Joe Mennie

Joe Matthew Mennie (born 24 December 1988) is an Australian professional cricketer. He is a right-arm fast-medium bowler for South Australia, the representative team of the South Australian Cricket Association, and in the 2017–18 Big Bash League season he will begin playing for the Melbourne Renegades, his fourth BBL team.

Joe Mennie
Personal information
Full nameJoe Matthew Mennie
Born (1988-12-24) 24 December 1988
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 446)12 November 2016 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 215)2 October 2016 v South Africa
Last ODI12 October 2016 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.16
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2011/12–presentSouth Australia
2012/13–2013/14Perth Scorchers
2013/14–2015/16Hobart Hurricanes
2016/17Sydney Sixers
2017/18–presentMelbourne Renegades
2018Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 1 2 77 50
Runs scored 10 1 1,865 342
Batting average 5 0.50 17.76 11.40
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/8 0/0
Top score 10 1 79* 43*
Balls bowled 168 120 15,864 2,475
Wickets 1 3 287 58
Bowling average 85.00 43.66 26.17 35.75
5 wickets in innings 0 0 7 1
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 1/85 3/49 7/96 5/36
Catches/stumpings 0/– 0/– 29/– 6/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 10 December 2019

Mennie lived in New South Wales for most of his early life and made his way through the ranks of New South Wales cricket to be part of New South Wales' Second XI in 2010, but he did not see many further opportunities for him there and moved to South Australia where he quickly made both his first-class and List A cricket debuts. His bowling improved over time until he became the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield in 2015–16. As a result, he joined the Australia A squad in 2016 and made both his One Day International and Test debuts in the 2016–17 season.

Early life

Mennie grew up in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, but as a teenager he moved to Nelson Bay. While living in Nelson Bay he played cricket for grade cricket club Western Suburbs in nearby Newcastle. At the time he played as a batting all-rounder, but once his body matured he became a specialist fast bowler. At the age of 17 Mennie moved back to Coffs Harbour and quickly broke into both the New South Wales Country Colts team and the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket. In 2010 he also broke into New South Wales' Second XI, but he saw that he would have limited opportunities to play for the state team, so in 2011 he moved to Adelaide to play for Adelaide University Cricket Club and he was given a rookie contract with South Australia's state team.[1][2][3][4]

Early domestic career (2011–2016)

In October 2011 he made both his List A[5] and first-class cricket debuts for the Redbacks.[6] His first big haul came against Western Australia when he took figures of 7/96, including the last five wickets of the innings to bowl out Western Australia and keep the Redbacks in the game.[7] He took the second-most wickets by a South Australian for the Sheffield Shield season[2] with 23 wickets at an average of 26.26.[3] He was signed to the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League Twenty20 competition, along with Ryan Duffield in December 2011 to replace the injured Mitchell Johnson and Mark Cameron. However, he didn't make his Twenty20 debut until October 2012, when he played in the Scorchers opening match against the Titans in the 2012 Champions League Twenty20.[8]

In the 2012–13 Sheffield Shield season Mennie improved on his form from the previous season. His best performance was 6/43, helping the Redbacks to bowl out Victoria cricket team for just 136 runs.[9] He became the fourth-highest wicket taker in the competition with 33 wickets at an average of 22.03 despite only playing six matches.[3] Mennie also proved his usefulness as a lower order batsman with a score of 79 not out, his maiden first-class half-century, against Queensland.[10] He followed up less successfully in the 2013–14 Sheffield Shield season with only 19 wickets and went into a lull for the next couple of season.[3] He wasn't in good form in Twenty20 cricket either and changed teams from the Scorchers to the Hobart Hurricanes.[11]

Mennie came back into the spotlight in the 2015–16 Sheffield Shield season. Despite not having any five-wicket innings for the entire season, he led all of the bowlers with 51 wickets at an average of 21.21.[2][12] He was a major reason for South Australia advancing to their first Sheffield Shield final since 1996, so he was awarded the Neil Dansie medal at the end of the season for being South Australia's most outstanding player for the whole season. He also won the Lord Hampen Trophy for being the state's best first-class cricketer of the season.[13] As a result of his outstanding season, he was selected to play for Australia A, Australia's second team, during the 2016 winter.[14] In August 2016 he signed with the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming BBL|06.[15] This was now his third BBL team.[11]

International debuts and Sheffield Shield dominance (2016–present)

