For better or worse the Australian selectors believe we need to select an allrounder in the test team to go with the four specialist bowlers.
And while we all agree that Mitch Marsh is a talented prospect who could develop into a test class player it's fair to say that if it weren't for the decision to selected an allrounder whenever possible that he probably wouldn't retain his spot in the time.
But what about other contenders for the same spot?
I've Basically decided to use the batting and bowling stats over the last three shield seasons for any player who might be considered an allrounder.
I've come up with a list of 13 players who have played over 10 shield matches in this time and added two more - James Faulkner because he's one of the main contenders for a test allrounder spot and James Pattinson because a few posters reckon (tongue in cheek) that he's a better batsman than Mitch Marsh.
Batting
and
Bowling
It's pretty safe to say that Maxwell, Stoinis, White and Henriques are better batsmen than Marsh. But neither of them have provided much with the ball plus Henriques has had really bad luck with injuries in recent years.
As for the standout bowlers, Marsh is one of the best and has a better batting record than the other good bowlers.
One could mount a pretty decent argument that James Hopes was the best allrounder in Australian first class cricket in recent years but he's now retired anyway.
Based on the shield records plus the Australia A game and a few tour match centuries I think it's fairly apparent why Marsh is selected in the team given the desire to select an allrounder in the test team.
The allrounder who are better batsmen than him do not provide the legitimate 5th bowling option that he does while the other top bowling allrounders provide less with the bat.
Whether or not we need a legitimate 5th bowling option in the team or if we'd be better off with an extra batsman and using part timers is another debate.
And while we all agree that Mitch Marsh is a talented prospect who could develop into a test class player it's fair to say that if it weren't for the decision to selected an allrounder whenever possible that he probably wouldn't retain his spot in the time.
But what about other contenders for the same spot?
I've Basically decided to use the batting and bowling stats over the last three shield seasons for any player who might be considered an allrounder.
I've come up with a list of 13 players who have played over 10 shield matches in this time and added two more - James Faulkner because he's one of the main contenders for a test allrounder spot and James Pattinson because a few posters reckon (tongue in cheek) that he's a better batsman than Mitch Marsh.
Batting
Code:
# Player State Mat Inn NO Runs HS Ave BF SRATE 100 50 0
1. GL Maxwell VIC 14 22 2 960 127 48.00 1223 78.50 2 6 1
2. MP Stoinis VIC 25 42 2 1768 170 44.20 3382 52.28 3 15 4
3. CL White VIC 18 32 2 1192 131 39.73 2024 58.89 2 8 2
4. MC Henriques NSW 13 18 1 622 145 36.59 1214 51.24 3 0 2
5. MR Marsh WA 11 18 3 545 96 36.33 1192 45.72 0 5 0
6. DT Christian VIC 25 42 9 1182 105* 35.82 2062 57.32 2 4 2
7. JP Faulkner TAS 9 17 1 503 63* 31.44 1071 46.97 0 3 0
8. JR Hopes QLD 27 42 3 1180 98 30.26 1552 76.03 0 9 2
9. EP Gulbis TAS 13 22 0 620 229 28.18 917 67.61 1 2 3
10.A Zampa SA 19 29 3 715 74 27.50 934 76.55 0 4 1
11.SNJ O'Keefe NSW 25 34 9 656 99 26.24 1468 44.69 0 2 0
12.AC Agar WA 26 35 1 858 106 25.24 1527 56.19 2 1 1
13.JL Pattinson VIC 7 8 3 121 31 24.20 272 44.49 0 0 1
14.JW Hastings VIC 15 20 2 404 50* 22.44 925 43.68 0 1 1
15.SA Abbott NSW 26 37 0 540 58 14.59 1110 48.65 0 1 10and
Bowling
Code:
# Player State Mat Overs Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SRATE 5i 10m
1. SNJ O'Keefe NSW 25 774.3 1907 86 6/70 11/159 22.17 2.46 54.03 3 1
2. MR Marsh WA 11 158.5 476 20 4/19 5/61 23.80 3.00 47.65 0 0
3. JR Hopes QLD 27 997.1 2295 96 6/40 8/84 23.91 2.30 62.32 4 0
4. JW Hastings VIC 15 450.0 1130 44 5/61 6/88 25.68 2.51 61.36 1 0
5. JL Pattinson VIC 7 187.0 590 21 4/96 4/54 28.10 3.16 53.43 0 0
6. SA Abbott NSW 26 661.2 2225 71 6/14 8/67 31.34 3.36 55.89 1 0
7. DT Christian VIC 25 346.0 1204 35 5/40 5/72 34.40 3.48 59.31 1 0
8. JP Faulkner TAS 8 246.0 670 19 3/61 5/119 35.26 2.72 77.68 0 0
9. EP Gulbis RAS 13 360.5 1134 32 4/7 5/42 35.44 3.14 67.66 0 0
10.GL Maxwell VIC 14 132.1 495 11 3/52 3/52 45.00 3.75 72.09 0 0
11.AC Agar WA 26 910.0 2824 61 5/74 10/214 46.30 3.10 89.51 3 1
12.CL White VIC 18 110.0 428 9 4/38 4/38 47.56 3.89 73.33 0 0
13.MC Henriques NSW 13 119.4 431 9 2/48 2/53 47.89 3.60 79.78 0 0
14.MP Stoinis VIC 25 238.1 817 15 3/27 4/48 54.47 3.43 95.27 0 0
15.A Zampa SA 19 579.5 2452 43 4/45 7/148 57.02 4.23 80.91 0 0It's pretty safe to say that Maxwell, Stoinis, White and Henriques are better batsmen than Marsh. But neither of them have provided much with the ball plus Henriques has had really bad luck with injuries in recent years.
As for the standout bowlers, Marsh is one of the best and has a better batting record than the other good bowlers.
One could mount a pretty decent argument that James Hopes was the best allrounder in Australian first class cricket in recent years but he's now retired anyway.
Based on the shield records plus the Australia A game and a few tour match centuries I think it's fairly apparent why Marsh is selected in the team given the desire to select an allrounder in the test team.
The allrounder who are better batsmen than him do not provide the legitimate 5th bowling option that he does while the other top bowling allrounders provide less with the bat.
Whether or not we need a legitimate 5th bowling option in the team or if we'd be better off with an extra batsman and using part timers is another debate.
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