Mitchell Starc Dishes Out An Ashes Special With A 10 And 100!

The much-awaited ‘Ashes’ — a biennial Test series spectacle between Australia and England, the old foes of the gentleman’s game — began without the home team’s skipper Pat Cummins, a champion seamer and Josh Hazlewood, who bowls with a curmudgeon-like attitude. The duo has taken a small matter of 604 Test wickets and Hazlewood was looking forward to add five to his 295 to take his personal tally to 300. Cummins has been laid low by a lower back ailment and Hazlewood by a nagging hamstring. But the third gangling man in the three Musketeers, Mitchell Starc (412 wickets after the first Test at Perth) filled the big boots of the other two to send England packing on a remarkable pitch at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Opener Travis Head won all the accolades in the end for his phenomenal flaying with the bat that disintegrated the England bowling and their minds. But it was Starc’s outstanding 7 for 58 and 3 for 56 and a first Ashes 10nner that paved the way for his team to compete hard and win the Test. It was Starc’s 101st Test and fittingly he completed it. 100 plus wickets against England and became the 14th Australian to take a century of wickets in Ashes contests. Starc did so in his 23rd Test against England and he has featured in 13 wins. He is the only left arm bowler — pace or spin — to take 100 plus wickets. At Perth he was the spearhead and the supporting cast included Scot Boland, Cameroon Green and Brendon Doggett. Starc will turn 36 on January 30 and it looks as though the home Ashes could be his last. He has started with a bang with a big 10 in his pocket!