Australia’s Josh Hazlewood hailed fellow seamer Mitchell Starc following his incredible dismissal of James Vince during the fourth day of the third Ashes Test – with the latter admitting he would get out ‘every time’ if he faced that delivery.
Vince had played brilliantly on Sunday but Starc sent him back to the pavilion for 55 with a wicked delivery which got everyone off their feet in Perth.
Australia legend Shane Warne took to Twitter to praise the 27-year-old following his wicket of Vince in England’s second innings, writing: ‘Is this the ball of the 21st century?’
Mitchell Starc produced the standout moment of day four in Perth, dismissing James Vince
Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood admitted that Starc’s wicket of Vince ‘was pretty special’
You won’t find many players in world cricket who can keep this out…
The delivery of the series so far ��
James Vince could do nothing about this!
100-4
�� BT Sport 1 HD pic.twitter.com/ILG2zvV8lg
— The Ashes on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) December 17, 2017
Shane Warne wrote this on Twitter as he posted an Instagram video of Starc’s delivery
Speaking about his dismissal, Vince described Starc’s delivery as unplayable.
Vince said: ‘It’s still frustrating to get out, but it’s easier to take than the ones where you feel like you’re at fault yourself. If I faced that another 20 or 30 times, I think it would get me out every time.’
It is not clear what more Vince could do to tackle what was in effect a 90 mile per hour leg-break that crashed into his off-stump as he shaped to play it to leg other than rue the crack the ball hit to dramatically alter its path.
The dismissal of Vince left England in a perilous position on 100 for 4, leaving England 159 runs behind Australia’s first innings total.
Speaking after England managed to get to the end of day four on 132 for 4, which was cut short by rain, Hazlewood hailed Starc’s moment of magic, telling BT Sport: ‘It was pretty special.
‘It was heading down leg, hit the crack and took the top of off. It would get any batsman out.’
Starc dismissed Vince for 55, leaving England on 100 for 4 and in a perilous position
Starc’s delivery was in effect a 90 mile per hour leg-break that crashed into Vince’s off-stump
England batsman Vince shaped to play it to leg but there was nothing he could do
Starc celebrates after taking the wicket of Vince on day four of the third Ashes Test in Perth
Australia need just six wickets to reclaim the urn, with England still 127 runs away from making the hosts bat again in the third Test.
But James Anderson insists England are not giving up on the Ashes just yet.
The England bowler told BBC’s Test Match Special: ‘We’re still fighting, we’re still in the game, so to speak.
‘We’ve got a lot of hard work to do. We’re going to keep believing and come tomorrow with a strong attitude.
‘We’re in a position where, if we lose tomorrow, the series is gone. We know we’ve got to give absolutely everything to try and stay in this game and this series.’
James Anderson insists England will ‘give absolutely everything’ to keep the Ashes alive