Australia seal emphatic win in Derby hit-out

Australia's warm-up for the fourth Ashes Test saw them barely raise a sweat, as they flattened Derbyshire by an innings and 54 runs with victory achieved after just an hour and 45 minutes of play on the third and final day.

It was the pace and guile of the visiting seamers that rolled the home team for 112 and effectively granted the touring party an additional day off ahead of their next assignment against buoyant England.

While the tour game against the third-bottom team in division two of the county championship did not deliver much in the way of meaningful practice, more importantly for the visitors it did not give rise to any issues of concern.

Image Id: 2169BC4E5A7F4B66AD81C46F1A008F93 Image Caption: Multi-tasking from David Warner // Getty

The only hiccup for Australia on a clinical final day was the stomach bug that incumbent Test opener Marcus Harris had contracted overnight, and which kept him from the field – and quarantined from his teammates – on Saturday morning.

Harris had earlier been in the runs in his century first-wicket stand with new opening partner (and acting skipper) Usman Khawaja, who also enjoyed a solid hit-out scoring 72.

 

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh was awarded a bottle of champagne for top-scoring in Australia's sole knock and then scything through the host's lower-middle order on the third morning.

And pace bowlers Mitchell Starc (4-39 in the second innings) and Peter Siddle (2-21) did their chances of a recall to the starting XI for the fourth Test that begins at Old Trafford next Wednesday no harm with tidy spells and regular wickets.

Image Id: 4D29218FAFAE4246A22830F1069A3F2E Image Caption: Nathan Lyon and Hamidullah Qadri before play // Getty

Even the tourists' hope of wrapping up the game in minimal time, before forecast early afternoon rain arrived in Derby, went fairly much to plan.

It took just 14 deliveries on the third morning for Australia to slice deeper into a Derbyshire middle-order that had been exposed by Starc and Siddle the previous evening.

This time it was Michael Neser inflicting the damage, jagging a delivery past the bat of Alex Hughes (who had not added to his overnight score) that clipped the right-hander's stumps.

Image Id: AC5E4B1297574554A41ED4C40965F44A Image Caption: Job well done, sir // Getty

As heavy clouds rolled across the Midlands, the question that predominated among the hardy souls who had braved the Derby chill was whether their team would find the additional 108 runs needed to force Australia back to the crease.

But a solid fifth-wicket stand – interrupted only by a 15-minute late-morning rain delay – slowed the tourists' charge towards an innings victory, and an early embarkation on the team bus for Manchester.

Image Id: 71D9CC7125F9450993A917A5358E20A9 Image Caption: Matthew Wade provides a young fan with an autograph // Getty

Leus du Plooy, Derbyshire's top scorer in in the first innings with 86 from a total of 172, again stood out and with young keeper Harvey Hosein put together a partnership of 27 from nine overs.

However, the re-introduction of Siddle brought the breakthrough when Hosein (8) edged a low catch that was smartly pouched by stand-in gloveman Alex Carey.

With veteran seamer Tony Palladino nursing an ankle injury that prevented him from bowling after lunch on day two and rendered him unable to bat, Derbyshire's resistance was being stretched.

It was effectively broken when Mitchell Marsh claimed the vital wicket of du Plooy for 37, 45 minutes before lunch and with Derbyshire still 67 runs in arrears.

Image Id: C038A54B96894E2D8EBF1F8C48A4351B Image Caption: Elite appealing from Mitch Marsh // Getty

The South Africa-born left-hander didn't appear overly impressed with the lbw decision, with Marsh operating from around the wicket and with the batter looking to flick him away on the leg side.

The frailties exposed by du Plooy's exit were immediately highlighted when young seamer Alfie Gleadall, playing just his second first-class game, was bowled by Marsh for a second-ball duck.

 

The end did not come quite as quickly as Australia might have hoped, with leg-spinner Matthew Critchley showing some late – if pointless – defiance in posting 17.

But when Starc removed Hamidullah Qadri and last-man Dustin Melton in successive deliveries, the emphatic win was secured and the touring party was Manchester-bound.

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia won by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England won by one wicket at Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval