Test opener position

[Daniel B]

Commentators today suggested Cameron Bancroft has one more chance (if he's lucky) to earn his place on the South Africa tour. But who to replace him?

Renshaw was dropped due to poor form at Shield level, and previous incumbent Joe Burns has not done much to push his case.

So who should it be?

 

[frankrizzo]

Hard to see them going back to renshaw that soon but maybe burns would be in the running, he really didn't have a very long run of bad form he was averaging 40 and had just come off a man of the match performance in nz when he had a couple of poor games in SL.

Outside of two very poor games in SL he averages 44 with three tons considering we are going to SA you would think those stats mean more than his two poor games in asia.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Burns made a 103 and 202* in his last 2 matches before hit-and-giggle came in. Can't say I watched him in either match but assuming he's actually worked on his technique and that's why he scored well (not just good pitch + below par bowlers) wouldn't be unhappy to see him back in.

 

[Scotland]

Burns just smacked 36 off 26 which won't hurt his chances.

50, 45*, 1, 18*, 36 in 5 BBL matches.

I generally loathe CA looking at the BBL at all when looking at the test side but it's great he has carried his form through two different formats.

 

[Yoda_]

Cricket Australia like giving the Marsh boys every opportunity to succeed. Surely they just throw Shaun at the top of the order again for a couple of failures?

 

[Scotland]

You know both Marshs are already in the test side, right?

Could recall Geoff I guess.

 

[Yoda_]

You know both Marshs are already in the test side, right?

Could recall Geoff I guess.

Rather than blooding yet another opener you give an opportunity to a middle order player by elevating Shaun to the top of the order.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Khawaja
Marsh at 3
Maxwell at 5

Burns isn't an opener no matter what everyone else thinks

Renshaw obviously isn't happening. Awful form and it would be the selectors admitting they got it wrong.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I was disappointed we didn't go with Renshaw in the first couple of tests.

Yeah he hadn't made runs in the Shield games so the thinking was that he might carry that poor form into the tests. Sure, he might have.

But what if he didn't? What if he's one of those players who can step up to the occasion? Who has a temperament and game that can stand up to the pressures of test cricket.

We'd already seen him make runs in that arena.

We went for the form Shield player to replace him - fine. But he was unproven at the level so a leap into the unknown.

If Renshaw had failed in the first test or two Bancroft was there making runs as a Plan B.

It was a preemptive break up!

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Usman to open and (presumably) Pete H into 5 with a bit of a shuffle suits me fine.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Burns made a 103 and 202* in his last 2 matches before hit-and-giggle came in. Can't say I watched him in either match but assuming he's actually worked on his technique and that's why he scored well (not just good pitch + below par bowlers) wouldn't be unhappy to see him back in.

Kerry O'Keefe was saying on radio today he still has the EXACT same problem Bancroft does (confronts the ball at an angle therefore has to play around his front pad, etc). Very frustrating. If there are batting coaches at national and state levels you really do wonder wtf they are doing these days.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Shouldn't it be for who replaces Warner? Oh wait, we're playing in RSA, not anywhere else. Carry on.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Khawaja
Marsh at 3
Maxwell at 5

Burns isn't an opener no matter what everyone else thinks

Renshaw obviously isn't happening. Awful form and it would be the selectors admitting they got it wrong.

God no.

Maxwell can go back to club cricket.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

This is a very difficult call, whoever it is out of Renshaw, Bancroft and Burns though I'm not expecting to average more than 20 in the 4 test series of South Africa.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

This is a very difficult call, whoever it is out of Renshaw, Bancroft and Burns though I'm not expecting to average more than 20 in the 4 test series of South Africa.

In that case would you consider shifting Usman to open and bring Handscomb back into the middle order?

 

[HODGEYROAD]

In that case would you consider shifting Usman to open and bring Handscomb back into the middle order?

Yeah I think that is worth considering for sure, though I'd like Smith to stay at no 4 and with that type of scenario he'd have to move up to 3.

 

[dogs105]

You know both Marshs are already in the test side, right?

Could recall Geoff I guess.

Or their Dad, Rod.

 

[eth-dog]

Get Dan Marsh back from retirement

 

[Ok Boomer]

Not surprised Bancroft has failed mostly. The guy barely scored a run in second division county cricket until his last match.

 

[Big Bryza]

I was disappointed we didn't go with Renshaw in the first couple of tests.

Yeah he hadn't made runs in the Shield games so the thinking was that he might carry that poor form into the tests. Sure, he might have.

But what if he didn't? What if he's one of those players who can step up to the occasion? Who has a temperament and game that can stand up to the pressures of test cricket.

We'd already seen him make runs in that arena.

We went for the form Shield player to replace him - fine. But he was unproven at the level so a leap into the unknown.

If Renshaw had failed in the first test or two Bancroft was there making runs as a Plan B.

It was a preemptive break up!

C'mon mate, time to let it go.

There was no way known Renshaw could be selected for an ashes series with the horrendous form he was in during the opening shield matches.

Banners deserved his chance, looked promising early but clearly has a fundamental flaw in his technique. If he's getting exposed on our roads by Anderson and Broad, then Steyn, Morkel n co would eat him alive.

Renshaw might bounce back but like Bancroft needs to go away and hone his craft for a while. There's no way he's getting selected to play in SA.

 

[Big Bryza]

In that case would you consider shifting Usman to open and bring Handscomb back into the middle order?

This would be the logical move. Smith to 3 and Maxy, Handscomb or someone else to the middle order. Smith may as well bat 3 coz he'll be coming in at 2 fa fcuk all anyway most innings.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Tough choices. Could put Marsh to open and bat Burns at 5 but I'm loathe to move Marsh after a good summer. Burns has had a great Shield season but do we want to open with him. So it's a case of f'ed if i know.

 

[big_e]

Commentators today suggested Cameron Bancroft has one more chance (if he's lucky) to earn his place on the South Africa tour. But who to replace him?

Renshaw was dropped due to poor form at Shield level, and previous incumbent Joe Burns has not done much to push his case.

So who should it be?

Burns hasn't done much? Third highest run scorer in the shield so far. More than 500 runs, two hundreds and two fifties, average 57. Not sure what else you think he needs to do?

 

[Hamingja]

Get Dan Marsh back from retirement

Tim Paine dislikes this.

 

[Scotland]

Or their Dad, Rod.

Get Dan Marsh back from retirement

Could always bring in Lorde...