Glenn Maxwell becoming impossible to ignore for the Ashes

NICK HOWSON AT LORD'S: The Australia allrounder bowls Lancashire to victory at Middlesex with a maiden five-class five-fer to send a message to Justin Langer

Lord's (fourth day of four): Middlesex 265 & 200, Lancashire 427 & 39-3 - Lancashire won by seven wickets

Scorecard

When Australia's selectors sit down to assemble the squad charged with regaining the Ashes and winning a series in England for the first time since 2001, they could do worse than take a leaf out of the book of their opponents.

Last summer, new chief selector Ed Smith insisted that the Test team should be crammed full of the most talented players available, regardless of the impact on the balance of the side.

It led to Jos Buttler's return to the team and while the composition of the side requires work, there is little doubt the decision is among the major successes of Smith's first 12 months at the helm.

Even when Steve Smith, David Warner and perhaps Cameron Bancroft do indeed return to the Baggie Green red ball side, the squad is not one bursting with superstar talent and places remain for Ashes in August and September.

^{Langer has made some substantial demands of Maxwell}

Of those bidding to make life difficult for the individuals currently in possession of a place, Glenn Maxwell has been knocking on the door as vigorously as anyone.

Coach Justin Langer believes the 30-year-old - used as the poster boy for the release of Australia's World Cup shirt in the week - can match Virat Kohli's success in the international game.

But it would be fair to say Langer's comments last month contradict his own practices, given how the former Australia opener has moved the goalposts in an unconscious effort to keep Maxwell out of the Test fold.

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Demanding more centuries in the Sheffield Shield, an improvement of his career statistics and a greater accumulation of runs have been among the randomly assigned demands issued by the coach. Maxwell has performed admirably in pursuit of those goals, yet he was overlooked for the most recent series in Sri Lanka.

That he has not played for the Test team since September 2017 now looks nothing short of baffling, given that Australia have only prevailed in three of their last 10 series home and away.

The carrot and stick approach has not put Maxwell off. Having been sold for $1.7m in the Indian Premier League auction in 2018, he withdrew from the sale for this year. Additionally, the allrounder has committed to forcing his way back into the Test fold by signing with Lancashire on a two-year contract.

He will play at least five County Championship matches this season, as well as a selection of One-Day Cup and T20 Blast games in 2019, in English conditions in an effort to draw the selectors' attention to his obvious talent.

^{Maxwell's last Test outing came in Bangladesh}

On debut for the Division Two promotion chasers, Maxwell was unable to contribute with the bat making just 1 in the first innings, and 5 in the second. But like every great player, he left his mark on the match in a different way.

Bowling his probing off-spinners, he turned a match heading for a dismal draw into a fine victory, displaying an enthusiasm which has already caught the attention of Red Rose fans. Genuine batsmen in the form of Max Holden, David Malan and Eoin Morgan were all dismissed to tear Middlesex's middle-order apart.

John Simpson showed some resistance but was dislodged by the Aussie before Tim Murtagh went two balls later in the 82nd over. Great individuals in any sport find a way of influence proceedings regardless of their form or fitness, and Maxwell was no exception at Lord's as Lancas claimed a nine-wicket success.

WICKET WATCH Here is how @Gmaxi_32 took his fifth wicket to end the Middlesex 2nd innings at 200 all out leaving @lancscricket needing 39 to win #MIDvLAN pic.twitter.com/q2hIQ8smiV

— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 14, 2019

His career-best figures and maiden first-class five-fer highlight his fresh devotion to the cause on a ground, where barely 500 can have watched him play across the four days of this game. And thanks to the strength of Middlesex side, his scalps do have some substance.

Granted, scoring runs will probably be the route back into the Test fold but they will surely come starting in the upcoming One-Day Cup. Two lazy dismissals in this game will certainly not help. But his ability and talent should be ignored no longer.

There is a certain amount of exacerbation around Maxwell continuing to be ostracised by Australia but a solid summer must surely lead to a re-think. The World Cup will provide another opportunity to flex his muscle in England, which could be playing host to the man primed to keep the urn out of their grasp for another few years.