Nathan Lyon: Australia spinner in Ashes, Bazball, Lord’s and Lancashire

May 8, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

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Screenshot, Nathan Lyon looks to make a big impact with Lancashire

Nathan Lyon was heartbroken, but he wishes he had allowed himself the time to take it all in.

Ten months ago, the Australian player limped down the steps of the Lord’s Pavilion and entered Ashes folklore, his calf shattered and his series over.

At that moment, the home crowd broke into chilling applause in a show of respect for one of England’s most formidable opponents.

“My wife, her parents and a good family friend were in the crowd crying,” Lyon tells BBC Sport. “I probably didn’t understand the level of respect that was shown at that time.

  • Author, Stephan Shemilt
  • Role, Chief Cricket Editor

“That’s something I’m grateful to be able to look back on and reflect on. I always thought the majority of England hates me.”

Two days earlier, Lyon had collapsed on the grass, harmlessly injured while recovering the ball deep. He needed his wife Emma to help him shower and dress, but it never crossed his mind not to bat in Australia’s second innings.

“I was always hitting,” he says. “People have different jobs and go to work when they’re sick or unwell. There was no decision not to hit. It was always ‘no matter how bad I am, I’m going to go.'”

video subtitles, Injured Lyon makes extraordinary Ashes cameo

When Lyon flew home, Australia were 2-0 up and on the brink of a first Ashes series win in England since 2001.

Watching all night in Australia, the 36-year-old saw his team tied at 2-2, probably only saved from a 3-2 defeat by the rain in Manchester.

While the impact of Australia losing the skills of one of the greatest finger spinners of all time was obvious, less tangible but equally important was the loss of Lyon’s combative and competitive character.

“I think if I had been here it would have been 4-0 in favor of Australia,” he says, almost proving what he said.

Lyon is sitting in his adopted home of Old Trafford, now a Lancashire county cricketer. He is not exactly a fox in the coop of English cricket, but he is certainly a double agent.

For Lyon, a season with the Red Rose is part of the plan to include him in the Ashes tour in 2027, when he will be 39 years old. In return, county cricketers can learn by playing with and against one of the best in the world.

video subtitles, Lyon limped off with an apparent calf injury

Particular attention fell on the Lyon-Lancs deal following England’s breakthrough of left-arm spinner Tom Hartley on the tour of India. These Australians come here, bowl and take our jobs.

But stopping Hartley is not Lyon’s ambition.

“I’m not here to take Tom’s place,” Lyon says. “I’m here to bowl with Tom in partnership.

“Hopefully I can pass on a little bit of knowledge here and there, but I’m also learning from it.”

There is a lot to analyze with Lyon. As a cricketer, he is a throwback, a classic finger spinner whose orthodox methods could be applied to any era of the game. With 530 wickets, he ranks seventh on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers and a run to the 2027 Ashes would take him much higher.

Lyon is the former outfielder who became an Australian legend, a man who will be Joe Root’s “lifelong partner” after their time together playing cricket at the Adelaide club.

Known for being a nervous player, Lyon always appears confident in front of a microphone. He speaks of being “humble” as a result of a rural upbringing in rural New South Wales and the values ​​instilled in him by his parents.

But he also said he wanted to “end the careers” of England’s players before the 2017-18 Ashes and believes the bowling quartet he forms with pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood is the “best in the world.” “.

Without David Warner, Lyon is likely to be Australia’s attack dog in the media and in November launched a foul-mouthed attack on England’s divisive ‘Bazball’ approach.

Even now, Lyon is dismissing the England team’s claims that they do not like the term that defines their tactical set-up in the Brendon McCullum era.

“I don’t mind hearing about it. It’s their brand of cricket. I feel like we’ve been playing entertaining cricket for a number of years, we just don’t need to give it a name to justify it.

“I have seen David Warner score centuries in a session very well before Bazball was invented.

“It’s up to them to keep doing it now. They literally have to go six runs over and over again, otherwise they won’t play Bazball. If you’re going to talk about it, you have to do it.”

There was a time when Australian cricketers traveled to the UK every four years and dished out a thrashing of ashes without breaking a sweat.

Lyon, along with the likes of Warner, Cummins, Starc, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, are now among a generation of highly successful Australians who have never won the ballot in the UK.

For Lyon, the 2023 calf injury came after a 2019 in which his fumble against Jack Leach likely cost his team a series victory.

“I have been part of two teams that retained the Ashes here, let’s not forget that,” he points out. “But yes, 100% of my wish list dreams are to win Test series here and in India.”

In Australia, it’s a different story. Through three series, Lyon have a 13-0 lead over England, who will travel in late 2025 for what will likely be the end of the Ben Stokes and McCullum regime.

“I haven’t really thought about that Ashes series,” Lyon says. “We have India at home this year and that is one of the biggest series you can be involved in.

“On the other hand, 18 months doesn’t seem that far away. It’s going to be special.”

The last time they saw him he was a wounded animal. Next time, England will be in Lyon’s den.