Australia’s crucial No.6 spot to be decided on postage stamp at Hurstville Oval

AUSTRALIA’S Ashes batting battle is taking place on a schoolboy-sized ground as Hilton Cartwright and Co go head-to-head at Hurstville Oval in front of selector Mark Waugh.

Hilton Cartwright tries to evade a bouncer.

MARK Waugh shapes as an important sounding board in the defining call over who should be Australia’s new Test No.6, with the cavalcade of batting candidates led by Hilton Cartwright finding themselves just a 45 metre lob-wedge away from demanding Ashes selection.

The irony of Australia’s big league Ashes shootout is that one of the highest-stakes Sheffield Shield matches in years is taking place on a schoolboy-sized ground, with NSW taking on Western Australia at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval.

Nine members of the Blues XI have played Test cricket within the past 14 months, while Western Australia also boasts a stack of talent led by Cartwright, who are all knocking down the door for Ashes selection.

Hilton Cartwright tries to evade a bouncer.

Josh Hazlewood makes his return from a side strain and has declared he is close to 100 per cent fit as he combines with NSW Test cartel mates Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc for the first time ever in a first-class game.

Waugh, who started his outstanding Test career as a No.6 way back in 1991, and is an expert mind on batting, will be the selector on duty at Hurstville, and will report back to the Chairman and key decision-maker Trevor Hohns.

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Cricket Australia changed its selection panel structure earlier this year to give Waugh final accountability on all Twenty20 international teams. However, his move away from a seat on the official ‘Test panel’ (which comprises of Hohns, Darren Lehmann and Greg Chappell) doesn’t mean Waugh isn’t still involved in consultancy for Test sides and he remains a trusted voice for Hohns.

Australia will announce its first Test squad the day after the third Sheffield Shield clash, a match that will be taken into full account, but there is little doubt this second round clash between NSW and WA forms the centrepiece for the entire selection process with so many big stars in action.

Even the scoreboard is small at Hurstville.

The extraordinary anomaly for such a blockbuster fixture is that the batsmen can essentially tee off on one of the smallest fields in the country, with one boundary at Hurstville estimated to be just 45 metres from the bat.

Cartwright is considered the frontrunner for No.6 because he made a very assured 61 one last week, he is the incumbent from the last Test and he averages 50 in first-class cricket.

If he can muster a decent score against NSW’s all-Australian bowling attack of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, Cartwright will be hard to knock off.

However, the fact a meek tap just past the umpire is enough to score four at Hurstville brings the likes of Moises Henriques, Kurtis Patterson and Daniel Hughes firmly into contention to put their name up in lights if they can bag big hundreds.

Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is hopeful there will be something there for the country’s superstar attack playing its maiden red ball match together after years of injury setbacks.

“I think there will be enough there. Especially that first day and hopefully into day two,” said Hazlewood.

“If he does leave a little bit of grass on the wicket to sort of counteract the small boundaries (what would be good, but I think there’s always enough there throughout the day.

“Hopefully there’s a bit of pace in it as well.

“I guess sometimes the small boundaries come into play a little bit with the spinners, taking a few risks – but it can go vice versa as well (going hard can) pick up a few wickets. We’ll see how it goes.”

Josh Hazlewood returns for NSW. Picture: Phil Hillyard

WA coach Justin Langer said Cartwright is the deserved No.6 favourite.

“Kurtis Patterson averages 41, and the rest of them average under 40,” Langer said.

“So for me, Hilton Cartwright (averaging 50) has to be the frontrunner to bat at No.6 for Australia.”

Hazlewood said he wasn’t concerned about injury problems leading into the first Test.

“It feels really good. It’s just gotten better every session from when I started bowling probably four or five weeks ago,” he said.

“It takes a little bit to warm up but it feels really good now. It’s nice and strong, so hopefully it stays that way.”

Originally published as Australia’s crucial No.6 spot to be decided on postage stamp at Hurstville Oval