chrisw2k5
School Cricketer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2005
- Online Cricket Games Owned
Any lovers, and indeed any sceptics o BLIC, or anyone intrested in cricket, Iwould like you to read this... The Big Test.
South Africa vs England ? 5-day test ? Oval ? Weather Variable ? Pitch Normal
I went into the test match hopeful. I was playing as England, and decided on playing South Africa. I am playing on County level, as I actually find it too easy to restrict the score when bowling on test level, and batting too hard.
The only change in the England line up from the recent Ashes match was the inclusion of Thorpe instead of Bell. The South African line up was to my knowledge that of the test series against England last year. The toss was won by South Africa, who chose to bat.
1st innings ? South Africa
In the opening session, Harmison bowled economically, whilst Flintoff was erratic to say the least, giving away 21 runs away in his first 4 overs. However, in his 5th, he claimed the wicket of Gibbs, caught in the slips by Tresco. Rain however meant the morning session was reduced to 11 overs, in which South Africa had made 34, for the loss of 1 wicket.
I opened the second session with Simon Jones and Hoggard, who after bowling 5 overs each, and not taking a wicket between them, I replaced with Giles and Harmison. Giles struck immediately, knocking out Graeme Smith?s leg stump with a quicker delivery. At the other end, Harmison was bowling well, but Kallis was keeping the score ticking over. With Giles keeping Klusener bogged down at one end, and Kallis scoring freely at the other, I tried everything at my disposal to get a break-through, but the session ended with SA on 85/2.
As Kallis became nervous, nearing his first milestone, I brought back Giles, but to no avail, as Kallis got his 50 (111 balls) and started scoring quickly again. But then Jones got the wicket of Klusener, who had been there for 104 balls, yet only scored 15. I brought back Harmison to try and get the new man out quickly, but he only bowled to Kallis, who by now was on 76. The score continued to grow, but in the last over of the day, Geraint Jones caught Rudolph off Flintoff. They finished the day on 170/4, having played 71 overs. I was trying everything to get Kallis before he reached his 100, even bringing Vaughan into the attack. Remarkably, only one 6 was hit against him in his first over (the first of the match) and he had a catch put down which would have sent Dippenaar on his way. Kallis got his 100 off Giles ( 206 Balls , 16 fours, 0 sixes) Meanwhile, Flintoff had turned round his early bad bowling, and was now on top form, forcing several misses from Dippenaar. However, the new ball was offered, and I knew I had to bowl my two fastest, Harmison and Jones. It worked, Harmison knocked out Dippenaar?s leg stump with a peach of a ball. And in his next over, he caught and bowled the new man Boucher. The sensational run continued, Harmison struck again in his next over, sending Pollock?s middle stump over the keeper. Just 3 balls later, an almost identical ball claimed the wicket of Hall, the last man who could bat. I thought Flintoff to be the best man to attempt to finish them off with Harmison. He dropped Boje off his second ball, and nothing else came off the over. This continued for a few overs, until I thought of trying spin against the tail-enders. I didn?t work, and I was starting to become frustrated again. Eventually, Hoggard captured Boje lbw, and Harmison rounded it up by bowling Ntini with a yorker. They had finished on 242, having collapsed from 170/4. Kallis had batted through from no.3, finishing with an unbeaten 125. Dippenaar and Gibbs had made fair contributions, with 29 and 18 respectively. On the bowling side of things, Harmison got 5-44, Flintoff 2-64 and Hoggard 1-23. The other two wickets fell to Giles and Jones.
1st Innings ? England
Pollock opens the bowling with the off spinner Boje, an odd choice in my opinion. I was proved wrong however, as he had Tresco caught behind with his second ball. Vaughan was next in, and the runs begin to flow, resembling a one-day match, mostly due to the attacking field choice of Smith. However, after only 3 over, alike to South Africa?s innings, the rain begins to fall. This being only the first session of the second day, I was not very concerned. However, play did not resume until the afternoon session of the third day. I was on 34 for 1, and knew that I only had till the end of the day batting if I had any hope of winning in time. Pollock continued to be smashed around, whilst Boje bowled economically. Pollock then got Strauss caught behind, off a no ball! However, Pollock did seem to be swinging the ball dangerously. Vaughan hit a six and two fours in a poor over by Boje, and after 10 overs, we had 90 on the board. The confidence of both batsmen dropped as they neared their fifties. Strauss got his with a stroked 4 (39 balls) but was nearly out lbw in the next over, which was bowled by Ntini. 2 balls later, he was out, caught and bowled. The next ball, Ntini got Thorpe lbw, he was on a hat trick. Pietersen blocked the predictable Yorker, and the double wicket maiden over finished. The next over, Vaughan completed his half-century (32 balls) Thankfully, the afternoon session ended, I was on 111/3.
Ntini continued, and Klusener replaced Boje at the other end. Both were bowling well, especially Ntini, who capture Kevin Pietersen, caught in the slips. Flintoff came to the crease, just in time to see Vaughan bowled off a no ball. He then got in on the action himself, smashing a six off another Klusener no ball. He even managed to hit Ntini for a four, but he could do nothing as Vaughan was caught behind, Ntini?s most important wicket yet. As a result of Klusener last wild over, Boje made a return, but as in his first spell, reaped no rewards for his good bowling. I decided to simply block out Ntini, and attack Boje. This policy worked, until Boje pulled out a brilliant ball to clean bowl Jones. Unlike South Africa, who could bat until number 8, Jones was the last of my batters, and I feared a collapse. A terrible accident with the triangle button caused the run out of Giles, and I was 185/7. 2 balls later, Boje bowled Jones, and I was in serious danger. Harmison blocked out the last 2 balls of Boje, and Flintoff faced Ntini. I decided that I would only run for two?s, and got a single off the last ball. Harmison hit an amazing 4 off Boje. A single off the last however left him to face Ntini. He survived, and Flintoff hooked the next ball for 6 to bring 200 up.
In the next over, having missed 3 balls in row, Harmison hit Boje for 6, and then a one bounce 4, followed by another 6. In the next over though, Flintoff went for another hook and was caught. The amazing slogging Harmison continued for one more six, but was then caught. I ended on 223, 9 behind South Africa.
The prime batting performance was Vaughan?s 69, closely followed by 51 from Strauss and a quick 41 by Flintoff. A special mention must also go to Harmison, who hit 29 off 21 balls. Two bowlers got all the wickets, Nitini, who took 6/43, and Boje, with 3/80.
TO BE CONTINUED? GAME IN PROGRESS!
South Africa vs England ? 5-day test ? Oval ? Weather Variable ? Pitch Normal
I went into the test match hopeful. I was playing as England, and decided on playing South Africa. I am playing on County level, as I actually find it too easy to restrict the score when bowling on test level, and batting too hard.
The only change in the England line up from the recent Ashes match was the inclusion of Thorpe instead of Bell. The South African line up was to my knowledge that of the test series against England last year. The toss was won by South Africa, who chose to bat.
1st innings ? South Africa
In the opening session, Harmison bowled economically, whilst Flintoff was erratic to say the least, giving away 21 runs away in his first 4 overs. However, in his 5th, he claimed the wicket of Gibbs, caught in the slips by Tresco. Rain however meant the morning session was reduced to 11 overs, in which South Africa had made 34, for the loss of 1 wicket.
I opened the second session with Simon Jones and Hoggard, who after bowling 5 overs each, and not taking a wicket between them, I replaced with Giles and Harmison. Giles struck immediately, knocking out Graeme Smith?s leg stump with a quicker delivery. At the other end, Harmison was bowling well, but Kallis was keeping the score ticking over. With Giles keeping Klusener bogged down at one end, and Kallis scoring freely at the other, I tried everything at my disposal to get a break-through, but the session ended with SA on 85/2.
As Kallis became nervous, nearing his first milestone, I brought back Giles, but to no avail, as Kallis got his 50 (111 balls) and started scoring quickly again. But then Jones got the wicket of Klusener, who had been there for 104 balls, yet only scored 15. I brought back Harmison to try and get the new man out quickly, but he only bowled to Kallis, who by now was on 76. The score continued to grow, but in the last over of the day, Geraint Jones caught Rudolph off Flintoff. They finished the day on 170/4, having played 71 overs. I was trying everything to get Kallis before he reached his 100, even bringing Vaughan into the attack. Remarkably, only one 6 was hit against him in his first over (the first of the match) and he had a catch put down which would have sent Dippenaar on his way. Kallis got his 100 off Giles ( 206 Balls , 16 fours, 0 sixes) Meanwhile, Flintoff had turned round his early bad bowling, and was now on top form, forcing several misses from Dippenaar. However, the new ball was offered, and I knew I had to bowl my two fastest, Harmison and Jones. It worked, Harmison knocked out Dippenaar?s leg stump with a peach of a ball. And in his next over, he caught and bowled the new man Boucher. The sensational run continued, Harmison struck again in his next over, sending Pollock?s middle stump over the keeper. Just 3 balls later, an almost identical ball claimed the wicket of Hall, the last man who could bat. I thought Flintoff to be the best man to attempt to finish them off with Harmison. He dropped Boje off his second ball, and nothing else came off the over. This continued for a few overs, until I thought of trying spin against the tail-enders. I didn?t work, and I was starting to become frustrated again. Eventually, Hoggard captured Boje lbw, and Harmison rounded it up by bowling Ntini with a yorker. They had finished on 242, having collapsed from 170/4. Kallis had batted through from no.3, finishing with an unbeaten 125. Dippenaar and Gibbs had made fair contributions, with 29 and 18 respectively. On the bowling side of things, Harmison got 5-44, Flintoff 2-64 and Hoggard 1-23. The other two wickets fell to Giles and Jones.
1st Innings ? England
Pollock opens the bowling with the off spinner Boje, an odd choice in my opinion. I was proved wrong however, as he had Tresco caught behind with his second ball. Vaughan was next in, and the runs begin to flow, resembling a one-day match, mostly due to the attacking field choice of Smith. However, after only 3 over, alike to South Africa?s innings, the rain begins to fall. This being only the first session of the second day, I was not very concerned. However, play did not resume until the afternoon session of the third day. I was on 34 for 1, and knew that I only had till the end of the day batting if I had any hope of winning in time. Pollock continued to be smashed around, whilst Boje bowled economically. Pollock then got Strauss caught behind, off a no ball! However, Pollock did seem to be swinging the ball dangerously. Vaughan hit a six and two fours in a poor over by Boje, and after 10 overs, we had 90 on the board. The confidence of both batsmen dropped as they neared their fifties. Strauss got his with a stroked 4 (39 balls) but was nearly out lbw in the next over, which was bowled by Ntini. 2 balls later, he was out, caught and bowled. The next ball, Ntini got Thorpe lbw, he was on a hat trick. Pietersen blocked the predictable Yorker, and the double wicket maiden over finished. The next over, Vaughan completed his half-century (32 balls) Thankfully, the afternoon session ended, I was on 111/3.
Ntini continued, and Klusener replaced Boje at the other end. Both were bowling well, especially Ntini, who capture Kevin Pietersen, caught in the slips. Flintoff came to the crease, just in time to see Vaughan bowled off a no ball. He then got in on the action himself, smashing a six off another Klusener no ball. He even managed to hit Ntini for a four, but he could do nothing as Vaughan was caught behind, Ntini?s most important wicket yet. As a result of Klusener last wild over, Boje made a return, but as in his first spell, reaped no rewards for his good bowling. I decided to simply block out Ntini, and attack Boje. This policy worked, until Boje pulled out a brilliant ball to clean bowl Jones. Unlike South Africa, who could bat until number 8, Jones was the last of my batters, and I feared a collapse. A terrible accident with the triangle button caused the run out of Giles, and I was 185/7. 2 balls later, Boje bowled Jones, and I was in serious danger. Harmison blocked out the last 2 balls of Boje, and Flintoff faced Ntini. I decided that I would only run for two?s, and got a single off the last ball. Harmison hit an amazing 4 off Boje. A single off the last however left him to face Ntini. He survived, and Flintoff hooked the next ball for 6 to bring 200 up.
In the next over, having missed 3 balls in row, Harmison hit Boje for 6, and then a one bounce 4, followed by another 6. In the next over though, Flintoff went for another hook and was caught. The amazing slogging Harmison continued for one more six, but was then caught. I ended on 223, 9 behind South Africa.
The prime batting performance was Vaughan?s 69, closely followed by 51 from Strauss and a quick 41 by Flintoff. A special mention must also go to Harmison, who hit 29 off 21 balls. Two bowlers got all the wickets, Nitini, who took 6/43, and Boje, with 3/80.
TO BE CONTINUED? GAME IN PROGRESS!
