Warne lays Ashes blame at the feet of Marsh and selectors

Captain Michael Clarke, applauded to the wicket in his final Test as the crowd rose and Alastair Cook’s Ashes hosts formed a guard of honour, joined his successor Steve Smith to close out the second session as his team seek to ensure they do not become the first set of Australians to lose four Tests in an English summer.

Chief Australian selector Rod Marsh was the main target of the leg spin great’s stinging critique, which was triggered by the unexpected selection of Peter Siddle in place of Josh Hazlewood to face England at the Oval.

“They’ve got Bangladesh coming up which Peter Siddle won’t go to and you’ve got a 23-year-old Pat Cummins”, he said. What an opportunity to look at him in a Test match here.

It came in the form of a gentle long hop, but was enough to force a checked shot from England opener Adam Lyth, who ballooned an attempted pull shot to Mitchell Starc near mid-on. Peter Siddle will do a good job – that’s irrelevant because he should have played the (fourth) test.

“I don’t think anyone thought Peter Siddle should have played in this test match”, he said.

Unlike at Trent Bridge two weeks ago, where Australia collapsed to 60 all out in less than 19 overs, this time David Warner (85) shared a century opening stand in the tourists’ 184 for two.

“It’s rubbing it in the nose of the selectors, watching him bowl like this”.

Warne added that Marsh, an outstanding wicketkeeper/batsman in the successful Australia side of the 1970s, had “got it wrong” in opting for the experienced Siddle over Cummins.

But it could be argued that on those flat wickets, Australia may be desperate for the reliable service Siddle offers.

Warne suggested Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke both disagreed with Marsh over the contentious call. There’s been so many selection issues this series they’ve just got wrong.

Mark Wood threatened the stumps more often from the Vauxhall End, but to no avail.

“You have to make the batters earn their runs and that’s not something we’ve done enough this series”.