8th over: Australia 31-0 (Renshaw 17, Head 14) There’s been a lot of talk about Head as an opener, some people saying he should go back to five where he prospered, others scoffing and pointing as his good overall numbers, averaging near 50. The thing is that all of his big scores as opener have come in the second innings, when the match situation is clearer. He averages literally twice as much as he does in his first innings, when conditions are usually tougher.
He’s averaging 67 vs 33 on that split. So today is a chance for a big first-innings score. Although, given its the second innings of the match, this still isn’t the same as a tricky session-one challenge on the first day, with the ball moving around in the gloom.
In the first innings of matches, rather than his first team innings, he averages 23 opening. Adds a single here, struck to deep point but they have a sweeper back. So it’s Renshaw who does the boundary scoring, playing a fine on-drive from Jansen.
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