The Sheffield Shield is back, and what a way to showcase the great event that it is.
Three thrilling matches saw South Australia cement its spot at the top, Tasmania prevailed in a tight match, and Michael Neser’s magic saw Queensland seal a famous victory over the old enemy, New South Wales.
Um, what just happened? 20 wickets fell on Day 1 and 14 on the second day – this match was over in 4.5 sessions.
In the end, the side that weathered the storm the best would prove to be the winners, and South Australia proved just that, winners by six wickets on a pitch that was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding pitch square.
Who pushed Test claims? Nathan McAndrew has represented Australia A, and with 8-43 across both innings, including 7-11 in the second innings, he proved that selection was thoroughly deserved.
If he continues this form, higher honours are not out of the question.
Who did not push Test claims? It’s difficult to pick someone who did not push Test claims on a wicket this green, but suffice to say, Henry Hunt would have wanted a few more runs.
With 15 and a duck, it hardly makes for great reading, but neither did most of the rest of either team’s scorecard. It’s hard to be too critical of such an outlier like this.
How’re your hearts, Tasmanians? That’s two tight Shield games in a row, only this time, you ended up on the right side of the ledger.
Some phenomenal performances from Kieran Elliott and Jake Weatherald set up a thrilling chase where old hand Peter Handscomb led the Bushrangers’ ultimately futile quest for victory.
Who Pushed Test Claims? Jake Weatherald has been around the Australian domestic scene for what seems like quite a while, but seldom has he made a statement like his 155 in the second innings.
Having just turned 30 and a first-class average of almost 36, maybe now is the time for Weatherald to stake his claim for the Australian lineup.
Who Did Not Push Test Claims? I’m no fan of Marcus Harris, and I think his ship has well and truly sailed, but even still, it brings me little joy to write about yet another low score.
He’ll be hoping he’s back in the runs again quickly after his not-so-great performance this round.
Wow, Queensland left this one late! Led by Jack Clayton and Matt Renshaw centuries and welcoming back their spearhead Michael Neser, Queensland look like they are leaving their run late, in true State of Origin fashion.
New South Wales has another fabulous all-rounder in Jack Edwards who, yet again, proved why he’s one of the best young players in the country with a century, two wickets and three catches.
Queensland opener Matthew Renshaw. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Who Pushed Test Claims? Had Michael Neser stayed in South Africa, he would have played at least 30 Tests for them. Thankfully for us, he moved to Australia, and while he should have played 30 Tests for Australia, he is looking as lethal as ever with six wickets and a handy 43 runs plus a catch for the match.
If another Australian quick goes down, surely he has to be just a phone call away?
Who Did Not Push Test Claims? It’s harsh to say that Sam Konstas didn’t push his Test claims. After all, he has not played a match since the Thunder’s last regular season Big Bash League game, so he was out of touch.
Nevertheless, with Josh Inglis and Beau Webster both doing well and Nathan McSweeney around the squad, Konstas will want to keep up the run-scoring.
How this is selected. This looks at the best players in each position and fits them in where appropriate. Players can be moved down a rung in the batting order from where they normally bat, but they cannot move up.
For example, Renshaw could open or bat at three, but since he did not make runs in the middle order, he would not be eligible to bat in the middle order.
The objective of this is to track the consistency across the Shield season. At least one player from each side should be selected unless one team utterly dominated that round.
Matt Renshaw
Jake Weatherald
Jack Clayton
Peter Handscomb
Harry Dixon
Josh Philippe
Jack Edwards
Michael Neser
Nathan McAndrew
Corey Rocchiccioli
Keiran Elliot
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