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Youngster could help some of Australia’s modern greats tick their bucket lists

Matt Roller27-Jul-2023Moeen Ali was batting on one leg by the time he arched his bat and upper-cut Pat Cummins for four over Alex Carey’s head, and Australia seemed to have let their opportunity to take control of the fifth Test slip away.Cummins had finally won a toss, his first of the series, and asked England to bat first under thick cloud cover, with the floodlights turned on shortly after the lunch break. Australia had reduced England to 73 for 3 but dropped three catches and missed a run-out chance; Harry Brook and Moeen had brought up a 100-run stand in 17 overs.Enter Todd Murphy, long sleeves pulled up, top-button clasped and up-turned collar flopping down. At 22, Murphy is a boy in a team of men, the youngest player in this Australian XI by seven years. He has played as many Tests as Sheffield Shield games (six of each), and in most of those he has been Victoria’s second spinner.But here he was, standing at the Vauxhall End and trying to burgle a wicket for a group of team-mates at a completely different stage in life to him. This Australia team will undergo a near-total regeneration before its next tour here in four years’ time and these five days are about securing a legacy for most of them. Murphy is still making his way.Related

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Mitchell Starc four-for derails fast-paced England to give Australia the upper hand

His first ball was a fraction short, and Brook punched it away through point to get off strike. His second was even shorter. Moeen rocked back and pulled him away through midwicket for four. Cummins told short leg to move to midwicket, fearing that Murphy had already underlined the reason for his non-selection in Manchester last week.But Murphy’s next ball was a braver one: much fuller, drifting in with the around-the-wicket angle. It was quick (58mph/93kph) and hardly turned, but had enough drop on it to sneak underneath Moeen’s bat as he swung wildly, lining up a swipe into the leg side.Murphy hardly celebrated, wearing the expression of a bowler still annoyed at himself for the previous ball. Perhaps, too, he was conscious of what is to come: Moeen’s wicket brought Ben Stokes in at No. 6, the man who crashed him for five sixes at Headingley before eventually holing out to long-on.And yet Murphy fared well against Stokes, tossing the ball up and conceding only two singles from the 11 balls he bowled to him. He beat him on the cut, cramping him for room, and responded by dragging his length back when Stokes skipped out of his crease.He was whipped out of the attack after Stokes fell, losing his off stump to Mitchell Starc when looking to break the scoring pressure by turning him into the leg side, then returned for a token over before tea.After the interval, Murphy’s second ball was full and flighted, and scythed over point for four by Mark Wood. It was one of two boundaries he conceded, and just as he had after lunch, he responded by taking a wicket with his next ball: Wood cleared his front leg, and Murphy’s offbreak crashed into the top of his middle stump.There was a brief celebration this time, punching the air and roaring, “yeah! Come on!” before giving David Warner – 14 years his senior – a high-ten. Wood’s partnership with Chris Woakes was worth 49, the third-highest partnership of England’s innings; it was Murphy who broke two of the three substantial stands.He finished with 2 for 22 from his six overs – and it should have been three-for, but for a fluffed caught-and-bowled chance when Woakes chipped one back to him. Thrown into away tours in India and England, Murphy has 17 wickets at 24.94 in his first five-and-a-bit Tests.Moeen Ali was bowled by Todd Murphy for 34•Getty Images”Since he started in his Test career he’s been really good for us, through India,” Starc said. “He didn’t play a heap of a role at Headingley – [he was] used pretty sparingly there – but he’s come back and played a job today. He’s going to learn from those experiences, his first Ashes tour on the back of his first Indian tour.”Murphy has had a walk-on role in this series and it is clear that Cummins does not trust him to the same extent that he does Nathan Lyon. And how could he be expected to? Lyon is a veteran of 122 Tests; Murphy is playing the 14th first-class game of his career.”Obviously coming in and trying to fill Nathan’s boots is a big deal as it is,” Starc added. “Nathan has obviously bowled quite well here in the past; did in the Test final. Todd’s gone off the back of that and bowled some really good overs today with a couple of crucial wickets. We’ll look for him to play another part in the second innings.”Starc predicted that Murphy is “going to be a quality spinner for us for a long time,” and Australia will hope that he can be Lyon’s long-term successor. Whether that proves to be the case or not, he is fulfilling a role well enough that he could help some of Australia’s modern greats tick one final achievement off their bucket lists.

