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Anderson, though, was left with reason for vindication and Cummins with some food for thought after Rabada ripped through his top order, seaming the ball treacherously on the perfect lengths advised for him by another former England seamer, Stuart Broad.
Recently returned from an illicit drugs ban, Rabada moved the ball around with the sort of skill Broad once demonstrated in multiple Ashes series, with one significant difference: he was bowling around 10km quicker.
Kagiso Rabada claimed Usman Khawaja.Credit: Getty Images
In his precise first spell, Rabada opened up Australia’s batting order by coaxing edges from Usman Khawaja and new number three Cameron Green. Later on, he ensured a mediocre total by knocking back Cummins’ off stump, then nipping out Beau Webster and Nathan Lyon in consecutive overs.
Given South Africa are using the home dressing room as the top qualifiers for the WTC, the MCC will need to find a way to differentiate Rabada’s 5-51 from all the other fine performances by England players on their home honours board.
Marnus Labuschagne, opening the batting in what amounted to a last chance for the ex-number three, played sturdily before squandering his start with an indeterminate fiddle outside the off stump at Marco Jansen. His Test place will now be in severe doubt for the looming West Indies tour.
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Flu did not rob Steve Smith (66) of any of his recent fluency, and it was a surprise to every spectator when he edged the part-time spin of Aiden Markram to a juggling Jansen at slip.
“I’m still trying to fathom how I’ve done that,” Smith confessed after play. “We had a few missed opportunities with the bat to get a bigger total, but I think the wicket offered something all day and we’re in a pretty good position. It could have been a better day but we’re still in a nice position.”
Webster was fortunate early on – evading one lbw review and then escaping another more adjacent shout that South Africa did not refer – before he continued the strong contributions of his Test career thus far with 72.
Those runs meant that Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood had something to defend, and any South African plans to respond with positive intent were scrambled when Aiden Markram dragged onto his stumps in the first over of the reply.
Ryan Rickelton was bewitched by Starc’s swing and edged to first slip Khawaja – it might have been Carey’s catch – before Mulders and Tristan Stubbs were each beaten by seaming deliveries that splayed their stumps. David Bedingham hit Cummins’ last two deliveries to the boundary, an exception to much of what had gone before.
A day’s Test cricket at Lord’s may have brought some tranquillity for Postecoglou, but there was little of the sort for the batters. This championship bout already looks bound for an early finish.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Anderson, though, was left with reason for vindication and Cummins with some food for thought after Rabada ripped through his top order, seaming the ball treacherously on the perfect lengths advised for him by another former England seamer, Stuart Broad.
Recently returned from an illicit drugs ban, Rabada moved the ball around with the sort of skill Broad once demonstrated in multiple Ashes series, with one significant difference: he was bowling around 10km quicker.
Kagiso Rabada claimed Usman Khawaja.Credit: Getty Images
In his precise first spell, Rabada opened up Australia’s batting order by coaxing edges from Usman Khawaja and new number three Cameron Green. Later on, he ensured a mediocre total by knocking back Cummins’ off stump, then nipping out Beau Webster and Nathan Lyon in consecutive overs.
Given South Africa are using the home dressing room as the top qualifiers for the WTC, the MCC will need to find a way to differentiate Rabada’s 5-51 from all the other fine performances by England players on their home honours board.
Marnus Labuschagne, opening the batting in what amounted to a last chance for the ex-number three, played sturdily before squandering his start with an indeterminate fiddle outside the off stump at Marco Jansen. His Test place will now be in severe doubt for the looming West Indies tour.
Loading
Flu did not rob Steve Smith (66) of any of his recent fluency, and it was a surprise to every spectator when he edged the part-time spin of Aiden Markram to a juggling Jansen at slip.
“I’m still trying to fathom how I’ve done that,” Smith confessed after play. “We had a few missed opportunities with the bat to get a bigger total, but I think the wicket offered something all day and we’re in a pretty good position. It could have been a better day but we’re still in a nice position.”
Webster was fortunate early on – evading one lbw review and then escaping another more adjacent shout that South Africa did not refer – before he continued the strong contributions of his Test career thus far with 72.
Those runs meant that Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood had something to defend, and any South African plans to respond with positive intent were scrambled when Aiden Markram dragged onto his stumps in the first over of the reply.
Ryan Rickelton was bewitched by Starc’s swing and edged to first slip Khawaja – it might have been Carey’s catch – before Mulders and Tristan Stubbs were each beaten by seaming deliveries that splayed their stumps. David Bedingham hit Cummins’ last two deliveries to the boundary, an exception to much of what had gone before.
A day’s Test cricket at Lord’s may have brought some tranquillity for Postecoglou, but there was little of the sort for the batters. This championship bout already looks bound for an early finish.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
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