Hazlewood takes a
smart low catch to
dismiss Roy; top,
Archer attempts
to run Finch outanswer England’s raw pace with precision
Finch and England’s bowlers had
made what looked like an excellent
start on the sort of one-day pitch
appearing to require some raw pace.
What we did not realise then was
that Australia’s quick bowlers would
later do even better at the start of
England’s innings, albeit in more
helpful conditions under the lights
(that was England’s fault for electing
to bowl, though), with Josh
Hazlewood, who is not as quick but is
relentlessly accurate, absolutely
outstanding.
What we were sure of then was that
Archer had already dismissed the
opener David Warner with an utter
brute of a ball. It was the third
successive time this summer that
Warner had been bowled by Archer.
It was interesting because Stuart
Broad was doing some TV work and
he had clearly taken Warner’s wicket
on so many occasions during last
year’s Ashes that it was fair to say that
the batsman was in his pocket. But
that was red-ball cricket with Duke,
as opposed to a white ball with a
Kookaburra, and Broad was quick to
point out how different he thought
the plan had to be.
Broad had been going round the
wicket to the left-hander and looking
to bowl as full as he could, Archer
would be over the wicket and not
looking to be quite as full (“He’ll hit
you back over your head in these
games,” Broad warned).
What Broad said was that there
could be no width to Warner. He
talked about pitching on the stumps
and going across the southpaw. So
what did Archer do? He produced a
classic of that genre, pitching on the
stumps on a perfect length and
nipping away to hit the off stump.
It was as near to unplayable as you
will probably get. It was undoubtedly
the ball of the day, but that is never
the aim. You want to bowl the spell of
the day, just as a batsman wants to
play the innings of the game rather
than the shot of the game.
Equally interesting was that Broadwas talking about not necessarily
bowling a Test-match length. But that
was exactly what Hazlewood — and
indeed Mitchell Starc and Pat
Cummins — did in taking two early
England wickets later and conceding
only five runs from his first six overs.
Hazlewood gained much more
movement than anyone could have
expected from that white Kookaburra
ball and it meant that England had
made only 22 for two from their ten-
over powerplay. Australia were 46 for
two at that point.
The truth is that, while Chris
Woakes may have been a little under
par with the new ball, Archer and
Wood looked in menacing form.
Where England and indeed Archer
missed a trick was when Australia
were wobbling at 123 for five and
Archer was called for a second spell
in the 25th over. Archer’s three overs
in this spell were disappointing. He
went to his slower balls too early.
That was the time for more pace.
That was the time to nail the game —Liam Plunkett and his middle-overs
wickets, anyone? — and instead
Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell
regrouped in a partnership of 126.
Later was the time for those slower
balls on this surface, and especially to
investigate the middle of the pitch
with them. Archer did that very
decently — you need the threat of
your quicker balls so that batsmen
cannot set up for slower ones — but
only after Maxwell had hit him for
two sixes from the first two balls of
his return.
His third ball, though, was his
famed “knuckle” ball and Maxwell
inside-edged on to his stumps. There
was a third wicket for Archer in his
next over when Cummins skied
another slower ball to cover.
Wood returned to take a third
wicket — trapping Marsh leg-before
— and only conceded four runs from
his final, and the innings’ penultimate,
over. He and Archer finished with six
wickets between them, a good
afternoon’s work.at the last in brave stand
Sport Cricket
the times | Saturday September 12 2020 2GS 3
ECB employee
investigated
for ‘racial slur’
in club match
The ECB has launched an investigation
into allegations that one of its employ-
ees used a racial slur against a cricketer
of Pakistani heritage.
The alleged abuse took place during a
match last month in the South York-
shire Cricket League between Oughti-
bridge and Whiston Parish Church in
the South Yorkshire Cricket League,
when a member of the Whiston Parish
Church team was accused of using the
offensive term “P***” in reference to an
opponent.
The Oughtibridge team refused to
play the rest of the match, leaving the
field in protest, and reported the
incident to the umpires. The game was
then abandoned. The ECB has since
suspended the player pending the
outcome of an internal investigation.
The accused player, who strongly
denies using racist language, has
worked for the governing body in a
grassroots development role in the
north of England for several years. He is
one of a number of regional develop-
ment officers around the country
tasked with boosting the profile of the
sport and its playing numbers.
The matter has also been referred to
South Yorkshire Cricket League’s com-
mittee, which will be holding a disci-
plinary hearing next week, at which the
Whiston Parish Church player will
vehemently deny any wrongdoing. The
outcome of the ECB’s internal investi-
gation is not expected until after South
Yorkshire Cricket League’s disciplinary
panel has met.
An ECB spokesman told The Times:
“We are aware of an incident involving
an ECB employee during this match
and have already instigated a formal
internal investigation. An individual
has been suspended pending the
outcome of the investigation. The ECB
has a zero-tolerance approach towards
acts of racism, racist behaviour, or
discrimination of any kind.”
The issue is in the spotlight after
allegations last week by Azeem Rafiq,
the former Yorkshire off spinner, that
the county are “institutionally racist”.
Yorkshire have launched an independ-
ent investigation into those allegations,
which is being led by a law firm and
overseen by a new committee set up by
Yorkshire that includes members from
the Asian Cricket Council.
Rafiq, a former England Under-
captain, said his experiences at Head-
ingley left him close to taking his own
life having experienced racist com-
ments and prejudice throughout his
time with Yorkshire from 2008 to 2018.
This incident comes in the week that
Michael Holding, the former West
Indies fast bowler and now a Sky Sports
commentator, accused England and
Australia of giving “lame and feeble”
excuses for failing to take a knee in
support of the Black Lives Matter
movement before matches in the T
and ODI series.
Ian Watmore, the ECB’s new
chairman, admitted last week that the
lack of ethnic diversity on the govern-
ing body’s executive board and across
leadership positions in the sport
generally is “not acceptable”.Elizabeth AmmonSteve Smith will be assessed today
before a decision is taken on
whether he plays in the second ODI
against England tomorrow (Simon
Wilde writes). Smith was rested for
yesterday’s match after being hit on
the head while taking throwdowns
during practice on Thursday.
Smith, who was injured by a Jofra
Archer short ball in last year’s Ashes
Test at Lord’s, passed a concussion
test but was left out of the side as “a
precautionary measure”, according
to the Australia captain Aaron Finch.Concussion scare may
rule out Smith againTIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER; SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGESTop Billings
First ODI v IrelandSecond ODI v IrelandThird ODI v IrelandFirst ODI v Australia67* runs 54 balls118 11046* 6119 18The batsman’s first ODI century comes
on the back of an impressive summer
with England which has helped him
secure a place in the middle orderODI average this summer 125.
Strike rate 102.
Career ODI average 31.
Strike rate 93.