In September 2016 Mennie was named in Australia's One Day International (ODI) squad for their tour to South Africa.[16] Mennie was surprised that his international debut would come in one of the shorter forms of the game given he had had more success in first-class matches than in List A matches. His form in the previous season's one-day tournament was poor, only taking seven wickets with an average of 50.85 and conceding more than 5 runs per over throughout.[17] Mennie made his ODI debut for Australia against South Africa on 2 October 2016,[18] and he broke the record for the worst bowling figures by an Australian on debut while Australia were demolished by 142 runs. Mennie bowled 10 overs and conceded 82 runs without taking a wicket. The loss was Australia's second biggest loss to South Africa and their fifth biggest loss of all time.[19]

Despite his poor performances in the ODI series in South Africa, Mennie was chosen to be part of Australia's squad for the Test series against South Africa. He was chosen over one of Australia's more established pace bowlers, Jackson Bird, because of his stronger lower order batting in the Sheffield Shield.[20] He wasn't named in Australia's team for the first match of the series and he was relieved of his 12th man duties so that he could play for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match.[21] When Peter Siddle suffered a back injury in the first Test, Mennie was brought into the Australian side to make his Test debut.[22] Mennie made his Test debut on 12 November 2016. His baggy green cap was presented by Ben Hilfenhaus and Temba Bavuma of South Africa was his first test wicket.[23]

After his debut Mennie did not remain in the Test team, and he began playing for the Sydney Sixers in BBL|06. After playing two matches, he was struck in the head with a cricket ball while bowling at training and was admitted to hospital with a "minor brain bleed".[24] He was released from hospital two days later and was cleared to fly to Brisbane for the Sixers' semi-final, though he did not play in the match himself.[25] Mennie then returned to Shield cricket and finished the season strongly with figures of 5/67 and 4/21 against Tasmania to take South Australia through to their second final in a row.[26][27]

Player profile

Mennie is not a particularly fast bowler, only bowling in the 130–135 km/h range.[28] Instead of using sheer pace to take wickets, he relies on consistency and accuracy.[2] His bowling action is front-on, different to most pace bowlers but comparable to former Test cricket Max Walker.[28] Because of his height, Mennie benefits from good bounce in his bowling. His best ball is his leg cutter, which he can use to turn the ball away from right-handed batsmen and bring slip fielders into play.[28]

References
  1. Leeson, Josh (16 February 2012). "Joe Mennie's flight path to Shield began with Rosellas". The Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  2. "Joe Mennie | Cricket Players and Officials". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. "Joe Mennie". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. "South Australia sign Doropoulos". ESPNcricinfo. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. "Mennie debuts for SA". The Coffs Coast Advocate. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  6. "Warriors on top in Adelaide". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  7. "Mennie and Ferguson bring South Australia back". ESPNcricinfo. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  8. Townsend, John (13 October 2012). "Scorchers stick to old plan for Champions League". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  9. "Mennie gives Redbacks hope of victory". ESPNcricinfo. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  10. "Queensland open title defence with big win". ESPNcricinfo. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  11. Bilton, Dean (28 October 2016). "Australia v South Africa: Joe Mennie is in line for baggy green, so you better get to know him". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  12. "Cricket Records | Sheffield Shield, 2015/16 | / | Records | Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  13. "Mennie, Maddinson and Hartley rewarded". ESPNcricinfo. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  14. "Cummins set to return in Australia A series". ESPNcricinfo. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  15. "Joe Mennie Signs with the Sixers". sydneysixers.com.au. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  16. Brettig, Daniel (5 September 2016). "Australia pick three uncapped quicks for SA ODIs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  17. Coverdale, Brydon (5 September 2016). "'I was very shocked' - Joe Mennie". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  18. "2nd ODI, Australia tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Oct 2 2016". ESPNcricinfo. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  19. "Joe Mennie records worst bowling figures by Australian on debut as South Africa thrash Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  20. Brettig, Daniel (29 October 2016). "Mennie in Test squad, Khawaja recalled". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  21. "Sayers six-for, Weatherald ton floor Tasmania". ESPNcricinfo. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  22. Brettig, Daniel (8 November 2016). "Siddle to have scans on sore back". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  23. "2nd Test, South Africa tour of Australia at Hobart, Nov 12-15 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  24. "Mennie suffers 'minor brain bleed' after head hit". ESPNcricinfo. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  25. Buckley, James; Pierik, Jon (25 January 2017). "Fast bowler Joe Mennie released from hospital after brain bleed and fracture". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  26. "Mennie takes five; McDermott scores maiden ton". ESPNcricinfo. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  27. "South Australia wait on fate after Shield win". ESPNcricinfo. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  28. Collins, Adam (8 December 2015). "Joe Mennie building an impressive resume of first-class success with South Australia". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
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