This was published 7 months ago
The Test hopefuls creating headaches ahead of New Zealand tour
By Malcolm Conn
As the Australian selectors rejig the one-day squad, questions are being asked about the make-up of the Test side for the tour of New Zealand beginning later this month.
Selectors have brought in Ben McDermott for the injured Matt Short for the third and final match one-day match against the West Indies in Canberra on Tuesday. Short suffered a mild hamstring strain during Australia’s series-clinching victory in Sydney on Sunday night.
McDermott was withdrawn from Queensland’s current Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania after scoring a career-high 146 not out on Saturday.
By contrast, a double failure from reserve batsman Matt Renshaw in the same match dropped his Shield average for the season to below 27 – a factor that will test the faith of the selectors when they choose what is likely to be a 14-man squad for the two-Test tour of New Zealand in the coming days.
Renshaw was chosen as the extra batsman for the Tests against the West Indies after David Warner retired following the Pakistan series. Cameron Bancroft has been the leading Shield run-scorer for the past 18 months.
Lance Morris, Australia’s fastest bowler when he gets it right, is likely to be the 14th and final player chosen, should the selectors decide to take that many. Morris has been around the squad for more than a year and is seen as the best fit to replace Mitchell Starc if required.
Matthew Renshaw failed twice in Queensland’s latest Sheffield Shield match.Credit: Getty
Recovering from hot spots in his back, Morris played just three of Western Australia’s six pre-Christmas Shield matches. Following the recent red-ball break for the Big Bash, Morris’ participation in the one-day series against the West Indies forced him to miss the first round of 2024 Shield matches.
Morris has not been picked in Australia’s Twenty20 squad for three matches against the West Indies which follow this one-day series. If he missed the three T20 matches in New Zealand before the Tests later this month, Morris would have a chance to play in the February 16-19 Shield round.
He is keen to play a red-ball match following his inauspicious international debut in last Friday’s opening one-day match against the West Indies in Melbourne. Morris claimed 0-59 from his 10 overs, bowling too short in a match Australia won by eight wickets. Fellow debutant Xavier Bartlett claimed 4-17 from nine overs with his lively outswingers. Both were rested for the second match in Sydney but are expected to return for Tuesday’s third and final match.
“The one word that comes to mind is just a bit of relief,” Morris said of his debut for Australia. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be around the squad for probably 12 to 18 months now, and it’s been an amazing experience.
Lance Morris made his international debut for Australia last Friday.Credit: Getty Images
“But, obviously, watching the guys go about their business gets you pretty excited to walk out there yourself and have a crack at it. So, to finally get the nod was awesome.
“I was a little bit disappointed with how I went. Obviously, in an ideal world, you probably imagine yourself playing like Xavier Bartlett. He had an amazing game. It was a privilege to watch him go about his business.
“On a personal note, I wasn’t at my best the other day, but I don’t think you can expect the world of yourself in your first game.
“I’m super excited to be around the Aussie group. I’ll be keen to get back to the West Australian set-up after this tournament, but I think I’m in the right place at the moment. It’s exciting times.”
In some heartening news for the selectors, Australia’s fourth pace bowler, Scott Boland, appears to have shaken off a knee problem that prevented him from bowling on Sunday for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.
Should Boland not be able to make the New Zealand tour, Michael Neser is an obvious replacement option.
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