Sheffield Shield: Western Australia rescue first innings as top order produces rare fail
A rare top-order collapse has left Cam Bancroft’s hopes of a Test recall hanging by a thread as Western Australia rescued a poor start against Tasmania to be 4-219 in response to 277 at stumps on day two at the WACA.
It comes amid first-drop batter Hilton Cartwright being called away for higher duties – the birth of his second child – during the Tea interval and mid-innings.
Bancroft avoided a third-straight duck as he battles to earn the vacant slot at the top of Australia’s Test order for the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar series with India, but that’s all that could be said about his sketchy eight.
Riley Meredith flirted with the opener’s outside edge before a flash outside off got Bancroft on the board with four through the gap between third slip and gully.
He scored another boundary next ball through backward point but was nicked off in the next over by Keiran Elliott after undergoing a brief concussion assessment, having ducked into a Meredith bouncer.
Fortunately for the 31-year-old, it’s been a tough round so far for shield openers, with fellow Aussie prospects Matthew Renshaw (two), Marcus Harris (26 & 16) and Sam Konstas (two) all failing to fire significant shots.
Even dark horse and WA skipper Sam Whiteman found himself back in the pavilion early for 13 off 38.
Bancroft has been in the Test frame across the last three summers as one of the country’s leading run scorers, producing a remarkable 3,061 runs at 42.51 – 778 of those runs coming last summer at 48.62 – in the last five campaigns.
However, scores of zero, zero and eight to open the reigning champion’s shield defence have Bancroft’s hopes of a return to the Test arena on perilous ice.
The poor run comes at the worst possible time for the 31-year-old, who now averages 39.35 in First Class cricket, with Australia in need of an opener.
The back injury to fellow West Australian Cam Green and Steve Smith declaring his ill-advised experiment at the top of the order over opened the door for Bancroft.
Meanwhile, WA was forced to dig their way out of a hole after slumping to 3-71 when Mitch Marsh lazily hauled out to square leg the ball after playing a beautiful straight drive for nine.
“I think the momentum has gone to both teams at different periods of the game over the last two days,” Corey Rocchiccioli, who claimed four first-innings wickets, said.
“I think we have two strong days to come, and they’re a really good team, and I think they came out hard with the bowling attack and bowled really beautifully.
“Hopefully, we have a really good few hours in the morning and swing that momentum back to us.”
Cartwright steadied after Marsh fell, surviving a few nervy attacking shots before taking down left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann on his way to 52 before he was called away at Tea.
Camera IconCameron Bancroft of Western Australia acknowledges Corey Rocchiccioli at the lunch break. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
The returning Aaron Hardie nicked off in the first over after Tea, leaving young sensations Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly to pick up the slack at 4-100.
But the pair looked at ease throughout the final session, Inglis scoring at a strike rate above 70 while Connolly stuck firm at the other end.
The pair ended unbeaten on 72 and 42, respectively, at the close of play.
WA were left frustrated in the opening session despite Couch removing Jake Doran (66) and Keiran Elliott in rapid succession.
Mitchell Owen launched what looked to be a desperate counter-attack, but he executed it to perfection, crashing seven boundaries and three maximums on his way to 69.
Corey Rocchiccioli finally ended the superb knock lbw in his first over from the Lillee-Marsh Stand end, having started the day from the construction end.
The offie then grabbed Riley Meredith, caught at short leg with the final ball before Lunch to put himself on a hattrick for the second innings.
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