Remember Hilton Cartwright? He played two Tests for Australia not that long ago.
Still doesn’t jog your memory, hey? He still plays for Western Australia, right?
Cartwright burst on to the scene in the 2016-17 summer when selected to replace Nick Maddinson against Pakistan in the third test.
Trevor Hohns said at the time, “We wanted a batting allrounder, someone to bowl seam-up and capable of batting in the top six as well, and after considering several names we came to the conclusion that Hilton fits that bill. We have seen plenty of him, he has performed well this season and we believe that if called upon he will do an excellent job.”
His selection bewildered those who didn’t follow Sheffield Shield too closely (i.e. the Channel Nine commentary team) but those who did had their eye on Cartwright for a while. In particular, his first class average, which was 44.50 after 16 games was pretty good for an Australian batsman of the time (who averages that now?).
He could also bowl a little (15 wickets at 41.93), thus giving the Australian team a fifth bowling option, aka The Most Important Thing in the World. Thirdly, he was a bit of a Greg Chappell pet having played in the Cricket Australia XI.
Hilton Cartwright. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Cartwright played one Test, scored 37, but more importantly it seemed bowled four overs that didn’t impress anyone (he got 0-15).
He was left out of the tour to India in favour of Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, who both averaged less but could bowl a little.
Cartwright ended the 2016-17 season strongly, being picked the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, and got his average up to 52.07.
He was picked on the tour of Bangladesh and played in the second Test over Usman Khawaja so Australia could play three spinners. Cartwright scored 18 and took 0-16.
Despite middling domestic one day form he was picked on Australia’s subsequent one day tour of India, scored 1 and 1, and was dropped.
Since then things have been tough for Hilton. He had a mediocre 2017-18 summer – a couple of good performances but very inconsistent over all and he lost his Cricket Australia contract.
He signed to play with Middlesex in 2018. He did OK with the ball, better than he ever had in Australia, taking 19 wickets, but he had a shocker with the bat, averaging 17.
He hasn’t started this summer too well. His first class average is down to 37, which is a big drop.
No one seems to talk about Cartwright that much these days – not even in hushed embarrassed tones that, say, they do about Nick Maddinson. It’s like people forgot him. “Oh yeah that’s right he played two Tests”.
Cameron Bancroft (left) and Hilton Cartwright have had eventful years. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
There’s no analysis of whether he was picked too early, whether a batsman’s ability to bowl should be a factor at all in selection, whether he should’ve gone to India, whether they think he’ll come back or whether he proves or disproves that the Cricket Australia XI concept was totally useless.
Some players’ selections are analysed ad nauseaum eg Maxwell. Cartwright seems forgotten.
Justin Langer spruiks many of his players noisily but doesn’t seem to do so with Cartwright.
Personally I didn’t mind his selection in the Test side in 2016 – he was in better form than many batman of the time.
I do think he should’ve been given at least two Tests in a row, maybe three. His form definitely hasn’t demanded re-inclusion.
His selection does show the danger of picking players too early, before they’ve had their sophomore slump. Many batsmen have this trajectory – they burst onto the scene, go well, then the bowlers figure them out and they struggle.
It happened to Matt Renshaw last year. And Pete Handscomb. The good ones find their way back.
Here’s hoping Hilton Cartwright does – it’ll make him easier to remember.
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