Story The ICC World Test Cricket Medal: ***Day Four Highlights***

[just_cricket]

This has been inactive for a while so this isn't really news, but to make it official I will be taking a short break from this story to begin my second story. However, there is no way I won't be finishing this story, I have the whole tournament mapped out and I will be back into this in a month or two.

 

[CG123]

Good to hear that it's not dead, over the past several months that I have been around PC, this has been one of the best genuine cricket stories, and I have enjoyed it heavily.

 

[hedger_14]

Totally a month or two. I was so looking forward to this story coming back but oh well I guess. You're too busy doing your new one.

 

[just_cricket]

I will be back into this in a month or two six
Hedger, your comment has inspired me to resume this story. My HRV Cup story will continue but updates will be simpler. Presentation and writing for both stories should be as good as usual but I won't be putting as much effort into graphics, especially those animated hawkeyes which take 1-2 hours!
Stay tuned for updates!

 

[hedger_14]

haha. I only have one story and I wouldn't do anything like that. One story is time consuming enough.

 

[CG123]

Like Hedger said, quality stories (like yours) are VERY time consuming, so it's all good if your updates are slow. I really struggle to find time to do one story.
Most of all just make sure you enjoy yourself while writing your updates.

 

[hedger_14]

What I feel is that I only get interested in a save a lot on something like CC or ICC if I do a story on it. Otherwise I get bored pretty quickly. I guess I just like writing on what I do.

 

[just_cricket]

Day Three Highlights

New Zealand v India
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Highlights From Day 3

At Last Update: NZ were 320/4 at Lunch on Day Three

With a deficit of only 63 runs, and Ryder and How at the crease, both with centuries to their names, the Black Caps were in a confident frame of mind to resume after the luncheon. Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan continued, but still appeared to lack penetration. Ryder continued to attack almost mindlessly, but it kept coming off - two more sixes flew from his bat as he took tp Yuvraj's gentle full deliveries with glee. He and How also put away anything short from Pathan, but eventually Ryder fell victim to his own aggression, and was stumped smartly by Dhoni, having been beaten after coming down the wicket to Yuvraj in an attempt to smoke another half a dozen.

The run rate slowed down slightly as the new batsman settled in, but as it was Brendon McCullum it still continued at a healthy rate. He and How hared between the wickets and ran ragged a tired looking Indian side for several overs. But soon How paid the price for trying to get too tricky - he had played flawlessly and looked textbook in all his shots, so it was a shame when he wandered too far across his stumps and missed a tame leg glance across the line of the ball.

How had to go for 125 off 194 balls, but he had played a marvellous innings​

Now six wickets down, McCullum and Vettori nevertheless wasted little time in overhauling India's first innings total of 383. McCullum in particular looked very good and was striking the ball cleanly but with more control than Ryder. The experienced pair racked up their 50 run partnership before anyone could really realise it was happening, for the runs had not come in a flurry of boundaries but through some sharp shot selection and hard-run twos and threes. At the Tea Break NZ were 432/6.

Resuming after Tea McCullum single handedly pushed his side up to 450 courtesy off three big overs from Yuvraj and Ishant Sharma, but Vettori was cleaned up by Zaheer Khan, trying to get too dinky and cute. He tried to late cut a ball which was always too full and too close to his body, resulting in a comprehensive, cringe making bowled dismissal.

Vettori was embarassingly dismissed but not before he had added 31​

Tim Southee replaced him at the crease but looked all at sea against the pace bowlers. Dhoni was quick to replace Yuvraj with Pathan and the tiring Zaheer with Sharma, but McCullum's response was to simply stand and deliver. He charged down the pitch more than once and hit some spectacular boundaries but the shot the stood out was this silky on drive:

Batting with the tailenders, McCullum saw the opportunity to attack​

But it wasn't long before the tail fell off the Black Caps' innings as Sharma claimed a consolation bag of three tailend wickets. However Pathan had been the pick of the bowlers with four top order wickets and Yuvraj and Zaheer also chipped in with two apiece. McCullum agonisingly finished on 99*, with Guptill also contributing with 67, and who even needs to mention the priceless contributions from How and Ryder who sculpted the innings.

New Zealand
497 all out

With just 7 overs to bat, most opening pairs in the world would only have survival on their minds, but not an opening combination of Gambhir and Sehwag. Unfortunately for the left hander though, his aggressive mentality was his downfall. After confidently cutting Bond's first ball powerfully but straight to point, who saved four runs, Gambhir looked to force the next ball off the front foot past mid off. However it turned out to be a good delivery from Bond which swung away from the left hander and resulted in a nick through to How who took a sharp catch above his head. Gambhir had to pay the price for being too loose at the start of his innings and left for a duck.

After a first innings hundred, Gambhir was brought back down to earth with a second ball duck​

Sehwag, though, had more success with his attacking style. He hooked and cut as Wagner bowled too short in his first two overs. Dravid meanwhile lived up to his title "The Wall" as he successfully negotiated Bond's fiery end of day spell while Sehwag looked to target Wagner. The South African born left armer had a reply to Sehwag and struck him on the helmet in the penultimate over. Sehwag appeared shaken and this ball signalled the end of aggression for the night - the last over from Bond yielded just two runs - and although the Indians had raced to 46/1 from just seven overs, the Black Caps held the advantage with Gambhir back in the sheds, Sehwag shaken up by Wagner and a lead of 68 runs.

Sehwag swung the ball over the leg side a few times before he was hit on the head by Wagner

At the Close of Play on Day 3:

India
46/1​

Predict and Win Contest

How many runs will India score in their second innings?

Post your number in the thread. The closest entry will win $500,000 vcash with a bonus of $1m vcash if your number is exactly right.​

​

 

[Aussie Team]

350. And Your presentation is awesome.

(Edited)

 

[just_cricket]

Thanks for the entry, but you need to post an exact figure (ie not 350 and above, just 350, or 367, or whatever...)

 

[hedger_14]

Great update. Fantastic to read and great presentation. Unfortunate for McCullum to be left not out on 99 but a handy lead for the New Zealander's now and they could be looking to win.

304, I reckon India will score.

 

[Gaurav_7]

India will score 343.

 

[CG123]

Good to see this back, as usual a top class update.
Love all the graphics and your writing.
Hmmm... I'll go India 379.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

349 is what they will score and very nice update very well writen presentation

 

[Chewie]

A very well written update, with amazing graphics! Hadn't read this story when it was active before, looks like I'm going to have to go through the past few pages

I'm gonna guess 380.