[Cricket] World Test XI

[Gwylan]

Morning Richie, morning all

For the first time in the match there’s a cloud free morning. These look good batting conditions, although Warne was beginning to find a bit of turn. The good news for Australia is that Lillee has passed a fitness test and, from what I saw in the nets was that he was building up a head of steam. Interestingly, he was bowling to Greg Chappell, an indication that the Queenslander may be in contention for the next game.

 

[A1X]

Hope so, Botham vs Chappell should be something to enjoy

 

[jakarta]

Morning all, just been leaked today's commentary schedule for TMS;

10.00 - 11.00 - Agnew, Benaud & Holding (from the middle)

11.00 - 11.30 - Martin-Jenkins & Atherton
11.30 - 12.00 - Benaud & Guha
12.00 - 12.30 - Mann & Holding
12.30 - 13.00 - Maxwell & Trueman

13.00 - 13.40 - "View from the boundary" (Agnew with guest)

13.40 - 14.10 - Benaud & Holding
14.10 - 14.40 - Maxwell & Atherton
14.40 - 15.10 - Johnston & Guha
15.10 - 15.40 - Mann & Trueman

15.40 - 16.00 - Tea (Agnew, Mann and Guha)

16.00 - 16.30 - Johnston & Atherton
16.30 - 17.00 - Benaud & Trueman
17.00 - 17.30 - Mann & Guha
17.30 - 18.00 - Maxwell & Holding

18.00 - close - Agnew & Atherton (plus interviews)

Love a bit of Jim Maxwell so pre Lunch session is going to be especially enjoyable...

 

[Gwylan]

A bit of a surprise: it’s Miller who gets us under way with the first over from the Pavilion End. Bowling well within himself and Stokes plays him carefully and sees out the maiden. Lillee is fit and on the field, Waugh may be looking to ease him gently.
McGrath opens from the Radcliffe Road end and he continues where he left off last night. He has Tate groping for one, raps another into his pads – just outside the line of off stump and finds a thick outside the flies over Hayden in the gully. Tate picks up the first run of the morning. Stokes avoids Tate facing Miller by stealing a run off the final ball – Tate was a bit slow to set off and if Trumper had had a direct hit, the Sussex man would have been out.
Miller’s second over is a bit quicker and he causes real problems to Stokes as first of all he’s cramped up and then struck on the helmet. There’s a brief pause while the physio comes on.

England 350-7 (Stokes 24 Tate 12) 100 overs

 

[jakarta]

350 up!

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes passes his head assessment and Tate prepares to face McGrath. He doesn’t like being tied down and after blocking three balls he decides to step down the wicket and whack one to long on for four. There didn’t seem anything wrong with the ball and that was decidedly uppish but with no-one deep, Tate gets away with it.
That’s the only excitement as the next few overs pass with very few runs: a no ball from Miller and an edged two from Tate are the only additions to the score.

England 353-7 (Stokes 24 Tate 14) 104 overs

 

[Gwylan]

It’s hard to see Stokes being quiet for long: that’s more like it as he drives Miller for three to long off, Trumper chasing hard. That brings Tate to face Miller but, no worries, that’s a crashing square drive for four – Tate using all his height to get on top of that. Miller wound up now and that’s a vicious bouncer – hits Tate on the edge of the shoulder but beats Gilchrist for four leg byes.
McGrath continues in his own fashion but Stokes pushes him to extra cover for two and nurdles one to long leg to steal the strike.
Now it IS Lillee’s turn, he marks out his run to a big cheer from the Aussies in the crowd. I have a feeling this could be a crucial part of the game. Is he fully fit? He looks to be bowling a bit within himself, but he’s spot on; Stokes can’t do anything off the over and plays out another maiden. Tate looks to be handling McGrath well, he blocks a couple, lets another go and then cracks one through midwicket – that sounded like a pistol shot.

England 371-7 (Stokes 30 Tate 22) 108 overs

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes is beaten all ends up by Lillee’s first ball of the next over, struck on the thigh for the second and on the hand off the third. He looks like he needs treatment but he carries on – the last ball of the over is a nasty lifter. It lifts too much and travels over slip heads.
Tate looks a bit happier against McGrath and pushes a two and then flicks down to long leg for a single.

