Australian cricket has invested heavily in Cameron Green’s potential and the young star shone brightly in the Hobart night sky on Sunday as Pat Cummins’ side sealed a 146-run victory inside three days of a dramatic fifth Ashes Test.
Green produced a devastating spell with the pink ball under lights at Blundstone Arena to trigger England’s capitulation to be all out for 124 after they had threatened to charge towards what would have been a remarkable comeback win.
English speedster Mark Wood captured career-best figures of 6-37 to roll Australia for 155, setting the tourists a challenging target of 271 on a green pitch to avoid a 4-0 final scoreline. It proved way too much as they lost their last 10 wickets for 56 runs.
The tourists initally responded to the challenge with easily their best start to an innings this summer with Rory Burns and Zak Crawley humming along to be 0-68 after 16 overs before Green made the vital breakthrough in the last over of the second session.
Burns (26) chopped Green onto his stumps before the 22-year-old West Australian repeated the dose for Dawid Malan (10).
He then produced a scorching off-swinger to find Crawley’s outside edge on 36 and suddenly England were on the back foot at 3-83.
Ben Stokes (five) went cheaply, holing out to Nathan Lyon in the deep after a pull shot off Mitchell Starc hit high on the blade and when Scott Boland snuck a low-bouncing delivery under Joe Root’s bat, England’s hopes were all but extinguished at 5-101.
Root could only offer a wry grin as he cursed his luck after hearing the death rattle reverberating from his off stump to signal the end of his innings on 11, completing a third tour of Australia without a century.
Debutant keeper Sam Billings (one) became Boland’s second victim when he chipped him to Cummins at mid-on before the skipper bowled Ollie Pope (five) around his legs as England capitulated to 7-107, losing seven wickets for just 39 runs.
Boland continued the carnage when Chris Woakes (five) snicked a slog and Alex Carey snared a brilliant one-handed catch, Wood went down swinging when he was bowled by Cummins for 11 before Ollie Robinson’s duck was the final wicket to fall in embarrassing fashion.
Former English captain Michael Vaughan, who grew up watching the legendary Sir Ian Botham and had another top-class all-rounder in his team in the form of Andrew Flintoff, was wowed by Green’s talent in turning the match around with his spell.
“He’s exceptional. He’s some bowler. We’ve seen it in the last couple of Test matches, the promise with the bat, he fields, he catches. He will dominate maybe one or two Ashes series on his own
“He’s having a big impact on this one but I think he’s got the ability and the skill levels to dominate a whole series on his own.”
Earlier he had chipped in with a valuable 23 after stroking an elegant 74 in the first innings.
The third day’s play started with the expected dismissal of nightwatcher Scott Boland for eight when he nicked a Wood bouncer but the clatter of wickets that followed was far from anticipated.
Travis Head was uncomfortable from the get-go when confronted with Wood’s pace and he gloved a short ball to keeper Sam Billings for eight to leave Australia teetering at 5-59.
The home team’s plight worsened four runs later when Steve Smith also fell to a short-pitched Wood delivery, hooking it to Malan in the deep on 27.
Alex Carey got the first of his lucky breaks on 19 when he was bowled by Chris Woakes but third umpire Paul Reiffel controversially stepped in with a no-ball call, ruling the English seamer did not have any part of his boot behind the bowling crease in a line-ball decision which infuriated Sir Ian Botham in Seven commentary.
Botham said the laws of cricket require conclusive evidence for an on-field decision to be overturned and he argued there was no such footage although his former teammate Mike Atherton believed Reiffel had got it right.
Green was trapped by Stuart Broad for 23, ending his stand with Carey one short of a half-century partnership, and when Mitchell Starc (one) was another victim of Wood’s pace assault, alarm bells were ringing for the Australians at 8-121.
Carey received his second slice of fortune on 23 when he was given out LBW to Broad but a DRS challenge showed the ball pitched outside leg stump by millimetres to give him another reprieve as he and Cummins took the hosts to the long break ay 8-141.
One short of what would have been his second Test half-century, Carey’s charmed run was curtailed by Broad before Wood bowled Cummins for 13 to register career-best figures.
Among the wide variety of selection stuff-ups England have made this summer, resting Wood for the live second Test in Adelaide has to be the worst of many.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Sobers? That’s it. You talk Kallis, there’s one other in the discussion
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I think he can be that good. Maybe not Kallis good but who is?
