Marnus Labuschagne has become the latest Australian to denounce Stuart Broad’s “void” Ashes claim, pointing out the hosts dominated England in the last series.
Broad created headlines last month when he argued Australia’s 4-0 success in 2021-22 didn’t count as a real Ashes win, given the COVID-19 restrictions.
The England quick suggested that because players spent part of the summer in a bubble, it was not genuine elite sport with players at the top of their game.
The comments have raised eyebrows among several Australia players ahead of this year’s Ashes series, with the first Test getting underway on June 16.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon have each had their say, while Labuschagne on Friday rejected Broad’s take.
“It’s a series and Australia, we dominated that series,” Labuschagne said.
“Take everything out of it, our job is to perform on the field. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are externally. And we did that.
“Hopefully we can continue to do that this series.”
Labuschagne looms as one of the most crucial factors in Australia’s pursuit of their first Ashes series win in England in 22 years.
The right-hander has been among the best batters in county cricket this year with 502 runs at 71.71 for Glamorgan.
He is known to bat well on English wickets, having played at Sandwich Town in Kent as a teenager before forcing his way into the Australia team off his county form for Glamorgan in 2019.
“The back-to-back games really help, playing a lot of (county) cricket with not much break in between,” Labuschagne said.
“You get rhythm and feel and (are) able to learn from games, rather than stewing over technical things or changes that you start at training.
“In Australia we might have a week-and-a-half or even more between games. You go back to training and you might have got out a certain way and you start tinkering.
“You come to England, you know you play Thursday to Sunday for seven weeks straight. If you miss out a game, you just stick to the same process.
“It creates good habits of scoring runs.”
That rhythm is one Labuschagne expects to benefit from over the next two months, as Australia play the World Test Championship final against India and five Ashes Tests in the space of seven-and-a-half weeks.
“It just helps you stick to the process, where when you have big breaks between it breaks up your rhythm a bit,” he said.
“When you’re playing back-to-back Tests, it really helps you stay in the zone. Especially when you’re scoring runs and going well.”
England wipe Bradman from record books on day two
Donald Bradman’s 93-year record for the fastest 150 at Lord’s has become the latest victim of England’s ‘BazBall’ revolution, after the hosts declared at 4-524 against Ireland.
England opener Ben Duckett reached 150 off as many balls as England surged towards another Test victory, breaking Bradman’s Lord’s record 166 balls from 1930.
Duckett was eventually dismissed for 182 when he was bowled by Graham Hume, before Ollie Pope brought up his maiden Test double-century with 205 from 208 balls.
The 25-year-old also brought up his 150 from 166 deliveries, equalling Bradman’s mark.
Duckett’s lavish display dominated the morning session, with the opener scoring a hundred in his first Test innings on home soil and showing why he is the perfect fit for Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes’ aggressive style.
Pope picked up the baton and tucked into some poor Irish bowling to walk off for tea on 197 not out before a glorious skip down the wicket saw him hit Andy McBrine for a maximum to reach 200.
But when he was stumped next ball, Stokes called in the troops to try and force a win inside two days.
Ireland was 97-3 at stumps, 255 runs behind after England.
The match marks England’s last hit out before the start of the Ashes on June 16, with players to have a week in Scotland before preparing for the first Test against Australia in Birmingham.
Ashes countdown: Days to go …
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Wickets taken by Bruce Reid in his career-best performance against England in 1990 at the MCG. The towering left-arm seamer bagged 6-97 first up and then bowled Australia to victory in the second innings with 7-51.
On This Day …
June 3 – England captain Walter Robins was born in 1906. His finest moment in Ashes contests came in 1930 when he interrupted Don Bradman’s record-breaking run spree by bowling him with a googly when he didn’t offer a shot on 131 after threatening to guide the tourists to victory in Nottingham.
with AAP