[Cricket] World Test XI

[Gwylan]

More torment by Warne. Stokes is left groping a couple of times but does finally clobber one for four before running a sharp single
I think he’s decided to go after Border now and that’s a big slog sweep for six,. Followed by a straight drive – that’s nearly a six but falls just short.

England 202-4 (Compton 56 Stokes 30) overs 62

 

[Gwylan]

It’s still Warne, no signs of tiredness yet and, once again, is beating Compton. And that’s angled past slip for one and Stokes also takes a single.
A bowling change at the Statham end – it’s Chappell getting his first bowl of the match. The new ball is dues in 17 overs so Lillee and Thomson are being kept fresh.
Chappell over-pitches and that’s driven for four by Stoke – that’s the 50 partnership and, it’s clipped for another four.

England 216-4 (Compton 57 Stokes 39) overs 64

 

[Gwylan]

Compton has finally got Warne away – he’s middled that it’s swept for four. He’s beaten by the next one though and then catches an edge for a lucky single. Stokes hits it to cow corner for two.
And Compton punishes a loose delivery from Chappell, that’s four through mid-wicket and hits him for three to long on

England 230-4 (Compton 69 Stokes 41) overs 66

 

[Gwylan]

Warne continues his marathon spell. Compton unfurls the sweep again but that turns out the rough and bowls him behind his legs – Compton’s long vigil comes to an end

England 230-5 Compton b Warne 69

 

[Gwylan]

In comes Botham and he looks up for the challenge, hitting his first ball to cover boundary for four. He nicks the strike with a single
And it’s another four through the covers off Chappell before running to long leg for a single. Stokes finishes the over with a lofted drive for four.

England 244-5 (Stokes 45 Botham 10) overs 68

 

[Gwylan]

The way that Botham started, it looked like he was trying to win this before tea but he plays this over sensibly and there are no runs off it
The Chappell experiment is over and Miller’s back on. Stokes cracks his first ball for four and brings up his 50 with a single to third man. Miller drops short to Botham and that’s hooked into the stands for six and it’s then run down to long off for three

England 258-5 (Stokes 50 Botham 19) overs 70

 

[Gwylan]

It’s still Warne – he’ll probably bowl till the new ball now. Is that a sign of tiredness, he drops short and Botham pummels it away for another six . Botham looks to repeat the shot but that’s the top spinner and it hurries through and knocks the middle stump out.
England 264-6 Botham b Warne 25

Prior takes no risks off the end of the over and goes down to have a chat with Stokes. They need 119 and these are the last two batsmen. The pitch is getting less easy all the time: what do they do? Try to stick it or knock them off as quickly as possible?
Stokes is playing Miller sensibly and takes just one run off the over

England 265-6 (Stokes 51 Prior 0) overs 72

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes blocks an over from Warne - he clearly thinks the easier runs are at the other end. Prior seems to agree, getting off the mark with a clip to leg for two and then taking two more from an off drive

England 269-6 (Stokes 51 Prior 4) overs 74

 

[Gwylan]

Stokes lofts Warne into the deep and takes two and then turns him behind square. Prior gets a streaky single off the final ball of the over.
There are couple of singles off the Miller over but the batsmen are taking no risks

England 275-6 (Stokes 55 Prior 6) overs 76

 

[Gwylan]

And that’s a really poor ball from Warne, one of the few he’s bowled, Stokes crashes it through mid-off for four and that’s flicked away with ease for a single – it looks like Warne is genuinely tired now, he’s not fizzing the ball past the bat any more. Case in point, Prior drives him for an easy two.
Stokes blocks the first couple off Miller and takes a single, Prior takes a single off the final ball – they need fewer than 100 now

England 284-6 (Stokes 61 Prior 9) overs 78

 

[Gwylan]

Warne’s having a blow – that was a long haul. Lillee’s back and he greets Prior with a short ball that’s pulled away for four: Prior takes no chances with the rest of the over however.
It’s still Miller from the other end and Stokes is content with a single off it.