England 378-7 (Stokes 34 Tate 25) 110 overs.

 

[Gwylan]

Tate edges between Gilchrist and Border for a streaky four; that may have been a chance. This certainly is; he tries to flick the ball away, it hits Hayden, at short leg, on the chest and bounces to the ground - Tate using up a few of his lives in this over.
And it’s the second change of the morning, with Warne replacing McGrath. A bit of a loose delivery that Stokes clips away for two and that’s all that’s coming off that over.

England 384-7 (Stokes 36 Tate 29) 112 overs

 

[jakarta]

If Tate makes a half century then I expect all of NSC to stand and sing a chorus of Sussex by the Sea...

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee is still bowling with fire and Tate is beaten three times this over. It’s a streaky maiden.
Stokes has clearly decided that enough is enough and takes on Warne. That’s no meant to happen though, he mistimes a sweep but it takes an underedge and beats Gilchrist for four. He has a wild slog at the next ball and misses.
Now, that’s more like it Stokes strikes a huge, huge blow over square leg, it’s in the upper tier of the stand. And that’s an even better shot, struck sweetly over the bowler’s head. That brings up Stokes’s 50 and what a way to do it. He also brings up the 400, England’s lead is over a hundred now.
He’s in the zone now and goes for a third six in a row, aiming for cow corner this time, but McGrath is there and he’s been caught. Anderson comes in but the batsmen have crossed, so it’s Tate who sees out the over.

England 400-8 (Stokes c McGrath b Warne 52, Tate 29*) 114 overs

 

[LlcoolJ]

400.

 

[jakarta]

Good (and typical) knock from Stokes, think this Innings will be over shortly...

 

[LlcoolJ]

I can almost see Stokes with that squint he does as the ball sails over the bowler's head and into the stand.........

 

[Gwylan]

There’s a bit of fun now. Anderson has a wild yahoo at Lillee but gets a single over cover’s head and Tate creams the ball back past the bowler – that went like a tracer bullet. Anderson dances down the track to Warne, misses the ball – and Gilchrist misses it too, fluffing a stumping opportunity and adds insult to injury by conceding four byes. Now Anderson swings again and bottom edges past Gilchrist.
Tate is nicely in line against Lillee and runs him to third-man for a single. Hayden comes in from the boundary to make a fourth slip for Anderson and Lillee gets slashed over the cordon’s heads for another boundary. Lillee has a face of thunder right now.
It’s Tate’s turn to get in on the act, smashing Warne to cow corner for another four.

England 422-8 (Tate 38 Anderson 9) 118 overs

 

[jakarta]

Wouldn't you just like our local Boy to get a fifty, especially as it would piss off the Convicts something rotten?

 

[Gwylan]

The fun’s over. Lillee makes mincemeat of Anderson’s stumps as he has another wild swing, He trots off for an entertaining 9.

Barnes gets a streaky single off Lillee’s next delivery and Tate walks down the wicket and smashes the ball for another four. He scampers a single off the fifth ball and Barnes has to face one more delivery from Lillee. He has a hesitant push at the ball and Gilchrist pouches the catch. It’s all over for England, but with a healthy lead of 130.

England 428 all out (Tate 43* Barnes 1) 119 overs

 

[A1X]

Unlucky for Stokes, McGrath would have been a decent fielder to target normally.

 

[Gwylan]

Scoreboard

England
Cook c Border b Lillee 25
Hobbs lbw b Warne 36
Gower c Gilchrist b Miller 35
Compton c Gilchrist b McGrath 103
Hammond run out 90
Stokes c McGrath b Lillee 52
Botham lbw b McGrath 0
Knott b McGrath 7
Tate not out 43
Anderson b Lillee 9
Barnes c Gilchrist b Lillee 1
Extras (nb 3 b 13 lb 13) 29
England 348-7 97 overs


Bowling
Lillee 19.4 1 70 3
McGrath 33 3 84 3
Miller 21 0 72 1
Warne 35 4 115 2
Border 4.2 0 27 0
Smith 1 0 13 0
Waugh 5 0 21 0

 

[Gwylan]

Unlucky for Stokes, McGrath would have been a decent fielder to target normally.

It was right down his throat - he scarcely had to move