Is there anything Marnus Labuschagne can’t do?
The Queenslander starred with the ball on day one of Glamorgan’s County Championship contest against Durham — but not with his leg spin or seamers.
Labuschagne claimed two crucial wickets with off spin on Thursday, finishing the day with 2-73 from 15 overs after Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bowl first in Cardiff.
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Durham was 2-193 in the afternoon session when Labuschagne snared his first breakthrough — coming from around the wicket, he trapped Michael Jones on the pads for 69 after the Durham opener attempted an audacious reverse sweep.
Umpire Tom Lungley raised the dreaded finger, but replays suggested the ball may have pitched outside leg stump.
“I’m just going to say no,” Durham coach Ryan Campbell said in commentary.
“That can’t be out. Let’s have a look at the replay, that’s pitching outside leg by half a foot. I’m sorry, if you’re bowling off-spin that’s not spinning that cannot be out.
”You can show that over and over and over again, you can keep showing it but it’s impossible to be out.
“The first rule LBW is if it pitches outside leg stump, it cannot be out.”
The 28-year-old returned after the tea break to remove Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson, who feathered a late cut through to Chris Cooke with the gloves for 73. However, Robinson did not look impressed with the decision, suggesting he might not have edged it.
Labuschagne also took two catches at mid-wicket as Durham cruised towards 6-382 at stumps.
“We thought it might do a little bit more this morning session,” Glamorgan coach Matt Maynard told BBC Sport Wales.
“We didn’t get too much out of it though.
“Michael Neser on his first day and Timm van der Gugten were exceptional … but throughout the course of the day we didn’t string enough tight overs together.”
Maynard also revealed that Labuschagne was hoping to start bowling off spin for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
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“Marnus does what Marnus wants,” Maynard said at stumps.
“With his leg spin, (Mitchell) Swepson is there at Queensland. He feels that if he can develop his off-spin more, and he’s been bowling all the time in the nets with it, that he could also be another weapon for them.
“Obviously the ball turns the other way to Swepson and (Matthew) Kuhnemann, another teammate.
“That’s why he’s done it. He does spin it, but he was just a little bit nervous today, bowling it for the first time in a professional game.”
Neser, who missed out on Ashes selection this week, finished the day with 1-55 from 19 overs, including the dismissal of Durham captain Scott Borthwick.
Day two will resume on Friday at 8pm AEST.
