Cameron Bancroft has the focus and temperament to win an Ashes place... and now he has the runs to prove it
By SAM MORSHEAD
Much has been made about England’s party of debutants on this winter’s Ashes tour yet, with every passing day ahead of the first Test in Brisbane, it appears more and more likely an Australian first-timer might be the most notable inclusion of all.
As recently as two months ago, a call-up for Western Australia opening batsman Cameron Bancroft would have been seen as somewhat left-field.
Sure, Bancroft had enjoyed a consistent English summer - up until September 13 he’d managed three half-centuries and 407 runs from 19 innings - but an average of 25.43 remained unexceptional.
Then, exactly two months ago, he carried his bat for 206 not out against Kent at Bristol and two days later added a second-innings 72.
He finished the season with a very respectable average of 40.29 and returned to Perth.
Now, 10 days before the Ashes gets going at the Gabba, the rumbles of a first Test appearance are gaining volume on an innings-by-innings basis.
Cameron Bancroft is pushing for an Ashes place
At 24 years old (he’ll celebrate his 25th birthday four days before the start of the Ashes campaign), Bancroft has been playing regular first-class cricket since the 2013-14 Aussie winter.
A steady first season in the Sheffield Shield gave way to a breakthrough second and, in 2014-15, he finished third on the competition’s leading runscorers list with 896 at 47.15, having hit three tons including a daddy 211 against New South Wales.
He’s been close to a Test cap before, in 2015, only for Australia’s tour to Bangladesh - on which he had been named - to be scrapped because of security concerns, and he’s already made his debut for his country in Twenty20.
Bancroft has pedigree and a body of statistical proof to say he can cut it at the highest level, yet during 2016 he was slipping off the grid.
Australia’s selectors want a steady partner for David Warner at the top of the order - the role Chris Rogers filled before his retirement and that which Matt Renshaw has been playing since.
Patient and reliable, Bancroft’s major strengths revolve around his focus at the crease and the high price he puts on his wicket.
He batted a full 13 hours for his career-best 211 three years ago, carried his bat for Gloucestershire in September, repeated the feat for Western Australia against New South Wales less than two weeks ago and then popped up with a stunning 161 not out on Monday to ram home his case for selection.
What’s more, in occupying the crease for an entire innings against NSW earlier this month, he saw off a five-pronged attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Moises Henriques - an arsenal arguably more potent than England’s this winter.
From five knocks in the Shield this term, he has 358 runs at an eye-popping average of 250.
The selectors are paying attention.
"Cameron’s two innings were really good against a Test bowling attack,” Mark Waugh said of his twin half-centuries against New South Wales.
"That’s the sort of performance, as far as me being a selector, that’s very good.
"That sort of innings certainly puts you high in the order for the selectors.”
Bancroft could come into the Australia side as wicketkeeper
The real question for Waugh and Co would be how best to slide Bancroft into Baggy Green.
Most sensibly, it would be as Warner’s opening partner but that would mean ousting Renshaw, whose Test career to date hardly screams ‘panic’.
Renshaw has a century and three fifties from 18 innings for his country, and averages a shade under 37. But his domestic form has been flaky - just 69 Shield runs at what could turn out to be an incredibly unfortunate average of 13.8.
That said, Bancroft’s ability with the gloves makes him an option at wicketkeeper - Waugh hailed his work behind the stumps against New South Wales - and with Matthew Wade a considerable way off Test-match form with the bat it’s not inconceivable that the selectors would choose to favour batting over glovework.
"He’s an excellent fieldsmen without gloves on, so should be easy with gloves on, but he’s a tough kid, tough cricketer, he was out on the ground basically all game, he’s very fit,” said Waugh.
"I haven’t seen enough of his keeping just yet but I’m sure with his natural ability to catch a ball there’s no reason why if he wanted to, to keep keeping then he could do it.
And if none of that suits, there’s still a place available at number six.
The two protagonists for the role - Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright - have yet to hit serious form. Should Australia decide that they don’t need a batsman-who-bowls in the middle order, Bancroft must surely be at the top of the list.
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