Marsh’s return to red ball cricket is an intriguing development. A few weeks ago he publicly stated that he would watch the opening Ashes Test from the stands in Perth. This meant he would miss the fifth round of WA’s Shield match against South Australia from Saturday in Adelaide. However, Marsh is now expected to play Victoria in the sixth round at the MCG from December 4, as well as WA’s one-day match against Victoria at Junction Oval on December 2.
The 34-year-old has not played a first-class match since being dropped after the Boxing Day Test against India last year and last appeared in the Sheffield Shield in October 2023. He has consistently played down any ambitions of returning to red-ball cricket.
Despite this, chairman of selectors George Bailey stated in April that Marsh’s Test career was not over, noting that his white-ball form and proven ability against high pace kept him in red-ball consideration, especially relevant as England were expected to unleash a fiery pace battery. through the Ashes.
Head coach Andrew McDonald recently confirmed that the selectors would be comfortable picking Marsh if necessary for the Ashes. With concerns remaining over Usman Khawaja’s form and age (he will be 39 during the Adelaide Test), Australia may need flexibility at the top level. If Jake Weatherald opens, he would be Khawaja’s seventh partner in 16 Tests.
Marsh has never opened in any of his 210 first-class innings and has batted at No. 3 just three times. He has never batted higher than No. 4 for Western Australia, and the selectors remain adamant that Shield teams determine their own batting order. Still, talks over his batting position are expected as his Shield appearance could be a one-off for the BBL and the impending T20 World Cup.
If Marsh were to open, WA’s long-standing pair of Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft would be split. Alternatively, he could fill in at No. 3 as the middle order continues to shuffle with the playing time of Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly and Inglis.
Marsh has an average of 28.53 in Tests from 80 innings, with a modest average of 12.57 from nine Tests at numbers 3 to 5. His best returns come at number 6, where he averages 31.24 and has scored all three of his Test centuries and nine fifties. A return as an all-rounder is unlikely as his bowling workload has been limited since a back injury.
Inglis, meanwhile, is expected to play high against the England Lions to give him maximum time in the middle, rather than grooming him as an opening option. He has never played first-class cricket, and all eight of his first-class centuries, including his maiden Test ton, have come at number 5 or below.
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