Labuschagne facing the axe as Australia's fragile batters leave door open for South Africa
Marnus Labuschagne (17 and 22) entered this game with the most pressing doubts around his place, having been shunted up to open so that room could be made for Green. With a start in each innings, he looked momentarily secure. But his problems are less to do with early trouble than some troubling patterns once he's spent time at the crease.
Labuschagne is vulnerable around off stump, so often caught behind. He has developed a tendency to feel for the bat on the ball, when his earlier Test innings were marked by sharp judgment of what to leave alone.
Soon to turn 31, Labuschagne is young enough to rise again should the selectors wield the axe in the Caribbean, but the issues around him are mounting.
Travis Head (11 and nine) was unfortunate to glance into the diving glove of Kyle Verryenne on day one, but getting bowled by Wiann Mulder's nip-backer on day two would have grated. And Steve Smith's first innings 66 could not be repeated as Lungi Ngidi got one in the right place for an lbw verdict on 13.
A scoreline of 7-73 had the many visiting South African supporters dancing in the stands: they have handily outnumbered Australians in attendance at this game, and were in full voice for long periods. It was left to Carey to retrieve things for Australia, which he did with the assistance of a thin inside edge that saved him from lbw.
Cummins did not last long with the bat, but as his team's captain and bowling spearhead, he put in a sublime shift to keep South Africa from getting anywhere near a first innings lead. He is supremely consistent with the ball, and bowled the right lengths for a tricky surface to challenge batters to drive him. To reach 300 Test wickets in 67 Tests puts him in the top tier.
'I feel pretty proud to join that group,' he said. 'For the first few years I didn't know when my second Test match was coming, so I feel like I've got lots of miles in the legs. Back in the day, 300 felt like you're close to the end ... hopefully I don't feel like I'm going to end anytime soon.'
There was, too, something ruthless about how Cummins went after Rabada at the end of the innings, striking him twice on the body then inducing a hook shot that Beau Webster caught splendidly on the boundary to give his skipper 6-28, the best bowling figures ever by a captain in a Lord's Test.
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At that point, the game looked to be very much in Cummins' keeping. But by the time stumps were drawn, Australia's batters had kept the door open for the Proteas. They have also set the agenda for what may be one of the current team's more vexing selection meetings in years.
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The Advertiser
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- The Advertiser
Starc quality with bat and ball in vain at Lord's
Mitchell Starc has won all four of the World Cup and World Championship cricket showdowns in which he's featured - and he was damned if he wasn't going to give it everything to maintain that proud record. On a fraught Friday when Australia needed their main men to stand up and be counted at Lord's, nobody stood taller than the 35-year-old pacer - or should that really be allrounder - as he produced another performance deserving of a global triumph. Starc not only delivered a tremendous half-century in a dogged last-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood but then snapped up the two key early wickets that looked set to ensure they'd race to the mace. And if a helmeted Steve Smith had not ventured quite so far forward in the slips and hadn't spilled the catch from another Starc snorter that should have sent Temba Bavuma packing, surely the evergreen leftie would have been in contention for player-of-the-match honours with South Africa seemingly sliding to defeat. Instead, in the match's absolute turning point, Bavuma survived, going on to play a true captain's knock with his unbeaten 65 while struggling with a hamstring injury, and Smith ended up out of the final and on his way to hospital with a dislocated right pinkie. At 2-76 rather than 3-76, Bavuma and an inspired Aiden Markram flourished in the sunshine on a wicket playing without the mischief it had done under the cloud-tinted skies of the first two days and it now looks inevitable Starc's unbeaten final record will end on Saturday. His frustration became evident near the end of what looked a trying day for him. Indeed, when Markram began to dominate late on Friday, cutting Starc expertly away to the boundary, the southpaw quick could only wave his arms in clear frustration that the match was slipping away. He must have felt he deserved more, especially after earlier having looked quite untroubled in compiling 59 with Hazlewood for Australia's last wicket, a partnership that lasted 135 balls, at that point comfortably the longest of the match. It's often been suggested Starc could have been an authentic allrounder if he'd concentrated more on his batting, and he certainly looked the genuine article here as he remained unbeaten on 58 - his first Test half-century for six years but his 11th in total. Not bad for a No.9 who now has 2276 runs to his name. Playing like a senior batter, he even shielded Hazlewood from the strike during much of their partnership, particularly against the Proteas' strike bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. It was the second-most deliveries he's faced in a Test innings since he made 99 in Mohali a dozen years ago, but until Hazlewood looked mightily irritated to get dismissed softly, he may have even fancied enjoying the bragging rights of eclipsing that career-best Test score which, oddly, he shares with his wife Alyssa Healy. For once, he looks set to be denied, but it's been such a topsy-turvy showpiece that those 69 runs still needed by South Africa could look awfully hard to eke out should Australia's old Starc quality shine once