Arsenal fans have been going apoplectic over the refereeing decisions in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

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• Soft Saka foul against Nuno flagged by Gunners fans
• Arsenal could have had a penalty too
• PSG also had claim to a spot-kick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tensions were running high at the Emirates Stadium and on social media, as the performance of Slavko Vincic was questioned by both sets of fans on X. Arsenal supporters felt hard done by after Bukayo Saka was deemed to have fouled Nuno Mendes for a gentle push in the back. Had the play continued the winger was through on goal. Saka was then booked for kicking the ball away. However, both sets of fans will feel they could have had a penalty. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared to be impeded by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Arsenal area, while Mikel Merino saw a goal-scoring opportunity denied by Joao Neves. A replay appeared to show the Portuguese got the ball before making contact with the Arsenal midfielder.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Vincic's performance was the main point of conversation on X. One user, Culturecams, posted: "Ref needs half time more than the players."

  Another supporter, BodegaaCat, added: "This ref has been shocking. Mendes fell over way before he was touched"

  Mabyllionaire wrote: "Arsenal fans booing the ref… these lot were calling themselves "Dark Arts FC" and now someone's doing it to them in a game that actually matters they can't hack it."

  FIFA Youtuber and Arsenal fan Nepenthez gave his two cents, writing: "This f*cking ref man. Blowing every time a PSG player gets breathed on."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vincic did get some of his decisions spot on. Myles Lewis-Skelly was rightly shown a yellow card for a number of fouls on Desiree Doue. Even so, the attending Arsenal fans were vocal in their opinion of the Serbian's performance, showering the Emirates pitch with boos. Given the performance of both sets of players, their anger could only be directed at one man.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal face a difficult task in the second half as they fell behind to an smart finish by Ousmane Dembele in just the fourth minute. The curling effort was the result of a 27-pass move by Les Parisiens. Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to maintain the visitors' lead when he made a sharp save from a Saka effort a few minutes before the break.

Liverpool will hold new contract talks with Ibrahima Konate after learning of Paris Saint-Germain's desire to sign the defender this summer.

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• Liverpool have reportedly held new talks with Konate
• The discussions come amid interest from PSG
• But in-demand Huijsen could be a replacement

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Konate’s contract at Anfield expires at the end of next season and, as they seek to extend his stay at the club beyond then, the Reds also hold an interest in Dean Huijsen as a potential replacement for the France centre-back.

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  reported that there has been no breakthrough in talks between Liverpool and Konate, with the decision made to focus on his contract in response to interest from PSG, who knocked the Reds out of the Champions League this season.

  If no resolution can be reached with Konate, then there could be motivation on Liverpool’s part to cash in and avoid losing him for free at the end of next season. Should that scenario play out, then a move for Huijsen may be on the cards. The Reds are interested in the Bournemouth defender, but are expected to have competition from Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United.

• HOW KONATE AND HUIJSEN COMPARE

  There’s reason to believe Liverpool would not be too upset at the thought of losing Konate, if they could indeed replace him with Huijsen, who has impressed significantly for Bournemouth this season and has contributed to seven clean sheets in the league this season. The Spain international has been on the pitch for 25 of the 40 league goals Bournemouth have conceded. Konate has seen 21 of Liverpool’s 31 goals conceded with him on the field.

  Huijsen has made more blocks (25 to 15), interceptions (49 to 11) and clearances (160 to 110) than Konate in the league this season despite playing the same amount of games (27). Konate has the edge in terms of aerial duels won (69 to 61) and tackles (36 to 33).

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KONATE AND HUIJSEN?

  Konate will hope to help Liverpool get over the line and clinch the Premier League title on Sunday, when the Reds will need just a point against Tottenham to win the league.

  Bournemouth host Manchester United earlier on the same day, with Huijsen likely to be key as they look to take a step towards European qualification.

