With Australia’s international commitments done for the season, some national-side members as well as those aspiring for a place or a return to the team ply their trade in different formats across the world. Here is how they fared last week.
IPL
Josh Hazlewood continued his outstanding form in the IPL early last week taking 4 for 25 to help Royal Challengers Bangalore to a key win over Lucknow Super Giants. His Test match skills have made him unplayable in the first three games in the IPL having taken eight scalps. His bag of four included the wicket of Marcus Stoinis who fell for 24 off 15 in the chase and copped a fine of 20% of his match fee for an IPL Code of Conduct breach following his dismissal.
Stoinis fell for a duck in his most recent match against Mumbai Indians holing out off another Australian in Daniel Sams. The left-arm seamer took 1 for 40 against Super Giants following on from an excellent showing against Chennai Super Kings where he took 4 for 30 in a losing side. Riley Meredith also bowled well for Mumbai against Super Kings taking 1 for 25 off 4 overs in his first game of the season, but like Sams, he was expensive against Super Giants conceding 40 off his four overs but did pick up two wickets.
David Warner made his third half-century in a row smashing 60 not out off 30 balls to help Delhi Capitals mow down Punjab Kings’ paltry target of 115 inside 11 overs. Warner continued his blistering ball-striking against Rajasthan Royals smashing 28 off 14 to get Capitals off to a rollicking start in their unsuccessful chase of 223. But he has made 219 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 157.14 so far in the tournament.
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Hazlewood’s Test-match skills bring rewards in the IPL too
Glenn Maxwell made 23 off 11 against Super Giants for Royal Challengers but missed out against Sunrisers Hyderabad as his team was rolled for just 68. Hazlewood had no impact with the ball as Sunrisers cruised to victory.
Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins were both left out of Kolkata Knight Riders’ side for their most recent clash with Gujarat Titans. Finch was coming off a half-century in the previous game but Cummins has just four wickets at an economy rate of 12 from his four games despite his heroics with the bat. Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer suggested at the toss against Titans that both men had niggles.
Meanwhile, Tim David has still not been recalled by Mumbai and Matthew Wade is also out of favour at Titans. Nathan Ellis played one game for Kings last week but only bowled two overs against Capitals and was left out of Kings’ side for their win over Super Kings on Monday night.
County cricket
Peter Siddle wound back the clock for a vintage display of seam bowling for Somerset in a losing cause against Surrey at the Oval. Siddle took 6 for 51 from 26 overs to help give Somerset the first-innings lead but their batters failed to capitalise. Matt Renshaw made 48 in the first innings for Somerset but was dismissed for just 10 in the second innings as Somerset were all out for 207. Siddle picked up the seventh wicket for the match in the second innings but Surrey chased down 237 in the fourth innings with three wickets to spare.
Marcus Harris continued his excellent start to his time at Gloucestershire making 67 against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Following on from his century against Yorkshire, Harris looked at ease against Lancashire striking 10 fours and a six on the opening day against a Test quality attack featuring James Anderson, Hasan Ali, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson. He looked set for another hundred before he was strangled down the leg side. But he fell in familiar fashion in the second innings with Anderson getting him yet again from around the wicket with a short of a length ball that angled in and nipped away to catch the edge, as he did during the Ashes in Australia.
Marnus Labuschagne made scores of just eight and 23 as Glamorgan lost to Middlesex by an innings. Peter Handscomb was out for a duck as Middlesex made 336 in their only innings of the match. Michael Neser took 2 for 67 for Glamorgan.
Mark Steketee took a four-wicket haul for Essex against Warwickshire but was incredibly expensive. The Queenslander took 4 for 130 from 26.2 overs in the first innings but Essex were soundly beaten.
Did you see?
Labuschagne’s struggles against Shaheen Shah Afridi were not left behind in Pakistan as the left-armer claimed him twice in the match at Sophia Gardens. Labuschagne chopped on for just eight in the first innings trying to leave a ball outside off that bounced a touch more than expected. He was pinned lbw for 23 in the second, playing across the line but claimed that he had gotten an inside edge after being given out. Shaheen has now dismissed Labuschagne seven times in first-class cricket and five times in his last nine innings. Labuschagne did get some consolation dismissing Shaheen with the ball as he claimed figures of 2 for 3 to wrap up Middlesex’s innings.
Forced absences
Mitchell Marsh missed Delhi Capitals’ controversial clash with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL because he was serving his seven-day isolation after contracting Covid-19. But he should be available for Capitals’ crucial clash with Knight Riders on Thursday night. Coach Ricky Ponting should also be available after missing the Royals’ clash due to being a close Covid contact.
Performance of the week
It is hard to go past Siddle’s six-for in a losing cause in the county championship. The 37-year-old was playing in his 200th first-class match, an extraordinary achievement for a fast bowler, and took his 27th five-wicket haul. He is now just 12 wickets shy of 700 first-class scalps.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo