The 2022/23 season was a case of ‘so close, yet so far’ for Queensland, with the Bulls looking threatening in parts but ultimately missing out on a place in the Sheffield Shield final as they finished 3rd on the table.
The Bulls could consider themselves unlucky, especially after the controversial decision against New South Wales at Drummoyne Oval to call the match off for bad light despite Queensland being poised to chase down the remaining runs. Victoria’s rampaging form in the second half of the season also played a factor in seeing Wade Seccombe’s side missing out on a date with Western Australia in the final.
The Queenslanders may have only themselves to blame. Their slow starts with the bat became an issue once again, having become a trend for the side over recent seasons. The Bulls still managed to put runs on the board but have the likes of Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser to thank, with the pair often required to dig the team out of a hole while the sheer quality of their bowling attack frequently compensated for their deficiencies with the bat.
Michael Neser. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Their One-Day Cup performances certainly weren’t anything to marvel at either, as their issues with the bat seeped into their white-ball cricket as well.
With that being said, there is still a lot to like about this Queensland side as they look to become genuine contenders in 2023/24. Let’s break down their squad for the upcoming season.
Last Season In Numbers
Sheffield Shield
3rd on ladder (4 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)
Leading run scorers:
Jimmy Peirson (460 runs at 35.38)
Joe Burns (422 runs at 26.37)
Jack Clayton (389 runs at 29.92)
Leading wicket takers:
Michael Neser (40 wickets at 16.67)
Mark Steketee (38 wickets at 18.86)
Xavier Bartlett (23 wickets at 22.00)
One-Day Cup
4th on ladder (3 wins, 4 losses)
Leading run scorers:
Max Bryant (211 runs at 42.20)
Sam Truloff (206 runs at 41.20)
Matt Renshaw (194 runs at 64.66)
Leading wicket takers:
Michael Neser (11 wickets at 15.09)
Gurinder Sandhu (8 wickets at 25.37)
Mark Steketee (4 wickets at 30.75)
Queensland 2023-24 Squad
Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Jack Clayton, Blake Edwards, Liam Guthrie, Aryan Jain, Usman Khawaja*, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne*, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser*, Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Connor Sully, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth
Rookies: Will Prestwidge, Jack Sinfield, Hugo Burdon, Hugh Weibgen, Tom Whitney
*Cricket Australia contract
Ins and Outs
Ins: Aryan Jain, Ben McDermott, Tom Whitney, Hugh Weibgen
Outs: Sam Heazlett, Kane Richardson, Sam Truloff, Matthew Willans
Ben McDermott returning to his home state was arguably the biggest move of the off-season, with the keeper-batter departing Tasmania after 7 seasons with the Tigers. 26-year-old Aryan Jain earns a full contract after being thrust into the Bulls’ top order amidst their batting woes last season. The side also made a big play for South Australian spearhead Spencer Johnson late last season, however, the left-armer opted to re-sign with the Redbacks following his explosion onto the domestic scene in early 2023.
Sam Heazlett’s omission from the squad raised eyebrows, with Queensland opting not to renew the former ODI batter’s contract. After moving to Queensland last year Kane Richardson was also released from his contract, however the quick has indicated he will still be available for selection despite seemingly turning his attention to the global T20 circuit.
Top order batter Sam Truloff and towering quick Matthew Willans have also been delisted, although Queensland Cricket high performance general manager Bennett King has stated the quartet will still remain in contention for selection going forward.
Squad Breakdown
Batters: Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Jack Clayton, Aryan Jain, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Bryce Street, Hugo Burdon
Wicket-Keepers: Ben McDermott, Jimmy Peirson
All-Rounders: James Bazley, Michael Neser, Jack Wildermuth, Hugh Weibgen
Fast Bowlers: Xavier Bartlett, Blake Edwards, Liam Guthrie, Gurinder Sandhu, Mark Steketee, Connor Sully, Will Prestwidge, Tom Whitney
Spinners: Matt Kuhnemann, Mitch Swepson, Jack Sinfield
Analysis
Although Queensland would love to have several players featuring in the national setup in the next few months, the lack of players involved in the Australian white ball squads could prove to be a blessing in disguise early in the season. Despite initially being dropped for Australia’s ODI tour of South Africa, Marnus Labuschagne was recalled after Steve Smith was ruled out with injury, and while it remains to be seen if he will keep his place in the squad for the ODI World Cup in October, Queensland will be anticipating his absence in the early parts of the domestic season.
As the Bulls look to get their batting department firing, there will be a heavy focus on their top order early on. Despite Joe Burns’ solid record in Shield cricket over the last decade, the re-emergence of Matt Renshaw as an opener in red-ball cricket may see him ousted from the lineup, as incumbent opener Bryce Street appears set to take his place at the top of the order alongside Renshaw.
Usman Khawaja will likely slot in at first drop in Shield cricket for team balance despite being Australia’s incumbent opener in Test cricket, particularly as Renshaw looks to re-establish himself as an opening bat. Ben McDermott should slot nicely into the lineup upon his return to his home state, and will be hoping to recapture his best form after enduring a frustrating final season with Tasmania.
Matthew Renshaw. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
24-year-old Jack Clayton overcame a lean patch with the bat early last season to finish with 389 runs in Shield cricket and looks set to be a mainstay in the Bulls’ middle order for years to come, while Max Bryant’s strong form in Premier Cricket saw him thrust into the Shield side, harnessing his aggressive approach to provide some imposing solidarity to the middle order and cement his spot in both the Bulls’ Shield and One-Day Cup sides after several years of unfulfilled promise.
The Bulls may look to shake things up in the One Day Cup, with the uncontracted Josh Brown certainly in contention for a spot at the top of the order after bursting onto the domestic scene in the BBL for the Brisbane Heat last season, with the powerful opener also making his List A debut last season.
McDermott will have a big role to play at the top of the order as he looks to get back on the national selectors’ radar as will Matt Renshaw, who has become one of Queensland’s most important white ball players in recent years.
Khawaja walks straight into the lineup if available, but may leave opportunities to others and focus on red ball cricket, while delisted pair Sam Heazlett and Sam Truloff will still be on the selectors’ radar in white ball cricket after putting up decent numbers in the competition last season.
Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Jimmy Peirson reaffirmed his position as one of the best glovemen in Australia last season with some standout performances with the gloves and in the middle order, resulting in a call-up to Australia’s Ashes squad as a replacement for backup-keeper Josh Inglis.
Another highlight for the Bulls last season was Michael Neser, who was back to his absolute best with both bat and ball, taking 40 wickets while averaging 35.7 with the bat. Fellow all-rounder Jack Wildermuth may be starting to feel the pressure, finding himself out of the side for the majority of last season. Now 29, Wildermuth faces the tough task of breaking back into the Bulls lineup with the mostly settled middle order and robust bowling stocks likely to be tough to crack.
Fast bowler Mark Steketee was unsurprisingly back at the top end of the wicket taking charts in the Shield last season, forming a formidable new ball partnership with Neser, with the pair taking a combined 78 wickets, well supported by 24-year-old Xavier Bartlett and the well-travelled Gurinder Sandhu, who took 23 and 22 Shield wickets respectively. The Bulls will also be confident in their fast-bowling depth with the likes of Blake Edwards, Liam Guthrie, James Bazley and Connor Sully providing solid cover, and young guns Will Prestwidge and Tom Whitney waiting in the wings.
The spin dynamic for Queensland is an intriguing one, with Mitch Swepson taking just 12 wickets across 6 Shield matches last season after featuring in just two Shield games the season prior, lacking the accuracy and consistency he possessed in his career-best 2020/21 season.
Matt Kuhnemann. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
It seems Matt Kuhnemann may now be the preferred option in red ball cricket after making his Test debut in India in February as a replacement for Swepson, who left to attend the birth of his first child. The left arm tweaker took an incredible 5/16 in his second Test in Indore. The pair’s absence at the back end of the season opened the door for 20-year-old off-spinner Jack Sinfield, who made a terrific start to his first-class career taking 7 wickets across 5 innings. He will continue to provide a valuable backup option going forward.
Predicted Sheffield Shield XI
Bryce Street
Matt Renshaw
Usman Khawaja (c)
Ben McDermott
Jack Clayton
Max Bryant
Jimmy Peirson (wk)
Michael Neser
Xavier Bartlett
Mark Steketee
Matt Kuhnemann
Predicted One-Day Cup XI
Ben McDermott
Josh Brown
Jack Clayton
Matt Renshaw
Max Bryant
Jimmy Peirson (c) (wk)
Michael Neser
Gurinder Sandhu
Mark Steketee
Mitch Swepson
Blake Edwards
*Marnus Labuschagne excluded due potential national team commitments.
How They’ll Go
If the top order can begin to fire on a consistent basis, look out. The Bulls have everything they need to go one better this season but will need to overcome their inconsistencies to take their game to the next level. Perhaps not at Western Australia’s level yet, but will go close in both competitions.
Shield Prediction: 3rd
One-Day Cup Prediction: 2nd
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
With Rajasthan needing 25 off 17, both batsmen ended up at the same end but the bowler dropped the throw from his teammate -…
A six-laden, 27-ball 84 from Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his outrageous debut IPL!
Johnny Bairstow has hit his way back into form with a 45-ball century as he steered his side to a record-breaking win, easily chasing…
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
