Starc continues fine form ahead of Ashes series

Mitchell Starc (Photo by YellowMonkey – Photo by YellowMonkey, CC BY-SA 3.0)

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc sent an ominous warning to England’s cricketers ahead of the Ashes test series when he claimed a hat-trick for New South Wales against Western Australia Monday in a Sheffield Shield match.

Starc wrapped up the Western Australia first innings with three yorkers, bowling Jason Behrendorff and Simon Mackln and trapping David Moody leg before wicket to finish with figures of 4-56.

The left-armer, who will spearhead Australia’s bowling attack in the five-test Ashes series, which starts at Brisbane on Nov.

23, has taken 14 wickets at an average of 12.5 in three first-class innings this season.

Meanwhile, English seamer James Anderson took 4-27 in a warm-up match against a Western Australia XI that ended Sunday.

Anderson said the English bowlers were closely studying their opponents and he was confident the tourists could make inroads against Australia’s batsmen.

“I’m sure in the next couple of weeks we will really step up our research. We want to be having as much information going into the first test match as possible on their players,” Anderson said.

“But I think the main thing for us going into the next couple of games that we have got is to really focus on what we do well, what our strengths are.”