Labuschagne adds to his ‘consummate pro’ tag to stake his claim

Smith stand-in given ‘great respect’ from Australian camp for his bravery, writes Tom Cary

It has been quite the Ashes baptism for Marnus Labuschagne. Felled second ball by a Jofra Archer missile at Lord’s last weekend, Steve Smith’s concussion replacement got back on his feet to contribute a gritty 59 as Australia survived to claim a draw and preserve their 1-0 series lead.

If that were not enough, yesterday morning – no more than an hour after Smith had been ruled out of this week’s third Test – Labuschagne was hit square in the grille by a Mitchell Starc snorter while batting in the nets, requiring medical attention for the second time in three days.

Just as he did at Lord’s, Labuschagne waved away the medics, insisting he was fine.

“It will take more than a couple of bouncers to stop Marnus,” said Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, yesterday.

Wallace should know. Glamorgan could have done with Labuschagne at Colwyn Bay, from where he was speaking.

Needing 288 to avoid an innings defeat by Lancashire, the Welsh county were skittled for 138, losing inside three days. But the fact that they remain third in Division Two owes much to their 25-year-old Australian overseas player with the unpronounceable name who smashed a century on his championship debut against Northamptonshire and went on to plunder four more before receiving an Ashes call-up from Australia’s selectors.

Labuschagne’s 1,114 runs this summer make him the competition’s leading run-scorer by a distance, and a major reason why a team who finished bottom of Division Two last season are now challenging for promotion to Division One.

“Even without all the runs he has had a massive impact,” said Wallace. “Although the funny thing is he wasn’t meant to be playing with us at all this year. We had Shaun Marsh lined up, then he couldn’t come as he was picked for Australia’s World Cup squad.”

Labuschagne has proved a more than able replacement.

Born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa’s North West province, Labuschagne grew up speaking Afrikaans, apparently only becoming proficient in English after his family emigrated to Brisbane when he was 10.

It seems he was always fluent with bat and ball, though.

A cricket-mad teenager, Labuschagne was operating the Hot-spot cameras at the Gabba when Peter Siddle recorded an

Ashes hat-trick in the first Test in 2010. He played for Queensland at under-12, under-15, under-17, and under-19 levels, and for Redlands Tigers in grade cricket.

It was actually through the Redlands connection that Glamorgan signed him.

Wallace explained: “I was appointed director of cricket at Glamorgan in February and after it was announced I got a message from an old team-mate in Australia, Blair Copeland, with whom I played at Redlands 15 years ago.

“He’s a coach there now and he recommended Marnus to me, describing him as ‘unbelievable, the consummate pro’ and so on.

“I took it with a pinch of salt. I thought: ‘Yeah, OK. Probably they’re good mates.’ But we did some asking around and everyone we spoke to said the same.”

Labuschagne had already made his Test debut by then, of course, so he was not a complete unknown. Called up for Australia’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last year, he made a duck in Dubai before scoring 25 and 43 in the second Test in Abu Dhabi. It was actually

‘There were bigger names but we wanted someone on an upward curve. We got that’’

his fielding and leg-spin which drew greater attention, Labuschagne taking three for 45 with the ball and producing one particularly smart catch at short leg to dismiss Mohammad Hafeez.

It was not enough to secure him a central contract with Cricket Australia, though, opening the door to Glamorgan. Their gamble paid off in spades.

“His impact was immediate,” said Wallace. “There were bigger names, but we wanted someone young, on an upward curve and we certainly got that with Marnus.

“He’s scored over 1,000 runs and we’ve used him as our first-choice spinner, too [he has taken 19 county wickets at just over 38].”

Australia will hope Labuschagne’s bountiful summer does not end now. Justin Langer, the coach, yesterday noted the player’s “hunger” to impress, adding that Labuschagne’s bravery in standing up to Archer over the weekend had earned him “great respect within the change room as well as outside the change room.”

Wallace is not surprised. “We’ll try to get him back,” he said. “I’d like him to be a long-term part of the club. For now, it’s just great to see him doing so well, although I want England to win. If Marnus can get a century at Headingley in an England victory, I’ll be happy.”