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Lyon can choke the English batsmen

23rd June, 2019
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Expert
23rd June, 2019
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After bleeding runs throughout this World Cup leg spinner Adam Zampa is too risky a selection for tomorrow’s blockbuster clash against the batting brutes of England.

Not only has Zampa taken 1-118 at nearly eight runs per over in his past two matches, but he has a horrendous career record against England, averaging 133 with the ball from five ODIs.

Opposed to the most dangerous batting lineup in ODI cricket, Australia must find a way to stem the runs when star quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are out of the attack.

While Starc and Cummins have combined for 26 wickets at 22 in this tournament, at an economy rate of 5.1 runs per over, the rest of Australia’s bowlers have taken 22 wickets at 48, with an economy rate of 6.4 runs per over.

Australia are getting minimal penetration from their support bowlers. So they might as well aim for economy in the form of Nathan Lyon, who has conceded just 4.86 runs per over in his ODI career.

When Australia’s attack was functioning well as a collective, across the recent series in India and Pakistan, then it made sense to pick their most attacking spinner. That man is Adam Zampa.

But now that they’re struggling to control the game once Starc and Cummins go off it makes more sense to pick a defensive spinner, one who can hold up an end.

Zampa appears to have lost his mojo, averaging 47 with the ball in this tournament and going at a sky-high 7.15 runs per over. The leg spinner’s confidence levels can be traced across the four major peaks and troughs in his ODI career.

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When he broke on to the international scene in 2016 the most impressive thing about Zampa was his composure. Many wrist spinners retreat when attacked and become far less threatening as a result. Whereas in Zampa’s debut year he just kept tossing the ball up.

The South Australian was the leading ODI wicket taker worldwide that year with 30 wickets at 27. Then across 2017 and 2018 the Australian hierarchy lost faith in Zampa, he was shunted in and out of the team, and when he did appear he was not the same unflappable spinner. He was bowling flatter and using his googly more sparingly.

His returns suffered badly as he averaged 60 in ODIs across those two calendar years.

When Zampa returned to the Australian team this year his swagger was back and he was trusting his variations once more.

As a result he played a key role in Australia winning back-to-back ODI series in India and the UAE, grabbing 18 wickets from 10 matches.

The confidence and daring Zampa displayed in those series has been absent in this World Cup. He has bowled not to be hit, with the opposite effect. Fielding an out-of-form Zampa against his bogey side England would be folly.

Lyon, at least, was able to restrict the English batsmen in the two ODIs he played against them in the UK last year. In those matches the off-spinner was extremely frugal, going at just 4.1 runs per over against a full-strength England lineup.

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Nathan Lyon

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

To underscore how well Lyon choked the runs, consider that the next most economical bowler from either team in those two matches was Aussie spinner Ashton Agar at 4.6 runs per over.

The two English spinners – Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali – went at 5.8 and 5.7 runs per over, respectively, in those same games.

Yes it’s a small sample size. But it is not irrelevant. Lyon came up against a loaded England batting lineup in their home conditions and was able to keep them quiet.

It is also notable that Lyon did the same thing against England in Australia’s warm-up match four weeks ago, taking 1-37 from 10 overs.

Meanwhile, nine of the top 12 most economical spinners in this World Cup have been finger spinners. The wrist spinners in that group just happen to be the three best in ODI cricket in Kuldeep Yadav, Imran Tahir and Yuzvendra Chahal.

That trio are so gifted they can remain effective on any surface. In this World Cup so far finger spinners mostly have been tidy while only the elite wrist spinners have avoided being thumped.

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That situation, combined with Zampa’s poor recent form and Lyon’s fine efforts against England, should make this a straightforward selection.

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