The Daily Telegraph - 24.07.2019

Sport Cricket

way to the Long Room

Cummins stands out

on day for bowlers

Calum Trenaman at the Ageas Bowl runs the rule

over two teams of Australians as they play a trial

match to stake a claim for a place in the Ashes

Who shone

Marnus

Labuschagne

As his team,

the Haddin

XII, crumbled

around him,

being

dismissed for

105, Labuschagne

stood firm. He not only showed the

temperament required to weather

the storm on an unpredictable

pitch, but did so with class as well.

He was patient, but attacked when

he could, taking Chris Tremain for

three fours in one over, which

included an all-run four and an

attractive cut through point. He

hooked Jackson Bird for another

four soon after, too. Labuschagne’s

41 from 81 may look modest, but

when no other recognised batsman

in his side made more than six, his

value shone through.

Pat Cummins

Cummins

showed no

signs of

struggling to

adapt back to

red-ball

cricket after

Australia’s World

Cup campaign. If yesterday was

anything to go by, England will

have to practise ducking and

swaying when facing Cummins.

He bowled with pace and intent

throughout his spells for the

Haddin XII, and batsmen struggled

to get him away. The usually

unflappable Steve Smith was

visibly thrown by some of

Cummins’s bowling, and

eventually wafted at a wide one

that took his inside edge and

deflected into the stumps.

Cummins also removed Cameron

Bancroft and Peter Handscomb as

the Hick XII reached 96 for seven

at the close. He looks dangerous.

Michael Neser

The Ageas Bowl

could have

doubled as the

WACA in Perth

such was the

temperature,

and such was

the bounce

some bowlers

obtained from the pitch.

Neser proved that at English

grounds, though, you do not need

fire-and-fury pace bowling to

succeed. He is by no means slow,

but his consistent plugging away

in good areas with the ball brought

him his rewards. He took the

wickets of both Haddin XII

opening batsmen, including

David Warner, and finished with

four for 18 off 10 overs. The

uncapped Neser could be in with a

chance to make the final 16-man

Ashes squad.

Who flopped

Travis Head

After several

impressive

displays for

Australia A in

England this

summer, Head

failed here.

Chosen to captain

Haddin’s XII, Head came in earlier

than he had probably anticipated

with his side stumbling at 15 for

two. He took 14 balls to get off the

mark, but only lasted another five

as he swiped at a rising Bird

delivery and was caught by Smith

at second slip for one. He has been

considered one of the more

talented and valuable players in

the squad for a short while, but

this was an impatient innings and

he should have recognised the

pitch was producing some uneven

bounce.

Marcus Harris

With Warner

likely making

his return to

the Test team

in the

opening

Ashes game at

Edgbaston, this

leaves only one opening berth left

for Harris, Joe Burns and Bancroft

to fight over. Harris had not nailed

down the opening spot in Warner’s

absence during the Australian

summer, and he may have missed

his chance after a weak

performance yesterday. He made

six from 21 before copping one in

the pads that did not bounce as he

thought it would. Burns and

Bancroft both exceeded his score

and looked far more assured in

the middle.

Peter

Handscomb

After a great

start to his

Test career,

where he

scored

centuries in his

second and fourth

Tests, Handscomb was soon found

out at international level. Bowlers

realised that if they pitched it up

on the stumps, Handscomb, who

plays from deep in his crease,

would eventually miss one and be

out bowled or lbw. England

employed this strategy in their

World Cup semi-final against

Australia, when Chris Woakes’s

full devivery found an inside edge

and was deflected into the stumps.

Cummins utilised the same tactic

yesterday. Handscomb made a

scratchy two before Cummins

rocketed one into his pads to

dismiss the Victorian. It is hard to

see how Handscomb makes the

squad with such a flaw in his

technique.

Vote for Williamson Stokes turns down nomination to be New Zealander of Year

England’s Ben Stokes

says he was flattered to

be nominated for New

Zealander of the Year,

but the country’s World

Cup cricket captain

Kane Williamson

should win it.

Stokes, 28, was born

in New Zealand, but

moved to England aged

12 when his father,

Gerard, took a rugby

league coaching job.

A man-of-the-match

performance in

England’s

super-over

victory against

New Zealand in

the World Cup

final at Lord’s earned

Stokes early

nominations for New

Zealander of the Year.

In a statement, the

all-rounder said that

while he was proud of

his heritage the

nomination “would not

sit right”.

Stokes added: “I feel

the whole country

should align their

support to Kane

Williamson. He should

be revered as a Kiwi

legend. He led his team

in this World Cup with

distinction and honour.

“He was the player of

the tournament and an

inspirational leader. He

shows humility and

empathy to every

situation and is an

all-round good bloke.

He typifies what it is to

be a New Zealander.

“He would be a

worthy recipient of this

accolade. New Zealand,

fully support him. He

deserves it and gets

my vote.”

Nominations for the

award opened on July 1

and close on Sept 15. A

shortlist is confirmed in

December, with the

winner named in

February next year.

The last sportsman

to win the award was

former All Blacks

captain Richie McCaw

in 2016 after he led the

side to their second

successive Rugby

World Cup title in

late 2015.

in it.

28, was born

ealand, but

England aged

his father,

ook a rugby

aching job.

of-the-match

nce in

s

er

gainst

and in

d Cup

his heritage the be r

lege

in th

dist

“H

the

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show

emp

situ

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He t

be a

“H

Diplomat:

Ben

Stokes

The Daily Telegraph Wednesday 24 July 2019 *** 5

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