[Cricket] World Test XI

[Gwylan]

Thomson’s still bowling with a bit of fire and Botham and Stokes just push a couple of singles. And Lillee is still bowling with some accuracy and Stokes can’t get him away. Botham can get Thomson away though, that’s short and Botham powers it to midwicket for four, he has a big swing now but only gets a single as it falls in no-man’s land – that was nearly a catch.

344-6 (Stokes 7 Botham 13, overs 102)

 

[jakarta]

All gone ominously quiet!

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee to Botham and that’s a beautiful shot, crashing through the covers for four. It’s the only runs off the over though. Stokes helps himself to a single off Thomson and look at this: Thomson bowls short and Botham smashes him, almost hitting the scoreboard – the second six of the innings.

355-6 (Stokes 8 Botham 23, overs 104)

 

[LlcoolJ]

Some contest between these four!

 

[Gwylan]

Lillee is bowling superbly and beats Stokes all ends up with a ball that leaves him, and does him again for good measure. Stokes strokes the ball through mid-wicket and that’s just the two off the over.
First change of the day: and it’s Miller on at the Nursery End. Botham looks to take him on but can’t lay a bat on it as the ball whistles through to Gilchrist. He gets hold of that ball though and it flies, uppishly, through mid-off for four. He gets hold of that too, but it’s in the wrong direction – it flies off the edge, into the safe hands of Steve Smith at second slip – Botham looks furious with himself, he fancied himself on this pitch – that’s drinks.

361-7 (Botham c Smith b Miller 27, Stokes 10, overs 105.5)

 

[Gwylan]

Prior’s next up and blocks Miller’s last ball. And it’s a double change as Warne comes on – from the Pavilion end again. I do feel that he’d be more effective from the Nursery End. Stokes plays him carefully though, the batsman’s feeling the way into the game at the moment and scores a single to keep the strike.
That’s more like it: Miller drops short and Stokes clatters him away through midwicket. And that’s two more, as Miller over-pitches.

368-7 (Stokes 17 Prior 0, overs 108)

 

[jakarta]

This pitch sounds a dream, surely need to target 450 as a minimum?

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes and Prior slowly start accumulating runs – Prior gets off the mark with a finely swept two: they push ones and twos and Prior has a crashing square drive off Miller for his first four.

388-7 (Stokes 25 Prior 11, overs 114)

 

[Gwylan]

Warne to Stokes and … you got the feeling this was coming ….Stokes launches the ball into the seating at wide long-on and, that’s a double-helping, the ball’s crashed into the covers for another four. And that’s a big heave and just misses the edge – Gilchrist raises his eyes to the heavens: so close.
Chappell has replaced Miller but Prior wants to get on the act and drives a long half volley through extra cover – that’s the 400 up. Chappell drops short and that’s four more, before Prior dabs the ball into the point area for a couple.

408-7 (Stokes 35 Prior 21, overs 116)

 

[Gwylan]

Warne v Stokes is a fascinating dual. The batsman looking to come down the wicket and the ball is faster and a shade wider. He tries again, misses … and Gilchrist misses the stumping! That spun viciously but also kept low – it was a hard chance, but it was a chance. Stokes middles that one – but it’s a brilliant stop by Miller in the covers. Stokes finally gets a two off the final ball.
Prior treats Chappell with more respect this over but does push a two to bring up the 50 partnership and runs the ball to third man for a single.

413-7 (Stokes 37 Prior 24, overs 118)

 

[jakarta]

Lunch? By the way I'm just finishing my job up here in Wellingborough so will miss the Afternoon session...

 

[Gwylan]

Prior scores a single and Stokes looks to get after Warne, there’s nothing on though apart from a single to long leg.
This is going to be the final over before lunch. Chappell is spot on, until a ball is fractionally short and it’s clattered to cow corner for four. Stokes finishes with a single and that’s lunch.

