Mitchell Marsh’s prospects looked excellent but concerns over Michael Clarke continued to gradually gather. Such was the feeling as Australia eyed the third Test at Edgbaston during the last day of their tour match at Derby.
On a bright and windy morning after the second day’s gloom and rain, Marsh spearheaded the Australians’ bowling as it rolled through Derbyshire’s middle order in the first session. He looked every inch the fast bowler as he came on at first change to grab three wickets in his first three overs, then returned for another after lunch.
Delivering the ball with pace and bounce on a pitch that looked to have quickened overnight, Marsh had Scott Elstone caught in the gully, Wayne Madsen given leg before wicket, and Tom Knight caught at slip. At that stage Marsh had taken three wickets for seven in the day.
Harvey Hosein was having plenty asked of him by coming in at five but he acquitted himself well through a patient 59-ball stay, most notably his confident footwork to defend and attack Fawad Ahmed’s leg-spin. He was eventually out hooking Peter Siddle, with a fine running catch by Shane Watson at long leg, and with Jonathan Clare already bowled by Fawad’s googly, things looked grim for Derbyshire at 129 for seven.
But Anthony Palladino provided an entertaining counterattack from No9, clubbing 82 runs from 68 balls either side of the lunch interval, while enjoying solid support from David Wainwright, who made 38 from 86.
No doubt Palladino was channelling the memory of his only first-class century, scored at this ground against Australia A in 2012, against a Test-level attack of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird. Wainwright took six wickets in the same match.
Of greater concern for Australia than Derbyshire’s total of 259 was the fitness of Clarke. He spent much of the first and second sessions off the field. With no Steve Smith, and Brad Haddin exiled to the outfield, David Warner appeared to take Clarke’s captaincy duties along with his place in the cordon.
That Clarke has fitness problems will surprise no one, as the owner of two of the most discussed hamstrings and one of the best known spines in the world. His batting this tour has consistently given the impression of a man struggling to move fluently to the ball or to play his preferred shots.
He looked no better against Derbyshire in the first innings and Palladino’s charge after lunch ensured that the Australians scored only 95 for one before abandoning the game shortly after five o’clock. Clarke was back at slip in time to give Marsh his fourth wicket, and opened the batting to score 44 not out. But how effectively he is able to do either job at Edgbaston remains open to question.
