Sheffield Shield TOTY 2020/21

[eth-dog]

This was a tough year to pick batting wise, bowling was pretty straightforward however. My main debate was to go with the 6 best bats, or the two best openers and then the 4 best bats after that. Given that opening is a rather specialised position I decided to go with the latter.

1. Cameron Bancroft (8 matches, 678 runs, average 48.42, 3 centuries, 3 fifties). Bancroft was solid at the top of the order for WA for the entire season and was clearly the second best opener for the season, so gets the gig here over Moises, who probably would have a claim for a spot here (with Marsh opening in all likelihood).
2. Marcus Harris (8 matches, 693 runs, average 63.18, 2 centuries, 1 fifty). Yes, he only had two tons, one of which was a double. However he still had more runs than any other opener, had a better average than any other opener, and as such he was the best opener for the season
3. Shaun Marsh (8 matches, 734 runs, average 56.46, 3 centuries, 3 fifties). Was up for debate between him, Bancroft and Moises but gets the gig after finishing 3rd on the runs tally this season, will probably go around again next season as well.
4. Marnus Labuschagne (7 matches, 629 runs, average 69.88, 3 centuries, 3 fifties). Well, he's been prolific this season for Queensland, and one of the best bats this season, will get a chance to win Queensland the final next week as well.
5. Cameron Green (8 matches, 922 runs, average 76.83, 3 centuries, 2 fifties). Leading run scorer, check. Would bowl overs in this side as the third seamer as well, has bowled tightly without getting wickets.
6. Travis Head (7 matches, 893 runs, average 68.69, 3 centuries, 3 fifties, c). Head has dominated with the bat this season, finishing second on the runs tally after the home and away season. He gets captaincy due to Marsh being a vice captain rather than the captain.
7. Josh Inglis (8 matches, 585 runs, average 73.12, 3 centuries, 2 fifties, +). Has been the best keeper/bat all season, taking his average before this season from 28 to 34 now and has put his name up as a possible heir to Tim Paine.
8. Jackson Bird (8 games, 35 wickets, average 22.58, ER 2.59, SR 51.2). Bird is the word, again. The evergreen Tasmanian seamer has moved to 15th on the all time wicket takers list now, with a few seasons left in him as well.
9. Mitchell Swepson (4 games, 29 wickets, average 22.17, ER 2.51, SR 53.1). Swepson would have won player of the season if not for a bizarre neck injury, a real break-out season for the young spinner who is heir apparent to the next bloke.
10. Nathan Lyon (8 games, 39 wickets, average 25, ER 2.62, SR 57.1). Leading wicket taker for the comp, Lyo's second half of the season was exceptional. Walks into this side with ease.
11. Scott Boland (8 games, 30 wickets, average 24, ER 2.71, SR 53). Boland was solid throughout the season, bowling tight lines and lengths and was clearly the second best seamer of this season behind Jackson Bird.

12th man: Moises Henriques

Without the blurb:

1. Cameron Bancroft
2. Marcus Harris
3. Shaun Marsh
4. Marnus Labuschagne
5. Cameron Green
6. Travis Head (c)
7. Josh Inglis (+)
8. Jackson Bird
9. Mitchell Swepson
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Scott Boland

 

[hotdish]

Abbott for 12th man

 

[eth-dog]

Abbott for 12th man

Squad yes, Moises was better though.

Holland maybe for the squad too.

 

[eth-dog]

Cricket.com.au's Shield team of the season

From Test stars to first-class veterans to generation next, these dozen players were in sparkling touch across the 2020-21 campaign

www.cricket.com.au

Louis Cameron's:

Pucovski
Bancroft
Labuschagne
Head
Green
Henriques
Inglis (+)
Bird
Lyon
Swepson
Boland

 

[corbies]

Cricket.com.au's Shield team of the season

From Test stars to first-class veterans to generation next, these dozen players were in sparkling touch across the 2020-21 campaign

www.cricket.com.au

Louis Cameron's:

Pucovski
Bancroft
Labuschagne
Head
Green
Inglis (+)
Bird
Lyon
Swepson
Boland

Cameron only picking 10? Don't mind it.

Haha nah you've just missed his pick of Henriques at 6.

 

[toml]

Cameron only picking 10? Don't mind it.

Haha nah you've just missed his pick of Henriques at 6.

Reminds me of the time Warnie "accidentally" left Paine out of his preferred squad for the 2019 Ashes

 

[eth-dog]

Cameron only picking 10? Don't mind it.

Haha nah you've just missed his pick of Henriques at 6.

Oh, um, woops.

Reminds me of the time Warnie "accidentally" left Paine out of his preferred squad for the 2019 Ashes

Huh? I'm one of the few people on here who rates Moises. Bizarre call.

 

[Westend]

Good post eth-dog lots of effort well done

agree with your team

 

[Westend]

Bird has jumped ahead of Starc IMO

Consistent and you know what you are going to get with Jackson and his batting is improving

chance for an Ashes test next season

 

[toml]

Oh, um, woops.

Huh? I'm one of the few people on here who rates Moises. Bizarre call.

Haha nah, wasn't having a dig at you, just remembered when Warne was shitting on Paine for weeks prior to the beginning of the Ashes and then just happened to post an Ashes XI that only had 10 players on it and no Paine.

 

[Hamingja]

Not particularly exciting from a future test prospects position. Obviously Lab & Green who are already in the test team. Inglis as a potential replacement for Paine and Swepson as a potential replacement for Lyon. Same old, same old as far as the batting goes though.

 

[Seedsfan]

Not particularly exciting from a future test prospects position. Obviously Lab & Green who are already in the test team. Inglis as a potential replacement for Paine and Swepson as a potential replacement for Lyon. Same old, same old as far as the batting goes though.

Pucovski made 400 plus from two hits

Sangha showed some signs

Renshaw two 100s at 5

Its not all doom and gloom

 

[The Passenger]

Pucovski made 400 plus from two hits

Sangha showed some signs

Renshaw two 100s at 5

Its not all doom and gloom

We are a long way from a finished product with our batting, but it's probably the best I've felt about it in close to a decade in terms of both the test team and some of our future prospects. Really since Clarke entered the twilight of his career c. 2013. It was some real slim pickings for a long while there, and goes without saying but thank * for Smith.

It's not going to be like the golden era, obviously, but that was a special time period that doesn't really serve well to compare to because you are almost always going to end up disappointed.

All said though we have little room for error in converting our top talents into test level batsmen. Hopefully Sangha can follow up in the final and re-launch his career because he is a top tier talent who's career has been stuck for a while. He, Pucovski, Green and Fraser-McGurk are the four big talents in the 18-23 age bracket that we are pinning a lot of hopes on.

 

[eth-dog]

We are a long way from a finished product with our batting, but it's probably the best I've felt about it in close to a decade in terms of both the test team and some of our future prospects. Really since Clarke entered the twilight of his career c. 2013. It was some real slim pickings for a long while there, and goes without saying but thank fu** for Smith.

It's not going to be like the golden era, obviously, but that was a special time period that doesn't really serve well to compare to because you are almost always going to end up disappointed.

All said though we have little room for error in converting our top talents into test level batsmen. Hopefully Sangha can follow up in the final and re-launch his career because he is a top tier talent who's career has been stuck for a while. He, Pucovski, Green and Fraser-McGurk are the four big talents in the 18-23 age bracket that we are pinning a lot of hopes on.

Bryce Street?

 

[The Passenger]

Bryce Street?

Can bat for sure. Wouldn't have him as a top level talent though. Solid grinder treading a similar path to Ed Cowan. If he could punch out a decent career at top of the order, that would be a big bonus for us.

In one of the main cricket board threads I picked Street as one who I think will play test cricket, but I'm not super confident it will be a long international career. That being said, determination and a putting a high price on your wicket can go a long way in test cricket (ala Steve Waugh), and he covers both those attributes and I'm always happy to be proven wrong on these matters if it gives Australia another solid performer at the top level. Plus an opener with a high price on their wicket would go a long way taking the pressure of our 3 and 4.

Australian cricket has typically been aggressive cricket, and for the most part this philosophy has served us well. I hope they don't just red line Street because of his excruciatingly slow scoring rate. Looking at Warner's age, Pucovski's injury concerns and the other top order batsmen around, I'm pretty confident Street will get a chance at some point to show if he's up to the job.

 

[Seedsfan]

We are a long way from a finished product with our batting, but it's probably the best I've felt about it in close to a decade in terms of both the test team and some of our future prospects. Really since Clarke entered the twilight of his career c. 2013. It was some real slim pickings for a long while there, and goes without saying but thank fu** for Smith.

It's not going to be like the golden era, obviously, but that was a special time period that doesn't really serve well to compare to because you are almost always going to end up disappointed.

All said though we have little room for error in converting our top talents into test level batsmen. Hopefully Sangha can follow up in the final and re-launch his career because he is a top tier talent who's career has been stuck for a while. He, Pucovski, Green and Fraser-McGurk are the four big talents in the 18-23 age bracket that we are pinning a lot of hopes on.

Head Renshaw and Sangha all need to fight it out for the spot at 5. JFM and then Davies are a long way back but good prospects

 

[Port85]

Pucovski made 400 plus from two hits

Sangha showed some signs

Renshaw two 100s at 5

Its not all doom and gloom

I guess it depends on what CAs long term goals are for the longer format. If we want to win World Test Championships we mainly need to be good enough to beat India at home (I reckon we'd have everyone else already covered at home) and consistently competitive away (which we have been since sandpaper) followed by being lucky with injuries in a one off WTC Final.

Being a long term number 1 is going to be really tough with India's depth.

 

[eth-dog]

Here's a stab at the one day TOTY:

David Warner
Sam Whiteman
Steve Smith
Peter Handscomb (c)
Travis Head
Josh Inglis (+)
Jonathan Merlo
Joel Paris
Patrick Cummins
Jackson Bird
Matthew Kuhnemann

 

[Seedsfan]

I guess it depends on what CAs long term goals are for the longer format. If we want to win World Test Championships we mainly need to be good enough to beat India at home (I reckon we'd have everyone else already covered at home) and consistently competitive away (which we have been since sandpaper) followed by being lucky with injuries in a one off WTC Final.

Being a long term number 1 is going to be really tough with India's depth.

Being a long term number one isn’t that hard at all. India’s depth is so overrated, there bowlers stood up and so did the back up bowlers but all the talk was their batting depth and how we couldn’t match that. Yet their batting was no better than ours

It doesn’t help that we just deliver up s**t lifeless roads to make sure the test goes 5 days. Every other nation delivers a pitch that puts them in the drivers seat