On the brink of a milestone only seven other bowlers in history have crossed, the Australia spinner looks ahead to his side’s next six Tests in England

Andrew McGlashan05-Jun-2023Nathan Lyon is already in rarified air as a Test cricketer. But he’s close to joining an even more exclusive club.With six Tests over the next two months there is every chance that he will claim the 18 wickets he needs to reach 500 – a milestone only achieved by seven bowlers in the history of the game.Lyon is not someone who likes focusing on personal milestones during a playing career, but he is able to acknowledge the significance of the landmark that is within his grasp during the upcoming Ashes series. His 400th wicket also came against England, during the 2021-22 series, when he had Dawid Malan taken at silly point on the fourth day at the Gabba.Related

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New candidates emerge as Australia search answers for who after Nathan Lyon?

“Yeah, I don’t like talking about myself in that light, but it is pretty amazing when you sit back and look at the names who have been able to take 500 Test wickets,” he said before flying to the UK. “I know I’ve been very fortunate and I’m grateful for my journey so far. It has been amazing, and if I’m able to tick that little box over the Ashes, it would be very special.”If I start looking at what I’ve been able to achieve, the Tests and the series that we’ve won, I’ll feel like the end can sneak up on you quite quickly. I still feel I’ve got a lot of cricket left in me and I know personally, I want to tick off some big goals in the many years to come. I’ll definitely look back at it when I do call stumps, but that’s not for a while yet.”Lyon, who made his Test debut in 2011 and claimed a wicket with his first delivery, now embarks on a two-month tour of the UK with two major prizes up for grabs: the World Test Championship and the Ashes, which Australia have not won in England since 2001.Lyon’s key role in Australia’s WTC final Facing India at The Oval on June 7 is the first matter of business for Australia before thinking about the Ashes, even though that series begins just four days after the Oval match ends. The WTC has been much more of a singular focus for the Australians this time after they missed the inaugural final due to over-rate penalties.”This is my World Cup final,” Lyon said. “Being part of the 2019 [ODI] World Cup, where we weren’t good enough against England in the semi-final, it did feel the World Cup dream probably slipped away.”Spinners Matt Kuhnemann (left) and Mitchell Swepson (right) in a BBL game. “I do feel the depth of Australia’s spin stocks has improved out of sight,” Lyon says•Bradley Kanaris/Getty ImagesLyon was a central figure in Australia’s campaign to secure their spot in this year’s WTC final. In this two-year cycle he claimed 83 wickets in 19 Tests at 26.97, 15 wickets more than the second most prolific bowler in this period, James Anderson. While history suggested Australia would dominate at home, they were handed a tough overseas draw with visits to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.Though only the tour of Pakistan produced a series win – and a very significant one at that – crucially Australia picked up three Test victories in those series, clinching their place in the final with the win in Indore where Lyon claimed 8 for 64. That followed five-wicket hauls in the other two successes: 5 for 83 in Lahore in a match that went to the final hour of the final day and 5 for 90 in Galle.”I’m pretty proud of the whole squad – players and coaches – the mentality of everyone, the way we played our brand of cricket, the different challenges of playing in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and at home,” Lyon said. “Feel like the World Test Championship final is a reward for our efforts over the last 24 months, but there’s a lot to play for now. We really need to make sure we go on with it and finish the job that we set out to do.”To go over to each country and play my role and be able to help contribute to a few wins, it’s been amazing, but it’s also been a massive learning curve for me and all our squad. Not one [performance] stands out – they are all equal in their own right. Saying that, it means nothing now. I need to make sure I’m playing my role [in the final].”Lyon’s looming centuryThe proximity of the WTC final to the Ashes has made for a curious build-up. The match against India deserves its own billing but the prospect of the five contests that follow it is mouth-watering given the resurgence in England’s Test cricket over the last 12 months.Lyon, who has recently launched an online platform called GOATD, which will provide members exclusive behind-the-scenes access to his tour, is on his fourth Ashes trip.”Feel like every Ashes is getting bigger,” he said. “England have been talking about the Ashes for a long time but for us we are purely focused on the WTC final and feel like we’ve got to be. We know we are there for the long haul and it will be a big challenge with what England throw at us, but right now the focus is purely on India.””To hopefully crack 100 consecutive games would be an extremely proud moment, but let’s try play 98 first”•SuppliedLyon’s first Ashes trip, in 2013, can be seen as a key moment in his career. He was omitted for the first two Tests, when Ashton Agar was preferred – Agar famously left a bigger impression with the bat by making 98 at No. 11 on debut. Lyon returned at Old Trafford. He has not missed a Test match since, currently sitting on 97 in a row.”It’s something that I’m pretty proud about, having played 97 consecutive Tests. To hopefully crack 100 consecutive games would be an extremely proud moment, but let’s try to play 98 first,” he said.This will be the earliest Ashes series in the UK since 1997 and it will be wrapped up before August – a month where in recent times such series have just been getting going. Lyon had a brief spell with Worcestershire in 2017, which gave him a taste of bowling in early-season English conditions, but he does not think much will have to change.”I’ve been watching a fair amount of county cricket and talking to the likes of Sean Abbott [at Surrey] and getting some intel on the surfaces,” he said. “Stokesy has come out and said they want hard, fast, flat wickets, so that’s what we are expecting.”While India come first, what of the prospect of being taken on by England’s Bazballers and their batters trying to put him into the stands? “Won’t be the first it’s happened to me,” Lyon said. “I have the record of most Test sixes in history so a couple won’t matter to me.”The shadow of Headingley 2019Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 under Tim Paine’s captaincy, so that was certainly a success, but it was also a missed opportunity to come away series winners: England levelled the series at The Oval after, of course, the Stokes-inspired Miracle at Headingley.Enough time has elapsed that Lyon is philosophical at looking back at his impending return to that ground; this year’s series features the same venues in the same order.”I know 99% of people probably think the run-out [that Lyon failed to effect during England’s last-wicket partnership in their successful chase] cost us everything, but we should have won that game well and truly before taking it so deep,” he said. “But Ben Stokes is going to go down as one of England’s greatest. Definitely feels like we missed a trick but to go over there and retain the Ashes was extremely special.The missed run-out of Jack Leach at Headingley in 2019: “I’m expecting the crowd [at Headingley in 2023] to let me know, but it’s not the first mistake I’ve ever made and it won’t be the last”•Getty Images”I’m not scared of the ground, I’m looking forward to being back at Headingley. Was probably one of the best Test matches I’ve ever been a part of. I’m expecting the crowd to let me know, but it’s not the first mistake I’ve ever made and it won’t be the last.”Future bright, but Lyon has no plans to leave Unlike in 2019, Lyon has a fellow spinner alongside him in the Test squad. Todd Murphy has been one of the breakout stars in the Australian game over the last 12 months and claimed 14 wickets on his maiden Test tour, in India, including a seven-wicket haul on debut in Nagpur.Australia’s schedule over the next couple of years – they do not tour the subcontinent for Tests until they go to Sri Lanka in early 2025 – means that, barring injury to Lyon, and the end of his long unbeaten Test run, Murphy is likely to have to wait for his next opportunity – unless an SCG Test calls for two spinners.But his emergence has gone a long way to answering the question of who replaces Lyon when the time comes. Along with Matt Kuhnemann’s swift elevation to Test cricket in India, the presence of Mitchell Swepson, the emergence of Corey Rocchiccioli at Western Australia, and hopefully a return for legspinner Tanveer Sangha from injury next season make for a sense that the spin stocks are in a healthy place.”Think the depth is growing very fast,” Lyon said. “[Matt and Mitch] have done exceptionally well in their own right and have played a role in winning games overseas. Hopefully I’ve been able to help the guys out here and there but I do feel the depth of Australia’s spin stocks has improved out of sight and it will be a good space for the next decade or so.”Lyon has no plans on vacating his position anytime soon. “The hunger and drive to get better is still there, and I still feel like I have a lot to offer Australia. I’ve never conquered this game of cricket and never will – feel like I can keep learning and keep getting better. Until that day comes when I can’t get any better or the hunger dries. That’s when I call stumps.”No. 500 may not be the last of his landmarks.

