Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Wade, Head lead strong Australian batting display

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Sunday, 14 July 2019 10:46

As all of England held its breath (or watched Wimbledon and F1 at Silverstone), Australia's XI and the England Lions played a day's cricket at Canterbury that was something closer to a gentle sigh.

Away from Lord's and the World Cup final, there were regular score updates and television screens to be found if required, but in the middle, the Australians maintained their run of muscular batting performances, this time against far stronger opposition.

There was yet another century from Matthew Wade, his third on this trip alone, and a second of the tour for Travis Head, who among the raft of contenders trying to join Steven Smith, David Warner and Usman Khawaja over the next couple of weeks in Canterbury and Southampton, looks the most certain member of Australia's top six for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston starting August 1.

A good deal of merit could be attached to these runs. They were made in conditions so favourable that Lions' captain Lewis Gregory sent the Australians in after morning rain. This was also against a bowling attack far superior to anything he's faced so far this summer.

In Sam Curran, there was a left-armer who may yet figure in the Ashes after his strong displays against India last year, while Gregory and Jamie Porter are two of Division One's leading lights. Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach completed a more than sturdy quintet, albeit with only rudimentary preparation for operating as a group given the Lions only assembled on Friday night and had a solitary training session before the opening day.

Curran, Gregory and Porter could all be moderately happy with their work, as Robinson and Leach faced somewhat more punishment. Leach's day was perhaps made more vexing by the fact he was not once able to bowl to a right-hander all day.

The early going was not easy, as Joe Burns found when he was pinned lbw by Gregory after finding a trio of early boundaries but also offering a half chance to slip. Marcus Harris looked to be judging the whereabouts of his off stump very well in fighting his way to 34 before furnishing Gregory with a second wicket, feeling for a ball going across him and taken in the slips. And Kurtis Patterson was dropped in the cordon before going on to 32, whereupon his forward defensive stroke was punctured by Porter from around the wicket.

Head, noticeably, found the best rhythm of the top four. He rotated strike and found the boundary regularly without resorting to any of the wilder shots that prevented his home Test series against India last summer from reaching the heights that several of his starts hinted at. Reaching 50 in 70 balls and a century in 147, he offered a stern celebration towards the touring team's viewing area before resuming an occupation that would last all day and accumulate 20 boundaries.

Wade's innings was more a case of acceleration, as he spent 47 balls over his first 15 runs then just 75 balls for the next 85 to reach three figures. The boundaries were clattered 15 times and cleared once, with the stand only ended when Curran won an lbw verdict against Wade with the second new ball.

Wade's stand with Head was worth 219, leaving Mitchell Marsh to accompany the South Australia captain to stumps early enough for the closing passages at Lord's to be viewed by both sides.

Read 416 times

Soccer

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe draw for the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals was made on Frid...

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFind out who is missing through injury, who's in a race against tim...

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Premier League has announced changes to its Associated Party Tr...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Detroit guard Cade Cunningham left Thursday nigh...

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPhiladelphia 76ers star Paul George has a bone bruise in his left k...

Baseball

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani is in the early stages of rehabbing fr...

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The St. Petersburg City Council reversed co...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated