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Australia were outplayed by England when it mattered, surrendering the five-match ODI series, but recovered impressively to win the two dead rubbers and avoid an embarrassing whitewash.
Andrew Strauss after being clean-bowled
Getty Images
Trailing 3-0 when they arrived at the Oval last Wednesday, Australia finally found the runs they had been missing all series, setting England a target of 5-290. The Poms never looked like getting close, with Ryan Harris claiming 5-32 to help bowl England out for 212. At Lord’s on Saturday, the Aussies overcame a sluggish start – they were 4-106 in the 30th over – before a brutal stand between Mike Hussey and Shaun Marsh pushed the total up to 7-277 off 50 overs. The English top order didn’t
look interested, and when Shaun Tait, who bowled at blistering speeds all day, dismissed Andrew Strauss and then Michael Yardy in the fifth over, England were reeling. Paul Collingwood led a recovery but, after he went for 95, England ended up all out for 235. “I was a bit disappointed with the way the series has finished to tell the you the truth because game three could have gone either way,” Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said. “I am pretty proud of the guys the way they have stuck at it and the way they have fought back.”
ON THE BOX monday 4.30pm Sky Sports 1 australia v pakistan (1st t20)
tuesday 4.30pm Sky Sports 1 australia v pakistan (2nd t20)
Howard’s ICC bid shot down
Waugh backs Smith for Ashes
Former Australian prime minister John Howard last week had his candidacy for vice-presidency of the ICC, which leads automatically to the presidency, blown out of the water by the African and Asian nations. Howard’s nomination was not even put to a vote when the ICC executive board met in Singapore on Wednesday. Howard has never been shy to express his sometimes divisive views on cricket, but the decision also reflects Cricket Australia’s dwindling political power. “It is a very bad precedent to be establishing for the ICC,” Howard said. “I wanted to do this job. I thought I could do it well and I would have devoted my full time to it.”
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has heaped praise on emerging all-rounder Steven Smith and claims the youngster could be the side’s first-choice spinner by the time the Ashes begin in November. So far in his career, Smith has been cast as a big-hitting all-rounder in the limitedovers formats but, with regular spinner Nathan Hauritz injured, he looks set to make his Test debut against Pakistan at Lord’s next week and may have futher opportunities to press his claim on the tour to India in October. “I think Steve Smith is one of the most promising cricketers we have seen in Australia in the past 20 years,” Waugh said. “You have to give him a little bit of time; I mean,
caught in a spin cycle Since Shane Warne retired from Test cricket, Australia have picked seven different spinners. Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg were tried; Beau Casson, Jason Krejza and Bryce McGain came and went; and Cameron White wisely decided to focus on his batting, before Nathan Hauritz cemented his spot.
leg-spin is a tough art. “I think with his batting, he is not far off being in the top six batters anyway; he is an excellent fieldsman as well – when you have that sort of talent, then you have to got give that an opportunity. “Whether he comes in as an all-rounder … he has to be close to being in that Test side.”
Steven Smith
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Aussies find form too late
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