Our list includes a left-hand batter with boundless potential and an allrounder who shares Andre Russell’s birthday and some of his skills as well

Deivarayan Muthu14-Aug-2023Alick Athanaze (Barbados Royals)
When Alick Athanaze was on his way to the joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut, Carlos Brathwaite, who was on TV commentary at the time, dubbed him the “future of West Indies cricket”. Then, after the left-hand batter made his Test debut against India at his home ground in Dominica, in front of his family, R Ashwin picked him among a group of players who could dominate the next decade in cricket. A CPL debut for Barbados Royals this season will only embellish his CV.Athanaze hasn’t played any official T20 cricket yet, but showed during the ODIs against UAE and India that he has a variety of shots in his repertoire, including the reverse-sweep. He also has the experience of having featured in Global T20 Canada and the Vincy T10 league. His ability to bowl offspin and patrol the infield as the outfield makes him a particularly attractive package.Related

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Kevin Wickham (Barbados Royals)
Another former West Indies Under-19 player and another Royal, Kevin Wickham is also set for his CPL debut. Wickham, now 20, has played just six first-class and six List A games so far, but has already been part of CWI’s Emerging Players camp and was recently name-checked by Ian Bishop during an interview with ESPNcricinfo.Like Athanaze, Wickham is yet to play any official T20 cricket, but he did produce a Player-of-the-Match performance in the Barbados T10 final, which Settlers won. Opening the batting, he cracked 45 off 21 balls in that final, and could be among the top-order options for Royals too in the CPL. Wickham had also been on St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ radar and even played for their developmental team against a visiting Scotland side earlier this year.Matthew Forde (St Lucia Kings)
Matthew Forde shares a birthday with Andre Russell and has modelled his game on the T20 phenom. He can launch sixes down the order, hit hard lengths with the ball, and also bowl deceptive slower cutters, skills that have put him on the radar of T20 leagues even outside the Caribbean.Most recently, he finished Global T20 Canada as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with 15 wickets in eight games at an average of 10.80 and economy rate of 6.43 in Surrey Jaguars’ run to the final. Though his hero Russell had the final say in that final for Montreal Tigers, Forde did well enough to keep Chris Lynn and Sherfane Rutherford quiet. Forde was also impressive with the ball during the Cool & Smooth T20 tournament, conceding just five runs an over across seven matches.Forde played only seven games for Kings last season but could have a bigger role this CPL after having proven his white-ball chops in the LPL and GT20 Canada.Nicholson Gordon can leak runs but has the knack of picking up key wickets in pressure situations•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesKofi James (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots)
Kofi James was part of Patriots’ development sides and is a product of their extensive scouting system. James started his career as a lower-order batter but has now slid up the order after having expanded his range. It was on display during the Cool & Smooth T20 tournament, where he was the top-scorer with 330 runs in nine innings, including a century, ahead of Scotland internationals like Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross. James’ dart-it-in offspin has also attracted the attention of Patriots’ new head coach Malolan Rangarajan.”Adhishwar (The director of cricket at St Kitts) was on ground during our scouting camps, and he was speaking very highly about Kofi’s potential,” Malolan told ESPNcricinfo in the lead-up to CPL 2023. “I would term him under the ‘potential’ category. He has tremendous potential, but if given an opportunity, he has the tools to come up and produce the goods required.”He is someone who bowls real fast offspin and his batting has improved leaps and bounds. He’s batting at one-down and scoring hundreds in T20 cricket. So that’s the amount of work he’s put in, in his game. Also, he’s a brilliant fielder, so I think the world is his oyster now and he will only get better playing with experienced players at St Kitts.”Nicholson Gordon (Jamaica Tallawahs)
Nicholson Gordon, 31, is the oldest among the five players in this list but is young in terms of T20 experience. The fast bowler hadn’t played an official T20 until CPL 2022 and ended up winning the tournament with Jamaica Tallawahs. In the final against Royals, Gordon stepped up in the absence of the injured Mohammad Amir, taking out Najibullah Zadran, Corbin Bosch and Devon Thomas.Gordon is a bit like India’s Shardul Thakur. He has a tendency to leak runs but also has the knack of taking key wickets under pressure. And going for boundaries doesn’t prevent him from exploring attacking lengths. Gordon suffered a thigh injury earlier this year but is fit now and ready to bowl the difficult overs for Tallawahs once again.

Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko described the 2024-25 season as the 'worst season' of his career, as he claimed that Mikel Arteta stopped believing in him. The Ukrainian defender started in only five Premier League matches throughout the campaign, including the opener against Wolves, despite limited injury issues.

Zinchenko described last season as his worst everPointed fingers at Arsenal boss ArtetaFulham were eyeing a move for ZinchenkoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Zinchenko claimed that it was hard for him to digest that he was a regular member of Arteta's starting line-ups only a few seasons ago, but things drastically changed in the 2024-25 season. The defender claimed that the head coach no longer believed in him as he got very little chance to prove himself. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ZINCHENKO SAID

quoted some excerpts from the Gunners star's new autobiography, 'Believe', which read: "Unlike the year before, injuries were not to blame. A small problem with my calf kept me out of action in the month of September. A knock here and there. But I was otherwise fit for most of the campaign. I was basically out of the starting XI altogether, bar a few isolated matches. In pure personal terms, it was easily the worst season I ever experienced as a professional. 

"A player who doesn’t play is nothing. It’s one thing when your body lets you down. That can happen. But going from one of the established play­ers of the side to an unused sub is much harder to deal with. The sense of rejection you feel if your manager no longer believes in you can take the stuffing out of you, even if you’re the most resilient guy on the planet. Sitting on the bench in the Premier League for a very generous wage packet is obviously still a privilege, the kind of problem that billions of people on this planet would swap their much tougher lives for in a heartbeat. Trust me, as a Ukrainian, I’m aware of that. Every single minute. But every footballer started playing because they love to play the game. A big part of your life is missing without it. Imagine this little boy who’s dedicated his entire existence to becoming good at one particular thing and then finds at 28 that he’s essentially no longer needed, that there are others who can do the job for him. It’s not a nice feeling."

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reported last month that Fulham had shown interest in signing Zinchenko this summer. Arsenal were open to selling him, with a reported £15 million ($19.8m) price tag placed on the Ukrainian, however, the Cottagers are yet to come up with a formal bid.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta's men are all set to play their first match of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign on Sunday as they travel to Old Traffod to face Manchester United.

New South Wales were named champions when the season was brought to an abrupt end. Who stood out from the summer?

