Behind every great team and player there should always be other players knocking on the door, scoring the runs, and taking the wickets to be ready and capable to come into to the team and maintain the standards and continuity of a winning team.

The Australia’s first-class cricket scene “The Sheffield Shield” had so many other players.

From a batting perspective.

Stuart Law – 27,080 runs at an average of 50.52 with 79 hundreds

Jamie Siddons – 11,587 runs at an average of 44.91 with 35 hundreds

Jamie Cox – 18,614 runs at an average of 42.69 with 51 hundreds

Brad Hodge – 17,084 at an average of 48.81 with 51 hundreds.

Martin Love – 16,952 at an average 49.85 with 45 hundreds.

All up, they scored 91, 317 first-class runs and a total of 261 hundreds.

Incredibly, of the 5, only 3 played a total 12 test matches for Australia. Brad Hodge (pictured after scoring a double hundred against South Africa) played 6 tests and averaged 55 in Test cricket. Martin Love played 5 tests and averaged 46.60 whilst Stuart Law only played one test and was 54 not out in his only innings.

David Warner has played 109 test matches and has said that he’d like to finish his test career after the 3rd test against Pakistan at the SCG in early January 2024.

It will mean sometime before now and then the Australian selectors are going to have to find a replacement opening batter.

Is it a little cheeky to say Australia future batting stocks resemble ‘old Mother Hubbard’ cupboard.’

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/32/paul-ryan/blog/1588/do-australiarsquos-batting-stocks-resemble-old-mother-hubbardrsquos-cupboard-or-is-there-a-gold-nugget-about-to-shine