BRETT GEEVES: WHY PAINE MAY PLAY ... AND MEREDITH COULD MISS OUT
BLUNDSTONE Arena is smiling this week.
Matthew Wade was named the Domestic Cricketer of the Year at the Australian Cricket Awards on Monday night.
The Hurricanes are into a home semi tomorrow against the Stars, which means great revenue gains and, more importantly, another opportunity for the suits to swagger and dagger their way through the canapes.
Geoff Lawson stumped up a rumour that Justin Langer wanted David Saker, his fast bowling coach, gone so he could bring his former WACA assistant, Tasmanian and Hurricanes coach Adam Griffith, in as his replacement. OK, so that more than likely didn’t have CT smiling because they’d lose their mastermind but it’s a great one for the progression of a Tassie cricket true-blood.
James Faulkner has declared himself a certain starter for the home semi-final after missing two games with a knee injury he has described as “complex”. A term best used to describe that uncle who refuses to take his Stackhat off for Christmas lunch.
Australian Test captain Tim Paine is available, and if selected, it will be the first time all season that he will have had to play for his BBL pay. That’s right, the Australian Test stars collect their BBL payments in full even if they are unavailable through rest or the Test match schedule.
But two youngsters who might be smiling through gritted teeth come tomorrow night are Riley Meredith and Caleb Jewell.
Yes, CJ the DJ, who has been on fire, and Riley Meredith, who was on fire, could find themselves running the water for the first final if the selection axe goes against them.
Paine in; Jewell out. It would have been considered a non-conversation at the start of the season, but does a full summer of redball cricket count against Paine?
Can you go against an Australian T20 representative, Test captain and former captain of the franchise in favour of a youngster who has only just found his feet at the level in the past month? It would be a brave call to select Jewell over Paine. But, on the flip side, it would be one sure to provide an additional shot of confidence into a young man who thrives on being loved.
As for Meredith, the past four games have been hard to watch as president of his fan club. At one stage, Meredith’s BBL form was so hot there were calls for him to be included into ALL Australian rep squads. But as is the case with young players, particularly in a tournament with so much exposure, being consistent is the toughest tick box.
Wides and no-balls are inexcusable in this format of the game. And the bad news for Riley is that he is dishing them out at a faster rate than the Hobart Council’s new payment system for parking does fines.
As the tournament has progressed and opposition teams have worked out that going hard at the Canes in the powerplay causes them to tighten up a little, Meredith’s run up has gotten wider and wider, to the point where it no longer looks natural.
That angle can work well in short-form cricket if your plan is to tighten the righthand batsman and deny width.
Riley has always got to the crease with a little angle, but his current line is forcing him to change too much in his delivery stride to get the ball back towards the stumps. It’s forcing the occasional overstride — no-ball — and when he doesn’t counter the run-up angle of approach enough with his upper body and wrist, the ball flies wildly down leg.
Going off his last four games — 14 overs, 3-176 at 12.5 per over — it might be time to go in another direction. And trust me, it breaks my heart to say it.
What might ultimately save Riley from the axe will be the fact that David Moody hasn’t taken his opportunity to force that change through bulk wickets or his own RPO. And unless Milenko is going to bowl four overs and the extra batsman in Paine plays, Meredith likely stays in the team.