Marnus Labuschagne appears certain to return to Australia’s team for the Ashes, his fourth century in five innings making a compelling case to selectors.
Fresh off posting 160 in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, Labuschagne struck 159 for Queensland at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
His innings helped the Bulls to 6-319 when bad light forced an early stumps on day two, well ahead of South Australia’s first-innings score of 228.
Dumped from Australia’s Test team back in June after a long run of outs, Labuschagne now has four tons across all formats to start the summer.
And while two of those were in 50-over games, his overall returns stand at 556 runs at 111.2.
Labuschagne played with ease and control all around the wicket on Thursday, hitting 18 boundaries and one big six off Lloyd Pope in the first two sessions.
A week after Australia coach Andrew McDonald declared the 31-year-old was looking back near his best, Labuschagne certainly looked it in Adelaide.
He drove the quicks down the ground and through the covers with confidence, and was back hitting spinners to the mid-on and mid-wicket boundaries.
There is little doubt this was the Labuschagne whose meteoric rise saw him become the world’s No.1-ranked Test batter for large periods between late 2021 and early 2023.
The right-hander got off the mark with a thick outside edge from Nathan McAndrew after having dust caught in his eye before he took strike.
And while another ball dropped marginally in front of second slip when he was on 31, that was still played with soft hands in an innings where false shots were incredibly rare.
Labuschagne brought up his century when he clipped Liam Scott to the boundary on the 129th ball he faced, earning congratulations from Test keeper Alex Carey.
Carey eventually had Labuschagne caught behind late in the day, playing at a ball outside off stump from Wes Agar (3-48)
Labuschagne now appears almost certain to be in Australia’s Test team for the series opener in Perth on November 21.
The only question for selectors will be where to bat him.
Labuschagne’s preferred position is No.3, where he is batting for Queensland and has spent most of his Test career.
The likes of David Warner and Matthew Hayden have urged against moving Labuschagne to open, but Australia’s options to partner Usman Khawaja are limited.
Sam Konstas is yet to fire a shot for NSW, while Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft are also yet to impress.
Jake Weatherald did hit 94 for Tasmania against Western Australia on Thursday, with the left-hander the only other opener in real form.
If Labuschagne was to open, it would allow Cameron Green to stay at No.3 and Beau Webster to remain in the side at No.6 if he overcomes an ankle injury.
Putting Labuschagne back in at No.3 would likely force a squeeze on Webster, who hopes to be fit to return for Tasmania for the next Shield round this month.
Khawaja hit a solid 46 for the Bulls on Thursday before he was caught behind off, while youngster Lachlan Hearne was unbeaten on 66 at the close.
At Bellerive Oval, Jake Weatherald has missed his century but landed a fresh blow in his battle for a Test debut.
The Tasmania opener raced to 94 off just 99 balls on day two of the Tigers’ Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia in Hobart before he was caught in the deep.
He had made 18 in the hosts’ first-innings total of 171, as no other player passed 41 on the tricky Bellerive Oval track until Jordan Silk (51 not out) late on day two.
The Tigers were 5-244 when rain stopped play slightly before stumps were due to be called.
The left-handed 30-year-old Weatherald topped last year’s Shield run-scorers’ list with 906 at an average of 50.33, and remains in the frame for a call-up for the first Ashes Test.
His commanding stroke-play, particularly square of the wicket, was impressive and potentially the perfect complement to the more sedate Usman Khawaja, who is all but assured of one opening spot at Optus Stadium against England next month.
Weatherald, a promising emerging talent at South Australia who has reignited his career with a move south, struck 13 fours and a six in his brisk knock on Thursday.
It came after the visitors had taken a lead of just one run on the first innings, at one stage losing 3-3 to be all out for 172 after beginning the day 4-107.
Brad Hope (4-51) ran through the tail, while Riley Meredith and Jackson Bird both finished with three wickets.
Matthew Kelly (3-47) was the pick of the WA bowlers in the Tigers’ second innings.
In Melbourne, Fergus O’Neill has again shown he remains among the country’s most underrated quicks, taking five wickets to help Victoria rip through NSW in the Sheffield Shield.
O’Neill took 5-26 as NSW were dismissed for 163 at Junction Oval on Thursday, before Victoria went to stumps at 5-93 and a lead of 170.
The hosts had looked likely to take a far bigger advantage into the third day, when 1-72 in the final session, before a collapse of 4-19 preceded bad light stopping play.
But it was O’Neill who was the hero of the day.
The Victorian has so far been overlooked for national selection, with slightly less pace than Australia’s back-up quicks, but few are more metronomical.
The 24-year-old tore through NSW on Thursday morning to finish with 5-26, after removing Kurtis Patterson and Blake Nikitaras on the opening evening.
O’Neill first had nightwatchman Ryan Hadley lbw after a frustrating opening hour for the hosts, before Oliver Davies was caught at second slip.
And when O’Neill induced an edge from Matt Gilkes for 41, he had five wickets and NSW were 6-96.
The Victorian is coming off a superb county stint, where his 21 wickets at an average of 17.90 was the second best of anyone with 20-plus wickets.
He is unlikely to feature in Australia’s XI for the start of the Ashes, but is continually making a strong case while sitting on the fringes.
O’Neill now has eight five-wicket hauls in 36 first-class matches, at an average of 20.55.
Jack Edwards (33no) and Will Salzmann (33) put together a brief fightback for NSW on Thursday, to get them within 77 runs of Victoria’s first-innings 240.
It was Liam Hatcher (3-17) who powered the Blues back into the game under dark skies, bowling Campbell Kellaway (47) and Oliver Peake (0) in the same over.
© AAP
www.theroar.com.au (Article Sourced Website)
#Champagne #Labuschagne #Marnus #cracks #ton #bash #Ashes #selection #door