Allrounder Andrew McDonald led Australia to their first win in seven matches on tour and into the reckoning for the third Ashes Test in Edgbaston this week.
The touring side’s 135-run triumph over a modest Northamptonshire side at Wantage Road was its first since a Twenty20 practice match against New Zealand on June 2 at The Oval, some 54 days ago.
McDonald (4-15 off 11 overs) gutted the home side’s middle order with his accurate medium-pacers and also produced a run out as Northamptonshire were dismissed for 217 after being set 353 for victory.
But it wasn’t all good news for Australia with out of sorts paceman Mitchell Johnson surely having bowled his way out of this week’s Edgbaston Test side.
Johnson (1-65 off 11.1 overs) had match figures of 1-107 from 18.1 overs as Stuart Clark (2-29) stepped up his campaign for a Test recall on the final day.
The left-armer endured another dirty day, having great difficulty building any sort of pressure on the batsmen and even dropping a tough chance from opener Ben Howgego (46) off Clark’s bowling.
But Australian coach Tim Nielsen vehemently defended his charge.
“We have had the last two years where we have played some pretty good cricket and Mitchell has been at the forefront of all of that,” he said.
“There have been a lot of times when batsmen and bowlers have been out of form and we have stuck with them and shown some faith unlike what seems to be the public or the press’s point of view.”
Nielsen said that McDonald, who played four straight Tests before the Ashes opener in Cardiff, was also in contention for the Birmingham Test starting Thursday.
“Without a doubt,” he said.
“He played a pivotal role in four Test matches in a row where we won three of them in a row against South Africa.
Clark put further pressure on selectors to pick him in Birmingham by not only claiming two top order wickets but also having two chances dropped off his bowling after Phil Hughes also grassed Howgego at first slip on 35.
It looked grim for Australia during the run chase as Niall O’Brien (58 off 56 balls) collared the attack, particularly the inconsistent Johnson as the home side marched to 0-99.
However O’Brien’s downfall at the hands of Shane Watson (1-34 off 10 overs) opened the door for the tourists and Clark had Rob White (1) and Alex Wakely (1) caught behind in his second spell.
McDonald then ripped into the home side as they lost 5-25 and that included his run out of Mark Nelson (9).
Tailenders David Lucas (22) and David Wigley (16) held up Australia’s charge for victory for about three quarters of an hour before Nathan Hauritz removed Lucas with Johnson taking the final wicket of Wigley.
Watson (50) earlier strengthened his case for a recall for Birmingham by punching out his fifty off 28 balls.
It followed up his first innings score of 84 and he has match figures of 3-54 to put pressure on Marcus North for the No.6 spot at Edgbaston.
The Birmingham deck is tipped to suit the seamers and that could hand Watson an edge over North and his part-time off-spin as Australia try to fight back from a 1-0 series deficit.
Back-up wicketkeeper Graham Manou (59no) tried to literally make a name for himself after he was introduced as Gary Manou over the loudspeaker as he walked to the crease.
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