Australians firing on all cylinders ahead of blockbuster Ashes tour

There are Australians firing all over the world in a show of force that is sure to worry the Poms ahead of a blockbuster Ashes tour.

It was raining runs for the Australian men’s cricketers overnight in a warning shot for the English ahead of a blockbuster Ashes tour, providing plenty of the best kinds of headaches for George Bailey and co.

Young gun Cameron Green starred in the IPL for Mumbai, while there’s 20 Australians plying their trade in England across both red and white ball formats hoping to be selected on the Ashes squad.

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Test stalwarts Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith continued their English form from the last tour, while Marcus Harris has continued to press his case from the domestic ranks for a return to the top of the order amid conjecture as to whether the under-fire David Warner should retain his opening spot against the likes of Stuart Broad and James Anderson on England’s typical green seamers.

Cameron Green’s two metre levers

Australia’s $3m man Cameron Green blasted the first century of his Indian Premier League career to ease the pressure on himself and send his Mumbai Indians into the playoffs.

Green smashed eight sixes and eight fours in his remarkable 47-ball unbeaten century that guided the Indians to a crucial eight-wicket win. He scored the winning single to move to three figures and leapt in the air for joy.

Cameron Green’s remarkable innings has made his monstrous price tag worth it. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP)

Having been signed for a massive $3.15m, the all-rounder had delivered two half-centuries early in the campaign but was coming off a run of four single figures scores before his epic innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Asked if he‘d felt any pressure because of his monster price tag, Green said “potentially”.

“But the whole set-up has been awesome. It (the pressure) wasn’t from the team but probably myself,” he said.

Having blasted the bowlers to all parts, Green found the final single to get his century the hardest.

“When we had about 20 to get, I just said to Sky (Suryakumar) ‘just finish it’,” Green explained.

In an act that may well sum up the future direction of the sport amid the looming march of T20 franchises, Green kissed the Mumbai Indians badge on his helmet upon reaching his century, evoking the celebration first popularised by Michael Slater in the 1990s with the Australian coat of arms.

With his effort, Green joined South African Faf du Plessis and Indian legend MS Dhoni as the only players in this year’s IPL with an average above 50 and strike rate above 150.

Mumbai will now face Marcus Stoinis and his Lucknow Super Giants in Wednesday’s eliminator final, keeping Green potentially in India as late as May 30 while the rest of the Australians head over to the mother country.

Cameron Green celebrates his century with a kiss of the badge. Photo: Mumbai Indians

Social media was ablaze at Green’s efforts, with Channel 10 broadcaster Chloe-Amanda Bailey calling it “brilliant”.

“Cameron Green, what an innings lad! A brilliant maiden IPL century,” Bailey wrote.

New Zealand cricketer Mitchell McClenaghan called it “incredibly impressive”.

“What an incredibly impressive chase – well done Cameron Green on an unreal knock!”

Indian broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar noted that Green had recently starred in the whites as well, and that his cross-format ability was “special”.

“The guy you are watching hammering the bowlers at Wankhede (Stadium), 100 at a strike rate of 220, recently got 21 in 90 minutes in India, in a Test, on a rank turner showing tremendous patience and defence,” Manjrekar wrote.

“Cameron Green is special amongst specials!”

Labuschagne tops County tallies, while #NeserMustPlay

Australia’s resident run glutton, Marnus Labuschagne, has impressed during his County stint for Welsh side Glamorgan, topping the Division Two batting averages for players with at least 450 runs this season with his 502 runs at 71.71 and two centuries.

Labuschagne has made a point in his career of prioritising Test match preparation over other formats, to the extent that he has largely eschewed the shortest formats and the paycheques that come with it.

Marnus Labuschagne has been bowling much more in the County Championship. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Labuschagne plundered 138 overnight at Hove in a record-breaking second-innings team effort of 737 against a Sussex side featuring Steve Smith, Indian Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara and English seamer Ollie Robinson for his second century of the season, and has also taken to bowling multiple styles in a bid to aid his versatility.

Labuschagne has been seen bowling medium pace, off spin and leg spin in matches across the County Championship this season, but he’s not the only Australian to be improving their secondary skills.

Michael Neser (right) has pressed a case for Test selection. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Michael Neser has added fuel to the cult social media campaign #NeserMustPlay, joining Labuschagne in scoring centuries for Glamorgan, bringing his up with a backfoot six off Steve Smith before being clean bowled by Smith 23 runs later trying to put him into the next postcode.

Cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan called it “another chapter in the #NeserMustPlay epic”.

“What a story. What a man. What a player,” Sundaresan said.

Broadcaster Adam Collins and Fox Sports’ Jono Baruch echoed the sentiment, also tweeting the now-ubiquitous hashtag that gets trending every time Neser performs at domestic level.

Glamorgan would go on to rack up a mammoth 737, the highest second-innings score made in English first-class cricket, to draw the match against Sussex.

An over of Marnus Labuschagne bowling seam up, enjoy #LVCountyChamppic.twitter.com/5GAI8g3e5q

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 21, 2023

Michael Neser hits a six off Steve Smith to secure his first century for Glamorgan!#LVCountyChamppic.twitter.com/egWOwWvQBQ

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 21, 2023

Steve Smith claims the wicket of his fellow Australian Michael Neser. ☝ pic.twitter.com/6ZbgZTBh1e

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) May 21, 2023

Neser, 33, was controversially omitted from Australia’s squad for the upcoming World Test Championship final against India at the Oval and the first three encounters of the five-match Ashes series in England despite taking 40 wickets at 16.67 in the most recent domestic Sheffield Shield campaign.

But he has been included in Australia’s training group and could well feature during a gruelling schedule of five Ashes Tests in under seven weeks that could take a toll on the frontline quicks of both sides.

Steve Smith has been doing Steve Smith things. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Neser, who also made 357 runs at 35.70, including a century against New South Wales in Sydney in last season’s Sheffield Shield, has given Australia’s selectors yet another reminder of the all-round ability that could give Australia an edge against England’s rotating line-up of hard-hitting, all-round talent.

Smith, who made 89 in Sussex’s first innings, and Labuschagne will now join up with the Australia squad for the World Test Championship final against India at the Oval in early June.

The showpiece match is also Australia’s lone warm-up game before they begin their quest for a first Ashes series win in England since 2001.

Harris presses case

Much-maligned Victorian batter Marcus Harris has taken the sage advice of runs being currency, carrying his bat for his second County Championship century for Gloucestershire against Durham yesterday.

Harris would finish unbeaten on 122 off 195 balls against an attack that featured internationals Ajaz Patel and Matthew Potts, but it wouldn’t be enough to save Gloucestershire from defeat at Bristol.

100 for Marcus Harris 👏

His second 💯 in five @CountyChamp matches this season.

🎥: @Gloscricket | #Ashes 👀 pic.twitter.com/rvHfZx3SHB

— Victorian Cricket Team (@VicStateCricket) May 21, 2023

Harris was dropped from the Test side after an extended run at the top of the order that saw only three scores above 50 from 26 innings, and no centuries at international level.

He would eventually be dropped for the Sydney Test of the 2022 Ashes to accommodate the comeback of Usman Khawaja, who has since been prolific as the most in-form Test batter in the world over the last year.

Harris has repeatedly made himself the next cab off the rank with irresistible scores at domestic level, but hasn’t been able to convert that to international form as yet.

Still only 30, Harris has thrived in English conditions at the County level and sits behind Marnus Labuschagne as the second-most prolific batter in the competition at the moment with 457 runs at an average of 57.12.

- with AFP and NCA NewsWire