BBL novice Renshaw seeks more Shield runs

Oct 31, 2017 - 12:43 AM Matt Renshaw has admitted he needs more runs in the Sheffield Shield to confirm his place in the Australian side for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.

The 21-year-old also revealed his desire to play all three formats for Australia after he signed his first Big Bash League contract with the Brisbane Heat.

Renshaw is confident he can balance the demands of Twenty20 cricket and still maintain his patient approach to Test cricket.

But his first priority is ensuring he retains his spot at the top of the batting order for the opener against England on November 23.

Renshaw's position is not under any immediate threat, despite national selector Mark Waugh describing his form as "patchy" after he made 17 and 16 in Queensland's emphatic Sheffield Shield win over Victoria at the weekend.

"I'm not worrying about it yet... but from a confidence point of view, you want your openers playing well," Waugh told Big Sports Breakfast.

Renshaw hasn't heard from selectors recently but said he was happy enough with his own form.

"It's not too bad," he said on Tuesday.

"You obviously want to go on and score big runs but I had a fairly good time out in the middle in the first Shield game.

"I probably threw it away a couple of times there, so next time just try and bat all day.

"I haven't spoken to selectors but obviously everyone wants more runs before that first Test just to really confirm their place."

Assuming he does, Renshaw is hopeful he can fit in a game or two of BBL in between his Ashes commitments over the summer.

He seems completely ill-suited to the shorter forms of the game and acknowledged it will probably take him a while to adapt, having not played any T20 beyond grade cricket.

"I'll probably have to go to the nets and slog a few before I go out there so I'm a bit warmed up. It's going to be interesting," he said.

"Hopefully I can just learn on the go.

"I think down the track I would love to play all three forms for Australia."

The Heat have also signed promising young paceman Brendan Doggett, who picked up five wickets in a dream Shield debut against Victoria.

The 23-year-old is the first player with indigenous heritage to represent Queensland since 1983

Source: AAP