- Thread starter
- #641
Yeah, Lillee bowled superbly early on and was unlucky not to get some more wickets, but there's nothing in the pitch - Warne got nothing from it
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[Cricket] World Test XI
- Thread starter Gwylan
- Start date
Yeah, Lillee bowled superbly early on and was unlucky not to get some more wickets, but there's nothing in the pitch - Warne got nothing from it
- Thread starter
- #642
After the excitement of last over, Hammond scores just a single off Miller and Gower is taking no risks as he’s so near his ton.
Warne really isn’t finding his length at all. I think this is the attempted top spinner but it’s too full and Hammond smacks through mid-on, out of Smith’s reach – that’s four more. And it’s another one as Hammond puts his foot down and essays a class cover drive – that’s one for the instruction manuals.
Gower flicks Miller for two and takes a single. He’s itching to get after Warne but the spinner varies his length and restricts him to one. But that takes Gower to 99
England 242-3 (Gower 99, Hammond 29, Overs 70)
Warne really isn’t finding his length at all. I think this is the attempted top spinner but it’s too full and Hammond smacks through mid-on, out of Smith’s reach – that’s four more. And it’s another one as Hammond puts his foot down and essays a class cover drive – that’s one for the instruction manuals.
Gower flicks Miller for two and takes a single. He’s itching to get after Warne but the spinner varies his length and restricts him to one. But that takes Gower to 99
England 242-3 (Gower 99, Hammond 29, Overs 70)
jakarta
Well-known member
Heart in Mouth Time. Presume the Field is crowding in?
- Thread starter
- #644
Miller to Gower and that’s too accurate, Gower finds him impossible to get away. He plays an on-drive off the last ball and he doesn’t time it – that’s up in the air towards mid-on … and falls just short of Trumper. They scramble a single and that’s the 100 for Gower. He waves his bat triumphantly as Lord’s stands to applaud him. He had a scratchy start but there were some exquisite shots after that – has England ever seen more graceful players than the two currently in the middle?
England 243-3 (Gower 100, Hammond 29, Overs 71)
England 243-3 (Gower 100, Hammond 29, Overs 71)
jakarta
Well-known member
A Century at Headquarters, doesn't get any better than that, now get your head down and make it a big 'un! 
- Thread starter
- #646
A leisurely single off the first ball of Warne’s over and Hammond shows that he’s just as elegant as his partner with a beautiful four through extra cover.
Miller’s on the spot though and Gower can’t score off the over.
Warne’s going off – he’s getting no joy and it’s Chappell again. The first ball is picked off his toes by Hammond and that’s two, he finishes with another single.
England 251-3 (Gower 100, Hammond 37, Overs 74)
Miller’s on the spot though and Gower can’t score off the over.
Warne’s going off – he’s getting no joy and it’s Chappell again. The first ball is picked off his toes by Hammond and that’s two, he finishes with another single.
England 251-3 (Gower 100, Hammond 37, Overs 74)
jakarta
Well-known member
As an aside, I obviously never saw Wally Hammond but there is a fair bit of stuff on YouTube.
Stylish yes, but my goodness me he could give a delivery some humpty, especially his cover drives...
Stylish yes, but my goodness me he could give a delivery some humpty, especially his cover drives...
- Thread starter
- #648
Miller continues and Gower breaks from his shackles and square drives him just wide of Ponting at cover – that’s a classic Gower shot. And so is this: a four flicked elegantly through mid-wicket. And Hammond scores a single off Chappell’s over – time for drinkies.
England 260-3 (Gower 108, Hammond 38, overs 76)
England 260-3 (Gower 108, Hammond 38, overs 76)
- Thread starter
- #649
Indeed. I've seen most of the others but I have to imagine Hobbs, Compton and Hammond batting (although I did see Compton play in an International Cavaliers match). Hammond was a superb batsman - many believe the greatest of all, despite the claims of Hobbs, Hutton and Cook. Hammond's cover drive is unreal - people were talking about it when I was a kid, 30 years after he'd retired
BTW, Hutton is in this squad and the selectors may be looking at him for a future game
- Thread starter
- #650
Hammond can eye his 50 and that’s four closer to it – a beautiful off drive off the back foot, Miller was only fractionally short there. And there’s a push to mid-on for a sharp double.
Gower taking no risks off Chappell and takes a single to third man.
Now, this is a shock. Miller’s off and Steve Smith has the ball – the new ball Is nearly due and Bradman must be thinking to try something different. Well, that’s different, a floated full toss that Gower treats with contempt, smacking it to the point boundary. That’s short and helped around the corner for one. Hammond is on the act and drives straight past the bowler for another boundary and that’s two more through the covers. That’s Hammond’s 50 – and a very classy one too.
Chappell bowling the 80th over and Gower helps himself to two.
England 279-3 (Gower 115 Hammond 50, overs 80)
Gower taking no risks off Chappell and takes a single to third man.
