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Bit of a sluggish start to the 24/25 season for WA. The last defeat,  to SA was borderline chokemont.....3/133 chasing 164, then to lose by 3 runs.....pretty piss poor and so un WA like under Voges. 

WA have been going in a batsman/all rounder short in both games for mine.
Having Holt/Agar coming in at 6 & 7 says it all really, both are genuine no.8s imho, no higher, not even sure Holt is better than Curtis either.
Could Bancroft or Whiteman take the gloves and we bring in another batsman?
Probably doesnt help we have the likes of batting allrounders- Marsh, Hardie, Inglis, Connolly, Green, plus young speedstar Beardman all unavailable playing in a mickey mouse one day tournament in England atm either!

Good comeback by WA, after a disastrous 2/0 start....followed quickly by Marsh getting out. 2 contrasting tons, but both equally important as the other, in Whiteman and Inglis. Whiteman being the glue, and Inglis with his inventive strokeplay, turning the tide for WA. 

Push up past 350, and hopefully put the Qld top order under the pump early on.....though will be a tough ask, as Renshaw, Uzzie and Marnus are pretty decent at the Shield level. Not the strongest of WA bowling attacks either.....well not WA's strongest at least, if all were fit and available.

After being 2/0 off the first 2 balls of the match we did well to recover and score 465 thanks to Whiteman, Inglis, Connolly, Gannon.
Interesting to see our pace bowling attack of Gannon, Kelly, Couch!
Gannon was outstanding last season so no surprise to see him picked and has been our best again so far today but Kelly barely got on the park last year with numerous injuries & Couch I would have thought had a fair few in front of him including Richardson, Morris, Paris, Hardie, Stobo, Jackson, Beardman, Haskett, Greer....

I see Bancroft has followed up his first ball of the match golden duck with a third ball duck in the second.
Not that it really matters in the national selectors scheme of things as 19yo NSW opening sensation Sam Konstas will be our next Test opener, being a sky blue cap he would already have had his baggy green hand delivered! 

Well in pursuit of 4 Shield titles in a row we had our first win of the Shield summer albeit chasing a meagre 83 for outright victory we were 4/18 at one point before the inform duo of Cartwright & Inglis got us home.
As for Bancroft & M.Marsh not sure how either could be even looked at for this upcoming Indian series, both horribly out of form with the bat and in the latter's case not even bowling atm either.
We play Tassie in a one dayer here Friday before we head off to Hobart to play them again in back to back Shield clashes.
I daresay with the likes of Roccichioli, Connolly, Bancroft, Inglis, Marsh, Cartwright all unavailable due to either Australia A duties or new borns, there will be a few batting changes. Wyllie, Goodwin, Wasley, Fanning, Turner, should all be up for selection and hopefully Richardson, Morris & Paris are all fit to start bowling again in the Shield?

Yesterday practising in the WACA nets the one day squad - Morris, Stobo, Agar, Paris, Short, Jackson, Beardman. Freakish depth of talent in this state, lots of talented young players at grade level and lads like Bosisto, Curtis going mental. Could probably field 3 shield teams and be competitive in all of them.  

Dazzler wrote:

Yesterday practising in the WACA nets the one day squad - Morris, Stobo, Agar, Paris, Short, Jackson, Beardman. Freakish depth of talent in this state, lots of talented young players at grade level and lads like Bosisto, Curtis going mental. Could probably field 3 shield teams and be competitive in all of them.  

Yep with only 10% of the population we are producing well and truly above our weight in regards to cricket talent.
And yet the self proclaimed so called "Sporting Capital of the Universe" Victoria continue to under deliver in that aspect decade after decade!

WA have had to make 7 changes to their line up from last week due to the Australia A game, the meaningless one day series vs Pakistan & injury.
Good to see former SD boy Joel Curtis get another chance with the gloves in place of Josh Inglis.

What an outstanding performance by the Warriors to beat Tasmania by an innings on their home ground. This coming a week after the embarrassment of being bowled out for 53 by the same team.
As well as this it was virtually a 2nd XI team that did the job. Here is a list of those that were missing for various reasons
Bancroft
Whiteman
Hardie
Marsh
Green
Inglis
Connolly
Stobo
Richardson
Roccocholli
Morris
As well as those 11 players there are guys like Haskett, Beardman, Jackson, Mckenzie Berendorff, Tye and Short who have also been involved in varying degrees.
The depth in WA cricket at the moment is quite staggering