Patterson found himself dropped from NSW\u2019s Shield side altogether<\/a> despite leading the side after a tough 2022\/23 domestic season. His next 12 months were again lean, but since the start of the 2024\/25 season, the St. George\u2019s product has averaged 45.17 in the Sheffield Shield and made four hundreds. Crucially, Patterson bats at first drop for NSW; a key point that can\u2019t be said for most other contenders either inside Australia\u2019s Test squad who went to South Africa, or are playing Sheffield Shield. With a mature temperament and a proven ability to fight through adversity, Patterson very much feels like the right fit at No.3 for a team edging closer towards transition. Scores of 14 and 9 in NSW\u2019s last outing against Tasmania will sting a little, but he still feels front of the queue to replace Labuschagne at this stage.<\/p>\n![\"Patterson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/0eb78ec5947c0c84c31674cd0cfbf7a2.jpeg\")
Patterson celebrates his most recent first-class century, against Western Australia at the WACA on October 19.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
NATHAN MCSWEENEY<\/p>\n
Age: 27
Test matches: 3
2025\/26 Sheffield Shield record: 477 runs at 28.05 | One hundred, two fifties | High score of 103
2026\/27 Sheffield Shield record: 122 runs at 30.5 | Two fifties | High score of 66<\/p>\n
South Australia\u2019s skipper was rightly rewarded with a Test debut in late 2024, but it came with the major caveat of batting out of position and against the new ball. Thrust into the opening role, McSweeney was given three Tests but was in the end handed the ultimate baptism of fire against Jasprit Bumrah. He was only able to pass 10 once in six innings up top, with a very handy 39 made mostly under lights against the pink ball in Adelaide. His eventual omission opened the door for Sam Konstas on Boxing Day, where the then-19-year-old produced a Boxing Day spectacle. McSweeney did find himself on the plane and in the squad for Australia\u2019s tour of Sri Lanka a month after getting axed, but he didn\u2019t feature again.<\/p>\n
The right-hander has five Sheffield Shield centuries and 10 fifties from his last three-and-a-bit seasons, but unfortunately didn\u2019t go large for South Australia in their most recent outing against Queensland \u2014 scoring 66 in the second dig after missing out in the first innings. Selectors have invested in McSweeney before and will almost certainly do so again at some stage in the near future, but it remains up in the air if his international recall will come just yet. His side\u2019s four-day duel with New South Wales on November 11 looms as a massive shootout between he, Kurtis Patterson and Sam Konstas for the likely No.3 vacancy. <\/p>\n
Not too many players have had a greater baptism of fire at Test level than Nathan McSweeney in late 2024.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
SAM KONSTAS<\/p>\n
Age: 21
Test matches: 5
2025\/26 Sheffield Shield record: 660 runs at 33 | One hundred, two fifties | High score of 116
2026\/27 Sheffield Shield record: 229 runs at 76.33 | One hundred, one fifty | High score of 151*<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s Test wunderkind has had to earn his way back into national calculations, and after a lean period in the red-ball format last season, Konstas is arguably the most in-form of the Sheffield Shield contenders. His remarkable rise into the international set-up is well-documented, having announced himself with a blistering 60 on Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah and company at the MCG. His unconventional scoring methods against India that series had eyeballs glued to television screens, but also marked a departure from the more conventional technique that had earned him selection in the first place. Like McSweeney, Konstas was part of Australia\u2019s touring squad for Sri Lanka in early 2025, but didn\u2019t feature. He was then recalled for the West Indies tour last winter, only to score 50 runs in six innings during what proved a difficult series for batters on both sides.<\/p>\n
Since then, Konstas has returned to domestic cricket and worked towards rediscovering his compact technique, without entirely sacrificing the aggressive instincts that made him such an exciting prospect. His early-season Shield form suggests that approach is beginning to pay dividends, and with five first-class hundreds at just 21 years of age, he clearly remains one of Australia\u2019s most intriguing long-term options at the top of the order. After a monster match against Western Australia at the WACA late last month \u2014 scoring 71 and 151* \u2014 Konstas is probably one more big red-ball score away from leading the contenders to come into the Test side. The intrigue, however, would come as to where he fits, given he\u2019s always been an opener. A role at first drop can\u2019t be ruled out entirely, but a move up for Steve Smith or down for Matthew Renshaw feels more likely, all things being equal.<\/p>\n
No player has as many Sheffield Shield hundreds right now as Konstas does at his age.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
JACK CLAYTON<\/p>\n
Age: 27
Test matches: Nil.