more with a couple of quick blows on Saturday morning. Mitchell Starc has won all four of the World Cup and World Championship cricket showdowns in which he's featured - and he was damned if he wasn't going to give it everything to maintain that proud record. On a fraught Friday when Australia needed their main men to stand up and be counted at Lord's, nobody stood taller than the 35-year-old pacer - or should that really be allrounder - as he produced another performance deserving of a global triumph. Starc not only delivered a tremendous half-century in a dogged last-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood but then snapped up the two key early wickets that looked set to ensure they'd race to the mace. And if a helmeted Steve Smith had not ventured quite so far forward in the slips and hadn't spilled the catch from another Starc snorter that should have sent Temba Bavuma packing, surely the evergreen leftie would have been in contention for player-of-the-match honours with South Africa seemingly sliding to defeat. Instead, in the match's absolute turning point, Bavuma survived, going on to play a true captain's knock with his unbeaten 65 while struggling with a hamstring injury, and Smith ended up out of the final and on his way to hospital with a dislocated right pinkie. At 2-76 rather than 3-76, Bavuma and an inspired Aiden Markram flourished in the sunshine on a wicket playing without the mischief it had done under the cloud-tinted skies of the first two days and it now looks inevitable Starc's unbeaten final record will end on Saturday. His frustration became evident near the end of what looked a trying day for him. Indeed, when Markram began to dominate late on Friday, cutting Starc expertly away to the boundary, the southpaw quick could only wave his arms in clear frustration that the match was slipping away. He must have felt he deserved more, especially after earlier having looked quite untroubled in compiling 59 with Hazlewood for Australia's last wicket, a partnership that lasted 135 balls, at that point comfortably the longest of the match. It's often been suggested Starc could have been an authentic allrounder if he'd concentrated more on his batting, and he certainly looked the genuine article here as he remained unbeaten on 58 - his first Test half-century for six years but his 11th in total. Not bad for a No.9 who now has 2276 runs to his name. Playing like a senior batter, he even shielded Hazlewood from the strike during much of their partnership, particularly against the Proteas' strike bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. It was the second-most deliveries he's faced in a Test innings since he made 99 in Mohali a dozen years ago, but until Hazlewood looked mightily irritated to get dismissed softly, he may have even fancied enjoying the bragging rights of eclipsing that career-best Test score which, oddly, he shares with his wife Alyssa Healy. For once, he looks set to be denied, but it's been such a topsy-turvy showpiece that those 69 runs still needed by South Africa could look awfully hard to eke out should Australia's old Starc quality shine once more with a couple of quick blows on Saturday morning. Mitchell Starc has won all four of the World Cup and World Championship cricket showdowns in which he's featured - and he was damned if he wasn't going to give it everything to maintain that proud record. On a fraught Friday when Australia needed their main men to stand up and be counted at Lord's, nobody stood taller than the 35-year-old pacer - or should that really be allrounder - as he produced another performance deserving of a global triumph. Starc not only delivered a tremendous half-century in a dogged last-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood but then snapped up the two key early wickets that looked set to ensure they'd race to the mace. And if a helmeted Steve Smith had not ventured quite so far forward in the slips and hadn't spilled the catch from another Starc snorter that should have sent Temba Bavuma packing, surely the evergreen leftie would have been in contention for player-of-the-match honours with South Africa seemingly sliding to defeat. Instead, in the match's absolute turning point, Bavuma survived, going on to play a true captain's knock with his unbeaten 65 while struggling with a hamstring injury, and Smith ended up out of the final and on his way to hospital with a dislocated right pinkie. At 2-76 rather than 3-76, Bavuma and an inspired Aiden Markram flourished in the sunshine on a wicket playing without the mischief it had done under the cloud-tinted skies of the first two days and it now looks inevitable Starc's unbeaten final record will end on Saturday. His frustration became evident near the end of what looked a trying day for him. Indeed, when Markram began to dominate late on Friday, cutting Starc expertly away to the boundary, the southpaw quick could only wave his arms in clear frustration that the match was slipping away. He must have felt he deserved more, especially after earlier having looked quite untroubled in compiling 59 with Hazlewood for Australia's last wicket, a partnership that lasted 135 balls, at that point comfortably the longest of the match. It's often been suggested Starc could have been an authentic allrounder if he'd concentrated more on his batting, and he certainly looked the genuine article here as he remained unbeaten on 58 - his first Test half-century for six years but his 11th in total. Not bad for a No.9 who now has 2276 runs to his name. Playing like a senior batter, he even shielded Hazlewood from the strike during much of their partnership, particularly against the Proteas' strike bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. It was the second-most deliveries he's faced in a Test innings since he made 99 in Mohali a dozen years ago, but until Hazlewood looked mightily irritated to get dismissed softly, he may have even fancied enjoying the bragging rights of eclipsing that career-best Test score which, oddly, he shares with his wife Alyssa Healy. For once, he looks set to be denied, but it's been such a topsy-turvy showpiece that those 69 runs still needed by South Africa could look awfully hard to eke out should Australia's old Starc quality shine once more with a couple of quick blows on Saturday morning.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Lee, Davidson lead big Aussie charge at LPGA Classic
Rising star Karis Davidson and dual major winner Minjee Lee are among six Australians poised for a weekend title crack at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. Davidson is tied for the halfway lead after shooting a second-round two-under-par 70 at Blythefield County Club. The 26-year-old moved to eight under along with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (67), South Korean Hye-Jin Choi (67) and Frenchwoman Celina Boutier (68). Playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, Davidson birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th to charge into a share of the halfway lead. "We just really hung in there today," she said. "Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end. "I think this is the first time I've been tied for first in an LPGA event after two rounds, so, yeah, I'm just really excited that I wasn't fighting for the cut. "It was a bit of a different feeling out there." Davidson and company are just one shot in front of Lee (70) and four others, including sentimental American favourite Lexi Thompson, with fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou (68), Cassie Porter (70), Gabriela Ruffels (71) and Grace Kim (73) all only two strokes off the pace at six under. Thompson and Kim finished joint runners-up last year after falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way play-off. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions to join Lee, Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Paraguyan Sofia Garcia (71) and US pair Amanda Doherty (69) and Bronte Law (69) at seven under. "The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to," Thompson, the 2015 champion, said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. "But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well, it's not just a tournament - it's much bigger than that." The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. "Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf," said Thompson, also set to play next week's Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Kim bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead, but is still well in contention to atone for last year's play-off disappointment. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. With the AP Rising star Karis Davidson and dual major winner Minjee Lee are among six Australians poised for a weekend title crack at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. Davidson is tied for the halfway lead after shooting a second-round two-under-par 70 at Blythefield County Club. The 26-year-old moved to eight under along with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (67), South Korean Hye-Jin Choi (67) and Frenchwoman Celina Boutier (68). Playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, Davidson birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th to charge into a share of the halfway lead. "We just really hung in there today," she said. "Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end. "I think this is the first time I've been tied for first in an LPGA event after two rounds, so, yeah, I'm just really excited that I wasn't fighting for the cut. "It was a bit of a different feeling out there." Davidson and company are just one shot in front of Lee (70) and four others, including sentimental American favourite Lexi Thompson, with fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou (68), Cassie Porter (70), Gabriela Ruffels (71) and Grace Kim (73) all only two strokes off the pace at six under. Thompson and Kim finished joint runners-up last year after falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way play-off. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions to join Lee, Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Paraguyan Sofia Garcia (71) and US pair Amanda Doherty (69) and Bronte Law (69) at seven under. "The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to," Thompson, the 2015 champion, said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. "But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well, it's not just a tournament - it's much bigger than that." The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. "Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf," said Thompson, also set to play next week's Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Kim bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead, but is still well in contention to atone for last year's play-off disappointment. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. With the AP Rising star Karis Davidson and dual major winner Minjee Lee are among six Australians poised for a weekend title crack at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. Davidson is tied for the halfway lead after shooting a second-round two-under-par 70 at Blythefield County Club. The 26-year-old moved to eight under along with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (67), South Korean Hye-Jin Choi (67) and Frenchwoman Celina Boutier (68). Playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, Davidson birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th to charge into a share of the halfway lead. "We just really hung in there today," she said. "Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end. "I think this is the first time I've been tied for first in an LPGA event after two rounds, so, yeah, I'm just really excited that I wasn't fighting for the cut. "It was a bit of a different feeling out there." Davidson and company are just one shot in front of Lee (70) and four others, including sentimental American favourite Lexi Thompson, with fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou (68), Cassie Porter (70), Gabriela Ruffels (71) and Grace Kim (73) all only two strokes off the pace at six under. Thompson and Kim finished joint runners-up last year after falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way play-off. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions to join Lee, Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Paraguyan Sofia Garcia (71) and US pair Amanda Doherty (69) and Bronte Law (69) at seven under. "The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to," Thompson, the 2015 champion, said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. "But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well, it's not just a tournament - it's much bigger than that." The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. "Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf," said Thompson, also set to play next week's Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Kim bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead, but is still well in contention to atone for last year's play-off disappointment. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. With the AP Rising star Karis Davidson and dual major winner Minjee Lee are among six Australians poised for a weekend title crack at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. Davidson is tied for the halfway lead after shooting a second-round two-under-par 70 at Blythefield County Club. The 26-year-old moved to eight under along with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (67), South Korean Hye-Jin Choi (67) and Frenchwoman Celina Boutier (68). Playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, Davidson birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th to charge into a share of the halfway lead. "We just really hung in there today," she said. "Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end. "I think this is the first time I've been tied for first in an LPGA event after two rounds, so, yeah, I'm just really excited that I wasn't fighting for the cut. "It was a bit of a different feeling out there." Davidson and company are just one shot in front of Lee (70) and four others, including sentimental American favourite Lexi Thompson, with fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou (68), Cassie Porter (70), Gabriela Ruffels (71) and Grace Kim (73) all only two strokes off the pace at six under. Thompson and Kim finished joint runners-up last year after falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way play-off. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions to join Lee, Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Paraguyan Sofia Garcia (71) and US pair Amanda Doherty (69) and Bronte Law (69) at seven under. "The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to," Thompson, the 2015 champion, said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. "But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well, it's not just a tournament - it's much bigger than that." The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. "Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf," said Thompson, also set to play next week's Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Kim bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead, but is still well in contention to atone for last year's play-off disappointment. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. With the AP
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Lee, Davidson lead big Aussie charge at LPGA Classic
Rising star Karis Davidson and dual major winner Minjee Lee are among six Australians poised for a weekend title crack at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. Davidson is tied for the halfway lead after shooting a second-round two-under-par 70 at Blythefield County Club. The 26-year-old moved to eight under along with Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (67), South Korean Hye-Jin Choi (67) and Frenchwoman Celina Boutier (68). Playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, Davidson birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th to charge into a share of the halfway lead. "We just really hung in there today," she said. "Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end. "I think this is the first time I've been tied for first in an LPGA event after two rounds, so, yeah, I'm just really excited that I wasn't fighting for the cut. "It was a bit of a different feeling out there." Davidson and company are just one shot in front of Lee (70) and four others, including sentimental American favourite Lexi Thompson, with fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou (68), Cassie Porter (70), Gabriela Ruffels (71) and Grace Kim (73) all only two strokes off the pace at six under. Thompson and Kim finished joint runners-up last year after falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way play-off. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions to join Lee, Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Paraguyan Sofia Garcia (71) and US pair Amanda Doherty (69) and Bronte Law (69) at seven under. "The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to," Thompson, the 2015 champion, said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. "But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well, it's not just a tournament - it's much bigger than that." The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. "Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf," said Thompson, also set to play next week's Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Kim bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead, but is still well in contention to atone for last year's play-off disappointment. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. With the AP
