The second round of the Sheffield Shield wrapped up at the weekend, with one more set of fixtures left before Australia’s selectors settle on a squad for the first Ashes Test in Perth. Plenty of players used the four-day stage to plant, or in some cases re-plant, a flag. Below is a look at the main talking points before the conversation inevitably moves on again next week.
Victoria v New South Wales
This match felt like two stories running at the same time. Sam Konstas, bowled for nought in the first dig by Scott Boland, regrouped for a measured half-century second time round. There was some adventure in there – a scoop for six over the cordon off Boland one ball, tidy defence the next – yet he still ended up chopping on to Todd Murphy when something bigger appeared within reach. With just one Shield round left before the Test party is announced, he remains on the edge. As NSW coach Greg Shipperd put it, “[Konstas] is a baby cricketer in terms of experience as a number of batters in the game are on both sides. There’s a lot of learning to be done and he’s learned a couple of lessons today.”
If Pat Cummins fails to beat a minor side strain, few doubt Boland will slide straight into the XI. He turned an unusually spendthrift return into decisive figures, snapping up the final five NSW wickets and finishing with eight for the match. He still doesn’t look at absolute peak, though 15 wickets in two outings hints the engine is humming. Should the Perth pitch resemble the lively surface used for Australia’s recent ODI against India, Boland’s relentless length could be nasty.
Nathan Lyon continued his careful comeback, wheeling through 31 overs for the game. The quick-friendly nature of early Shield cricket means he has not seen much appreciable turn, so it would not surprise if he plays all four rounds before the Ashes to sharpen up. Sean Abbott, meanwhile, became the first player substituted under Cricket Australia’s new concussion and injury trial after splitting the webbing in his hand; the cut is minor and unlikely to harm his Test hopes.
It was a lean contest for two batters who crave another baggy-green chance. Kurtis Patterson managed 5 and 1. Marcus Harris, firmly in possession of the spare-opener tag this time last year, scratched to 4 and then a grafting 20. For Victoria, seam-bowling all-rounder Fergus O’Neill kept his name in the “next quick” file with 5 for 26 in the first innings.
South Australia v Queensland
Over in Adelaide, Marnus Labuschagne reminded everybody why his name is pencilled in for Perth. A polished 159 made it four hundreds across formats already this season. Debate rumbles on: does he remain at three or slide up to open? Asked by Fox Cricket during the opening ODI of the summer – drafted in after Cameron Green’s concussion – he sounded relaxed: “It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. You probably walk a bit taller, you’ve got that confidence, and it’s probably a nice reminder for yourself after struggling for a couple of years that you’ve still got it. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how many runs you’ve scored, when you don’t score runs for a while,” he said, trailing off with a grin that suggested the point was made.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson also put down a marker, claiming seven wickets for the match on a surface offering just enough grip. He remains behind Lyon and Murphy in the pecking order but has again reminded decision-makers of the wrist-spin variation he brings, particularly if the tour moves to drier, foot-mark-friendly pitches later on.
For South Australia, Jake Weatherald’s free-flowing 143 was the other headline. It was a statement knock – brisk without being careless – and, given the Redbacks’ recent batting frailties, was welcomed by coaches and selectors alike. Whether it is enough to leapfrog more established names remains doubtful, but piling up runs is the only currency that counts.
Western Australia v Tasmania
Out west, Matt Short continued an under-the-radar push with a rugged 82 and four handy overs of off-spin. WA still lean on a proven core – Cameron Bancroft, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson – yet Short’s all-round offering adds depth. Richardson, incidentally, touched 145 kph in short bursts and, more importantly, pulled up free of pain.
Tasmania’s Caleb Jewell produced a controlled century of his own, his second in as many games. The left-hander prefers pace on the ball, so a true Perth strip could play to his strengths if the panel fancies a wild-card opener.
What comes next
The third Shield round begins on Friday. Selectors traditionally meet straight after that batch of games, though final sign-off can hinge on fitness updates from state medics. With Boland in rhythm, Labuschagne rampant and at least half a dozen fringe players refusing to go quietly, there is still room for a late shuffle.
For now, the only certainty is that performances – good, bad or middling – over the next week will echo louder than usual.
