Stokes stuns with SEED in bowling return
Cricket: In his return to bowling in the Test arena, Ben Stokes has starred with the ball against Zimbabwe, picking up two wickets.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Steve Smith becomes the greatest visiting scorer at Lord's, as Kagiso Rabada creates his own history at WTC
At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously at Australia. In this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith — in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu — marking himself the greatest overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Smith moved ahead of Australia's Warren Bardsley (575 runs in seven innings), West Indian legend Garry Sobers (571 runs in nine innings), and the legendary Sir Donald Bradman (551 runs in eight innings) to become the most prolific visiting batter at the home of cricket. And he probably should have scored more. He was left fuming at himself for falling to part-time spinner Aiden Markram when creeping ever so slightly in reach of a 37th Test century. "I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that," Smith said, putting his head into his hands. While the vicious Australian pace attack once again came to Lord's and left English onlookers positively blushing with envy, it was a South African bowler that created his own small piece of history. Kagiso Rabada became just the second player in history at Lord's to have his name gilded on the honour boards of both the home dressing rooms and the away dressing rooms. Before the first day of the final, only one other Test player in the storied 141-year history of the longer format at Lord's had appeared on both boards, after legendary West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge scored tons for the Windies in 1984 and 1988, while also notching 122 for Rest of the World in 1987, when that team was playing out of the MCC dressing rooms. A piece of sticky batting tape with Rabada's name written on it in pen has been attached to the board for his figures of 5-51, as is the tradition for players during matches. The gold lettering should soon follow. "It was cool to have it in the home changing room now," said Rabada, whose name is on the board in the away dressing room for the 5-52 he took for his country in a Test against England in 2022. The 30-year-old fast bowler had come into the match with something of a cloud hanging over him having recently served a short ban for recreational drug use. "It wasn't my best moment, as I have alluded to," Rabada said, in a matter-of-fact manner. "Life moves on. Every game that I play for South Africa, I try to do my best." AAP/ABC
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Aussie quicks lead fightback at Lords
The Australia pace attack has struck back in the last session in the World Test Championship, reducing South Africa to 4/43 at stumps.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Marnus Labuschagne's ‘frustrating' first day on the job leaves Pat Cummins with a headache
Marnus Labuschagne's future at Test level could be hanging by a thread. As Australia marched into the World Test Championship final this week at Lord's, the spotlight turned a little sharper onto the Queenslander's recent output. Especially after skipper Pat Cummins opted to send him in to face the new ball while desperate for runs. Labuschagne has averaged just 28.33 across the two-year WTC cycle. It's a far cry from the prolific heights he once occupied, and now calls to axe him are slowly amplifying. His experience at No. 3 made it a somewhat logical selection for Pat Cummins to promote him to opener heading to Lord's. His ability to occupy the crease are, on paper, a captain's dream when looking for an opener. To his credit, he did a job, of sorts, on Wednesday. Surviving 18 overs of probing swing under moody skies at Lord's isn't a cakewalk. But it wasn't exactly reassuring for selectors looking to the future. His lack of momentum sparked criticism from the commentary box, as 20 consecutive dot balls sapped the momentum from Australia's innings early on. 'It's quite frustrating to watch,' said former England batsman and Aussie arch-nemesis Kevin Pietersen in commentary. 'He has the ability to hit the ball.' Even his own captain seemed to gently nudge him toward a more proactive mindset. 'We love when (openers) are busy and they're putting pressure back on the bowlers,' Cummins said. 'That's our message here to Marnus... There's runs to be scored there.' South African skipper Temba Bavuma also threw a veiled swipe before play this week, suggesting his strike team of seamers could capitalise on the 'opportunity' of having Marnus in a new position while in a slump. 'I think there is an opportunity there,' Bavuma said. 'I think the conditions as well, I believe, bring us into the game a lot. With the swinging ball, (it's) very different to Australian conditions. Different to South African conditions as well, so that definitely gives us an opportunity.' Towering left-arm quick Marco Jansen took that opportunity just as Labuschagne appeared to get over the initial hurdle, snagging his outside edge and sending him on his way for 17. Former captain and Marnus' good mate Steve Smith backed up Marnus in front of the press after day one, declaring that he 'looked really sharp'. That was echoed by former South African superstar AB de Villiers, who suggested the 30-year-old actually looked to be 'in form'. 'I thought he started pretty well today. He looked really sharp in his movements. He left really nicely. He was solid in defence and he played some really good shots,' Smith said. 'So I think it would have been nice (for him) to have gone on and made a few more, as it would have been for all of us out there, but I think we can take some positives on the way he was moving and the way he was playing.'