Alex Malcolm17-Mar-2020Leading run-scorers
Leading wicket-takersJoe Burns, Queensland (515 runs at 51.50)Burns only played six of the nine matches due to Test duty but was remarkably consistent given he played five of the six on the typically bowler-friendly Gabba surface. Only once did he fail to reach double-figures and he made three half-centuries and 135 in the fourth innings against Victoria to give Queensland a chance at a remarkable victory.Daniel Hughes, New South Wales (665 runs at 44.33)The left-hander had another consistent season for the eventual champions. He made a critical 66 not out to guide the Blues home in a nervy fourth-innings chase against Queensland at the start of the season and also made two half-centuries in a win over Western Australia plus twin hundreds against South Australia. He had a very similar year to South Australia opener Jake Weatherald but was a fraction more consistent. Weatherald mixed two big hundreds with six single-figure scores compared to Hughes’ four.Nic Maddinson, Victoria (780 runs at 86.66)Maddinson put together another phenomenal season for Victoria passing 50 in seven of his 10 innings including two centuries. He made a career-best 224 in the opening round of the season and never looked back. Even after a dismal BBL season, he was able to leave that behind and help drag Victoria into finals contention after they were winless at Christmas. He made scores of 95, 105*, 66 and 66 in wins over New South Wales and South Australia and was rewarded with Australia A selection for the second time this summer. He also made runs in three different positions for Victoria, opening, at No.3 and No.5.Cameron Green drills one down the ground•Getty ImagesShaun Marsh, Western Australia (724 runs at 48.26)Marsh started the Shield season in vintage touch with a double century against Victoria and an unbeaten hundred against South Australia. His form fell away a touch after the BBL where he was coming off a hamstring injury. He registered three ducks in a row including a pair against Tasmania, but his overall season at No. 3 for Western Australia was impressive as he passed 50 five times, the majority of which were scored as acting captain.Moises Henriques, New South Wales (512 runs at 51.20)Henriques was selected to captain Australia A and remains in calculations for Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh (if it goes ahead) after an excellent Shield campaign where he helped the Blues to the title. He made two centuries and a 91. His 116 against Queensland earned him player of the match honours while he had two mammoth partnerships with Steve Smith in wins over Tasmania and Western Australia. He only bowled 20 overs for the season but he did pick up two wickets. Henriques squeezed out Tom Cooper who was the competition’s second-leading scorer. Cooper is unfortunate to miss out but he scored 271 not out in a farcical draw with Victoria where just 12 wickets fell in two innings over four days but averaged 35.28 in his other 14 innings for the season.Cameron Green, Western Australia (699 runs at 63.54)The 20-year-old allrounder was unable to bowl for most of the season but finished as Western Australia’s most reliable specialist batsman. His three centuries all came with WA under immense pressure and his consistency across the season in an inconsistent team was remarkable. His best came against Queensland at the Gabba where he made 87 not out and 121 not out to single-handedly save his side from defeat. Green and Doug Walters are the only two players in Sheffield Shield history to have scored three centuries and have two five-wicket hauls before turning 21.Tim Paine celebrates his second first-class century•Getty ImagesTim Paine, Tasmania (313 runs at 39.12 and 29 dismissals; capt & wk)The wicketkeeper’s role was the toughest to fill. Alex Carey and Seb Gotch could both make cases having made two centuries each but they only played six games between them. Gotch made two centuries in two games, including a player of the match performance against Queensland, but unfortunately missed the other seven through injury. Jimmy Peirson completed 40 dismissals at the bowler-friendly Gabba but made just one fifty and averaged 29.75. Paine and Peter Nevill had the dual role of keeping and captaining and Nevill led New South Wales to the title, but Paine did have a good year making his second career Shield century against Western Australia in Perth. He also made a half-century on a green seamer at the Gabba and 48 not out in a fourth innings chase to beat WA by five wickets in Hobart. Nevill had a similar output with the bat (411 runs at 37.36) making three half-centuries but benefitted from better batting conditions in Sydney and better platforms from his top order. Paine completed 29 dismissals in 12 innings for the season.Michael Neser, Queensland (33 wickets at 17.30)Neser had another phenomenal season despite playing only six games due to Australia A duty. He went wicketless just twice in 12 innings and took a five-wicket haul and three four-wicket hauls. He is a beneficiary of the seamer-friendly conditions at the Gabba but of the 10 bowlers who took 25 wickets or more this season, he had the best average (17.30) and strike-rate (43.3) by some margin.Peter Siddle, Victoria (32 wickets at 19.87)Siddle is an ageless wonder. After retiring from international cricket he was supposed to step back into a support role for Victoria’s developing quicks but instead almost carried his state to a Shield final after they were last at Christmas. Siddle was ultra-consistent and had the best economy rate (2.28) of the top 20 wicket-takers in the competition. His best performance came in the key victory over New South Wales after the BBL when he took 5 for 49 in the fourth innings as the Blues tried to save the game.Wes Agar celebrates•Getty ImagesCameron Gannon, Queensland (38 wickets at 20.92)Gannon enjoyed his best season in the Sheffield Shield and finished as the leading wicket-taker with 38. Gannon took a five-wicket haul and four four-wicket hauls and only went wicket-less twice for the season. He took eight wickets for the match against Western Australia. He also made a career-best 45 as a night-watchman against Victoria at the MCG that was critical in Queensland’s thrilling win.Wes Agar, South Australia (33 wickets at 24.21)Agar was named Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year during an excellent Shield season for South Australia. His best performance came against Tasmania in South Australia’s first Shield victory in over two seasons when he took eight wickets including a career-best 5 for 53 and was named player of the match. He took five crucial wickets across two innings in the Redbacks’ second victory of the season again Western Australia. He also took a four-wicket haul against Queensland on debut, ripping through a Test-quality top order.