With his one Ashes opportunity Webster outscored his fellow all-rounder while looking calmer, more organised and switching to off-spin
There was an irony to the fact that Cameron Green’s catch made Beau Webster’s day look even better. Green had not had a good one, having earlier dived in front of Australia’s most prolific slip catcher to spoil a simple Steve Smith catch. It followed a poor day the day before, skying a pull shot after getting settled on 37, and a poor series before that. Then came Webster, an off-break swept into the deep, and Green’s long legs ate up the turf before crashing his body into a dive that gathered up the ball in its fall, the two Australians combining for what might be the tallest wicket in Test history.
There is usually only room for a single two-metre all-rounder in a team, unless they’re operating at specialist level in one discipline. Webster has spent this series on the sidelines of a team that backed Green as the better choice. The returns so far have been 149 runs at 21, and 4 wickets at 70. It has been telling that in Webster’s one opportunity, batting below Green in the order, he first outscored him while looking calmer and more organised with 71 not out, then showed his versatility by switching from seam-up to off-spin to nab three wickets.