The disappointing players from the Shield season who could do better

There was one particular year that sticks in my memory from my school days and that was when I brought home the report card with the dreaded words: “A disappointing result. Has the ability and should do better”.

Fast forward to this week and I was looking for something in the list of Shield averages, which was quickly forgotten as some names started to crop up, who fitted the bill from my report card, almost to the word.

These are players who are or who have been in the mix to represent Australia, but don’t include those whose batting has been done to death in other Roar pieces.

Hilton Cartwright
Once touted as a potential Test all-rounder, he batted 19 times for 423 runs, a top score of 84no and an average of 24.88.

His bowling numbers are equally underwhelming – a total of 28 overs for a return of 4 for 114 across 6 innings.

D’arcy Short
A season with only four Shield games, one score over 50 (61) and an average of 30.16 has to be considered a poor return from such a talented player.

Jake Lehmann
Also batted 19 times for SA, scored the one hundred (126), but only made 572 runs at 31.77. Lots of pundits thought he could follow in his father’s footsteps and make the Australian No.6 spot his for quite a few years. Is his batting a case of talent and no temperament?

Jake Weatherald
He showed he can bat with an innings of 150 but a total return of 488 runs from 19 innings at 25.68 is most certainly a disappointing return from a talented player.

Jake Doran
Ended up with figures one might expect from junior grade batsmen – 16 innings for 227 runs at an average of 16.21.

Travis Dean
Played all 11 games for the Victorians but only managed 375 runs at an average of 19.15. Safe to say he’d class this as a poor season, despite winning the Sheffield Shield.

Callum Ferguson
One of my favourite batsmen and I’m sure he hasn’t been given the opportunities to show his worth at Test level. That said, he did himself no favours with a really poor Shield season by his standards, 339 runs at an average just over 24.

Much was made of the NSW pair, Jack Edwards and Jason Sangha, when they made their maiden hundreds for NSW. These were the high points of seasons that could best be described as part of the learning curve for two young cricketers.

Both would be looking forward to next year and hoping to improve on 410 runs at 24.11 for Edwards and 386 at 21.44 for Sangha. In fairness to Sangha, he did bowl economically for the Blues, with his 71 overs netting 8 wickets at just over 23.

The only stand out bowler who had plenty of chances but disappointed, was Mitchell Swepson. Maybe he’s more of an old school leggie who needs time to mature, similar to Benaud, but his 24 wickets at 38.13 is probably not what Queensland was hoping for.

Lloyd Pope should not be considered a disappointment. His figures are worse than Swepson’s but as a first-year leggie, bowling at first-class level, he had some upside, considering he was playing for SA who struggled with the bat and his 7 for 87 shows he has something about him.

The trick for coaches and selectors for each of these guys is to let them develop at their own pace and not be pushed too far, too fast.