Matt Renshaw’s century in the BBL on Friday night was the perfect reminder to Aussie selectors, with many of the belief he should be in the Test team for the Ashes. And Mitch Marsh continued a lean start to the tournament in the wake of his retirement from first-class cricket being revealed.
Renshaw slammed 102 off 51 balls as the Brisbane Heat produced the highest successful run chase in BBL history. Jake Wildermuth made 110 not out off 54 balls to get the Heat home against the Perth Scorchers, chasing down 258 with one ball to spare.
Matt Renshaw made a sparkling century in the BBL, but Mitch Marsh continued a slow start. Image: AAP/Getty
Renshaw’s knock continued a rich vein of form for the former Test opener, but many believe he shouldn’t have been at the Gabba on Friday night. Cricket fans have been calling for his return to the Test team, and many are of the opinion he should have been selected over Jake Weatherald for the Ashes.
In October during the debate over Australia’s best XI, Renshaw said: “I hide. I don’t have the Cricket Australia app, I don’t try and look at any news, I hide all the cricket stuff on my Instagram so I don’t see it.”
On Friday night he admitted getting sucked back in once the Ashes started. “I sort of had a little blip the last couple of weeks with the Ashes going on, being a supporter, trying to watch it, just getting interested as a supporter,” he said.
“So a few things crept in, and a bit of frustration ensued. So I sort of got my head back on the train the last couple of days, and it really worked out well.”
Matt Renshaw sent a timely reminder to Aussie Test selectors. Image: Getty
Mitch Marsh misses out again in slow start to BBL
Renshaw wasn’t the only former Test batter in action on Friday night. Cooper Connolly made 77 off 37 balls in the Scorchers’ innings, while Marsh made just 3 while opening the batting.
Marsh made a duck in the opening game of the BBL season against the Sixers, and looked out of sorts as he struggled across his nine-ball innings on Friday night. It was thought his decision to retire from first-class cricket might free his mind and see him go big in the BBL, but he’s made a rough start.
He revealed last week he was hoping to keep his decision to walk away from Sheffield Shield cricket with Western Australia at the end of the summer under wraps. “I was very keen for it to go under the radar and not make any fuss of it,” he told ABC Grandstand radio. “It somehow got out so here we are, but I’ve had a great time playing for Western Australia.
“I was a little bit disappointed (the news got out), I must be honest, but that’s the world we live in these days. It was obviously going to come out at some stage. I was pretty keen to just walk away quietly, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Marsh has played 46 Tests for Australia. The revealing of his first-class retirement in the middle of the Ashes was odd considering there’s been speculation he could play a part in the series against England.