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A New Shade of Blue

Thursday, April 8 2004

New South Wales cricket has entered its most uncertain period in a number of years. The departure of captain Steve Waugh and coach Steve Rixon for new challenges has left the side with an unusually vulnerable outlook with unproven names guiding the fate of the Baggy Blue Cap.

The summer of 2003/04 was not the most enjoyable for a New South Wales cricketer. Test and ODI call-ups continued to disrupt a side that had made such mountainous progress in 2002/03, winning the Pura and ING Cup double.

Last summer strangely yielded no silverware. Following consistent domination of the domestic one-day competition not even their token final appearance was granted.

Yet this winter proves one of a new future for the coveted Blues side. Steve Waugh, so long the cornerstone of Australian cricket, has retired to follow a new path in his successful life. Not even his regular game time this summer was capable of lifting his beloved state to glory.

Brother Mark, meanwhile, also swung his bat for a final time this summer. Without a century in 2 years in the Blues squad since his retirement from Test cricket his presence was arguably less involving. His slip catching was not as crisp as in earlier years.

This hides the basic fact that his experience offered much to the squad. Runs, wickets and catches cannot necessarily measure his contribution. Mere presence in this case gave the side an assured look.

Steve Rixon signaled his desire to move on. Long the father of many a Blues conquest the former Test keeper saw greener pastures across the globe at Surrey.

These three men had hand carved a niche for the average NSW cricketer to look towards. A successful culture was created as the Waugh twins flourished is the late 1980's while Rixon led the 'Baby Blues' to success in the early nineties.

That was 10 years ago.

Those so-called 'Baby Blues' have now taken different directions. Michael Bevan still remains a potent cricketer despite having lost his Cricket Australia contract just this week. He holds the record for most first-class runs for New South Wales, as well as a marvelous record at the home patch of the SCG.

Brad McNamara, Phil Emery and David Freedman are long retired. Shane Lee gave way to a dickey knee following a career in the Australian ODI side that tasted varying success. Richard Chee Quee and Martin Haywood continue to service the Sydney Grade scene. Neil Maxwell is a successful player manager while Phil Alley toils away, back in the grade loop and still a capable quick bowler.

Wayne Holdsworth and Rodney Davison no longer figure in grade cricket in Sydney. Long has New South Wales cricket built from the departure of all these men.

Yet the case in point was able to breed a culture of success that has not been consistently remodeled. New youngsters came and went like a Brisbane storm.

New South Wales cricket boats some exceptional talent. Michael Clarke's elevation to the national set-up has been swift and successful. His Test debut waits the fall of an incumbent. Phil Jaques has already played county cricket with strong success and was involved in a tug-of-war for his services between Cricket NSW and Northamptonshire.

Brad Haddin suffered from a lean summer but was recalled to the Australia fold as the demand placed on Adam Gilchrist began to reach boiling point. With Nathan Pilon heading a list of talented young keepers in the state the lead man must perform with consistent gusto rather than occasional flamboyance.

Greg Mail showed what he was capable of with twin centuries against South Australia in a summer where he was shown great faith. Yet all the while he boasted at least one Waugh brother as a teammate to lend a hand when the times became drier.

The experienced backbone of the squad is rapidly decreasing. Michael Bevan signals the wise man yet is only around for half the summer at best in a testimony to his one-day prowess. For the first time in many years he looms available for the side week-in-week-out as the middle-order banker, and looks the man most likely to nurture youngsters.

Only Matthew Nicholson offered consistent penetration with the ball in hand. His 39 Pura Cup wickets was an imposing 14 wickets ahead of his nearest Blue teammate in Stuart MacGill, whose wickets came at 43.

Since Shane Warne's return to the national fold the Sydney-based leg-spinner should be available for the most part of the summer. Yet an average of 43 surely won't.

Nathan Bracken will be available more frequently in 2004/05 following his brief flirtation with Test cricket that seems to have come to an end.

Stuart Clark's best form seemed to take a summer vacation and the side needs him penetrating in order to take 20 wickets regularly. Liam Zammit was tried but failed to bring his significant grade deeds when he took the step up, yet he deserves another chance if want for a better option.

Spinners continued to struggle to make a mark. The recall of 34-year-old leggie Adrian Tucker highlighted a worry in Australian cricket. Ageless Greg Matthews still rates as the top spinner in grade cricket and would offer something should he be recalled, yet this seems highly unlikely.

Mark Cameron was tried in the previous summer to little success while Don Nash and Grant Lambert were unable to find a consistent recipe. Doug Bollinger is capable but has fallen by the wayside in the past summer due to back problems.

Aaron Bird dominated the grade scene yet remains untried, while veteran Warwick Adlam was his nearest rival in the wickets column and rates as no chance of a recall.

The shining light for the Blues has been Simon Katich. Player of the year last summer, he returned to the Australian side and looks set for a regular place in the Test and ODI squad sooner rather than later.

Equally worrying, however, is the fact that the states most consistent player over 2 seasons was obtained from elsewhere. His success camouflaged a worrying trend of the home players not performing.

Even the summers leading bowler - Nicholson - only returned to New South Wales this summer following an extended career with Katich at the WACA. These men largely carried the disappointing Blues performance.

Young all-rounders Dominic Thornely and Aaron O'Brien gained further taste of higher-level cricket but fell into the same problems as the majority of their teammates - the occasional flashy performance that overlooked the weaker ones along the way. Yet the flashy performances gave hints of what is to come should both find their feet at this level.

Herein lies the problem. Few of the players were able to consistently deliver during 2003/04 and the pressure on Katich and Nicholson became immense - almost super-human at times. For a man who has played Test cricket, Nathan Bracken should be taking more wickets at domestic level than he currently is. Potential suggests he can be a fine bowler year-in-year-out, especially in the shorter form. On the other side of the coin, his results do not.

Alas the board looks elsewhere for inspiration for summer 2004-05. Upon the announcement of the Waugh retirements, New South Wales Chairman Dave Gilbert correctly announced that his board might look elsewhere to fill the breach.

There are a number of fine players around the country that yearn for regular first-class cricket. Mark Cosgrove is rumoured to be in talks with the Blues board while Shaun Marsh looms as an attractive proposition that is falling out of favour in Perth.

Marsh played for Australia 'A' against Zimbabwe this summer, top scored, stamped his class. Yet strangely following this he was rarely sighted on the domestic scene again for the Warriors. This is the kind of man New South Wales must look to for consistent runs should they be searching for a youngster.

Sydney Grade holds some options. For instance, Ed Cowan has long been touted by many as a future star but remains untried. Paul Maraziotis is a regular scorer for his club and for the state second XI side but also remains untried - at the age of 29 time is of the essence.

Potentially the most important factor for the Blues is the recovery of former Test opener Michael Slater. Struck down with a career-threatening illness at the beginning of the summer his return offers a wealth of experience.

Should he make it back onto the field - whether it be opening the innings or in the middle order - a strong summer is not out of the question. Without the Waugh brothers he sits as a senior player and possible replacement skipper.

Simon Katich - Waugh's deputy - is a certainty for the captaincy position when available. His work ethic and dependability made him a model cricketer upon his arrival in this state and that has not changed.

Trevor Bayliss has been announced as the new coach for 2004/05. While not the most talented cricketer throughout his playing days he revealed a strong underbelly and rarely sold his wicket cheaply. If he can pass this on to his batsmen, the summer will prove fruitful.

The latest brigade of 'Baby Blues' are a talented bunch. Whether they live up to their forefathers is another matter.

Should the do so their latest shade of blue will turn into a purple patch for the proud state of New South Wales.

Posted by Andre