Ashes hopefuls Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head, Cam Bancroft and Joe Burns failed their auditions last night as Australia’s batsmen floundered in difficult conditions in the intra-squad match in Southampton.
On a green pitch, which reportedly offered generous seam movement, the Graeme Hick XII bowlers made merry en route to rolling the Brad Haddin XII for a paltry 105.
In reply, Hick’s side lost openers Burns (18) and Bancroft (17), as well as first drop Steve Smith (9) cheaply as star quick Pat Cummins made inroads.
The manner in which many of the batsmen were flummoxed by the moist surface and swinging Dukes ball was reminiscent of Australia’s all-too-frequent batting collapses in recent Ashes series in the UK.
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The only batsman who prospered, to a degree, in the first dig was Marnus Labuschagne, with 41. Batting at first drop he benefited from his heavy exposure to UK conditions of late, having played ten county matches in the past three months and churning out five tons in the process.
Meanwhile, Harris (6), Head (1), Patterson (2), Will Pucovski (4), Alex Carey (5) and David Warner (4) could not even earn a second digit. They were ambushed by swing merchants Michael Neser (4-18) and Jackson Bird (3-28).
In-form strike bowler James Pattinson took the new ball and shaped as the bowler most likely to run amok in the opening session. Instead, his opening partner Neser kickstarted the collapse.
First he had Warner through a drive early, chipping the shot to a diving Matt Wade at cover to be out for 4. Then Neser took aim at Marcus Harris, the favourite to open with Warner in the Ashes, and had the left-hander LBW to make the score 2-15.
Marcus Harris (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
The Queensland quick has become known as a specialist with the English ball after exploiting its swing when it was used in the second half of the past three Sheffield Shield seasons. Across those seasons Neser took 54 wickets at 21 with the Dukes.
He was also solid in Australia A’s last four-day match, against the England Lions, taking 3-57 for the match with all of his wickets top-order batsmen.
Neser’s double breakthrough was soon replicated by veteran swing bowler Bird, who came into this match having taken eight wickets at 22 in Australia A’s two four-day matches.
The Tasmanian struck in his first over when Head, indulging a bad habit, tried to slice a length delivery behind point and fed a catch to second slip. When Bird then pinned Test incumbent Patterson LBW the score was grim at 4-29.
Batting prodigy Pucovski hung around with Labuschagne for about 35 minutes before he nicked off to Chris Tremain, leaving Haddin’s men at 5-64 at lunch.
That brought to the crease Carey who has, rather prematurely, been touted as a specialist batsman for the Ashes. He, too, was trapped in front by Bird.
Then Pattinson returned and quickly had Labuschagne caught behind. While he grafted as others fell around him, the young Queenslander must have felt it was a lost opportunity – had he kicked on and doubled his score that may well have vaulted him into the XI for the series opener against England.
What Labuschagne’s innings did underline was how valuable it is to be familiar with the local conditions.
Pat Cummins (14) and Mitchell Starc (14) then held on for a while before Neser came back to finish what he started. On a day when few players enhanced their Ashes claims, Neser reminded the selectors of his potency with the Dukes ball.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Thought I should check that out. Yes, he did well, but so did a lot of other people. Here is a list of bowlers Neser finished behind in the Shield averages last season: Copeland, Pattinson, Worrall, Boland, Mennie, Steketee, Conway, Bird, Abbott, Tremain. And Neser played half his games on the most helpful wicket of all for seamers, the Gabba. So hardly a standout year. A bit better the year before, but again no better than the likes of Tremain, Rogers, Bird, Winter and Bell.
