Richardson Shines with Four-Wicket Burst as England Lions Crumble in Brisbane

Richardson Shines with Four-Wicket Burst as England Lions Crumble in Brisbane

Jhye Richardson marked a powerful return to form, claiming 4 for 35 as Australia A dismantled the England Lions on day one of their four-day match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. The hosts closed at a dominant 155 for 2, already holding a lead after bowling the Lions out for 166.

Richardson Back to His Best

Playing just his second match since recovering from shoulder surgery, Richardson bowled with pace and precision — a stark contrast to his wicketless outing for a CA XI against the Lions last month. In what could have been a defining summer for him at Test level had injury not intervened, the 27-year-old reminded selectors of his class.

After having Ben McKinney dropped in the slips early, Richardson tore through the Lions’ middle and lower order in the second session.

  • He bowled James Rew for 7 with a delivery angled across the left-hander.

  • He removed Ben Kellaway, who chopped on after an attempted defensive shot rolled back onto the stumps in bizarre fashion.

  • He then dismissed Matthew Fisher and Nathan Gilchrist with edges behind the wicket.

His four-wicket burst triggered a collapse from 72 for 1 to 166 all out in 50 overs.

Richardson last played Test cricket in December 2022, but persistent shoulder and hamstring issues have kept him sidelined. His latest comeback ruled him out of early Ashes contention, leading to Brendan Doggett’s debut in Perth.

Australia A Dominant with Bat and Ball

Spinner Todd Murphy and quick Xavier Bartlett claimed two wickets each to support Richardson’s damaging spell.

In response, opener Campbell Kellaway stole the show, racing to 71 off 75 balls in the final session. Highly regarded as a future Test opener, Kellaway’s fluent innings followed a half-century for the Prime Minister’s XI against England last week.

He impressed with crisp strokeplay, including a standout pull shot off Gilchrist, before falling to a mistimed pull to mid-on.

Nathan McSweeney (40*), who greeted spinner Shoaib Bashir by pulling his first two balls for four, helped guide Australia A to stumps in a commanding position. Bashir endured a rough outing — 0 for 22 from three overs — after being overlooked for the Gabba Test.

With Australia A firmly in control, the England Lions face an uphill battle to claw back into the contest over the remaining three days.