421-7 (Stokes 43 Prior 25, overs 120)

 

[Gwylan]

It’s all been leisurely since lunch. Lillee is back on from the Pavilion End, with Thomson at the Nursery but it’s all sedate so far with just seven runs in four overs.

428-7 (Stokes 46 Prior 29, overs 124)

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes is getting itchy feet however and tries to smash Lillee to the point boundary, he doesn’t get hold of it though and it’s just a single. Prior does succeed though and cracks it to the same boundary for the first four since the interval. And now Stokes does catch the ball properly, he smacks a short one from Thomson to the square leg boundary and that’s his 50.

437-7 (Stokes 51 Prior 33, overs 126)

 

[Gwylan]

Prior treats Lillee with respect and there’s just a single off the over. Bill Frindall has just nudged me and tells me that is now the record 8th wicket partnership for England v Australia at Lord’s, beating Lyttleton and Steel’s record of 1884. The highest 8th wicket partnership for England against Australia is 124 between Hendren and the next man in, Larwood, at Brisbane. That has to be the next target.

 

[Gwylan]

Thomson bowls short on his hip and it’s flicked away for two, no more fireworks. Stokes, however, is in the mood now and cracks the fourth ball of Lillee’s over for an uppish, but safe four, he tries again and narrowly misses. Prior now has his eye-in and hooks Thomson for four, following it up with a square drive – that brings up the 450

452-7 (Stokes 55 Prior 44, overs 130)

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes is walking in his crease like a prowling panther, he’s itching to get after Lillee now but he’s beaten by a ball that leaves him. Oh, that’s an edge and it flies low to Smith at first slip, Lillee celebrates the catch but Smith waves his hand to indicate that it didn’t quite carry – that was close. Stokes decides to be more prudent and blocks the next two. He can’t resist the last one though and smites high in the air … it’s dropped by Warne at mid-off, running back. That was a really tough chance, the fielder was running at full pelt.
Warne has his chance for revenge though: he replaces Thomson at the Nursery End but gets the first ball horribly wrong; it’s short and smacked into the Mound Stand’s second tier for a mighty maximum. Warne’s second ball is better, it’s the googly and Stokes doesn’t read it… but it flies off the edge over Gilchrist’s shoulder for four more – that brings up the 100 partnership.
Stokes laughs at the sheer joy of it. He’s laughing even harder now as he comes down the wicket and smashes the ball over the bowler – it’s another six. And he repeats the shot, but doesn’t quite time it and it’s down Thomson’s throat at long-on. That was entertaining stuff.

England 467-8 (Stokes c Thomson b Warne 72 Prior 44, Larwood 0, overs 132)

 

[Gwylan]

It’s still Lillee from the Pavilion End and Prior helps himself to four around the corner and pushes a single to point. Larwood doesn’t hang around and tries to carve Lillee through mid-off but it flies over Smith at slip for four more.
Prior flicks Warne away for two – that’s his 50- and does the same again – just a single this time. Larwood is only dealing in boundaries and smashes a six over Warne’s head.

England 485-8 (Prior 52 Larwood 10, overs 134)

 

[Gwylan]

It’s still Lillee and Prior hits him for three through extra cover. Larwood swings at Lillee and cracks for another six to cow corner this time, he tries the same shot and it flies over Smith at slip again. And that’s uppish again, it just evades a diving Thomson at mid-off for another four … and the 500 up.
Lillee’s had enough of this nonsense and that’s a fearsome yorker – smashing the off-stump out of the ground to end the over and Larwood’s brief but effective knock.

England 502-9 (Larwood b Lillee 24, Prior 55 Underwood 0, overs 135)

 

[Gwylan]

The field is spread out for Prior, who can take a single whenever he wants. He takes one off the fourth ball and Underwood has to face two balls off Warne, the first one beats him all ends up, the second is the googly that he doesn’t read – he turns around to see his middle stump lying flat – that’s the end of the innings.

England 503 all out (Prior 56* Underwood b Warne 0)