Fans in Derby wanting to see Steve Smith had to content themselves with a bevy of autographs at stumps on the first day of Australia’s tour match, with the opening batsmen, Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris, compiling 77 unbeaten runs after Derbyshire were bowled out for 172.
Smith is listed at No 4 in his return since becoming the first Test player to be substituted because of concussion,, after being hit in the neck by Jofra Archer, in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Marnus Labuschagne, who replaced Smith in that match, will bat at No 7 here after three Test fifties that ensure he will be retained for the fourth match, at Old Trafford, that starts next Wednesday. The player most likely to make way would be Khawaja or Harris, meaning their partnership may also be a contest.
Matthew Wade may also feel vulnerable despite his century at Edgbaston, surrounding it with four single-figure scores. He will bat behind Smith here, with the discarded opener, Cameron Bancroft, at No 6.
“It’ll be somewhere in the top six, I can tell you that,” said the Test captain, Tim Paine, of the change. “We’re looking to have a squad that’s got some real depth and we want to get back to a stage in Australian cricket where we’ve got some really good players and unlucky players that are missing out.
“Our selectors are going to have, hopefully after some big runs tomorrow, a really difficult decision to make.”
The Derbyshire captain, Billy Godleman, chose to bat, unlike some county sides on recent tours who offer first use of placid pitches to make sure matches last the distance and gate receipts do not suffer. It almost worked, or would have done had anyone stayed with Leus du Plooy, second-last out for 86.
Michael Neser, though, nicked two wickets before a run was scored, then came back to nip out Luis Reece after a recovery stand of 66. Alex Hughes and Harvey Hosein helped Du Plooy for a time, as he drove impressively through the covers.
Once they were removed, courtesy of Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc shrugged off an indifferent day to grab three wickets in an over. Peter Siddle picked up Du Plooy in a typically parsimonious one for 11 from eight overs.
Labuschagne and Bancroft went to the nets as Smith padded up but his only real work for the day had been the single, peculiar over he bowled before lunch: leg-breaks to the right-hander, off-breaks to the left-hander. His second comeback for the summer lies ahead.
