2023-24 Australian domestic cricket season

[Prince EWS]

What I was told is that he's focussed on finishing school this year, and we won't see him at state level until next year even though he's probably already good enough.

Yeah I heard that too, would have a contract if he wanted one but he doesn't want to commit full time. May get some games uncontracted anyway.

 

[Spikey]

They seem like a real nerd

 

[Starfighter]

And apparently Tasmania announced theirs at some point:

Squad: Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliot, Nathan Ellis*, Jarrod Freeman, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Mac Wright. Rookies: Nick Davis, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Aidan O’Connor, Rafael MacMillan

Ins: Matt Kuhnemann (Queensland), Will Prestwidge (Queensland), Kieran Elliot, Rafael Macmillan (NSW)

Outs: Sam Rainbird (retired), Matthew Wade (retired), Paddy Dooley (delisted)

 

[Starfighter]

Prestwidge seems like a strange pick up considering the amount of fast-medium they've got, unless he's gotten quicker since his BBL matches.

I see Radhakrishnan is still there on a rookie contract, but Kuhnemann's arrival would push him back a spot.

 

[Spark]

Raf Macmillan is a bit weird. I know he'd be well back in the pecking order for NSW but, like, he's 19, at least have a go around the grades first. He's not exactly leapfrogging Kuhnemann or Freeman either.

 

[Starfighter]

May as well put them all together:

NSW: Sean Abbott*, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins*, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood*, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon*, Nic Maddinson, Blake Nikitaras, Jack Nisbet, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith*, Mitchell Starc*, Chris Tremain, Adam Zampa*. Rookies: Charlie Anderson, Joel Davies, Ryan Hicks, Will Salzmann, Lachlan Shaw

Qld: Xavier Bartlett*, Max Bryant, Hugo Burdon, Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja*, Marnus Labuschagne*, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Pierson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Jack Sinfield, Mark Steketee, Connor Sully, Mitch Swepson, Bryce Street, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth. Rookies: Tom Whitney, Lachlan Aitken, Jem Ryan, Tom Straker

SA: Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey*, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Travis Head*, Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton. Rookies: Kyle Brazell, Aidan Cahill, Harry Matthias, Campbell Thompson

Tas: Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliot, Nathan Ellis*, Jarrod Freeman, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Mac Wright. Rookies: Nick Davis, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Aidan O’Connor, Rafael MacMillan. Rookies: Nick Davis, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Aidan O’Connor, Rafael MacMillan

Vic: Liam Blackford, Scott Boland*, Dylan Brasher, Josh Brown, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell*, Cameron McClure, Jonathan Merlo, Todd Murphy*, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski**, Tom Rogers, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Douglas Warren. Rookies:Austin Anlezark, Harry Dixon, Jai Lemire, Reiley Mark, Tyler Pearson

WA: Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green*, Aaron Hardie*, Jayden Goodwin, Liam Haskett, Baxter Holt, Josh Inglis*, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh*, Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris*, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson*, Corey Rocchiccioli, D'Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman, Teague Wyllie. Rookies: Mahli Beardman, Sam Greer, Josh Vernon, Corey Wasley

 

[Starfighter]

Raf Macmillan is a bit weird. I know he'd be well back in the pecking order for NSW but, like, he's 19, at least have a go around the grades first. He's not exactly leapfrogging Kuhnemann or Freeman either.

I didn't even know who he was or what he did.

Looking at the squads, I see little to prevent WA running away with it again although Green, Morris and Hardie will be absent a lot. I hope that at very least some of the groundsmen discover their mowers and we get a couple of spinning decks - there's certainly some talent there. On the other hand the overall state of the batting looks absolutely dire - though better pitches might help there.

 

[Qlder]

New Qld head coach making it his mission to get Renshaw into the Test side (Cricket.com.au)

"Johan Botha will nut out a plan for Matt Renshaw in the pre-season to ensure the opener is ready to seize his next Test chance"

Has his work cut out for him as Renshaw had a terrible Shield last year and his current 5 game county stint is only 281 runs @ 35.12, with only 2 fiftes

 

[Nintendo]

New Qld head coach making it his mission to get Renshaw into the Test side (Cricket.com.au)

"Johan Botha will nut out a plan for Matt Renshaw in the pre-season to ensure the opener is ready to seize his next Test chance"

Has his work cut out for him as Renshaw had a terrible Shield last year and his current 5 game county stint is only 281 runs @ 35.12, with only 2 fiftes

Yeah agree with you there. I'm finding myself back on the bancroft train given how both have gone in county so far.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Give up Renshaw you hack

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah agree with you there. I'm finding myself back on the bancroft train given how both have gone in county so far.

I don't think Australian selectors pay too much attention to what their players do in county cricket unless it's right before an away Ashes series, but it's definitely giving a bigger sample size to what we saw in the Shield last season.

Green's ton will make it more difficult to undo the Smith opening thing quickly anyway tbf. I think Renshaw has remained the reserve bat primarily because they don't think Bancroft could bat lower down.

 

[Nintendo]

I don't think Australian selectors pay too much attention to what their players do in county cricket unless it's right before an away Ashes series, but it's definitely giving a bigger sample size to what we saw in the Shield last season.

Green's ton will make it more difficult to undo the Smith opening thing quickly anyway tbf. I think Renshaw has remained the reserve bat primarily because they don't think Bancroft could bat lower down.

Maybe they drop head and move smith down to 5? Since the start of the home summer he's been in shocking red ball form bar that WI 100, and even with that he's averaging something like 20. If him and smith both struggle in the first few BG test's could see the selectors pulling that trigger.

 

[ataraxia]

Moving Smith down only to bat him below Green would be peak selector brain tbh.

 

[Starfighter]

Aside from the selectors likely not paying attention to county form, or any FC form really, I think the fact it was against Liecestershire would probably count against Bancroft.

Moving Smith down only to bat him below Green would be peak selector brain tbh.

Thing is we're in the unenviable position the England spent much of the mid 10s. We have only one established opener (probably zero after this summer) and we've a surfeit batsmen best suited to 4-6.

I supported the Smith opening experiment at first but do no longer. I actually don't see that Smith batting below Green would necessarily be bad. But I don't want to move Marsh as he's the only thing that's gone right recently. And dropping Head's a bit mean. I actually was open to the idea of Head opening and Bazballing it well before his current slump, but making him do it in his last season's form would be cruel.

The batting's in a pickle. We can hope Marnus and Head recover to long form form. More runs out of Carey and the tail would be nice but I'm not counting on it. The failure to develop technically sound openers is an issue, and we might need to punt on an option like England with Crawley.

 

[Prince EWS]

Thing is we're in the unenviable position the England spent much of the mid 10s. We have only one established opener (probably zero after this summer) and we've a surfeit batsmen best suited to 4-6.

I'm not a big Bancroft fan but I think he's better than all the middle order options currently outside the team, to be fair. Who even actually would be the next middle order cab off the rank? If might even still be Renshaw, who can just as easily open anyway. McSweeney or a hail mary punt on Davies after **** all games are all I could really think of as alternatives.

Five out of Australia's six best batsmen are middle order players which is a problem, but I think #7 (Bancroft) is an opener and #8 might be as well (Renshaw/Maddinson?)

 

[Starfighter]

I'm not a big Bancroft fan but I think he's better than all the middle order options currently outside the team, to be fair. Who even actually would be the next middle order cab off the rank? If might even still be Renshaw, who can just as easily open anyway. McSweeney or a hail mary punt on Davies after **** all games are all I could really think of as alternatives.

Five out of Australia's six best batsmen are middle order players which is a problem, but I think #7 (Bancroft) is an opener and #8 might be as well (Renshaw/Maddinson?)

That Bancroft might be better than other options is more a testament to the overall terrible Shield stocks. The current problem is Marsh, Green, Head and Smith all need to bat 4-6 and arguably 5-6.

The CA contract list is telling - I don't think the selectors even know who's next. Renshaw they've clearly thought about for both positions but his struggles will be on their mind. They don't seem to want Bancroft and he fastidiously keeps his average under 40 anyway. For the middle order McSweeney is talked about but isn't beating the door down. They've stuffed up and will continue to stuff up another option in the form of Hardie - IMO he shouldn't be playing JAMLOIs instead of FC. Maddinson is a potential wildcard and otherwise it's just punts. It's pretty dire.

 

[Qlder]

So Labuschagne just opened the batting for Glamorgan and hit a ton. I said before Warner retired that if anyone should go up the order it should be Labuschagne, with Smith moving to #3

 

[TheJediBrah]

So Labuschagne just opened the batting for Glamorgan and hit a ton. I said before Warner retired that if anyone should go up the order it should be Labuschagne, with Smith moving to #3

It didn't happen because Marnus was the one guy who really didn't want to do it for some reason

 

[Nintendo]

It didn't happen because Marnus was the one guy who really didn't want to do it for some reason

Bit harsh to say marnus was the only one who didn't want it, innit? Marsh and head both gave similar answers when asked by the media and green gave the PR speak "Ohh #4 is my position domestically but I'll fill whatever role the team needs" no.

 

[Qlder]

It didn't happen because Marnus was the one guy who really didn't want to do it for some reason

And yet he's happy to open for Glamorgan on a difficult pitch. He seemed perfect to open given he started his FC career as an opener, unlike Smith who had never done it before at FC level