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Once pigeonholed as a patient opening batsman in the Test arena only, Matthew Renshaw’s evolution into an aggressive middle order player has him in the frame to become Australia’s next three-pronged weapon.
His exploits for the Brisbane Heat to keep their Big Bash League campaign alive is evidence of that, and as powerhouse batsman Tim David races to be fit for February’s T20 World Cup, his form has come at the perfect time.
The Queenslander joked that “T20 cricket was always something I wasn’t good at apparently” after scoring a breakthrough BBL century against the Perth Scorchers, but his 324 runs (averaging 40.50) trails only Stars wicket-keeper Sam Harper this season.
Can Matthew Renshaw become Australia’s next three-format player?Credit: Getty
His handy off spin has also yielded five wickets.
On Wednesday night in Brisbane’s shock three-run win against the ladder-leading Hurricanes, Renshaw backed up his quickfire 37 from 25 balls with a piece of fielding brilliance – jumping up to prevent a six when Hobart needed just 18 runs to win.
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While David is tipped to have recovered from a hamstring injury in time for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Renshaw’s prowess against spin bowling could make him the perfect subcontinent replacement having found a home in the middle order.
“I tried doing the opening stuff in one day cricket and probably got a bit too excited – two fielders out trying to slog a bit,” Renshaw said in December.
“I know when I’m batting properly, trying to hit the sweep hard, we obviously get a lot of spin in the middle order and I feel that’s a strength of mine being able to take some risks with different options.”
When the BBL season makes way for the return of the Sheffield Shield, Renshaw will look to mount his case for a Test recall to replace incumbent opener Jake Weatherald.
Weatherald largely struggled during the Ashes, ending his campaign with 201 runs at an average of 22.33.
While interim captain Steve Smith praised Weatherald’s contributions, stressing the way he started in “pressure situations” enabled Australia to build momentum, Renshaw’s three centuries for the Bulls already this Shield season has kept the pressure on.
Australia could play as many as 21 Tests from the start of their August series against Bangladesh to the end of the 2027 Ashes in July, opening plenty of doors for Renshaw to earn his first cap since February 2023.
Having made his one-day international debut against India following Smith’s retirement from the format, he believes his white ball turnaround has been a factor in his resurgence.
“For me, it’s always been about red ball cricket, and I think that’s what the media has always pushed. White ball cricket for me was a lot of being able to go and express myself being able to play in a different way people were expecting me to,” Renshaw said.
“It was always just enjoyable to go out there and try to play some shots and do some things no one was expecting. There was a lot less pressure on me playing one day cricket compared to the added pressure that comes with playing Test cricket so young.”
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