2025\/26 Sheffield Shield record: 418 runs at 38 | One hundred, two fifties | High score of 113
2026\/27 Sheffield Shield record: 293 runs at 73.25 | One hundred, two fifties | High score of 104<\/p>\n
The biggest bolter of the four domestic prospects is also the only uncapped Test player. Crucially, though, he has the most recent Sheffield Shield hundred of the quartet, having progressively come into his own at professional level. After making his first-class debut in February 2022 at 22 years of age, Clayton has become a staple of Queensland\u2019s middle order. An average of 39.03 and seven hundreds from 47 first-class matches is an impressive record, particularly given the bowler-friendly nature of Shield pitches in recent seasons. His 104 against Victoria in the ongoing Shield round has further pushed his case, as the only Queenslander to make more than 36 on a good Gabba wicket.<\/p>\n
How Clayton would fit into Australia\u2019s current set-up, however, is less straightforward and could require a reshuffle of the batting order. Typically batting at No.4 or No.5 for the Bulls, throwing the 27-year-old straight into the specialist first-drop role would carry an element of risk \u2014 as several misselection at the top of the order have shown in recent years. His consistency at domestic level, coupled with a strong start to the new Shield season, has thrust him into the selection conversation for this summer, but his relative lack of exposure at No.3 could ultimately count against him when compared with more established candidates.<\/p>\n
Clayton celebrates his seventh first-class hundred, and the most recent ton of anyone on this list.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
AND THE MAKE-SHIFT OPTIONS INSIDE THE CURRENT AUSSIE SQUAD…<\/p>\n
Of the 18-man squad that has just flown home from South Africa, several members could be thrust into a makeshift No.3. As previously mentioned, it\u2019s a move fraught with danger and uncertainty, but selectors certainly have a history of selecting who they believe are the best six batters in the country, and not necessarily the six best batters best suited for a position.<\/p>\n
Wicketkeeper-bat Josh Inglis is fresh off his second Test ton batting at number five for Australia, but has very little recent experience at first drop for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield. The 31-year-old briefly batted there while Shaun Marsh was playing ODI cricket back in 2019, but he\u2019s always been seen as a middle-order selection when not behind the stumps.<\/p>\n
His WACA teammate Cooper Connolly has batted at first drop in his last six ODI matches for Australia for decent returns, and has also done so in the red-ball format at state level; albeit not a whole lot. There were murmurs that he could have replaced Labuschagne in the role ahead of the first Test in South Africa, but his only opportunity came in the series finale at No.7 with scores of 29 and 0. Connolly\u2019s English counterpart Jacob Bethell was thrown into the number three role at Test level despite not scoring a first-class hundred, but it ultimately paid dividends last Ashes with a breathtaking 154 at the SCG. Somewhat ironically, it remains Bethell\u2019s only professional red-ball hundred. Connolly does have an international white-ball hundred opening in a 50-over game against Sri Lanka, but there would certainly be an element of hesitation to have him bat at number three without a first-class ton.<\/p>\n
Steve Smith has been encouraged by former teammate and Australian great David Warner to bat first drop if required, telling Fox Cricket during the third Test in South Africa: \u201cSmithy\u2019s a world-class player \u2026 there\u2019s no reason why he can\u2019t go up there and let the rest of them settle who\u2019s going to be there (at four) long-term.\u201d While the logic is certainly there, Smith has been very comfortable batting in his usual position since his cameo as an opener back in early 2024. <\/p>\n
A fourth and final option could be Matt Renshaw being moved again in the batting order, however given the country\u2019s revolving door with openers in recent years, there\u2019s an argument it would just be putting paper over the cracks if the left-handed Queenslander was to slide down one position. The only instance that would realistically eventuate though, would be if Sam Konstas was brought back into the senior side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Few positions in Australia\u2019s Test batting order have come under greater scrutiny in recent times than No.3, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":949572,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-949571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=949571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/949572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=949571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=949571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=949571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}