England 289-6 (Stokes 62 Prior 13) overs 80

 

[Gwylan]

The new ball is being taken and straight away Stokes is beaten. Lillee is doing a bit with it now and he gets Stokes fishing for the ball. He catches the edge and it flies to Warne at third slip, who puts it down – that was a real chance. He gets a run too.
And it’s Thomson from the Statham end – this will be the last over before tea. It’s short and cracked away for four. Here comes the bouncer that nearly takes the batsman’s head off – that was seriously quick. Ouch, that’s a brute of a ball – it almost goes straight along the ground, it was so low – there’s definitely some uneven bounce now.

Tea score: England 294-6 (Stokes 67 Prior 13) overs 82

 

[jakarta]

The new ball is being taken and straight away Stokes is beaten. Lillee is doing a bit with it now and he gets Stokes fishing for the ball. He catches the edge and it flies to Warne at third slip, who puts it down – that was a real chance. He gets a run too.
And it’s Thomson from the Statham end – this will be the last over before tea. It’s short and cracked away for four. Here comes the bouncer that nearly takes the batsman’s head off – that was seriously quick. Ouch, that’s a brute of a ball – it almost goes straight along the ground, it was so low – there’s definitely some uneven bounce now.

Tea score: England 294-6 (Stokes 67 Prior 13) overs 82

Made more than I thought but were loose...

 

[Gwylan]

England have been consolidating since tea. It's been Lillee and Thomson bowling - I'm sure we'll see Warne shortly

They've taken the score on to 311-6 (Stokes 74 Prior 22) overs 88

 

[jakarta]

Last pair that can conceivably win this for England.

 

[Gwylan]

(delayed coverage here as Mrs G came back and wanted her dinner - I thought she was out till 6)

Lillee is pinging the ball in to Stokes but the Durham man is well in control and takes a two past square leg.

Thomson is even quicker but he over-pitches and that's clipped to mid-wicket for four by Prior and he takes a single to mid-on

England 318-6 (Stokes 76 Prior 27) overs 90

 

[Gwylan]

This is the moment of truth: Warne's back, fully rested and with a hard new ball in his mitt.

Prior decides that the best tactic is to hit him off a length - he's down the wicket and driving superbly through mid-off for four. He then turns it away for a single. Stokes lofts it into the deep for two - not the best over by Warne, that.

It's Border from the other end and Prior immediately sweeps him for four. He takes a single to extra cover and Stokes comes down the track and lofts him away for four. This is a surprising move by Bradman - surely one of his openers would be better.

England 334-6 (Stokes 82 Prior 37) overs 92 - this equals the highest score that England have scored in a fourth innings at Old Trafford

 

[Gwylan]

Prior continues with his mission to knock Warne off his length, he's down the pitch again but it turns past the bat, Prior's a third of the way down the wicket and Gilchrist doesn't miss those

England 334-7 Prior st Gilchrist b Warne

Here comes Larwood, limping in,: there's no great mobility here, all he can do is swing it - and that's what he does, way over long on for six.
He tries again but doesn't really connect, that's high in the air and that's Thomson down there. It's a bit of steepler and there's a fumble at the end but that's safely pouched,

England 340-8 Larwood c Thomson b Warne 6

There wasn't really much Larwood could do there - the fella can barely walk

 

[Gwylan]

It's still Warne bowling and it's Anderson facing. He blocks the first ball but the next ball is a superb googly - Jimmy doesn't pick it and his off-stump is pegged back. That's the over - three wickets in it

England 340-9 Anderson b Warne 0

 

[Gwylan]

What's Stokes going to do here? Play safe or is it going to be death or glory?

He opts for the latter and the first delivery is crashed over mid-wicket for six, the next ball is driven firmly through mid-off and that's Stokes in the 90s. He sweeps the next ball and that's another four - that's fewer than 30 to win and one blow for Stokes' 100.
He drives at the next one but it's the arm ball, one that Border has held back, it's chipped to Warne at he makes no mistake

England all out for 354 - Stokes out for an agonising 98