Now, this is a shock. Miller’s off and Steve Smith has the ball – the new ball Is nearly due and Bradman must be thinking to try something different. Well, that’s different, a floated full toss that Gower treats with contempt, smacking it to the point boundary. That’s short and helped around the corner for one. Hammond is on the act and drives straight past the bowler for another boundary and that’s two more through the covers. That’s Hammond’s 50 – and a very classy one too.
Chappell bowling the 80th over and Gower helps himself to two.
England 279-3 (Gower 115 Hammond 50, overs 80)
jakarta
Well-known member
Smith bowling filth, well there is a surprise!
Well done Wally Hammond as well.
What is this partnership worth now - must be 70-80 runs?
Well done Wally Hammond as well.
What is this partnership worth now - must be 70-80 runs?
- Thread starter
- #652
As expected, Australia take the new ball right away. It’s Lillee back from the Pavilion End and straight away he has Hammond playing and missing. And that’s a thick edge flying through the slips – no third man. Lillee’s not impressed and bowls another absolute ripper, Hammond is left groping for this one. And that cuts back, catches the back of Hammond’s leg for four leg byes – that’s going to sting tonight.
Thomson from the other end is short, fast and wide – Gower leaves the first four, flicks the fifth for a single, while Hammond also scores one with a half push half drive.
England 289-3 (Gower 116, Hammond 55 overs 82)
Thomson from the other end is short, fast and wide – Gower leaves the first four, flicks the fifth for a single, while Hammond also scores one with a half push half drive.
England 289-3 (Gower 116, Hammond 55 overs 82)
jakarta
Well-known member
Wanted 350-3 by Close with a Gower Century, would be absolutely delighted to be proved right, but this is England!
- Thread starter
- #654
Lillee is bang on the spot and that’s another maiden to Hammond. Thomson drops short and Gower swivels it away for four, and then pushes for three through a vacant mid-off – that’s the 100 partnership- Hammond finishes with another two.
Gower pushes the first ball of Lillee’s over for a single and there’s one more off the over to bring up the 300. England are sitting pretty here.
Thomson drops short to Hammond and that’s a crashing cut for four. But that’s an absolute snozzler – a fast inswinging yorker, Hammond plays all over it and the middle stump is cartwheeling to the pavilion. Stokes plays out the rest of the over.
England 304-4 (Hammond b Thomson 62) Overs 86
Gower pushes the first ball of Lillee’s over for a single and there’s one more off the over to bring up the 300. England are sitting pretty here.
Thomson drops short to Hammond and that’s a crashing cut for four. But that’s an absolute snozzler – a fast inswinging yorker, Hammond plays all over it and the middle stump is cartwheeling to the pavilion. Stokes plays out the rest of the over.
England 304-4 (Hammond b Thomson 62) Overs 86
jakarta
Well-known member
Oh bollocks, can't be too amazed as it is the new ball. Just hope Stokes is in 2019 Headingly mode and plays himself in while supporting Gower
- Thread starter
- #656
Gower doesn’t let a wicket stop him and he drives Lillee gloriously. The last ball of the over is a shade wider, I don’t know if it’s tiredness or laziness but Gower doesn’t play with any conviction and it’s straight to Ponting in the gully. He dropped one earlier but doesn’t make any mistake with this.
England 308-5 (Gower c Ponting b Lillee 124) Overs 87
England 308-5 (Gower c Ponting b Lillee 124) Overs 87
jakarta
Well-known member
Oh bollocks #2. Just what you want at this point in the days play.
Clearly a lovely knock but why not stay in and restart in the morning?
Clearly a lovely knock but why not stay in and restart in the morning?
- Thread starter
- #659
Anderson is in as a nightwatchman and Stokes plays Thomson carefully, stealing a single off the last ball after a slight fumble by Hayden at square leg.
And he takes no chances off Lillee, he pushes at the fifth ball for a single but it’s hit too well and that’s a four.
Thomson bowling the last over of the day: Anderson facing: that’s a nasty delivery, Anderson gets a bat on it and it balloons over slips. Stokes yells for the run and sees out the rest of the over. And that’s stumps
Close: England 314-5 (Stokes 5, Anderson 1)
And he takes no chances off Lillee, he pushes at the fifth ball for a single but it’s hit too well and that’s a four.
Thomson bowling the last over of the day: Anderson facing: that’s a nasty delivery, Anderson gets a bat on it and it balloons over slips. Stokes yells for the run and sees out the rest of the over. And that’s stumps
Close: England 314-5 (Stokes 5, Anderson 1)
- Thread starter
- #660
England will feel pleased with that - the two late wickets took the gloss off the day but Stokes is still there: Botham and Prior to come, so there's plenty of batting. And don't forget Larwood's no mean bat either - a first class average of more than 20 is not to be sneezed at.
Australia will rue their luck: Lillee bowled beautifully and, of course, Gower was dropped when he was four. There's nothing in the pitch for Warne and they could be facing a hefty total tomorrow.
Australia will rue their luck: Lillee bowled beautifully and, of course, Gower was dropped when he was four. There's nothing in the pitch for Warne and they could be facing a hefty total tomorrow.