Tons of selection hope for Marnus and Carey
MARNUS Labuschagne threw his name into the T20 selection mix and keeper Alex Carey made a statement after being axed as vicecaptain, both making centuries in Australia’s final warm-up game for the series against England.
Marcus Stoinis took a massive strike towards his international return against England on Friday, making 68 off 37 balls to go with his 87 in the one-day match on Monday.
But it was Carey who had the best final hitout, making 107 off 60 balls in game two to go with his 50 not out in the first game at Southampton. He shared a 181-run stand in game two with Labuschagne, who made an even 100.
Labuschagne’s efforts, with his 100 coming off just 51 balls, could be in vain, in terms of making the T20 side at least, with David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and now Stoinis and Carey ahead of him.
Carey recovered from having the stem guard on his helmet detached by a searing Pat Cummins bouncer early in his innings, smashing the fast bowler for a stunning six over cover in the penultimate over of his side’s innings.
Cummins took over as sole vicecaptain for the Australian white-ball teams for the six-match tour of England, having previously shared the role as deputy to skipper Finch.
Warner’s troubles in England, after the worst return of any opener in a five-Test series during the Ashes last year, continued, making a first ball duck in game one and just one run in the second match.
Maxwell, who made a century in the one-day warm-up game on Monday, only batted once and also looks set to return to the national team for the first time since October last year.
The Aussies will play the opening match of the T20 series against England in the early hours of Saturday morning.