England in the 90s

[blockerdave]

Just had the most facepalm moment...

Bowled a ball, keeper didn’t take it, went behind him AI ran. Umpire signalled leg bye...

huh I thought, and watched the replay... sure enough hit the pad (I thought it went through without hitting anything)... huh I thought again, that looks close.

ran the big eye, as plumb as it gets, hitting in line going to 3/4 up middle stump. Stone dead, and I didn’t appeal.

did I mention the AI were 150/0 at that point??

 

[blockerdave]

Here it is, what an idiot. In my defence, I had the sound down so didn't hear the big pad thud.

 

[blockerdave]

Late drama at the end of day 2 at Edgbaston.

A R Lewis, Tony Grieg and Jack Bannister talk us through it...

 

[blockerdave]

Ambrose has scored 6 from 85 balls!!! He just doesn’t get out.

 

[Wealey]

Ambrose has scored 6 from 85 balls!!! He just doesn’t get out.

this happened in my game against the 98 Windies. He batted for ages and got 60!!

Positioning in the order? Height? Something!?

 

[blockerdave]

this happened in my game against the 98 Windies. He batted for ages and got 60!!

Positioning in the order? Height? Something!?

God knows. I actually got him out not long after I posted but in the last game he scored a 220-ball 50!

 

[Ajh1977]

Ambrose has scored 6 from 85 balls!!! He just doesn’t get out.

Haha, he was never that restrained

 

[blockerdave]

Exciting stuff at Edgbaston...

England’s 377 didn’t feel enough on what seemed a very flat deck. This looked very true when Simmons and Haynes amassed a 150-run opening partnership. Illingworth’s wickets late on day 2 got England back in the hunt, but Windies would have felt reasonably confident at the start of day 3, with Haynes still at the crease.

England had other plans though, Chris Lewis claiming 3 wickets in the morning before Illingworth ran through the rest to claim 7/52 in just his 2nd Test. England securing a lead of 97.

All the wickets below with commentary:

With plenty of time in the game, England would want to bat well to set a big target. These plans seemed to crumble as Gooch, Morris and Atherton all went cheaply, but a fine Graeme Hick counter attack kept hopes alive.

Tony Cozier, Tom Graveney, Geoff Boycott and Tony Lewis talk us through it:

Some more vids and updates to follow later - was a great match.

 

[blockerdave]

After Hick was out, and Russell followed after a brief but aggressive cameo, England were still somewhat short of setting an imposing target. Pringle joined Ramprakash, and the fireworks started...

 

[blockerdave]

The heroics from Hick, Ramprakash and Pringle meant England could set the imposing target of 392 runs.

4 wickets from Lewis and 3 from Illingworth (to give him 10 in the match) meant West Indies never looked like doing it - Haynes' 51 to go with his first inns century the only real note of defiance.

Illingworth gets man of the match, and England go to the Oval all square: the series tied at 1-1 with 2 draws.

If you've watched these videos, a couple of things you might have noticed that I think look nice: Hick's 405 bat, and the West Indie's "Red Stripe" sponsor, both of which I made* and am rather happy with.

*I used the existing Fearnley logos on the bat, but made my own 405 logo

 

[blockerdave]

Obviously, real life doesn't care how I did in my last match.

So despite Lamb making a 50 in the first innings, Hick and Pringle making 50's in the second innings, and Illingworth not only taking 10 wickets in the match but ALSO scoring an unbeaten 50 in the first innings, all are dropped for the 5th test, as is Jack Russell. Smith comes back in after injury, and Botham makes his first test appearance of the 90s. Stewart is restored to the side and will bat 6 and keep, and Lawrence and Tufnell are in too.

Nice, consistent selection.

The West Indies make only one change, with both Gus Logie and reserve batsman Brian Lara injured, Clayton Lambert is called up from league cricket to make his debut.

 

[blockerdave]

Things get worse for @Mouseydread - after yesterday's final defeat, today history is re-written and King Viv DID lose a series as captain.

