Marsh predicts Ashes role for Behrendorff
WEST Australian skipper Mitch Marsh believes Jason Behrendorff deserves to be thrust into Ashes calculations — as long as his body can withstand the rigours of a heavy block of cricket.
While all talk surrounding the make-up of Australia’s pace arsenal for the first Test against England has centred on Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Marsh has endorsed his left-arm strike weapon as a genuine candidate should he start the Sheffield Shield season well.
Behrendorff dismantled India’s top order with figures of 4-21 in just his second Twenty20 international appearance 11 days ago, and will be the centrepiece of the Warriors’ push for silverware in the JLT Cup final against South Australia in Hobart this afternoon.
Central to his Ashes prospects, however, will be how he performs in the three Shield games in four weeks starting from next Thursday, given his injury-riddled past.
The 27-year-old missed last year’s BBL after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left fibula in early December but returned to the game in stunning fashion with 14-89, including 9-37, against Victoria in February to showcase his red-ball credentials.
“He certainly is, I think if his body can hold up this summer he is going to be a huge chance of playing a few games for Australia,” Marsh said. “He deserves it, he has put the stats on the board in the last couple of years so fingers crossed for him.”
WA will start favourite in today’s final having finished on top of the ladder after winning five of its six matches, though the one loss was to the Redbacks.
The Warriors fell five runs short of mowing down SA’s 7-330 at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.
“We’ve had some close encounters in the last few years and it has been a good contest between bat and ball,” SA captain Travis Head said. “It [winning titles] is something that has eluded us over the last few years. We’re an extremely young team but now is the right time to taking that next step and to start winning some silverware.”