With Australia’s international obligations completed for the season, a few national-side representatives and those vying for a spot or a comeback to the team play in various formats around the world. Early last week, Josh Hazlewood continued his exceptional form in the IPL, taking 4 for 25 to lend a hand to Royal Challengers Bangalore to a crucial win over Lucknow SuperGiants. With eight scalps in the first three games of the IPL, his Test match skill sets have rendered him unplayable. His four-wicket haul included Marcus Stoinis, who fell for 24 off 15 in the hunt and was fined 20% of his match fee for an IPL Code of Conduct violation following his disqualification.
Stoinis fell for a duck in his most recent game against the Mumbai Indians, lofting out off another Australian, Daniel Sams. The left-arm seamer took 1 for 40 against the SuperGiants, pursuing an excellent performance against the Chennai Super Kings in which he took 4 for 30 in a losing cause. Riley Meredith bowled Mumbai against the Super Kings, taking 1 for 25 off four overs in his first game of the season. However, he was costly against the SuperGiants, conceding 40 off four overs but picking up two wickets.
David Warner hit his third half-century in a row, slamming 60 not out off 30 balls to help Delhi Capitals crush Punjab Kings’ scant target of 115 in 11 overs.
Warner proceeded with his record-breaking ball-striking against the Rajasthan Royals, slamming 28 off 14 balls to get the Capitals off to a flying start in their failed chase of 223. However, in the game, he has scored 219 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 157.14.
Glenn Maxwell scored 23 runs off 11 balls for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the SuperGiants, but his team was beaten for 68 runs by Sunrisers Hyderabad. As the Sunrisers glided to victory, Hazlewood had no effect with the ball.
Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins were left out of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ latest match against the Gujarat Titans.
Finch had been coming off a half-century in the previous match, but Cummins has only four wickets at an average rating of 12 from four matches despite his courage with the bat. At the toss against the Titans, Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer hinted that both men had niggling injuries.
Meanwhile, Mumbai has yet to recall Tim David, and Titans’ Matthew Wade is also out of favor. Nathan Ellis appeared in one match for the Kings last week but only bowled two overs against the Capitals and was left out of the team’s win over the Super Kings on Monday night.
In the county championship, it was difficult to top Siddle’s six-for-six in a losing cause. The 37-year-old was taking his 27th five-wicket haul in his 200th first-class match, a remarkable achievement for a fast bowler. He is now only 12 wickets away from reaching 700 first-class scalps.
