Sheffield Shield 2019-20 | 'Flop XI' of the tournament
‘The Shield is over and everything’s worse now’ were the words that echoed amongst the fans but that was not the case for certain players. Indeed, there were players who had stinkers and we, here at SportsCafe, have made an XI out of the players who were happy to see the tournament get scrapped.
Cameron Bancroft
It has come to a point where we have to admit that there is something seriously wrong with Cameron Bancroft in red-ball cricket. The Shield season proved that him anxiously prodding at the ball in the Ashes was not just down to ‘nerves’, after all. I mean, it did look like he’d completely forgotten how to bat; what else could explain an opener getting caught at leg-slip four times in five innings? He sure wouldn’t be looking at his average of 13.16 in 13 innings this season - with a high score of 30 - with pride, that’s for sure.
Matt Renshaw
Who would have thought back in 2017 that Renshaw, in 2020, would turn out to be more useful in T20s than in four-day cricket? You have to tip your hat off for his consistency, though. Backing up your previous campaign where you averaged 21.88 with another campaign averaging 20.22 is no mean feat. On a lighter note, it would be absurdly funny - and painful - to watch the 2020 versions of Bancroft and Renshaw open the batting on a green top. Forget the Aussie side, Matty R would need to work his backside off to earn a spot in the Queensland side - Bryce Street has been quite the revelation since replacing him.
Usman Khawaja
Watching ‘The Test’ documentary on Amazon Prime shed light on how important a figure Usman Khawaja has been in Australia’s rebuild and resurrection. It’s just a shame that it’s all falling apart for him, though. Khawaja’s returns this season - 202 runs at an average of 18.36 - is by far his worst ever Shield season and at such a crucial juncture of his career, where it could be life and death, I’m afraid Uzzie is not doing any favours for himself by not making inroads in the Shield.
Peter Handscomb
I would put Peter Handscomb as the third member of the ‘I forgot how to bat’ club alongside Renshaw and Bancroft. The only thing that’s been certain with his batting has been his backfoot getting stuck on the crease and him getting trapped in front. More than scoring runs, his technique would perhaps suffice better for a fevi-kwik ad. Numbers like 347 runs @ 26.69 predominantly playing on flat Melbourne decks are simply NOT good enough and he seriously needs to do away with his technique and reinvent himself to stay relevant in the national set-up.
Jordan Silk
What happened to the Jordan Silk of 2013 who was the embodiment of patience, I wonder. He has, over the course of these last seven years, completely lost his identity and has been just going through the motions. This season was no different. Tasmania would no doubt be mighty disappointed with Silk’s progress, given Bailey is now retired, considering the amount of time they invested in him. A 269-run season averaging 22.41 is now what you want to see from your player who is supposedly going to be your flag-bearer in the future.
Callum Ferguson
Callum Ferguson has been the heart and soul of South Australia for a good 15 years now, but you do get a feeling that he’s slowly but steadily fading away. Usually, someone who is right up there amongst the top-scorers for the Redbacks, Ferguson’s 451-run season where he averaged under 33 speaks of disappointment, especially in a year where he had support from other batsmen, be it Cooper, Head or Weatherald. Perhaps had Ferguson fired, the Redbacks - who looked good this season - might have very well avoided the wooden spoon.
Josh Inglis
Josh Inglis was quite a revelation in the BBL season, but if evidence from this Shield season is anything to go by, then he has a long long way to go in red-ball cricket. Fair enough, it’s not easy for a player like him who is constantly in and out of the side, but given this was his fifth full season in Shield cricket, what he gave back to the team - 323 runs @ 24.84 - was disappointing. He sure did let down several fans who turned up to watch him play for Western Australia after his BBL exploits, that’s for sure.
Joe Mennie
Gone are the days when Joe Mennie would used to be right up there amongst the top-wicket takers in the country. He is ‘just another bowler’ in the Redbacks team now. There were no notable performances nor were there any signs of Mennie touching his best this season, something that clearly reflected in his numbers - 19 wickets @ 33.94. Quite an unfortunate turnover from last season, where he accounted for 37 wickets @ 19.72.
Nick Winter
Five, five, four, four, five and four were the only numbers you could see next to Nick Winter’s name when he made his Shield debut back in 2018. Two years on, he’s barely been able to pick five wickets all season. Again, could it just be that the batsmen have worked him out? Or could it be that we overestimated his ceiling two years ago? A mixture of the two, maybe. But his downfall from a strike bowler to just another trundler has been dejecting to see. 18 @ 35.22 was all he managed this season, in case you were wondering.
Jon Holland
Jon’s performance in this Shield season - 8 wickets in 7 innings @ 59.25 - would not even be sufficient for him to represent the Orange nation tomorrow, should he change his nationality. With Mitchell Swepson getting better day by day, proven by his outstanding 2019/20 season, you would imagine that Holland has all but burnt his hopes of representing Australia once again with his hideous showing. The Junction Oval pitch did not help his cause, but there can be no excuse for a seasoned veteran to under-perform the way Holland has.
Billy Stanlake
‘Will Big Billy cut it at the Test level’ is a question that does the rounds every now and then and we are getting closer and closer to settling that debate. The answer? He won’t. Or at least that’s what we can interpret through his performances this season. Claiming just 8 wickets in 7 innings whilst predominantly bowling at the GABBA is one thing, but being outbowled by every other bowler in the team - including newcomer Xavier Bartlett - does not reflect well on Big Billy, at all.
Sheffield Shield Flop XI
Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Jordan Silk, Callum Ferguson (c) , Josh Inglis (wk), Joe Mennie, Jon Holland, Nick Winter, Billy Stanlake.