Jero
Roar Rookie
I agree on all points Chris, however as much as England might not juice their wickets up quite as much as they have in the past when their batting was significantly stronger and when we didn't have the bowlers to exploit their conditions as much as they did (we're all going to die wondering how good it would have been to watch Ryan Harris move it around over there at will), I can't see them preparing the kind of wicket that puts Starc into a league almost on his own. His comparative advantage won't be like it is here, whatever kind of wickets they serve up. I still want to see him bowl though. He's too much of an asset not to, for the same reason that Archer and/or Wood would be bowling at Edgbaston if fit.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
It's the nature of cricket. Conditions play a massive part, and based on the conditions, completely different types of bowling can be effective. Starc has been a very hot and cold bowler throughout his career too. We know that when he's on, he's almost unplayable. But that doesn't happen as often as we'd like. While on a pitch that's seaming around, just bowling medium pace and hitting the exact right line and length ball after ball can be the most devastating form of bowling, because the pitch does all the work. It does seem crazy to leave him out on "bowling wickets". But the point is that a wicket that will provide a lot of assistance for other types of bowlers, doesn't necessarily provide the right sort of assistance for Starc, because he doesn't just bowl tight and hit the length that lets the pitch do all the work. I'd love to see him come out and bowl really well in the second innings here, then play the first test and rip through England and show he has more strings to his bow. But not sure if he does. Plus, Starc really needs to be absolutely 100% fit to be truly effective, and I'm not sure that he is. He will definitely play during the series, but likely not every match.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
You're right about Smith, his mental skills seem to improve with every Test in a series as he digs in harder. Consumate Test cricketer as his average attests to, partnership builder.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
I think I've heard it all now! Don't play a 50 Test opening bowler in his prime at 29 on bowling wickets! A bowler who strikes every 49.9 on average and has an average of 28 with 11 5fas and 2 10fas. Australia - what are we ranked - 4? Apparently we're bowling millionaires. At least you conceded the trial was his first Dukes hitout, as he was also playing Test cricket as the Shield used the balls last summer, but he'll have to prove himself in the second innings of a trial game! Sheesh! Can't believe that Australians don't see the value of Starc as a hardened Test cricketer, but they still want horses for courses, meaning dropping a quality Test fast bowler on bowlers wickets! He's on a hiding to nothing now.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Absolutely fascinating to follow this thread from start to now. Marsh in as a bowler. 10% chance. Wade in as a batsman.10% chance. Carey in as a batsman.20% chance. Bancroft at 3. 25% chance. How many No.3s do we need? Reminds me of our series against the Windies when we had Laird,an opener, at 3.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
marsh may get a game now his bowling may win them over if they want the extra depth during the seocond innings when wickets flatten out a bit plus he can add 30 runs not that you trust him on that front, he capable of one or two big innings
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Actually lots of people rate Pattinson. He's highly rated in Australian cricket and for good reason. He's also ripped apart county batting lineups when he's played county cricket. So he can do it in England. And picking a batsman with a first class average of 29 to bat at 5 as supposedly the player to fix up our batting woes is pretty much a guarantee of disaster. And I don't see how you can compare picking a 27 year old wicket keeper with a first class average of 29 to play #5 in the test side, with one of the all-time great test batsmen who, by the way, made his ODI debut the day before his 18th birthday and test debut a few months after his 19th.
Peter Warrington
Guest
just restating this. England made 400+ once in 2015. In the very first innings. They only made more than 312 one other time in the series. I think the batsman have spread this half truth. we don't need to give it too much air time.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Certainly early in his career Starc suffered from being in and out a lot more than he really should have been. But we can ill afford to carry him in a low scoring match if he bowls like he did in the first innings of this trial match. If 150 is a good score, giving away an extra 30-40 runs can be really significant. I really like Starc, he's the sort of bowler who's able to take the pitch out of the equation and jag a bagful of wickets in good batting conditions. But when the pitch favours the bowlers, you don't want to take the pitch out of the equation, you need to maximise it's benefits, and he's never shown the ability to do that. And we can ill afford to get off to a poor start in the Ashes through selecting players who haven't shown good form and only dropping them if they fail for a couple of tests, because by then, that failure could mean we are 2-0 down. So unless Starc can show through the second innings here and/or through his net bowling between now and the first test, that he's able to adjust to these conditions and exploit them well, then I think he's a liability on seaming surfaces like this. That being said, it's also his first red-ball spell coming off the World Cup, while the bowlers who haven't been in the WC squad have had more chance to be practicing with the red dukes ball. He may yet come good by the first test. It's also possible that the pitches may not be as green as many have believed, especially with England showing they are every bit as likely to crumble on a greentop as Australia.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
As a victorian and an Australian I have no problem. In fact we just need to win the ashes and do it with intelligent selecting per ground per conditions with our line up. The batting is the worry .
