[Cricket] World Test XI

[Gwylan]

Australia take the new ball straight away and Gower scores another single with a nudge to long leg. Hobbs watches the rest of Lillee’s over carefully until the final ball and that’s a class back foot cover drive.
Thomson pitches short to Gower and that’s the ton – it’s helped round the corner where Warne can’t catch it. That’s a real classy century – possibly the best of the series so far. There’s a handshake from Hobbs and warm applause from the Australians.

England 305-1 (Hobbs 115 Gower 102) overs 82

 

[jakarta]

I would be interested to see the cards for all of these Test Matches regarding extras, I know these are two of the finest sets of bowlers ever but there seems to be so few of them?

 

[Gwylan]

It’s Lillee in to Hobbs and that’s the cover drive off the front foot this time, these two are really seeing the ball now.
Or are they? Lillee has bowled an absolute snorter, looks to drift in but jags away with steepling bounce – it’s like a fast leg break, Hobbs snicks it at chest height to Chappell at first slip who throws it up with delight. What a delivery that was – Hobbs had no chance.

England 309-2 Hobbs c Chappell b Lillee 119

 

[jakarta]

Well Played Sir...

EDIT: That makes Runs/Wickets Aggregates a bit simpler.

891-10, not really looking like a Result Pitch?

 

[Gwylan]

There are twelve extras in this innings already

 

[Gwylan]

Compton’s in and he turns the ball away for a single.
Thomson eyes up Compton and lets him have a bouncer – that’s hooked away, less than convincingly but it’s gone for four. He runs a single down to long leg and Gower flicks the ball elegantly away for another four.

England 319-2 (Gower 106 Compton 6) overs 84

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee is running in with new determination now and Gower can’t get him away. He slips in a wide one – really wide – Gower has no reason to play it but he can’t resist and just succeeds in edging it to Warne at third slip. That was a poor way to finish a fine, fine innings

England 319-3 Gower c Warne b Lillee 106

 

[Gwylan]

Hammond is in and sees off the over.
Compton is itching to take on Thomson and flicks him away for four. The Australians have two men out in the deep for him so he’d be a bit crazy to take on the hook.
But Thomson drops it short, Compton can’t resist and that goes straight down Trumper’s throat at mid-wicket. That was, as Sir Geoffrey would say, brainless cricket. Compton trudges off and Hammond looks daggers at him

England 319-4 Compton c Trumper b Thomson 6

 

[Gwylan]

(work calls - there'll be no updates for a while)

 

[jakarta]

Must be Stumps,hopefully no more than 1 further wicket down, as mentioned Compton must be drinking in the Last Chance Saloon...

 

[Gwylan]

Hammond and Stokes have to repair some damage now. Stokes takes a single and pinches the strike

England 320-4 (Hammond 0 Stokes 1) overs 86
After three wickets have fallen for 10 runs, there’s a need to play sensibly and Stokes plays out a maiden from Lillee.
Hammond is in no mood to take on Thomson but does get a single down to long leg.
England 321-4 (Hammond 1 Stokes 1) overs 88

Lillee drops short and Hammond helps that round the corner for four, there’s a single past square leg too. Stokes is tied down though and can’t get Lillee away
Thomson over-pitches and Hammond cracks him through the covers. He then has to duck a fearsome bouncer

England 330-4 (Hammond 10 Stokes 1) overs 90
Stokes gets an edge off Lillee but it loops over gully’s head for a streaky single. Hammond turns Lille to long leg for one.
He then does the same to the opening ball of Thomson’s over but Stokes is pegged back by some fearsome pace bowling.
England 333-4 (Hammond 12 Stokes 2) overs 92
Hammond gets a single off Lillee straight away but, again, Stokes can’t get the ball away. The final ball of the over is pitched just outside off stump and Stokes can’t resist the drive and feathers it to the keeper

England 334-5 Stokes c Gilchrist b Lillee 2

 

[Gwylan]

Botham is in but Hammond faces the Miller the new bowler, he drives him handsomely for four and then turns it to wide mid-on for three more. Botham gets off the mark with a single.
It’s Warne replacing Lillee at the Anderson end and Botham clubs him for a straight four. He sweeps a single to long leg and Hammond runs one to third man for another one.
Miller in again and Hammond drives him through the covers for four more but the next one is short of a length and doesn’t bounce at all – he’s pinned right in front, there’s no chance of reviewing that. He looks suspiciously at the pitch as he walks off – that’s the first ball that’s really misbehaved

England 352-6 Hammond lbw b Miller 25

 

[Gwylan]

Prior joins Botham in seeing off the last couple of overs of the day. Miller’s over is seen off with no more runs added. Botham takes a single off Warne’s over and then takes one off the first ball of Miller’s. Prior gets off the mark with a nudge to long leg and that’s stumps

Close of play: England 355-6 (Botham 8 Prior 1) overs 98

 

[Gwylan]

So, England were 309-1 and managed to lose five wickets for 43 runs. Hobbs got a brute of a ball, Hammond got deceived by low bounce but the others were poor shots
They still need 28 to save the follow on

 

[jakarta]

Well the follow on is a bit moot in my opinion, the pair at the crease could put on 70-80 before we got into the tail. More to the point is would 440-450 be enough to make the game safe?

What if Hayden & Trumper are given license to tee off and the Aussies end up with say a 360-380 lead on a final day pitch that is starting to misbehave?

 

[Gwylan]

The plans were to have an early start again but a bit of early morning drizzle put paid to that. But we are under way now and it’s Lilllee to get us going and straight away he gets one to move away from Prior. And Prior’s beaten again outside the off stump before he gets us under way with a single. Botham has his sensible head on today and takes care for the rest of Lillee’s over
Warne is on at the Statham end and Prior is taking no chances and plays out a maiden.
Lillee drops short to Botham and that’s clipped behind square leg for a couple. He pushes one wide of mid-off and takes one. Prior is troubled by a Lillee delivery that jumps and leaves him.
Botham takes no chances against Warne and blocks every ball until the final one – that’s steered into a gap on the leg side for one.

England 360-6 (Botham 12 Prior 2) overs 102

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee is steaming in and this time it’s Botham who’s left groping for the ball as it seams away. The next one jags back into him and just misses the stumps . Lillee tries the bouncer and Botham gets hold of that, it’s hooked away for the first four of the morning. Prior’s taking few risks against Warne but steers past gully for two when the spinner drops short
Lillee has built up a head of pace now and Botham is rattled by one that’s just short – it takes him below the rib cage; he looks a bit winded by that. He carries on though and gets one on the gloves that flies down to long leg.Botham takes a single off the first ball of Warne’s over and Prior lofts into the legside for another.

England 369-6 (Botham 18 Prior 5) overs 106

 

[jakarta]

.Lillee takes a single off the first ball of Warne’s over...

Blimey batting AND bowling at the same time!

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee has Prior groping for the ball again but that’s better from the England keeper – that’s a crashing square drive for four. And a neatly clipped single means he keeps the strike.
Warne beats Prior with a big leg break – that wasn’t that sharp, it just wasn’t a great shot. That’s not a good shot either, it catches the edge and runs down for a single. Botham is not taking any chances from the rest of the over

England 375-6 (Botham 18 Prior 11) overs 108

 

[Gwylan]

Blimey batting AND bowling at the same time!

Fixed. I also had Warne taking a single off Warne earlier - I noticed that one just as I copied it over