The Ashes 2015: Shaun Marsh makes claim for opener’s slot at Chris Rogers’ expense with tour match ton

SHAUN Marsh makes a case to retain his place at the top of the Australian order at Chris Rogers’ expense, posting a fine century in a tour match against Kent.

CANTERBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 25: Australia's Shaun Marsh celebrates his fifty during day one of the tour match between Kent and Austrlia at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on June 25, 2015 in Canterbury, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

SHAUN Marsh has put forward an emphatic case to retain his place at the top of the Australian order at Chris Rogers’ expense, after posting a brilliant century in the tour-opening hit-out against Kent.

Inadvertently, Rogers may have played a part in driving a nail into his own coffin ahead of the first Ashes Test by successfully tutoring Marsh on how to open in English conditions.

STREAKER INVADES FIELD ... AND PITCHES TENT AT TOUR MATCH

PRESSURE STARTING TO MOUNT ON JOHNSON

COOK AVOIDING AUSSIES AT ALL COSTS

Rogers himself made a strong claim for reclaiming the position he lost to Marsh in the West Indies due to concussion, with a classy 84 in Australia’s 3-348 day one offering against Kent.

But after combining with Marsh for 181 for the first wicket, Rogers was forced to watch from the pavilion as the opposition he faces for a fairy tale Ashes farewell went on with the job to finish with 114 in his maiden first-class outing on English soil.

Shaun Marsh hit a ton on his maiden first-class outing in England.

Scoring runs in the UK is the specialist skill that saw Rogers recalled to Test cricket aged 35 for the 2013 Ashes tour, and it’s what he hopes will be his ticket to a final hurrah in the baggy green starting on July 8 in Cardiff.

But Marsh looked more than comfortable and revealed after his impressive ton featuring 14 boundaries that his performance was boosted by advice from Rogers on how to handle the swinging ball batting early doors in England.

If selectors feel they’ve now seen enough to convince them Marsh can handle the nuances and pressure of opening in an Ashes, it could ironically spell the end of the road for his English teacher Rogers.

“He’s been fantastic. Not just today but leading up to this game,” said Marsh of Rogers at the end of play.

“He’s been really helpful and was really helpful out in the middle today.

“We worked well, got each other through and I thought he batted well.

“It was nice to get a hundred. It was hard work early … the ball was swinging around and it was a pretty slow wicket.

“I haven’t thought too much about selections … we’ll just wait and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

Chris Rogers’ classy 84 was decent but was overshadowed by Marsh’s knock.

Rogers’ will hope his experience will still get him the nod in Cardiff.

However, he is far from a certain starter.

There was a suggestion Rogers may have lost his spot to Marsh in the West Indies, even before concussion ultimately ruled him out.

Selectors try to reward hundreds, and just like he opened the Windies tour with a century, Marsh has again managed to put runs on the board at exactly the right time.

Rogers was lucky not to be out for 21 when he was dropped in the slips, and he gave another caught and bowled chance after he’d passed 50.

Kent fast bowler Matt Hunn took all three Australian wickets and had no hesitation in voting Marsh the superior performer to Rogers.

“I reckon Marsh just because he showed a bit more intent,” said Hunn.

“You knew he was coming at you, so if anything was slightly off you knew it was

going to the boundary.”

In-form run-machine Steve Smith is unbeaten on 71, while captain Michael Clarke spent some quality time in the middle with a well-made 56.

Shane Watson is 8 not out and is in need of runs to lock up the all-rounder’s spot ahead of Mitchell Marsh.

Originally published as The Ashes 2015: Shaun Marsh makes claim for opener’s slot at Chris Rogers’ expense with tour match ton