Lord’s Boys: Andre, Thomas, Ollie, Peter Argent and Steve outside the Duke of York in St John’s Wood.
By Peter Argent
The excitement of going to Lord’s for the first time in 35 years was palpable.
Previous back in 1990, I’d seen New Zealand play England, when a guy by the name of Trevor Franklin made his only Test century (dropped five times from memory) and (now Sir) Richard Hadlee smashed 80 odd in quick time.
I’ve been the late call up for this game from the interchange bench.
There were tickets for day one and two that became available, generous offered by a mate in Melbourne, Andre.
I needed to find a flight from Adelaide to London to take up the opportunity of seeing the opening two days of the Lord’s Test between Australia and South Africa for the world championships – I flew Qatar.
Interestingly the price of the flights was eerily close to what I paid for my “One-way” around the world ticket in 1990. Amazing!
Now a biannual event now promoted as one of the saviours of Test cricket – New Zealand collected the mace the first time in 2021, and two years ago on the back of Travis Head’s big century secured the second.
Australia won the toss (I reckon it was a good toss to lose) and decided to bat.
After the formalities Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne came to the crease walking down those stairs that have been made famous at the home of cricket.
It is fair to say Australia’s top order looks a little fragile with the changes and having Cameron Green batting at three.
Unusually, ball dominated against bat – totally – across the first two days.
A total of 28 wickets fell, 14 on each day with the quick bowlers on both sides dominating.
KG Rabada was outstanding collecting a five-wicked hall and left arm lean and lissom quick Marco Jansen helped himself to three.
Only two Australian bats really looked up to the task. They were evergreen veteran Steve Smith and the Tasmanian Beau Webster.
Webster top scored with 72 and Smith scored 66 in an under par total of 212.
Australia was already in the field after tea on day one.
The bowling attack again stood up when the Aussies needed them. They had the Proteas reeling at 4/39 before day one finished.
Returning for a second day, we came in through the members end and found our seating.
While the South African contingent at the ground was huge, there were still a solid contingent of Australians.
I ran into a grandson of a gun, Jack Mosey outside the Lord’s Museum.
Jack is over playing league cricket in England for the northern summer.
I played my first game of A grade country cricket against his grandfather, John or ‘JL’ Mosey as he was known in the district in 1978 as a 14-year-old, against Robertstown at Robertstown Oval.
That game is famous in local cricket folklore, certainly not for my achievements.
I failed (an LBW decision – Mmmm!) … and also misfielded a couple of times on day one.
JL Mosey was the undoubted hero of the contest, making a hundred, opening the batting and then taking all 10 wickets in our,Angaston batting innings on day two.
… Sorry I digress, back to the cricket.
Expecting another big day, the game delivered again after Temba Bavuma dispatched Patrick Cummings for six over the mid-wicket fence.
The Australian captain got on with the job. He took the responsibility and bowled Australia into what should have been winning position.
He saluted the crowd after his fifth wicket and then collected the sixth and final scalp of the innings to register his landmark 300th Test victim.
They bundled out South Africa for 137 and the consensus was the Aussies were in the box seat.
Australia again batting before tea on day two.
For a second time in two days we were on the back foot.
Khawaja scrambled his 15,000th class run total with his first run of the second innings (and the game) after a duck in his first trip to the middle in this World Championships match.
He averaged 0.5 for the Test!
Time to retire Usman!
Marnus batted defensively and was dismissed after facing more than 60 deliveries for 22 while Cameron Green, who looked all at sea failed to trouble the scores batting at three.
Lungi Ngidi and Rabada were again amongst the wickets as the cream of Australia’s batsmen were sent back to the pavilion.
It took an ex-AFL listed footballer to get Australia back on track (I’d originally written the road to victory)!
Batting through the majority of the final session of day two Alex Carey was dismissed for 35 and Australia were eight down at stumps.
If the South Africans had held onto a couple of relatively easy chances late, Australia should have already been out.
On day three in the English sun gave the game a completely different context…
Firstly, Mitchell Starc displayed his batting prowess with an important final wicket partnership with number 11, Josh Hazlewood that yielded 59 runs for the last wicket
This was the highest association of the Australians second innings.
This gave the Proteas a total of 282 to chase down.
Then man of the match, Aiden Markram went to work.
He was simply magnificent and sadly was dismissed on day four, shortly before the chase was completed for a match winning 136, from 207 balls faced, which included 14 boundaries.
His third wicket partnership with Bavuma of 147 – who batted on after injuring his hamstring was brilliant, before the South African skipper was dismissed with the score at 217.
South Africa got home five wickets down and are deserving champions.
The Australians performed poorly in too many aspects of the contest!
What this “one off” event did show was there are some glaring holes in the Australia side, which need to be addressed before the Ashes.
There are 12 openers around the nation playing first-class Sheffield Shield cricket in Australia, yet we persist in not playing them.
I’d give Jake Weatherald a game…!
Cameron Green is not technically up to facing high quality bowling at number three currently.
Nathan Lyon bowled 26 overs in the second innings and went wicket-less!
I’m not convinced he is still the man for the spinner’s role in the Test team.
Without being a profit of doom here – the Australian’s are an aging team – and there are personnel at the end of their time at the top level of the game.
Congratulations to the Proteas – they were deserving of their first major award since returning to world cricket in 1992.
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Thanks for this Peter and the links to SA country cricket. Looks like you had a great time. I enjoyed this read!