With one of Harris, Bancroft & Renshaw being named by various pundits as Warner's replacement, there remains the possibility that none will get the gig, in favour of Travis Head.
But, further down the track, Usman Khawaja is no spring chicken so 2 of the above could still see themselves in the XI, opening.
With selectors wanting both Cam Green and Mitch Marsh in the team, this adds to the possibility of Head opening
Marnus Labuschagne has also been touted to move up to open, with Steve Smith at 3, Head at 5 and both Green & Marsh included.
In the current PM's match, Bancroft (53) and Harris (49) kept their chances alive. Renshaw & Green are presently at the crease.
Next Aussie openers.
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Donny
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"Marcus Harris sent a timely reminder to national selectors after pounding a century against Pakistan, whose tour went from tough to worse ahead of the NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test.
Harris smashed 126 from only 131 balls as a makeshift Victorian team made up mainly of second-stringers had the better of Pakistan on the final day of their two-day tour match at St Kilda's Junction Oval."
CA.
Harris smashed 126 from only 131 balls as a makeshift Victorian team made up mainly of second-stringers had the better of Pakistan on the final day of their two-day tour match at St Kilda's Junction Oval."
CA.
Donny.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
Bancroft also maybe has an LBW problem. Not as huge as the LBW problem Flat-Track Bully Smith has. But of course no opener even at Shield level could survive with FTB Smith's defective technique.
After the PM's XI match, Bancroft had been dismissed 10 times this FC season. 5 of the 10 were LBW. Media said the LBW ball against Pakistan ducked in sharply. So again it wasn't like FTB Smith just missing straight balls on the stumps that do nothing. But again, Bancroft is an opener... More is expected of an opener.
After the PM's XI match, Bancroft had been dismissed 10 times this FC season. 5 of the 10 were LBW. Media said the LBW ball against Pakistan ducked in sharply. So again it wasn't like FTB Smith just missing straight balls on the stumps that do nothing. But again, Bancroft is an opener... More is expected of an opener.
^ Yup. Looks like Bancroft's LBW problem is real.
R. Craddock:
"During Bancroft's first life as a Test player, selectors noted that of his 17 dismissals five were lbw and three bowled.
Crafty swing-seam bowlers such as Vernon Philander, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes felt the ball angled into him could find space or an unguarded pad.
Bancroft's supporters say he has tightened his game and is a better player than he was."
(Sunday Hun, Dec 31)
Again, nowhere near as bad as FTB Smith's, but Bancroft is an opener... And FTB has the Myth of Smith screwing up folks' brains. Bancroft doesn't have anything like that to help him.
R. Craddock:
"During Bancroft's first life as a Test player, selectors noted that of his 17 dismissals five were lbw and three bowled.
Crafty swing-seam bowlers such as Vernon Philander, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes felt the ball angled into him could find space or an unguarded pad.
Bancroft's supporters say he has tightened his game and is a better player than he was."
(Sunday Hun, Dec 31)
Again, nowhere near as bad as FTB Smith's, but Bancroft is an opener... And FTB has the Myth of Smith screwing up folks' brains. Bancroft doesn't have anything like that to help him.
Bancroft has no technique - and a grand total of 462 Test runs at the magnificent average of 26.23. His record against England is less than formidable - he did make 82*, in a big partnership with Warner to run down a target at Brisbane (0/173) - in a match where SPD BradSmith was MOTM for his first innings 141* (out of 328) - but, otherwise, Bancroft's digs against England have yielded 5, 10, 4, 25, 26, 27, 0, 8, 7, 13 and 16.
You should be embarrassed to be comparing him favlourably with the player with the best Test record since 1948.
You should be embarrassed to be comparing him favlourably with the player with the best Test record since 1948.
Just a little drill down into the shambolic comparison between Bancroft and SPD BradSmith. In short:
BradSmith played in all 10 of Bancroft's Tests. While Bancroft made 442 runs at an average of 26.23 in those games, BradSmith made 1,207 runs at an average of 86.21.
Another way of performing the comparison between the two might be to look at their achievements by the same age. Bancroft is presently 31. Before he reached that age, BradSmith had made 7,227 runs at the average of 62.84.
On a happier note, Bancroft has never been dismissed by Jadeja. That may change, of course, if he ever gets to play a Test against India.
BradSmith played in all 10 of Bancroft's Tests. While Bancroft made 442 runs at an average of 26.23 in those games, BradSmith made 1,207 runs at an average of 86.21.
Another way of performing the comparison between the two might be to look at their achievements by the same age. Bancroft is presently 31. Before he reached that age, BradSmith had made 7,227 runs at the average of 62.84.
On a happier note, Bancroft has never been dismissed by Jadeja. That may change, of course, if he ever gets to play a Test against India.
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stui magpie
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stui magpie
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Saw an interesting comment from Shane Watson I think, pointing out that Smith has a better record at 3 than at 4, so why not move him to Opener? Instead of sitting in the rooms fidgeting and waiting he could get stuck straight into it and set the tone.
That could enable Green to come back in at 4, the position he bats in the Shield.
That could enable Green to come back in at 4, the position he bats in the Shield.
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down.