Support for Justin Langer has been swiftly silenced during the first Test against West Indies in Perth, with a banner reading “Justice for JL” taken down within minutes of being put up.
The WA public were left fuming when Langer was pushed out as coach of Australia in early February, and fans are still angry about the decision 10 months later.
Langer is especially revered in his home state, and fans wanted to show their support during day three at Optus Stadium.
A group of rowdy teenagers unfurled a banner reading “Justice for JL” at the Justin Langer Stand end on Friday, but within minutes a security guard was ordered by his superiors to take it down.
Optus Stadium has a policy of removing any objects that block the venue’s commercial signage.
Although the unfurled banner was slightly obscuring an electronic advertising panel, that part of the panel wasn’t in use given there was another advertising panel already in front of it.
The group described the incident as a “stitch up”, and they produced a series of chants to voice their support for Langer.
“What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now.”
The incident continued a week of headlines surrounding whether there was a rift between Langer and some of his former players.
Langer did his best to dispel that on the morning of day one when he hugged and chatted to the players while they warmed up on the field.
“I love Australian cricket and I love being back and seeing the boys. I haven’t seen them for nine months,” Langer said.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will be out for the rest of the summer after going under the knife to fix a long-standing ankle injury.
Marsh had keyhole surgery on his left ankle in Sydney on Thursday to remove loose bone fragments and repair cartilage and is set to be sidelined for around three months.
The 31-year-old West Australian has been carrying the injury for an extended period and decided to proceed with surgery after consulting the state and national team medicos.
“Mitchell is an important member of our squads, and we will support him through his recovery period and we are hopeful he will be available for Australian selection for the ODI series against India in March,” chief selector George Bailey said.
CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial to watch cricket on KAYO
“In undertaking the surgery now, it gives Mitchell the best chance to recover and resume his all-rounder skill set which is an important part of our plans for the upcoming year and beyond.”
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Will Sutherland triggered a Victoria fightback to leave their Sheffield Shield clash with NSW nicely poised, after Moises Henriques threatened to take the game away from the home team.
Victoria finished day two at Citibank Centre on 1-78 – holding a lead of 27 – with opener Ashley Chandrasinghe on 24 and captain Peter Handscomb on six.
NSW were dismissed for 260, a first innings lead of 51, but they would have hoped for a bigger advantage after being 2-155 just before lunch.
Henriques scored 97, striking 10 fours and a six in his fluent 179-ball innings, but the Blues’ bid to build a big first-innings lead was scuppered by two collapses.
They lost two clumps of three wickets cheaply and were just four runs ahead when they went eight down, before some tail-end hitting added 47 for the last two wickets.
“We had an opportunity to bury the game and make sure that the Vics didn’t get a bat until halfway though tomorrow, but unfortunately we missed that,” Henriques said.
“Credit to the Victorian bowlers for hanging in there, a lot of teams after you get on top of them with one partnership they can fade away, but they kept coming.”
Pace bowler Sutherland (4-57 off 22.1 overs) was prominent in the home team’s resurgence.
He dismissed Jason Sangha (44) just before lunch with NSW 3-156 at the break, ending a 107-run, third-wicket stand with Henriques.
Early in the second session, Sutherland’s athletic dive and fine throw from mid on resulted in Matthew Gilkes being run out and he then had Sean Abbott caught behind, as NSW lost 3-7.
“To fight back from where we were at lunchtime to the end of the day I think that’s a credit to everyone for just hanging in there,” said Victoria spinner Todd Murphy, who took 3-44 and trapped Henriques lbw.
“I think run outs always do change the momentum of games, so for Suth to pull off that bit of brilliance I think got the boys up and about and going.
“If you said to us at lunchtime we’re going have a 27-run lead at the end of the day blokes wouldn’t have believed you.”
Henriques and wicketkeeper Baxter Holt (23) grabbed back the initiative with a seventh-wicket stand of 48.
But Victoria hit back late in the session, taking 3-3, just after NSW moved ahead on first innings.
