When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. The 2022/23 season is one New South Wales would like to forget, with the Blues going without a win in the Sheffield Shield for the first time in 84 years, extending their winless streak to 12 matches.
Former Test opener, Phil Jaques was sacked as coach barely two months into the season, following the Blues’ worst start to a Shield season in 14 years.
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The man tasked with changing their fortunes is Greg Shipperd, one of the most decorated coaches in Australian cricket, who officially took the reins in May after stepping in as interim coach following Jaques’ sacking in November last year.
With a new coach and some big list changes, let’s see how the Blues are shaping up for the upcoming domestic season…
Last season in numbers
Sheffield Shield: sixth on ladder (0 wins, 5 draws, 5 losses)
Leading Run-Scorers:
Daniel Hughes (537 runs at 41.30)
Moises Henriques (503 runs at 31.50)
Kurtis Patterson (417 runs at 29.78)
Leading Wicket-Takers:
Sean Abbott (21 wickets at 29.33)
Chris Green (20 wickets at 23.05)
Chris Tremain (20 wickets at 29.95)
One-Day Cup: 5th on ladder (2 wins, 5 losses)
Leading Run-Scorers:
Daniel Hughes (548 runs at 78.28)
Kurtis Patterson (206 runs at 29.42)
Moises Henriques (178 runs at 25.42)
Leading Wicket-Takers:
Liam Hatcher (11 wickets at 21.54)
Chris Green (6 wickets at 30.50)
Chris Tremain (5 wickets at 18.8)
New South Wales 2023-24 Squad: Sean Abbott*, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins*, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood*, Moises Henriques, Baxter Holt, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon*, Blake Macdonald, Blake Nikitaras, Kurtis Patterson, Ross Pawson, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith*, Mitchell Starc*, Chris Tremain, David Warner*, Adam Zampa*.
Rookies: Joel Davies, Jack Nisbet, Will Salzmann, Lachlan Shaw, Hunar Verma
*Cricket Australia contract
Ins and Outs:
Ins: Jackson Bird (Tasmania), Joel Davies, Chris Green, Blake Macdonald, Ross Pawson.
Outs: Trent Copeland (retired), Liam Doddrell (delisted), Mickey Edwards (Yorkshire), Lachlan Hearne (delisted), Daniel Sams
Some exciting changes to New South Wales’ contract list for 2023/24, headlined by the recruitment of NSW-native, Jackson Bird, with the prolific fast bowler heading home after 12 years representing Tasmania.
Chris Green certainly isn’t a new name to those who have followed the BBL over recent years, but the 29-year-old has earned his first state contract after being one of the few shining lights for the Blues after making his Shield debut last season.
Canberra-born Blake Macdonald has also earned a full contract after a stellar season at club level, and impressed on Shield debut last season, posting scores of 21 & 61 at the top of the order.
Fast bowler Ross Pawson enters the squad, while exciting young talent, Joel Davies has been handed a rookie contract after leading the Australian under-19 side against England last summer.
Veteran pace bowler Trent Copeland announced his retirement at the end of the 2022/23 season, ending a decorated career that saw him play three Tests and take 410 first-class wickets.
Fellow fast bowlers Mickey Edwards and Daniel Sams have also exited the squad, with Edwards taking up a contract with Yorkshire in County Cricket, while Sams has opted to explore his options on the global T20 circuit. Batsman Lachlan Hearne has also been delisted, as has Liam Doddrell.
Nathan Lyon is one of several Blues with a Cricket Australia contract (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Squad breakdown:
Batters: Oliver Davies, Ryan Hackney, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Blake Macdonald, Blake Nikitaras, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Steve Smith, David Warner
Wicket-Keepers: Matthew Gilkes, Baxter Holt, Lachlan Shaw
All-Rounders: Sean Abbott, Jack Edwards, Hayden Kerr, Joel Davies, Will Salzmann
Fast Bowlers: Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Ben Dwarshuis, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood, Ross Pawson, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain, Jack Nisbet, Hunar Verma
Spinners: Chris Green, Nathan Lyon, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa
Analysis:
It seemed the criticism of the Blues’ ignorance in overlooking players bashing the door down in Premier Cricket in favour of ‘pathway’ players and out-of-form veterans was finally justified last season, as they finally looked to give opportunities to mature-agers such as Green and Macdonald.
On paper, the squad possesses plenty of young talent, but one of the main challenges Shipperd will face is getting the most out of his senior players.
Kurtis Patterson relinquished the captaincy after a below-par season which saw him get dropped from the side and will look to bounce back strong after a disappointing year. Jason Sangha exploded onto the domestic scene after impressing at under-19 level but has struggled to realise his potential since.
Kurtis Patterson stepped down from captaining the Blues. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Daniel Hughes was a saving grace at the top of the order last season and can consider himself incredibly unlucky at being left out of the initial ODI squads in the lead-up to the World Cup after one of the most prolific Marsh Cup seasons in history last season.
Don’t be surprised if Shipperd unleashes a new-look top order next season, with Ryan Hackney and Blake Macdonald likely to feature in the top three, with the former smashing 961 runs in Premier Cricket last season, while Blake Nikiratas’ poor form last season will likely see him pushed down the pecking order.
Ollie Davies will be looking to cement his spot in the Marsh Cup side, following selection in the Australia A one-day squad.
Incumbent keeper Baxter Holt will likely take the gloves again in Shield cricket but may be sweating on his spot if he doesn’t continue to improve, with the often inconsistent but capable Matt Gilkes poised to fill the void. Jack Edwards is one who will be hoping to feature more regularly at domestic level after an impressive knock of 138 against South Australia in March.
Versatile all-rounder Hayden Kerr will be used in a variety of roles once again, while Joel Davies is also likely to feature at some stage in white-ball cricket.
New South Wales has learned to live without the likes of Smith, Warner, Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins among others, but the looming unavailability of all-rounder Sean Abbott is likely to leave a gaping hole in their lower order and bowling stocks that will be hard to fill, both from a talent and team balance perspective, after being the leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket last season for the Blues, despite playing just six matches.
The addition of Bird adds potency to a bowling attack that struggled to take wickets last season, while the emergence of Ben Dwarshuis as a skilled red-ball bowler adds another dimension to their bowling stocks. Chris Tremain, who Shipperd coached at Victoria, will be turned to when needed, while Liam Hatcher will be looking to cement his spot in the side.
Green’s strong form last season should see him feature again in red-ball cricket, however, he will face competition with promising leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha and Nathan Lyon both returning from their respective injuries. Lyon’s return date is unclear as he recovers from the calf injury he sustained in the Ashes at the end of June, but will almost certainly feature for the Blues in Shield cricket early in the season if fit.
Sangha, meanwhile, was recently named in Australia’s ODI side to take on South Africa despite the 21-year-old not playing any professional cricket for nearly a year, highlighting how highly national selectors rate the uncapped youngster, who looms as a potential inclusion in Australia’s World Cup squad in October.
Predicted Sheffield Shield XI:
Ryan Hackney
Daniel Hughes
Blake Macdonald
Kurtis Patterson
Moises Henriques (c)
Jack Edwards
Baxter Holt (wk)
Chris Green
Ben Dwarshuis
Jackson Bird
Nathan Lyon
Predicted One-Day Cup XI:
Daniel Hughes
Kurtis Patterson
Moises Henriques (c)
Matt Gilkes (wk)
Jack Edwards
Joel Davies
Hayden Kerr
Chris Green
Ben Dwarshuis
Chris Tremain
Liam Hatcher
*Sean Abbott, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, David Warner, Tanveer Sangha and Adam Zampa excluded due potential national team commitments.
How They’ll Go: Greg Shipperd has his work cut out for him, but if there’s anyone that can turn a sinking ship around, it’s him. It won’t be an immediate return to the top for the Blues, but there is certainly enough talent in the squad to win games of cricket and perform at a much higher level than what we saw from them in 2022/23.
Shield Prediction: 5th
One-Day Cup Prediction: 4th
