Australia’s campaign is going rather better than last time. They have stuck with the same coach, no one has punched anyone and there were smiles all round after a leisurely 255-run victory over Kent.
Actually it does not take much to find their coach, Darren Lehmann, smiling. “We have had some good prep, great facilities and we like winning cricket games. That’s what we’re here for,” he said. However, he declined to inform the assembled throng of his Test team for Cardiff. He started the process with “Clarke, Smith” but then petered out.
He did share the team for the match against Essex at Chelmsford from Wednesday, which excludes Mitchell Johnson and Steve Smith of those likely to play in the first Test from 8 July. Chris Rogers, rather than Shaun Marsh, will open the batting with David Warner while Ryan Harris is the solitary paceman from this game to play a second match, which is hardly surprising given that he was not in the Caribbean with the team recently. “I still think he’s a bit short of a gallop but he was better today,” said Lehmann, who also confirmed Shane Watson would be bowling in Chelmsford – he batted but was not risked with the ball in Canterbury.
Australia’s victory was straightforward but the day was decorated by Daniel Bell-Drummond, who hit an enchanting 127 from 112 balls, hardly the orthodox way to battle for a draw. However, no one at the Spitfire Ground was complaining – 102 of his runs came from boundaries, yet it was not a violent innings.
Bell-Drummond’s talent has been noted for a while. He played an abundance of cricket for England Under-19s. Now at the age of 21 he has seven first-class centuries to his name yet there is still the impression that here is a flower yet to be seen in full bloom. He is a languid strokemaker whose style may not be suited to the sporting wickets upon which so many counties are choosing to play their County Championship matches. But on this benign surface he could display his wares with much virtuosity. There is minimal movement of feet or head when Bell-Drummond bats.
Wrists are flicked and the ball disappears with surprising power for a man of such slight frame. He does not swagger. Instead he hits a boundary, whereupon he generally stands stock still and stares at his feet.
He began his innings with a flurry of boundaries against Harris. Whenever the ball was over-pitched, which was quite frequently, Bell-Drummond tapped it for four – no great effort was required on the glassy outfield. He was also partial to the glided dab to the vacant third-man region.
He took a particular liking to Fawad Ahmed’s wrist-spin, which meant he circumnavigated the nervous 90s. If he was not late-cutting for four he was driving the ball for six over mid-on.
Bell-Drummond took 18 runs from Fawad’s sixth over. From the seventh he sped from 86 to 102 in the space of three balls and the nerves seemed to be residing with the bowler rather than the batsman. In the end Harris disposed of him lbw, whereupon Bell-Drummond sheepishly acknowledged a standing ovation.
None of the Kent batsmen could match him although Ben Harmison, in his first outing of the summer, battled grittily until succumbing to Smith via a shot he might like to forget. The rest came and saw but most definitely did not conquer although Mitchell Claydon, against his own countrymen, hit with rustic good humour at the end.
All of the Australia bowlers took wickets though Fawad was probably the grumpiest given the mauling he received from Bell-Drummond and the fact that Smith’s occasional leg-breaks proved to be more successful. Mind you, the luck was with Smith. His first scalp, Adam Ball, succumbed to a hip-high full-toss which was mishit to Peter Siddle on the boundary.
Bell-Drummond was engagingly chuffed with his performance, especially since it began with him facing the prospect of a pair. “It was brilliant,” he said “probably the best day of my career. I can’t quite believe it’s happened against the best attack in the world that I watched on TV when I was growing up.”
He explained the thinking behind the assault on Fawad with a certain unassailable logic. “With those pace bowlers you are never sure how long you are going to last.” He also reported how Michael Clarke had made a point of congratulating him on his innings as he left the field. The “friendly” tour continues – for about another week.
