Marcus Stoinis bounces back from tough ODI tour of England with some impressive hitting in JLT Cup
BIG-HITTING Marcus Stoinis blasted his best score in months on Wednesday and knows he has to keep making big runs to maintain his place in a ‘cut throat’ Australian environment.
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BIG-HITTING Marcus Stoinis blasted his best score in months on Wednesday and knows he has to keep making big runs to maintain his place in a “cut throat” Australian environment.
Stoinis, who shot to prominence with an epic 146 not out for Australia in Auckland last year, was at his bludgeoning best at the Junction Oval smashing 47 off just 26 balls for Western Australia in a big one-day win over Victoria.
He even smashed quick bowler Wes Agar out of the Junction Oval with one of his four sixes taking up the option to bat “more like a butcher than a surgeon”.
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It was the 29-year-old’s first game for the home summer after eight months of constant cricket, including a fruitless one-day tour of England with the Aussie team.
He made just 76 runs in five innings against the Poms as the Aussies were thrashed 5-0.
Stoinis, who has 18 ODIs to his credit, knows that runs in the domestic one-day competition are crucial because no Australian spots are guaranteed and a place in next year’s World Cup squad is on the line.
“There are going to be a lot of eyes on this from selectors, it’s the only white ball cricket until the Big Bash. Even then it’s hard to pick a one-day team from a Big Bash team,” he said after his innings.
“There are a lot of good players around, you always have to get runs, it’s so cut throat. But you have to keep backing yourself, be comfortable, be confident, which is not easy.
“I definitely have doubts all the time, and the best players are good at shutting them out.
“It is important but for me I have been playing so much cricket you just prepare, you play, it’s hard to think too far ahead.”
Stoinis said he reflected a “bloodylot” both personally and with teammates after the whitewash in England, but walked away using it as a learning tool for when he, hopefully, goes back there for next year’s World Cup.
“It’s probably a case of just how tough international cricket is,” he said.
“I remember going there in great spirits, ready to go, made 100 in the warm up game, felt good in the first game, the second game, the third game, but didn’t get the runs.
“Then before I know it you finish the series and you haven’t done what you wanted to do. We did reflect on it, we reflected on it a bloody lot. And you reflect and you learn.
“But for me personally , good performances come when I am having fun, and I’m clear and keep it really simple. I probably over complicated it a bit over there.”
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Originally published as Marcus Stoinis bounces back from tough ODI tour of England with some impressive hitting in JLT Cup
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