Nathan McSweeney, Cooper Connolly and Campbell Kellaway star for Australia A as another England side struggles on tour
McSweeney initially played the anchor role alongside promising opener Campbell Kellaway (71) and lone Test rookie Cooper Connolly (88 from just 92 deliveries) before opening the shackles to hit 23 fours and two sixes.
While Khawaja has not indicated he will retire after being ruled out of the second Test with back spasms (he was replaced by Josh Inglis), Head’s flexibility opening up alongside Weatherald has only widened the pool of potential successors.
Cooper Connolly was delighted when he was presented with his baggy green hat in February. Now comes the challenge of working towards recall.Credit: Getty Images
Seven-Test all-rounder Beau Webster contributed 44 points for the Australia A team, while Konstas hit his first century of the Shield season for New South Wales on Friday..
Renshaw, who was previously backed by Khawaja for an Ashes call-up, managed just eight goals against the Lions but has already bagged three Shield tons this summer.
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This paints a sad picture for the tourists, given how Australia’s bench prospects are tearing apart England’s second-tier squad.
The Lions scored just 166 in their first innings at the wicket, which was largely a batsmen’s paradise.
Much-touted youngster Jacob Bethell, who has made three half-centuries in four Tests but is yet to score a first-class ton, fell to spinner Todd Murphy for just 19.
Despite four Englishmen succumbing to ducks in the first innings of the second Test against an Australian attack missing Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, the 22-year-old has a good chance of moving up the ranks based on his form.
Among those setbacks was Bethell’s No. 3 opponent, Ollie Pope. Despite a promising start with scores of 48 and 33 in Perth, he only managed to average 25.36 half-centuries in his last 11 overs.
But when asked whether the England brass should have done more to support him, given the impetuous nature with which Pope and Harry Brook fell when shooting away from their bodies, Root insisted the situation was “not that black and white”.
“I think the rest of the top order has to trust their ability to read the situation and play the way they see fit and I think they are very good at doing that over and over again,” Root said.
“That’s why they’ve had the success they’ve had individually. I trust every single one of them, I know they’ll go out there giving everything they can to get the highest output for as long as possible.”
“I have confidence in their play and decision-making under these conditions. They are all more than capable of winning games for England.”
