Mitchell Marsh

[Scotland]

Good post. I suspect everyone wants the selectors to just leave him alone to get a proper run in first class cricket for at least a year. Let him go to Surrey too and leave him with them for the entire English summer. Will do him the world of good.

Right now he's batting at 4 for WA and has 300 odd runs in 5 Shield matches. I just want to see him play a full Shield season, score 500+ runs and contribute with the ball without breaking down injured.

For all the 'he's a Marsh' hyperbole it's ridiculous that we're considering playing him in a test as an all rounder when he's bowled 22 overs all season. Didn't bowl in the JLT Cup at all and only just started bowling in the Shield.

 

[Scotland]

Ponting spat the dummy about the WACA pitch after the 2012 test against the Proteas when we got our asses handed to us.

All the test pitches in Australia are pretty boring and have been for years.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

I'd be more up in arms about his to the squad if we weren't up 2-0 in the series, but from this position I don't even think the prospect of Mitch Marsh batting at 6 can save the poms now.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Can't believe I'm saying this but in terms of horses for courses M Marsh makes perfect sense for the waca test. He's in ripping form with the bat, can bowl a few overs at 140+ to help out the quicks and has valuable local knowledge.
I'll be staggered if he misses out

 

[workhorse]

You just knew given how long it took them to drop him in the first place that as soon as Mitch did something of note in First-Class cricket that he'd be thrust back into the national side. We should've all seen it coming after Mark Waugh proclaimed on Triple M at the Gabba that the selectors preferred an all-rounder that could bowl "seam up". Marsh has only just returned to bowling from a shoulder reco, as well. Not like he'll be steaming in to bowl big spells, so why do we need a seam-up 'all-rounder', anyway?

 

[HBF]

Can't believe I'm saying this but in terms of horses for courses M Marsh makes perfect sense for the waca test. He's in ripping form with the bat, can bowl a few overs at 140+ to help out the quicks and has valuable local knowledge.
I'll be staggered if he misses out

So he would come in and bat, his brother goes to 5 and Handscomb misses out.
I'd much prefer us to go in with no changes. This XI is 100% at the moment.

 

[Roadto2018]

Understand the selection and prefer him to Maxwell, but gee he'd want to have tightened up his technique since the last time we saw him, had a genuine ineptitude to hitting the ball no matter which side of the wicket, mainly because of awkward feet movement and a terrible angle to bring the bat down at. Would very strongly consider batting Paine at 6 and M Marsh at 7, Paine a far superior technical player and if we do find ourselves in trouble, I'd much rather him coming to the crease than M Marsh, which then keeps Marsh's firepower in the sheds for after we've potentially gotten ourselves out of trouble. Definitely the best bowler of all the seam up all rounders however so as I said, understand the selection.

 

[Roadto2018]

So he would come in and bat, his brother goes to 5 and Handscomb misses out.
I'd much prefer us to go in with no changes. This XI is 100% at the moment.

Normally I would advocate for Handscomb to get another go, but he just can't play this test, has batting issues up to his ears and just think at this stage it'd be like giving them a free wicket in the middle order.

 

[Stefan_Carey]

A nation can dream...

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Normally I would advocate for Handscomb to get another go, but he just can't play this test, has batting issues up to his ears and just think at this stage it'd be like giving them a free wicket in the middle order.

Yet you recon a bloke averaging 21 in Marsh would do better?

 

[Hangover Noir]

Well its not based on his actual output as a cricketer, so what else? 21 tests, 35 innings as a top six bat and an average of 21.74 and a first class average of 30.07. In what universe is that worthy of the amount of chances this bloke has been given?

Do the AFL All- Australian selectors take into account someone’s career disposal average, or only their most recent (that seasons) form?

Making arguments based on Mitch’s career average is ridiculous. Players get dropped on their most recent form, and players get picked on their most recent form.

As has been mentioned, of the potential bats that can reliably bowl 8-12 overs in an innings of fast-medium, MM’s recent (2017/18) season form is the best.

Handscomb’s most recent exposed form is the issue, not his Test career average.

 

[HBF]

Normally I would advocate for Handscomb to get another go, but he just can't play this test, has batting issues up to his ears and just think at this stage it'd be like giving them a free wicket in the middle order.

You could apply the same logic to Marsh as well.
If anyone should come in it would be Maxwell.

 

[G Mus]

You could apply the same logic to Marsh as well.
If anyone should come in it would be Maxwell.

Maxwell bowling seam now is he?

 

[Woody15]

Will Marsh be dropped for Maxwell/Handscomb for the 4th test? Surely its just for the WACA assuming he is playing.

 

[RookiePick]

Will Marsh be dropped for Maxwell/Handscomb for the 4th test? Surely its just for the WACA assuming he is playing.

Up to Marsh. If he gets runs and doesn't break he will hold his spot.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Will Marsh be dropped for Maxwell/Handscomb for the 4th test? Surely its just for the WACA assuming he is playing.

lol have you met our selectors. They love an allrounder, even s**t ones.
They'll bring him in under the guise of horses for courses and then be loathed to drop him.

How depressing.

