Cameron Bancroft fails again as prospects of a Test recall disappear

When he was picked for Australia A to play two games against India A, Cameron Bancroft was seriously being considered for a Test recall with an opener’s spot available.

Now the 10-Test batter, who will long be remembered for his involvement in the sandpaper scandal in South Africa could struggle to hold his spot for Western Australia after an MCG failure added to a gloomy domestic summer which has netted just 167 runs from 14 innings, at a dire average of just 12.

Bancroft made just 12 on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria, coming off four in a one-day game, and scores of three, zero, zero and 16 in four innings for Australia A which was billed as an auction for the Test opening spot, won by Nathan McSweeney.

He wasn’t the only WA batter to struggle, however, as Victorian spinner Todd Murphy, Test star Nathan Lyon’s understudy, took 4-37 from 15 overs to help roll the visitors for just 167.

Murphy’s haul came after he took also took four wickets in Victoria’s one-day win over WA on Tuesday.

The leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield for the past two seasons, Bancroft has suddenly fallen a long way down the pecking order when it comes to a national call-up, with Australian legendary Ricky Ponting declaring boom teenager Sam Konstas would be playing Test cricket “within 18 months”.

That’s a time-frame which could coincide with the international retirement of Test opener Usman Khawaja, who turns 37 in December but has signalled his intent to bat on to the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia.

Queensland selectors moved Matt Renshaw back to the opening position for the Bulls to give him the best chance of earning a Test recall, but he didn’t even make the Australia A squad and has just 69 runs in four Shield innings this summer.

He’ll need to wait to get his chance to improve on that after Tasmanian opener Jake Weatherald blasted a century and put on 137 for the second wicket with Tim Ward (51) to put their team in a position of strength at Allan Border field.

The visitors were 3-265 in the final session as the home team battled for breakthroughs playing without injured fast bowler Michael Neser, who may not return from a hamstring injury until midway through December.

In Adelaide, another former Test batter, and one-time NSW captain Kurtis Patterson made 71 to put his team in control of their match against South Australia.

Having bowled the home team out for just 110 on day one, NSW pushed their first innings lead close to 250, reaching 6-352 just after tea.