YOUNG’S Nathan Lyon has been dubbed the “silent killer” by Brisbane’s Courier Mail after his performance in the Ashes to date.
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A recent article compares Lyon’s performance to that of Graeme Swann’s in 2013, and it looks as though he will be the leading wicket taker in the Ashes.
While it’s said Mitchell Johnson may have launched a brazen attack on the English batsman on day two of the Third Test at Edgbaston, but locals will be thrilled that Australian spinner Lyon is continuing to prove he’s the silent killer for Australia.
In extraordinary scenes, the Courier Mail said, Lyon at one point had figures of 3-3 from three overs in the Second Test.
By lunch on the second day, he led the wicket-taking charts for both countries with 12, following in the footsteps of Swann from two years ago.
“This was a bloke who England didn’t rate and were planning to smash out of the attack,” the Courier Mail wrote.
“This was a bloke who Australian selectors didn’t rate enough to pick in the First Test of that 2013 series.”
But, the Courier Mail said, last Wednesday was evidence that the unassuming Lyon isn’t merely Australia’s greatest ever offspinner, but “now a world class slow bowler of the highest order”.
The Courier referred to a Twitter post in saying that not even the American dentist who prompted global outrage for killing Cecil in Zimbabwe, could take out this Lyon in his current form.
The Courier went on to recite just how well Young’s Lyon was playing:
“Lyon was brought into the attack for the first time by his captain Michael Clarke in the 18th over on day one when England were 1-76 and roaring towards Australia’s shocking first innings target of 136.
“With just his second ball he got England’s captain and most dangerous batsman out caught – albeit in miraculous circumstances – by Adam Voges at short leg.
“That wicket prompted Clarke to retire Lyon after just the one over and bring back the quicks.
“But when Clarke turned to Lyon again in the 28th over with England now just five runs in arrears at 2-131 – the country boy from Young did it again.
“With his fourth ball he had Ian Bell (53) sky one and England were three down by stumps.”
By day two the Courier Mail said Lyon proved good things do come in threes, when he struck gold for a third time in his third over of the innings.
