping berth. Incumbent Matt Wade, former Test gloveman Peter Nevill and rising star Alex Carey all failed to press their cases for selection.
Nevill grafted his way to 20 off 67 balls against SA in his only knock for the round, but had a poor match behind the stumps, missing two catches.
The second of those chances was an absolute dolly, with Nevill turfing a regulation edge from the blade of Callum Ferguson off the bowling of Pat Cummins. Earlier Nevill had failed to take a nick from the bat of Jake Weatherald, with the ball fortunately lobbing off his left glove to Steve Smith at first slip.
Wade had an even worse match for Tasmania against WA, with scores of one and six. As the dark horse for the Test keeping spot, Carey needed to have an eye-catching start to the Shield season but instead he made only 12 and four.
Although, to be fair, Carey’s first innings dismissal was the result of being forced to slog because SA were nine down, with bunny Chadd Sayers at the other end.
The Australian selectors will have gleaned very little from the performances of these three players, except perhaps confirmation that Wade is truly out of touch.
Chris Tremain is ready for Test cricket
Over the past three Sheffield Shield seasons, no one has had a better bowling average than Tremain’s 19.6 (minimum 50 wickets). Tremain has grabbed 82 wickets from 20 matches during that period at a remarkable strike rate of 41.
The Victorian paceman has an enviable range of attributes – he’s tall (193cm), he’s accurate, he swings the ball late and consistently, and he’s quick, having been clocked at up to 148kmh in an ODI for Australia.
Tremain rarely is mentioned as a Test prospect because of the amazing depth of Australia’s pace stocks. After the so-called Big Four – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson – there’s also the likes of Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Peter Siddle.
Quite incredibly, Tremain might be behind all of those guys in the Test pecking order, putting him way back in 10th place. Yet I think the 26-year-old is well and truly ready for Test cricket and would acquit himself well should get an opportunity at the highest level.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
It certainly isn't just a problem in Australia. Too much cricket played on batting-friendly pitches where footwork is irrelevant. Just need to clear front leg and shift weight through the ball. Bites everyone on the a*se when the ball moves around though. The nation that recognises and addresses this best will produce the best batsmen. Currently, its India. Perhaps the answer is in the difference between their test pitches and shorter format pitches. There both dry and lifeless. A couple of years ago, our summer had the flattest, most lifeless pitches I can recall and a mountain of runs were scored. It was crap cricket but it did hide batting flaws. I hope CA don't view that as the fix. Only the pink ball test pitch had any grass on it at all. Mind you, It wasn't that long ago (late 2013) that CA edicted for shield pitches be prepared dry and with less life. State cricketing authorities were threatened with fines if too many wickets fell on the first day. CA stated this edict was to bring spin into the game more at shield level. The abysmal tour of India was the trigger for this CA response. Whatever the intent, it hasn't helped our first class batsmen find a way to succeed when the ball is moving about. Those that can, Khawaja for example, look very special indeed.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Context Don. The connection is context. No wonder you didn't get it. Context isn't your strength. Aligning the thinking of selectors with your own thinking is hardly a compliment. I am glad you said it. It would be rude coming from anyone else.
Don Freo
Guest
Not familiar with " future's league", George?
Don Freo
Guest
If Head had a run like Vogsey did at the end, he'd be out of form. That's why Vogesy ended it. His reflexes or his eyes went. Head hasn't had that run. He had 2 failures, one being a first baller...and an unplayable pearler. No indication of form there. His recent Shield form is outstanding. Selectors think like me...not like you. Watching cricket and looking at stats, informed by cricket, is what we do. Voges is no yardstick here...in fact the connection is weird.
Custard Cream
Roar Rookie
And, sadly, English bowlers!
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Remember Don, past runs don't matter. only his more recent runs. So Voges is remembered as a very poor test batsman averaging 19.7 against Sri Lanka and 7.5 against South Africa. its a shame too, because 12 -18 months earlier he scored bucket loads. Still, you cant have it both ways and you do preach about this consistently and with such passion. So, which is it? Head's gone or Voges was a hack? Of course, there is the third option i mentioned. That two innings isn't a big enough sample size. Sadly it doesn't help Adam. 10 innings is and 10 test innings for 148 runs is sh*te.
Rellum
Roar Guru
But if the Steams were quality now, then those who check them out just for the national players performances (I hate that attitude) might enjoy the coverage enough to happily go back to it regularly. It is free and easily available to watch even at work. CA are missing a big opportunity now to promote the Shield, if they care of course.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I suppose I was just going off the SA coverage, where they were going through tweets and there was one from some NSW guy saying "wait till you see NSW's coverage next week" or the like. If we could get that sort of competitive nature going among the states then it would be fine, but if only a couple of them are like that and others just don't care then that's not going to work and the only way to have decent coverage across the board is for CA to step in. Of course, then there's the question of whether there will be a massive drop-off for people watching the live streams after the first three matches. I can imagine there's a lot of interest at the moment, but once the tests actually start, focus will turn to them and it will drop back to just a few hard-core fans paying any attention to the live streams of the Shield. Especially for play that is on simultaneously with the test matches.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
As India have more and more resources to throw at cricket, combined with such a massive population who are completely cricket mad, I'd have to think that depth is one thing I'd expect them to always have plenty of. We'll likely find ourselves in a situation where their absolute best aren't any better than our absolute best, but they have a lot more players they could throw into their test side who could perform at a similar level.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Pretty sure it's Hurstville not Leichardt (if you are referring to the NSW v WA game). But should still likely be a decent batting strip.
matth
Guest
I don't read his articles, but when he has his half hour of a Monday morning on the sports breakfast show with John McCoy, they do talk some sense at times.
George
Guest
Great call. Hogan was extremely underrated. Duffield was decent too.
George
Guest
That your list is about three times too long, based on actual performance, and not 'potential' or your rabid statism. And that you don't seem to mind whether the Australian Test team is actually becoming stronger.
dan ced
Guest
Mackin seems to have taken over Hogan's role, who was VERY solid, not unlike Copeland but a bit nippier.
dan ced
Guest
IF Renshaw falls out of favour....what about Jake Weatherald, he looks patient enough to open, perhaps he's too much like Warner and someone like Travis Dean would be better?
BurgyGreen
Guest
Yeah it's a huge shame with Silk. He always seems to be dominating grade and Futures League but has really struggled in the Shield. If I remember correctly, he captained Australia A didn't he? Perhaps it'd be worth giving him a middle order spot rather than batting him at the top. Open with Wade or something if he really wants a chance to show he can bat.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Just looked at that. No way it's clearly missing.
jameswm
Roar Guru
How good a keeper is he?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Those are the guys who are FC capable bats Don, not international capable. I think you might be too optimistic in their abilities. I also judge how they go when it is hard to bat, not when it is easy, like most home Tests recently.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Notice how much of a struggle England have been having to get some test quality batsmen? Same goes for South Africa who have given Test caps to some ordinary batsmen in recent years. Only India currently have good depth in Test batting stocks.