Teenagers take to Sheffield Shield’s off-Broadway stage

Australian cricket’s version of off-Broadway is the Sheffield Shield, where four teenagers are making their debuts this week.

Former Test spinner Peter McIntyre, left, presents debutant Lloyd Pope with his first South Australian cap at Adelaide Oval yesterday

A trek has been made recently to an off-Broadway production in New York City. Individuals of assorted capabilities have sung and danced their hearts out in the hope of earning promotions to more prestigious arenas if they show enough of the old razzle-dazzle. One particularly desperate cast at the Soho Playhouse has performed in their dinky little half-empty theatre on Vandam Street while simultaneously trying to get the hell out of there.

Australian cricket’s version of off-Broadway is the Sheffield Shield, where four teenagers are making their debuts this week. (Steve Smith and Dave Warner are off-off Broadway, in grade cricket). The headline act is South Australia’s red-haired, big-turning, 18-year-old leg spinner, Lloyd Pope. Al Pacino has taken one year to go from off-Broadway to a bigger stage; Pope will make a similarly rapid rise if he’s as good as we think he is. He may look more like Sideshow Bob than Robert Holland but he’s ultra-competitive and gifted. His wrong ’un spins further than his standard leg break, which is the stuff of dreams.

He gives lip to his senior teammates in the nets, which is to be applauded. He’s ripped through England in last year’s Under 19 World Cup with an eight-wicket haul, and yesterday he’s received his SA cap from respected toiler Peter McIntyre before rolling his arm over against NSW. Redheads are mad. So are leg-spinners. A red-haired leg-spinner? He’s going to be worth a look.

Heavy rain wrecks the morning session. The Redbacks win the toss and elect to bowl. An overcast, rain-lashed Adelaide Oval with a wet outfield and greasy ball is hardly the ideal place for an adolescent wrist-spinner to introduce himself. It’s the 31st over the of day when he hands the umpire his baggy red. His first delivery is to Moises Henriques. It’s on a good length. Henriques sweeps it hard past deep backward square leg for four. Welcome to first-class cricket, young fella. He finishes with 0-26 from six overs as the visitors reach 3-124 at stumps.

NSW has given maiden caps to the 18-year-old all-rounder Jack Edwards and the 19-year-old batsman Jason Sangha, as well as 25-year-old allrounder Daniel Sams. Another redhead, Queensland’s 19-year-old allrounder Nathan McSweeney, is on debut against Tasmania at the Gabba.

Young fellows like these make off-Broadway cricket worth the price of admission, which ain’t much. Give the young blokes a crack. No one wants to see over-the-hill 35-year-olds making patient 50s. The Australian side’s top order has been a dog’s breakfast in the first Test against Pakistan and assuming not all of them have plundered hundreds at Abu Dhabi, places are going to be up for grabs this summer. A bolter for the Test XI in the post Darren Lehmann-era? His son, Jake, the rookie South Australia captain whose 1970s-style moustache gives him the appearance of a cross between his old man and the late David Hookes.

Tasmania’s Alex Doolan makes 115 in a stumps total of 5-257 in Brisbane. In Perth, Western Australia paceman Cameron Green has run onto the WACA Ground for his second Shield game at the age of 19, becoming the fifth teenager to get a start this week. He’s played Shield before, but only once, taking a five-for. WA is rolled for 208 but Marcus Stoinis has belted 80 in a reminder of his all-round prowess.

Five rounds of the Shield will be held before the first Test against India on December 6. Matthew Renshaw, Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser are returning home after being omitted from the second Test so they can prepare for next week’s round of Shield matches. In a bizarre build-up to the Tests against India, Australia will play three ODIs and four T20 matches between November 7 and 25. Those who play all formats for Australia will have to be starved of red-ball cricket or removed from the short-form matches in the countdown to the Tests against India. In the meantime, state players will have ample opportunities to put on a show.

While off-Broadway is an achievement in itself, and as far as most actors and cricketers will ever go, the opportunity it presents is immense. You can be at the Cherry Lane Theatre (probably the smallest off-Broadway venue) one minute and inside the Gershwin Theatre (the biggest on Broadway) the next.

Attacking leg-spinners are worth their weight in gold and if Australia coach Justin Langer believes the pontiff is good enough, he will also decide the young man is old enough. First things first, however. His debut for South Australia. And a bit of the old razzle-dazzle?