After Australia’s tour of South Africa was scrapped earlier this year, a more entertaining and high-profile back-end of the Sheffield Shield season had been forecast.
With a host of international players seemingly available — a rarity within packed modern schedules — hopes were high for the Shield’s second half.
But sadly, that hasn’t eventuated.
Flat wickets, rain and a sporadic selection of Test players has meant Australia’s cricketing summer post-January has been decidedly flat. This week’s clash between Queensland and Victoria was called off after just 76 overs were bowled in four days, as poor old Marcus Harris couldn’t add to his well-compiled 113.
Rain also prevented the Vics from pushing for victory in their last match against Tasmania.
But the weather gods are only partially to blame for the humdrum Shield season.
In recent weeks, the Gabba and WACA curators decided to serve up distinctly flat tracks that offered little for the bowlers.
Perpetually poor South Australia, who have won just four games in the last four seasons, managed to surpass 500 on the WACA surface, perhaps underlining just how uneven the contest was between bat and ball.
All six states have played six games apiece, but just two (Queensland and NSW) have won more than one game.
Less than half of the season’s matches have seen a result — in fact, there have been five draws in the last six fixtures.
It’s not an inspiring statistic.
Finally, the lack of Australian representation (for various reasons) has also been somewhat disappointing from a viewer/follower’s perspective. Will Pucovski was ruled out due to shoulder surgery, while the likes of Steve Smith (elbow injury), David Warner, Pat Cummins and Tim Paine have all played just one Shield match.
Granted, the Australian domestic season rarely garners widespread interest, and even if all the above points were reversed, the Shield would not be commanding back page news.
But for rusted-on fans, it’s been a steep drop-off this summer from the highs of the India Test series and a very competitive Big Bash season.
The Shield season, however, hasn’t been completely void of highlights.
Topping the list is Cameron Green, who has been in sparkling touch since his debut Test series earlier this summer.
A double ton at grade level was quickly followed by 168 not-out against South Australia, before a maiden one-day ton (144) and the pièce de résistance, a 251 at the Gabba (flat pitch notwithstanding).
(Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
What has (quite obviously) stood out is his thirst for runs and an ability to concentrate for extended periods at the crease. We’ve known about Green’s stroke-making ability for some time, but his risk mitigation at the crease is as impressive.
As we saw throughout the India series, he is more than willing to soak up balls early in an innings before slowly pushing through the gears as he feels more comfortable at the crease. It’s a priceless quality that makes Greg Chappell’s “best since Ponting” call seem less overstated each century he peels off.
Another player to impress in this back-half of the season is Travis Head, who has done exactly what has been asked of him since being dropped from the Test side. Head’s style differs significantly from Green’s and he plays far more aggressively much earlier in his innings.
But he can’t be accused of throwing his wicket away — back-to-back big innings (223 and 142) against Western Australia were reflective of that.
Peter Handscomb, too, has shown the form that had Australian cricket insiders so excited when he first rose to prominence in the Test team. The Victorian skipper looks a far more balanced player at the crease of late — a series of on-drives against Tasmania revealing the improvements he has made.
Handscomb must continue his upward trajectory to launch himself back into international contention. But just like for Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar, three potential 2022 series in Asia may very well work in his favour.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Yep, my point is it was pretty widespread at the time and certainly hasn't been eliminated. Neutral umpires has been a plus.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
That was 8 years earlier.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Ask the West Indies fans how they feel about NZ umpires around that time.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Not really, it still encourages the side batting first to bat through the first day, and inevitably one or two batsmen will get the opportunity to occupy the crease for a long period and build an innings. If 100 overs were bowled in a day, then 220 overs, i.e. both first innings concluded on average would take the game almost to lunch on 3rd day. It encourages batsmen to both bat for long periods and score at a good rate.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
And that discourages you from batting long (ie from doing what you need to do in Test matches). Bonus point systems of sorts have been used most of the time since the early 70s - there's always the unintended consequence of affecting test batting. I gather many did not like the 2 points for a first innings win, 6 for an outright system, but that does mirror test matches better. That golden period when Shield batting averages were high - I don't think it was a coincidence that that was the points system at that time. Certainly wickets were good for batting too - but the good Shield teams ended up winning games and Shields.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Was for me too. My test debut at the Gabba was the 9 wicket win v the kiwis in that watershed series win. First time at the ground (I’m not from Brisbane, but a small town 4 hours inland), attended days 2, 3 and 4 (final day as it turned out). That was not only AB’s first test series win as skipper, it was also the first test series win full stop for every other Australian player in that series. 18-21 months later, Geoff Lawson and Terry Alderman played in the 1989 Ashes, they were the only players who played under Border who had ever been part of a winning test series prior to Border becoming captain.
JGK
Roar Guru
Look at the scoreboard....
JGK
Roar Guru
Ugh - that was years 7 to 10 for me. It's a wonder I even followed the sport by the end of 87.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Let’s not mention that. Kiwis will always find a reason to whine. Australia should have romped the run chase in anyway – they choked basically, and needed Umpire Dick French to bail them out.
Micko
Roar Rookie
And the kiwis had a point about that MCG draw in 1987: Morrison had McDermott pretty plumb.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
A true student of the game you are Micko. In the mid 1980s I just wished Sri Lanka would come out for tests just so we could actually win a series again. 4 years from Jan 1984 until December 1987 without a test series win was hard to cope with.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Nah, we saw enough footage, heard enough commentary, and read enough articles to realise there were difficult times in the 80's.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah. If the average age for starting following the game is about 10 then any Australian born in 1984 would have thought Australia was near invincible. By 2005 I had honestly begun thinking we would never lose the Ashes again.
JGK
Roar Guru
We did not lost a home summer from 1993 until 2008, and we won everywhere else in that time The Warne-McGrath era. What a time to be an Australian cricket fan
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yet we have lost 6 series at home in the last 13 summers. We did not lost a home summer from 1993 until 2008, and we won everywhere else in that time. Last time we won a series of 3 tests overseas was 7 years ago.
Simon
Guest
Those players are over an era, so now you could say: Cummins, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Pattinson, Richardson, Bird, Sayers, Neser, Siddle, Meredith, Behrendorff, etc. Our quicks have been excellent over the last few years, make no mistake.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
McDermott, Hughes, Reid, McGrath, Rackemann, Tazelaar, Fleming, Gillespie, Lee, Bichel, Kasprowicz, Warne, MacGill, Greg Matthews … Geoff Lawson was also still around in the early 1990s on the shield scene. Greg Rowell was pretty good at shield level, as was Greg Campbell … If we were in a golden era of fast bowlers right now, then Cummins, Starc and Hazelwood would not have been such a closed shop for the last three years, and we would not have lost twice in succession at home to India, especially this last time.
Tom
Beneficiaries of flat pitches and a lot of average fast bowlers. The current crop are playing quicks better than most of the shield bowlers back then. We are in a golden age of fast bowlers right now.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
What makes you so sure? I think, with only four days, and not televised, and therefore no need to slow play down for tv adds, then there's no reason they shouldn't get 100 overs bowled each day. Plenty of tests are over by the halfway point of day 5.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I don't agree with that kind of bastardisation of a two innings match either, but there could be a system where points allotted make it hardly worthwhile to bat longer than say 100-110 overs in the first innings. Not sure how to do it though. Maybe bonus points for totals higher than 350, less bonus points for 400 total, but no extra points for 450, 500 etc. Doesn't mean you couldn't push on past 500 if you made 5 for 411 off 90 overs on first day mind you.