The Blues’ tail wagged with Chris Tremain scoring a brisk 24 not out.
Victoria had Sam Harper and Jon Holland subbed out after testing positive for COVID.
Handscomb performed admirably behind the stumps in place of Harper, taking four catches.
Henriques was the only NSW wicket-taker, earning an lbw decision on Travis Dean, who scored a brisk 46, taking five fours off two wayward overs from Mickey Edwards.
Queensland were able to declare at 6-295 just before stumps on day two of the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the Gabba after the top three all made accomplished fifties.
Bulls openers Matthew Renshaw (54) and Joe Burns (72) put on 116 together before No.3 Bryce Street top-scored with 85.
Queensland captain Jimmy Peirson declared leaving Western Australia to face four overs before the close, which they negotiated to be 0-18 at stumps.
Renshaw had plenty on his mind when he went out to bat on Friday morning with wife Josie set to give birth to the couple’s first child.
“She is full term now so she could do any day. It is just a waiting game,” Renshaw told AAP.
“I’m trying to tell her not to go until Monday but unfortunately that is not how things work. Hopefully we can try and get the win in this fixture first.
“It is just a really exciting time in my life.”
The first day’s play at the Gabba was washed out and Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman sent the Bulls in to bat after winning the toss.
Play started an hour early on Friday to make up for some of the lost playing time.
Western Australia left-armer Joel Paris (3-26 off 21) was the pick of the bowlers with his seam and immaculate line and length a feature.
Lance Morris (2-61) enhanced his reputation as the fastest bowler in Australia with a fiery spell after tea.
He struck Jack Clayton under the armpit with one lifter which threw the Bulls batter off-balance as he spun around and hit his wicket with his bat.
One Morris thunderbolt hit Street on the helmet and went for four leg byes and then he dismissed Peirson with another quick bouncer..
Paris, Morris, Matthew Kelly and Aaron Hardie tested the Bulls openers with probing early spells but Renshaw and Burns showed all of the experience and class that earned them Test cricket honours.
Both left the ball with aplomb and put away the bad deliveries.
Renshaw returned to the Bulls side after making 81 and 101no for the Prime Minister’s XI against the West Indies.
The left-hander is making a strong case for a recall to the Australia side. He was caught at mid-wicket trying to up the ante but the manner of his innings showcased his calm temperament and grit.
Left-hander Street impressed with his composure before opening up late in his innings.
South Australia’s quicks have put their side in control against Tasmania as the visitors closed in on a 300-run lead at stumps on day two of their Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.
Tasmania were rolled for 149 in just 50.3 overs at Blundstone Arena, leaving them 180 behind on the first innings.
SA opted not to enforce the follow-on and expanded their lead to 291 by stumps, as they reached 4-111.
Daniel Drew was unbeaten on 54, having struck nine of his 76 balls for four, and Jake Lehmann two not out.
Veteran quick Jackson Bird (4-37) worked his way through the SA top order, having taken the last two first-innings wickets to finish with 3-68.
South Australia added 20 for the last two wickets early on day two to get them to 329, and their three pacemen took control of the game after Tasmania’s openers put on 33.
Tassie lost 5-33 either side of lunch, with Brendan Doggett (4-21) causing most of the early damage, taking three of the first four wickets.
Fellow pacers Nathan McAndrew (3-51) and Wes Agar (2-50) maintained the pressure on a pitch offering some assistance for the quicks.
Jake Doran, who returned a positive COVID-19 test on day one, was the only home batter to get on top of the SA attack.
He scored 42 off 53 balls and put on 66 for the sixth wicket with Beau Webster (26) after Tassie were floundering at 5-66.
However, Doran’s dismissal triggered another slump of 5-17 either side of tea.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Australia are set to turn their back on rising star Jake Fraser-McGurk’s whirlwind IPL form and drop Steve Smith in their T20 World Cup…
A six-laden, 27-ball 84 from Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his outrageous debut IPL!
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