A crushing England victory by an innings and 101 runs sees the home side clinch the series 2-1.

An amazing game. England won the toss and batted first, and though Gooch posted a fluent 65, the rest of the top order apart from Ramprakash crumbled in a heap, England falling to 134-6. Cue an aggressive counter attack from Chris Lewis (103) that spared none of the bowlers, and brought him a maiden test century. When he went, out came Defraitas and he smashed an aggressive 68 from just 53 balls. And all the while Ramps was still there, patiently accumulating finally bringing up his own maiden test century - making 108 from 209 balls. Somehow, England had reached 413, and the aggression of Lewis and Defraitas meant it had come up at better than 4 an over.

England then blew apart the West Indies top order, 2 wickets for Defraitas and one apiece for Lawrence, Lewis and returning hero Botham reduced the West to 44/5. Richards (62) and Dujon (30) shared a partnership of 88, but when they had both gone the tail couldn't provide much resistance - and when day 2 ended with Lewis bowling Ambrose with a brilliant slower ball, Gooch could spend his evening deciding whether or not to enforce the follow on. Botham's 3-45 was a solid return in the talismanic all-rounders first test appearance for nearly 2 years.

Day 3 started with Gooch confirming the follow-on, and the match was as good as won by lunch, the West Indies top order being blown away again, falling to 86/6 in the morning session. Dujon made another 30 to delay the inevitable, but when Dave Lawrence found Patterson's edge through to Stewart, England were celebrating a huge win, and a massive series victory!

 

[blockerdave]

Now on to finish 1991 with the one-off test against Sri Lanka - the first time we've faced them in the 90s.

That's 3 series on the bounce now, having lost the first 2, so may need to look at the AI sliders after this.

Record so far is - lost v West Indies away 3-2; lost v New Zealand at home 2-1; won v India at home 2-1; won v Australia away 3-2 (clinched the Ashes); beat West Indies at home 2-1 (first series with drawn matches.)

 

[Mouseydread]

@blockerdave you are so cruel Its been a nightmare weekend. I am troubled by my team selection which I deviated from on the day I know how Viv feels.

Lewis, Ramps and de freitas all decent players to be fair . As for 'hissing Syd', good to see him get a run about!

Ps Richard Illingworth was so underrated as a test bowler. I think he was pretty good, not as attacking as Phil 'two sugars' Tufnell but I believe more consistent.

Never rated Phil Simmons as a player. He I felt as a cricket was like a half baked cake, just not ready. Gave the impression that he was a big time Charlie. Clayton Lambert was a flamboyant opener who would be like Evin Lewis today, good for the shorter formats.

Simmons was a better one day player, I think what starts to trickle through now in your great replay is the emergence of format specialists, especially in batting.

 

[blockerdave]

@blockerdave you are so cruel Its been a nightmare weekend. I am troubled by my team selection which I deviated from on the day I know how Viv feels.

Lewis, Ramps and de freitas all decent players to be fair . As for 'hissing Syd', good to see him get a run about!

Ps Richard Illingworth was so underrated as a test bowler. I think he was pretty good, not as attacking as Phil 'two sugars' Tufnell but I believe more consistent.

Never rated Phil Simmons as a player. He I felt as a cricket was like a half baked cake, just not ready. Gave the impression that he was a big time Charlie. Clayton Lambert was a flamboyant opener who would be like Evin Lewis today, good for the shorter formats.

Simmons was a better one day player, I think what starts to trickle through now in your great replay is the emergence of format specialists, especially in batting.

Looking at the real series, at the beginning of 1990 and this 1991 you see the clear signs of the West Indies decline.

While they’re still bowling 4 fast bowlers, this was Marshall’s last series, and with Patterson erratic and Bishop often injured, it’s just Ambrose and Walsh. In the batting, Greenidge goes and Simmons replaces him, not in the same class. Carlisle Best (from 90 series), and Gus Logie didn’t really cut it at Test level - Lara was unused on the 91 tour, being injured for the last test when Logie was injured too hence Lambert’s call up