Ashes 2013

 

Phil Hughes on the Brink?

 

July 27^th

 

[11:30 CEST] It is of the nature of this tour that the player who tops the Australian averages on tour (apart from Faulkner, who has only one completed innings and is in danger of emulating Bill Johnson’s remarkable feat in 1953) is the one with most to fear from the return of David Warner. While Steve Smith is also under threat, his bowling allows him to add value even when he fails with the bat. For Hughes, runs are the only valid currency. So, with Hughes, Smith, Khawaja and Wade presumably all fighting for just two places in the side for the 3^rd Test, a day batting on a flat pitch against a friendly attack in good conditions was a heaven-sent opportunity to make a big score and make oneself undroppable.

On one level 354-5 in 92 overs was a wonderful return for a day playing a side with a weakened, but not entirely sacrificial attack, especially given that Chris Jordan and Monty Panesar have very good reasons to want to do well against Australia. On another, it looks a bit of a disappointment. Everyone, bar the luckless Wade got in. No one has made a century, leaving the Australians with just the two that Clarke and Watson scored against Worcestershire to show for their efforts in this, their fifth First Class match of the tour. Steve Smith will be hopeful though that he will add the two runs that he needs in the morning to get his hundred. As Hughes stroked his way to 84 one fan suggested that maybe England had an interest in keeping him in the side. He finally fell to the persistent Lewis Hatchett, whose return of 2-34 off 14.4 over in only his tenth First Class match far outshone Chris Jordan’s 0-80 off 14. Jordan has been showing the form that made him a real prospect as an all-rounder (he could play for either England or the West Indies), but this will have done nothing to advance his case for promotion.

Overall though, Hughes has missed the chance to nail down his spot and looks the most vulnerable of the top six and the most likely to pay the price for failure, although you can make a good case for dropping any and all of them.

However, in general terms, Australia will be satisfied. All the batsmen except Wade got plenty of middle time and made a score. Given that today’s weather forecast looks awful, with big storms crossing the South Coast from France, they may not get a second chance to bat in the match. Wade has thus, almost certainly, ruled himself out of the fight to play in the 3^rd Test by failing to cash in today.  Hughes will wonder if those extra sixteen runs that he missed could also see him watching the match from the balcony.