Shaun Marsh emerges as biggest threat to Will Pucovski’s Test hopes
The summer of cricket is drawing closer and spots are still up for grabs in the Aussie batting order. Who will snatch the final places? Sam Landsberger looks at the how the weekend’s Shield cricket impacted things.
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Shaun Marsh has emerged as the biggest threat to Will Pucovski’s hopes of earning a Test debut next month.
Pucovski was in the field at the WACA Ground to witness Marsh’s 214, although elsewhere around the country batsmen desperate to crack Australia’s unsettled top six were sat on their backsides.
Marsh’s double ton for Western Australia against Victoria was his highest score and came in a year when he earned a new Cricket Australia contract. He remains close with Australian coach Justin Langer.
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At the Gabba, Test vice-captain Travis Head slashed at a wide Cameron Gannon delivery to be removed for 12 in South Australia’s game against Queensland.
Head — who was axed after the fourth Ashes Test — fell to Gannon for a duck on Friday and the man tipped to captain Australia one day suddenly finds himself in free fall on the cusp of the summer.
Gannon, 30, is proving something of a giant killer, having removed Steve Smith for a duck on his way to 5-94 against NSW last week.
While Head, 25, crawled to 51 off 184 balls against Victoria at Junction Oval last week, six other batsmen used that road of a wicket to pound centuries, led by Tom Cooper (271 not out) and Nic Maddinson (224).
Usman Khawaja, another batsman who lost his place during the Ashes, has started the Sheffield Shield season with scores of one, 24, two and zero. Sunday’s golden duck at the Gabba left Khawaja averaging 6.8 this season.
Both he and Head are now highly unlikely to win their places back when the Test summer starts against Pakistan at the Gabba on November 21.
Incumbents Marcus Harris and David Warner are favoured — but not certain — to open the batting, while Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are locked in at No. 3 and 4.
After two Ashes tons, Matthew Wade is on solid ground in the middle order, leaving either No. 5 or No. 6 up for grabs, depending on where Wade bats.
That spot has been vacated by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who broke his hand punching a wall last week, putting a hole in Australia’s top six.
With Head and Khawaja tumbling down the pecking order, that leaves Victorian 21-year-old Pucovski and Shaun Marsh near the front of the queue.
Underrated NSW opener Daniel Hughes recently pounded 112 not out and 152 against the white ball, wildcard Maddinson has already had a taste while Shane Warne is a fan of Josh Philippe, who made 65 for WA.
LOOK AT ME
* Individual scores after day three of the Sheffield Shield
Mitchell Starc (NSW) 5-40, 4-20
Marcus Harris (Vic) 69, 8
Will Pucovski (Vic) 64, 0 not out
Michael Neser (Qld) 5-56
Shaun Marsh (WA) 214
Marcus Stoinis (WA) 0-49 and 56
Jhye Richardson (WA) 3-58, 1-8
Riley Meredith (Tas) 5-98
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
David Warner (NSW) 1
Cameron Bancroft (WA) 10
Pete Handscomb (Vic) 12
Matthew Renshaw (Qld) 18, 24
Matthew Wade (Tas) 20, 40
Nic Maddinson (Vic) 37, 9no
Joe Burns (Qld) 39, 22
Usman Khawaja (Qld) 2, 0
Travis Head (SA) 0, 12
Alex Carey (SA) 14, 20
Chadd Sayers (SA) 1-33, 0-32
MORE CRICKET
Justin Langer recruits Mike Hussey to Australia’s Twenty20 coaching staff
Shaun Marsh brings up classy century against Victoria at the WACA
DON’T NEED TO WORRY
Tim Paine (Tas) 11
Nathan Lyon (NSW) 1-69, 1-28
Steve Smith (NSW) 106
Marnus Labuschagne (Qld)
1-19 and 32