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I guess I meant > 40 and < 30. It's always been, in my mind at least, rarified air for a test all rounder. So very few have achieved it.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
His dad was a country cricket legend.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Well Don, you are certainly an avid fan of the game. I enjoyed reading about those youngsters. Very heartening. I don't get to see young lads here in Tassy. Just don't get about that much But what I do know from my long journey in squash is that local comps would not survive without the youth and we pushed that as hard as we could. That's why I enjoy hearing about the youth and advocating for their entry into our great game. I've looked as closely as I can ,from afar, at Sangha and I like what I see there So I'm pleased to read about those boys you mentioned Cheers Don
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Wyllie is very composed at the crease. Runs really well. Hits them out of sight.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I don't Also, follow the U19 series at the moment. There's a young opener from WA Teague Wyllie (great name) who will burst onto the first class scene as soon as there's a spot. WA has 3 young openers on the way; Wyllie, Sam Fanning (a NSW boy who came over as an 18yo 3 years ago) and Jayden Goodwin (Murray's son). Fanning has scored 3 tons in a row and Goodwin 2 plus a couple of 80s and 70s. The best in WA (and Australia's captain) is Cooper Connolly (another great name). Left hand middle order bat and an Ashton Agar type bowler. I'm sure there are stars on the way in each state. What have you got boys?
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Let him have a go at tailenders and that 30 would be better. The way he worked over Malan and Woakes, plus the missed review off ? shows his fast bowling credentials aren't just those of an all-rounder.
Ace
Roar Rookie
You tend to forget about Pucovski. So the cupboard is not that bare
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
He only had that problem for two ducks (about 7 balls). It was a brief overcorrection. Has to be the shortest reign of a technical glitch in professional sport. If only Freo's goal kicking glitch was that long.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
It’s strange the way Ponting’s comments about Green’s stance at the crease seemed to help so much. Usman says he helped Green in Brisbane with some tips and Head said the same. Why isn’t anyone claiming that their suggestions about his bowling improved that aspect of his game? Apart from Cummings, Starc and Boland , I mean. If only every other prospect learnt as quickly…
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Let’s all pray Will doesn’t get another head strike ever again.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I think that 30 bowling average could be understating him if he can remain fit. For once Australia has managing his bowling workload really well. Keeping him only bowling a few in the last series then building into this one. He’s managed to get through 81 overs in the series @ 15.76 and a strike rate of 37.2. Yes it was green tops every test but considering England’s best and goat Anderson managed 104 overs @ 23.37 and a stroke rate of 78 that is special for an all rounder. The batting was tough for all comers this series. But only Bairstow averaged more from England and Green averaged the same as the all mighty Joe Root in that department. Obviously Aussie, head, Marnus, and Starc*** averaged more.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
He earned that position as a pure batsman (topped the Shield averages) and held his position as a batsman (averaging 33 after 3 tests). He got scores. He was not picked as a bowler at all last season. That was a bonus.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
He started the series with a batting average of 33. You don't get that average by not scoring runs. He has now improved on that. While he didn't take a wicket in his first 3 tests ( 3 dropped catches off him and a non-referred LBW), he took 13 wickets in this series (once again with 2 non-referrals and the clattering of stumps when the bails stayed on). He was also always taken off when the tail was exposed and he was running hot. A Test batting average of 34 and a bowling average of 20 is absolutely "successful" after 8 tests and not once was he carried in the side.
matth
Roar Guru
Tim who? :happy:
matth
Roar Guru
Maybe picking him last summer when he really wasn't ready to bowl and committing to letting him settle into the side? He took no wickets and only batted okay, but they didn't blink and now he looks settled.
matth
Roar Guru
More likely on the sub-continent our next bowling attack will be Cummins, Starc, Green, Lyon and Swepson?
matth
Roar Guru
Maybe Pucovski comes roaring back in the second half of the Shield as well? I also assume they will return to Harris. I’d include Inglis as back up batsman / keeper and take the extra pace bowler. Batsmen: Warner, Harris (or Puc if fit and firing), Labs, Smith, Khawaja, Head, Green, Inglis Keeper: Carey Spin: Lyon, Swepson, and take the young NSW leggie for experience? I’ve lost his name, Tanvir? Pace: Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Boland Richardson.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't say "success", but not terrible. Thankfully the selectors know from his Shield history what the guy will be capable of when mature, confident, happy etc at test level.