Mitchell Starc has sent a strong message to Australian selectors after claiming his fourth ten-wicket haul in first class cricket.
Fresh from claiming five scalps in the first innings against Tasmania, Starc bowled with pace and control in the second to finish the match with stunning figures of 10-60.
The left-armer’s menacing bowling from around the wicket left Tasmania in all sorts as they could only set New South Wales a target of 45 runs to win at Drummoyne Oval.
Overlooked for all but one of the five Ashes Tests in England, Starc is now almost certain to reclaim his spot from Peter Siddle for next month’s first Test against Pakistan.
“I’m not a selector but I see no reason why he’s not there in the first Test match,” star teammate Steve Smith said.
“I think he knows the reasons why he didn’t play in England conditions wise. “But I think when you’re looking at Australia with the wickets here air speed is a big one and he’s got a terrific record in Australia.”
In a miserly 19 overs on a slow wicket on day three, Starc first had Alex Doolan caught at point for seven in his third over, before trapping Jordan Silk lbw on the backfoot for 28.
His spell late in the day was peak Starc. He knocked over Alex Pyecroft with a yorker and then had the ball reversing to remove Sam Rainbird. Starc completed his ten-wicket haul on Monday by bowling Lawrence Neil-Smith.
It comes after he battled for rhythm in his Shield return against Queensland last week.
But Smith said he’d seen a switch flick in the 29-year-old in training since. “I think he struggled a little bit last weekgetting some rhythm, just coming back after a bowling with a Dukes ball, bowling with a Kookaburra for the first time,” Smith said.
“He said that to me and I could see the net we had two days before the game, I was facing him in the nets and things didn’t feel quite right.
“When I left I could just see a difference, I could see it in his run up and it clicked.”
SHAUN MARSH NOT A SPENT FORCE
Shaun Marsh has notched the first double century of his career to send a strong message to Australian selectors that he’s not done yet.
Marsh finished with 214 off 436 balls on Sunday to lift WA to 9(dec)-519 in their first innings.
It’s left Victoria, who posted 341 in their first dig, in a battle for survival with one day remaining.
Victoria finished day three at 1-17 in their second innings, with Australian opener Marcus Harris (8) the early casualty.
Nic Maddinson and Will Pucovski will resume on Monday, with Victoria needing a further 161 runs just to make WA bat again.
Marsh’s previous highest first-class score was the 182 he posted for Australia in a Test win against the West Indies in Hobart in 2015.
“It means a lot,” Marsh said of his double century, which means his name will now go on the WACA honours board.
“To be up on that board now is very humbling. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it feels very good.” Rising star Josh Philippe (65), Josh Inglis (58), Marcus Stoinis (56) and Hilton Cartwright (42) posted handy scores on the batter-friendly wicket. But it was Marsh who shone the brightest.
Marsh was in the form of his life two summers ago when he plundered 445 runs at 74.16 during Australia’s 4-0 Ashes series victory.
But in the 19 innings since, he has only surpassed 50 once - 60 in a 31-run defeat to India in last year’s Adelaide Test.
Overlooked for this year’s Ashes, Marsh was part of Australia’s World Cup squad before a broken arm ended his campaign.
He acknowledged this was the first summer in years where Test selection wasn’t playing on his mind.
“I’m just going to really enjoy playing for WA this year,” Marsh said. “After my broken arm it took me a while to get a bit of rhythm back. Over the last two or three weeks, I’ve found my touch again and it was nice reward out there to get another hundred.”
KHAWAJA BURNS ANOTHER CHANCE
Time is running out for Usman Khawaja to push for a Test recall, with the Queensland skipper again failing in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at the Gabba.
The stage was set for Khawaja to state his case ahead of the upcoming series against Pakistan when he arrived at the creaselate on Sunday, the Bulls cruising at 1-47 and chasing 150 for victory.
However the elegant left-hander was caught behind for a golden duck to add to a first innings dig of just two, as Queensland lost a remarkable five wickets in 14 balls.
Bulls coach Wade Seccombe admitted Khawaja could count himself unlucky with replays indicating the ball hit his back pad rather than his bat.
“He didn’t have the rub of the green in both innings which is unfortunate given the circumstances but we all know what a great player he is,” he told AAP.
“There is no doubt he is going to score runs at the next level again. “Ussie is (mentally) strong, he is the leader of our group, the life of our dressing room so there are no concerns there - he just didn’t get the chocolates this game.”
Khawaja was overlooked for the final two Ashes Tests in England after making just 122 runs at 20.3 in six innings.
However experts had backed him for a recall in the opening Test against Pakistan starting at the Gabba on November 21 thanksto his stunning baggy green form on home soil.
While his career batting average sits at 40.66 from 44 Tests, Khawaja averages 52.97 in Australia where he has struck sixof his eight centuries. But he appears behind the eight ball as selectors mull over their first Test outfit after his underwhelming Shield return.
Test vice-captain Travis Head is also under pressure after he too squandered another chance to impress, again falling cheaply for South Australia. After a 25-ball first innings duck, he did himself no favours when caught off a loose drive for 12 in the Redbacks’ second dig.
Head had been battling for a baggy green return since his surprise omission from the final Ashes Test but the door appeared ajar after chief selector Trevor Hohns admitted spots were “up for grabs”.
Adding to his chances, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh - who replaced him in the final Ashes Test - broke his hand punching a wall in frustration following his Shield dismissal batting for Western Australia against Tasmania. Another Test threat, NSW left-hander Kurtis Patterson, is battlinga quad complaint.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...s/news-story/595a8967440f3517396804cd9ced7200