 

[frankrizzo]

Can't believe I'm saying this but in terms of horses for courses M Marsh makes perfect sense for the waca test. He's in ripping form with the bat, can bowl a few overs at 140+ to help out the quicks and has valuable local knowledge.
I'll be staggered if he misses out

You really think he would be picked on the flat deck the left out on other tracks?

The selectors have money in the bank after the pre series questionable calls worked out and they are spending it all on their pet project they aren't going to pick him and then replace him with a batsmen after Perth.

 

[bungwahl]

lol have you met our selectors. They love an allrounder, even s**t ones.
They'll bring him in under the guise of horses for courses and then be loathed to drop him.

How depressing.

Our biggest issue in terms of team balance is that none of our bats can bowl. Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb and S Marsh.. Smith is the closest but he very rarely gives himself an over.

In the past we've had at least one batsman who could come on and sneak through 5-6 overs easily - M Waugh, S Waugh, Border, Lehmann, Blewett, Clarke, etc. England now have Root & Ali who can perform that role.

We only pick 4 bowlers which is fine if we roll the opposition, but if we get caught on a flat deck we're in trouble. From that sense you can understand the selectors desire for an all rounder - it's just that we don't really have any test quality options.

Personally I think Mitch Marsh could be a very handy player for Aus, but he's suffered from being picked too early and being too inconsistent. If he was batting #7 and bowling 10-15 overs an innings we'd be laughing.

 

[Lebbo73]

In his last two games at the WACA Marsh has hit 141 and 95...

Against Neville Nobodies

 

[Lebbo73]

So after seeing the second innings where we again collapsed into a heap, the selectors have said to themselves "you know what, we should make it just that little bit more brittle and bring in a bowling all rounder."

Am I missing something?

If the pitch is an absolute road like usual, you bat forever and go to Melbourne 2 nil up. A boring draw will force Australian Cricket to take action on docile pitches. I would love to see two sides only bat once as Day 5 comes to an end. Imagine the uproar!

 

[workhorse]

Our biggest issue in terms of team balance is that none of our bats can bowl. Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb and S Marsh.. Smith is the closest but he very rarely gives himself an over.

In the past we've had at least one batsman who could come on and sneak through 5-6 overs easily - M Waugh, S Waugh, Border, Lehmann, Blewett, Clarke, etc. England now have Root & Ali who can perform that role.

We only pick 4 bowlers which is fine if we roll the opposition, but if we get caught on a flat deck we're in trouble. From that sense you can understand the selectors desire for an all rounder - it's just that we don't really have any test quality options.

Personally I think Mitch Marsh could be a very handy player for Aus, but he's suffered from being picked too early and being too inconsistent. If he was batting #7 and bowling 10-15 overs an innings we'd be laughing.

For the purpose of the argument Maxwell fits that role of the relief bowler if need be - we are also aided by Lyon being in great form meaning he should be able to hold down one end if required - and Maxwell's recent SS form is better than Marsh and has also played 4 tests this year averaging high 30's with the stick including a great hundred in India.

I agree about Marsh, if he can become a consistently good #6 bat he'll be perfect, but to me he's been given more than enough opportunity and didn't take it, and hasn't done enough to earn his spot back, over other players.

 

[Run n Spread]

The selectors are addicts. Their drug of choice is Marsh. They will not get better until they admit they have a problem.

 

[bungwahl]

For the purpose of the argument Maxwell fits that role of the relief bowler if need be - we are also aided by Lyon being in great form meaning he should be able to hold down one end if required - and Maxwell's recent SS form is better than Marsh and has also played 4 tests this year averaging high 30's with the stick including a great hundred in India.

I agree about Marsh, if he can become a consistently good #6 bat he'll be perfect, but to me he's been given more than enough opportunity and didn't take it, and hasn't done enough to earn his spot back, over other players.

Historically the argument would be that Maxwell is not within the top 6 bats in the country so he's not good enough to bat #6, therefore he ends up in the all-rounder category where they trot out the "horses for courses" line. Obviously his recent Shield form would suggest he's now a lot closer to being able to hold his own as a batsman. If Maxwell could continue this form and become a genuine Test #6 bat then that would relieve a lot of pressure around needing a 5th bowling option!

Agree that Marsh really needed to do more to earn his spot back. In terms of chances, he was picked too early and they've tried to back him but it just hasn't quite worked out. Part of that is that he doesn't bowl enough to provide a valuable contribution, so it all comes down to his batting which has been sub par for a #6. I think Maxwell would definitely have got the nod if it was the MCG or SCG next up - still might for those games.

Also agree with Lyon being in great form at the moment, though he's also been aided by decks that have been responsive to spin and bounce. You'd think Melbourne & Sydney would also be favourable decks. Perth is a bit of a mystery until we see what it looks like.

 

[BRWB]

For everyone who missed the Shaun Marsh train, now is your chance to get on board the Mitch train.

All aboard the Martian train, toot toot

 

[frankrizzo]

Smith can bowl he is just too stubborn to use himself much even when we are way ahead in a match, root bowls himself for 2 or 3 when the bowlers need a rest, clarke bowled himself so why can't a bloke who actually started as a leg spinner bowl 3-4 overs when we have runs to play with?