Dave Warner and Steve Smith make successful return in World Cup warm-up

David Warner and Steve Smith finally resumed their positions in Australian cricket, with the pair showing glimpses of brilliance in the tight win over New Zealand.

Australian Cricketer David Warner is seen at a World Cup Training Camp at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, Sunday, May 5, 2019. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt) NO ARCHIVING

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David Warner started scratchy and was then briefly sublime. Steve Smith was acrobatic in the field and then momentarily balanced with the bat.

Both made starts but failed to finish. Tailender Adam Zampa ultimately saved Australia from a shock loss to a second-string New Zealand, but usual programming had returned.

Warner and Smith – batting out of position at No.3 and No.4 – finally resumed their positions in Australian cricket.

In an unofficial practice game, this was their official return. Warner’s first ball dropped short of point and he was then dropped at gully. After 18 minutes he was still on zero.

David Warner (R) and Steve Smith exchange words as the left-hander leaves the field. Picture: Getty

Was he nervous? Demoted to No.3, Warner finally scampered through for a single and, all of a sudden, he clicked into gear.

Warner pulled Doug Bracewell for six, followed that with a four and then, in Bracewell’s next over, pulled two consecutive short balls to the rope.

He cut and pierced gaps, quickly overtaking Aaron Finch and showing glimpses of his dazzling Indian Premier League form.

Warner’s shock demotion didn’t matter. He faced the fifth ball of the innings after Usman Khawaja was bowled and is likely to open either in the next match or on Friday.

Australia will shuffle its team around and bring in Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell, who didn’t play.

And here comes Davey Warner ... (Khawaja out for four in the first over) pic.twitter.com/ikysfYiOAy

— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) May 6, 2019

Warner fell on 39, bringing Smith to the crease. They exchanged words as they crossed in their first appearances for Australia since the ball-tampering saga.

But what followed was a disastrous collapse. Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis fell for 15, Alex Carey was caught behind for two and Pat Cummins added just five.

It left Zampa and Jason Behrendorff to fetch the final 11 runs. The scrappy win was finally completed in dark shadows at Allan Border Field. But Smith and Warner were back in the limelight.

Smith took a screamer of a catch in the first innings. Picture: Getty

SMITH BOUNCES BACK TO HEALTH

Steve Smith’s dodgy elbow passed the ultimate fitness test. When Tom Latham squirted a ball to mid-off, the former captain charged a few steps, lunged, and clung on with his right hand. The dive caused no discomfort as Smith bounced to his feet and high-fived Nathan Coulter-Nile. Smith underwent surgery in January and his elbow remained so sore that he was unable to throw overarm in the IPL last week. But Smith fielded in some hot spots yesterday and the blinding catch allayed any fears he wouldn’t be at 100 per cent for the World Cup, which begins in 25 days.

RICHO OUT, RICHO IN?

Kane Richardson’s World Cup audition didn’t produce a wicket but the impressive death bowler is on standby should Jhye Richardson (dislocated shoulder) suffer a setback. The Big Bash League’s leading wicket-taker last season has great variation and cleverly picks up batsman cues to pick the right ball in tough situations. Has Australia had a specialist death bowler since Brett Lee? Richardson finished with a tidy albeit unsuccessful 0/29 (seven overs) yesterday and the South Australian, along with Josh Hazlewood, remains a chance to be elevated from Australia A into coach Justin Langer’s squad.

STARC’S UNDERSTUDY SIZZLES

Mitchell Starc’s ominous form in the nets — he fired one into Shaun Marsh’s elbow on Sunday — suggests he will return from a three-month pectoral injury in the next practice match. But if the 2015 World Cup hero is absent at any stage during the upcoming campaign in England, Australia has a handy replacement. Left-arm understudy Jason Behrendorff’s 3/34 (eight overs) included the wickets of New Zealand World Cup pair Tom Latham and Jimmy Neesham. The lanky quick with a sharp haircut took one of the new balls, alongside Pat Cummins (3/36), and is fresh from dismissing Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle in the Indian Premier League.

ALMOST LIKE THEY NEVER LEFT

It was a welcome blast from the past from the start for cricket fans yesterday. Steve Smith fielded with his usual mannerisms — draping a towel out the back of his trousers and gripping his left wrist with his right hand behind his back — and was full of energy, primarily at first slip, while David Warner weighed in to several discussions between captain and bowler. Warner repeatedly threw the ball back to the bowler and often jogged in to join the mid-over chats between Aaron Finch and Kane Richardson. If there is any lingering tension it was certainly hard to spot.

TEAMS

Australia

Aaron Finch (C), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson

New Zealand

George Worker, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Tom Blundell, David Mitchell, Todd Astle, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, Hamish Bennett

Originally published as Dave Warner and Steve Smith make successful return in World Cup warm-up