Langer's failure worries Australia

Australia 390 and 294-8 MCC 124

This is a match that has three distinct perspectives. For the sun-baked spectators it has thus far been entertainment pure and simple. For the toiling MCC bowlers and fielders it has been something of a flog in unforgiving heat, although they have stuck manfully to their task.

But for the Australians this friendly fixture has been something quite different. The first Test is now a week away and there is a frisson of anxiety disturbing the surface of the present leaders of the ICC Test Championship – namely the form of Justin Langer.

Yesterday, when his captain Steve Waugh smacked the 64th hundred of his career, Langer failed again. In his first innings the Western Australia left-hander had faced 25 balls for four runs; second time around he fell first ball playing on to Joe Dawes, his first-innings terminator.

By his standards Langer, 30, had a miserable couple of series in the winter, first against the West Indies, against whom he scored a meagre 203 runs in eight outings at 25.37. He followed that up with a marginally better performance in India – 161 in five at 32.2. But with the likes of Simon Katich, the first-innings century maker in this game, and now Damien Martyn breathing down his neck, Langer needs runs badly.

If he does fail then Martyn is the man most likely to succeed him, with Katich a brooding, in-form presence hovering over the whole of the top order. But whichever of the two got the nod, Martyn or Katich, they would almost definitely bat at No 6 to allow Ricky Ponting to move up to No 3, the position in which he is best suited.

Martyn underlined his form with a solid innings yesterday, a vast improvement on his first innings effort, but there were further failures for Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden. Thankfully Waugh was in commanding form. He took 119 balls to reach his hundred, his 20th in England, but there was always the feeling that he was keeping himself in check.

His was an innings that was studded with searing drives, fine cuts and even a rare (for Waugh) pull for one of his boundaries. He reached three figures in spectacular style, lofting Asif Mujtaba for two sixes and a four off successive balls. Shane Warne, meanwhile, achieved his target of averaging 100 in first-class matches on the tour with an unbeaten 30, and helping the tourists into an unassailable lead of 560 runs.

Earlier there had been an excellent innings from the MCC's opener Mark Richardson. The left-hander, a relative newcomer to Test cricket having made his debut for New Zealand last year when he was 29, showed why, after nine Tests, he has an average of 54.6.

He carried his bat for 64, more than half the MCC total and looked a class above his team-mates. Although his innings (and therefore his team's) lasted barely two and a half hours he displayed a wealth of patience and an array of good shots. He is spending the summer playing for Datchet in the Thames Valley League. On this showing they must be unbeatable. Rather like the Australians must appear to the MCC.