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
No doubt, though that already means an elevation for him, above Bird and Tremain. I do feel that we've shown we have the bowlers who can exploit these English greentops. I still worry that the selectors might end up just selecting Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins anyway though. Unless he can do something majorly different in the second innings, Starc has pretty much proved what many already believed, that he shouldn't be picked on a greentop at all. And I still worry about Hazlewood. He seems to have really dropped off in the last 12-18 months, pretty sure you've put up his stats for that period a few times. Not sure he should necessarily be first choice at the moment, but I fear he still will be. So unless faced with a road where Starc definitely gets picked, would a better option be Cummins, Pattinson, Siddle, with Neser the next man in, rather than Hazlewood or Starc at all. England have shown their batting lineup is every bit as vulnerable on a greentop as Australia's. We've seen that we have the bowlers who can exploit those conditions every bit as well as any English bowlers. Just want to make sure we pick the right ones. I wonder if, with England showing they are every bit as vulnerable on greentops as Australia, and Australia showing we've got bowlers who can exploit those conditions, if that could lead to England not wanting the greentops they might have previously wanted when facing Australia.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Five now...
Pierro
Roar Rookie
No brainer on Pattinson, Cummins and one of Siddle or Neser for Edbaston . Marsh has nudged his normal way in to contention with a five wicket haul and some runs with the bat . Unfortunately with the scores being so low its very hard to assess the batting. With 120 runs left to play for only Bancroft, Wade and Marsh can likely make names for themselves unless Starc or Hazelwood can run through them tomorrow. This game will be over via the half way mark of day 3 in some respects it has mimicked some of the ashes wickets in the last few series. Its pretty hard to get a line on the batting and smith failing does not bode as well as he's often the barometer for our batting although we must remember Smith and Warner have been away from the red ball internationally for 14 months now it was a long time at a critical stage of their careers
badmanners
Roar Rookie
As a New South Welshman I have a problem with that, as an Australian, yep Siddle and Pattinson must play.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Cummins and Pattinson were my go to before the match they certainly seem to be even more likely now
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Starc and Hazlewood so far - 1-70 Siddle and Pattinson - 8-66 I know which pair I'd be picking to partner Cummins in the 1st Test.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Pattinson has taken 11 wickets at 11 in his two matches on this tour. Surely he has to play the 1st Test.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
And unfortunately they both couldn't go on with it but Pattinson got carey which is no disgrace . Annoyingly Marsh has claimed two wickets which is dangerous bait for the selectors
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Im hoping Carey can do it Ronan. Its no given but his world cup was outstanding and I’ve blasted everyones ear off about him . There is something about his tenacity and grit that I like. The way he handled that world cup semi final after being directly hit in the helmet . Taped up it was full of tenacity like a steve waugh style innings. He’s got more to do today and there are risks in picking him but pattinson is the most economic of the bowlers strike rate wise (so far) by some distance and he’s still out there . Him and cummins seem to be heading towards the locked in pair but theres still the next innings to assess. Progressively there may be a slight advantage to batting tomorrow which may make todays innings more valuable as well , if the surface firms a little more tomorrow its going to help batting out more but cummins and siddle look very dangerous too. big afternoon ahead. Incidentally Do you already rate Pucovski?