Much of the media’s Ashes build-up thus far has been surrounding a single question: who should bat No.5?
Should it be Travis Head, Matthew Wade, or should we rethink the entire order to allow for in-form Usman Khawaja to make the cut?
Despite being an avid believer for Khawaja’s selection in the side, I think the No.5 slot belongs to another Test-experienced player in Hilton Cartwright.
Having played his last Test in 2017, Cartwright has started the 2021-22 season with flying colours. In his first three Sheffield Shield matches for Western Australia, he’s scored 308 runs at an average of 61.60 and taken six wickets at 12.83 with the ball.
In the process, he scored his first Shield century since 2018 and bowled his maiden Shield four-wicket haul, picking up 4-23 against Tasmania.
In saying that, no statistic can ever justify the full picture of a player. If they could, then Kurtis Patterson could be considered a better Test batsman than Don Bradman and Victor Trumper combined. Having been at the ground or watching the livestreams for much of his recent form, Hilton Cartwright looks the business.
With ball in hand, despite only bowling at speeds of approximately 125 KPH, his consistency on a good length outside off has proved critical for WA, with four of his six wickets for the season being caught behind. A few of Cartwright’s key scalps include internationals Head and Ben McDermott.
In recent years, Cartwright has also become one of Australia’s most dominant boundary fielders. Between BBL|09 and BBL10, Cartwright was consistently listed in the Big Bash’s top-15 fielders of the month, according to big bashboard.com.
Last season alone (for WA, Melbourne Stars and South Perth), Cartwright took 15 catches, the vast majority of which were from the deep. As well as having a bullet of an arm from any part of the boundary, his fielding prowess enables him to have an edge over his opposition.
In the modern-day cricketing era, fielding has rightfully become more and more emphasised by coaches and selectors around the world.
Could Cartwright find himself in the side for the Ashes? (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
Yet Cartwright’s start to the season with the bat was the stimulus and backbone for this article. Having recently formed a reputation for himself as a big-hitter and even somewhat of a white-ball specialist, which was highlighted in his recent 101 off 88 in the WACA First Grade, he has transferred this form into the red-ball format fluently.
In his Shield campaign so far, 64.29 per cent of his 308 runs have come from boundaries. In comparison to other top-scoring batsmen, in this Shield season alone, 59.77 per cent of Shaun Marsh’s 261 runs have been boundaries, Cameron Green is travelling at 57.45 per cent, and Khawaja is at 47.20 per cent.
Translating his white-ball form into the longer formats of the game has proved critical for Cartwright as he is currently the third top run-scorer for this year’s Shield.
With Cricket Australia announcing that a three-day Australian intra-squad match will be played just under a week before the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, as well as Khawaja, I feel that Hilton Cartwright definitely deserves a spot in the (at least) 22-man line-up.
Kim Hughes 1980
Roar Rookie
Cartwright certainly has the talent but has not done enough for selection. He would have to do well with the bat in the Shield for a good period before he can be considered. He sure has a batting technique that is better suited to the test game than is MM's. The incumbent No. 5, namely Wade, looks like being replaced by Khawaja rather than Head. I think that is best given Khawaja's seemingly cooler head and more experience.
Wes P
Roar Rookie
There's some merit in your suggestion. He's a fine cricketer. I like Head. (Rephrase, no bugger it!) So I hope he's not lost in the debate already. K Patterson too. Are these guys not in conversation too. Green was solid, not starring, but so young and should stay for now.
Gee
Roar Rookie
Some of those FC games you missed are from County cricket.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I haven’t read it, just heard it on the CA live stream, so assume it’s correct.
Paul
Roar Guru
again, these must be local rules for that comp. To be honest, I wasn't aware of that rule for Shield games. Thanks Jeff.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Apparently in the Shield a team is allowed to have one batsman use a runner in an innings, but that batsman must have retired hurt and can then only come back in at #11 if using the runner.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
No.
matth
Roar Guru
Err, no. Cartwright has been less than impressive for a number of seasons at shield level. This sentence from the article sums up the no case: "he scored his first Shield century since 2018 and bowled his maiden Shield four-wicket haul". So scores one century in nearly 4 years and has never previously taken a 4 four. Rush him in! I'm also not sure what relevance boundary percentage has. We know he can hit a long ball.
Steele
Roar Rookie
I just want to see form rewarded and Cartwright doesn’t have enough runs on the board to be honest. Uzzy has more test hundreds than he does first class ones, the cupboards bare, but that’s a dart board selection. Uzzy, Head, Maddinson, Renshaw each have considerable more cases I would have thought.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I like him, always have. Way from convinced about Harris
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't be picking Ussie up top. I'm a bit with Ian Chappell there.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
If we're struggling to fill that 5/6 spot I'd pick Marsh M before Cartwright, every day of the week. But then I'd pick Khawaja ahead of Harris so what do I know? George has already shown me the error of my ways
Clear as mud
Guest
I don’t think they were despised, at least not by me The selectors… yes
Paul
Roar Guru
absolutely. I reckon he'd be proud to get out to one like that. Would have cleaned up just about any right hander I reckon
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That's what I mean. You only have a collection of trolls laughing with you. Cricket followers cringe. Why do you do it? What do you gain...except a persona?
JGK
Roar Guru
Got out to a ripper of a ball too.
Paul
Roar Guru
I don't think Green's in any danger. He's done enough to play in Brisbane for sure.
JGK
Roar Guru
You're not wrong they were loved by opponents.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
But they didn't. It's just one of those cliches that leave a sour taste and it really does demean two of the all-time nice guys of cricket. Loved by team mates and opponents, despised by eastern staters.
JGK
Roar Guru
They would have if they didn't keep getting injured.