Story Three Lions on the Shirt? - Match Day: Northamptonshire fight back!!!

[Gaurav_7]

Of course I'm jealous. I have every reason to be jealous. I'm struggling from about 5 years to get a wicket of any low profile batsman and this Tom Baker guy has taken the wicket of Chanderpaul. No mercy!

 

[Prithvi]

Tom, one suggestion, to this image, it'd have been more good if you'd have given an outer glow to the text "The Biggest wicket of my career to date!".

 

[Highlander999]

Yeah, totally agree, only thing was I made that image up when my photoshop was down so was having to do the text on Photo Express

 

[BKB1991]

Great update Tom! I loved it! The tactic worked and you got Smith out. Good to see stories taking on the funny side of things as well. Important Wicket you took of Chanderpaul.

 

[Kiko_97]

I hate you Baker, I don't know why I read this.

 

[treva]

Worst. Hawkeye. Ever.

 

[WestIndian]

Chanderpaul?? The bowler must have taken West Indies best batsman to some kind of Club the night before and had him confused the next morning for him to charge down the pitch!!!

 

[surendar]

**Cough**Cough** Some more good signs for story forums because of this revival. Well, surprised that Baker hasn't put any body weight in these buffer periods .

surendar added 1 Minutes and 22 Seconds later...

Just a curious question : was that hawkeye - a try or an intentional attempt in hurry?

 

[Highlander999]

Di Venuto holds things together for a faltering Durham

I was currently bowling in tandem with Crofty from the other end. As the spinner his job was to contain and build up pressure on the batsmen. For Paul Collingwood, Mark had the field up with a sweeper on the off-side, backward square leg and deep fine leg. For Di Venuto, mid on was pushed back, giving him the single and letting us concentrate on Collingwood.

I nearly got a breakthrough when I put in a fiery short ball which he tried to sway out the way and it almost brushed his gloves on the way through, but he just managed to drop them in time and he survived. Mark had told me how I would be bowling 7 overs in this first spell and he would then be saving my last 3 overs for the death. I wanted to get another wicket before the end of my spell, but alas it was not to be.

As Tom Maynard came on to bowl from my end at the next over, I still could take heart from my figures. I had kept things relaly tight and got a couple of wickets, so there was not much more I could do and I got high fives and slaps on the back from the rest of the team. It now looked like Crofty and Maynard would bowl in tandem from both ends and hopefully spin would strangle the Durham batsmen out of the game.

We had been hoping that the pressure of the spin twins could get a breakthrough for us in the next few overs, however, Di Venuto and Collingwood were keeping it nice and sensible and only looking for one's and two's, keeping the ball on the ground and not trying any heroics. It was very frustrating and Tom got a bit frustrated when he bowled a no-ball and gave a free hit away, only to see Di Venuto slog sweep it away for 4.

Di Venuto really was playing a class innings for Durham and it was beginning to get under the fielder's skins and a few mis-fields begun to happen as people got frustrated at our lack of progress. Collingwood was not helping the situation with a typical slow thought out innings, which was just as painful as Di Venuto's as we never looked like we would get him out. It actually reminded me slightly of his innins in South Africa where he just spent hour after hour blocking. Of course he was being a bit more agressive here, but we were feeling the same despair the South Africans must have felt.

However, Tom decided all of a sudden to come to the party

Collingwood completely mis-judged a rare sharp turning delivery from Tom and looked to kick it away on the off-side. However, with the way the ball turned he was still hit outside the line but it looked like it would hit the stumps. Everyone went up and the umpire hesitated before raising his finger and sending Collingwood on his way. Everyone was over the moon as this was a crucial breakthrough for us.

It brought Ian Blackwell to the crease and he was able to rotate the strike allowing Di Venuto to smack one straight back past Tom for a single and bring up his 50. We were not too fussed now though as we had made the crucial breakthrough. Still, Di Venuto had been causing us plenty of problems and we would want his wicket if we stood any chance of a victory as Durham still had plenty of guys left who could swing a bat more then competently.

I had enjoyed watching Di Venuto's knock though as for a young cricketer he had timed his innings perfectly in a run chase where wickets had been falling all around him. I had learnt a lot from just being in the field watching this innings, but I still didn't think he would out-do my century from the Glamorgan innings

N.B. Durham are actually 102/4 not 102/3, don't know why it is wrong

 

[BKB1991]

Important Wicket of Collingwood by Tom. Glamorgan are still in the chase with a Di Venuto looking solid. With 6 wickets remaining and 93 required in 21 overs, Durham look the favorites. Although I wouldnt count out Baker coming out and taking a few wickets

 

[MaD]

So do you speak about yourself in 3rd person at times?
Great bowling there, got the breakthrough, Collingwood was too slow anyway
As if Durham would do this, it'd be so much easier if they just smashed the crap out of the bowlers, although, the bowling has been very tight.
Nice update

 

[Highlander999]

That's Tom Maynard, the full list of squads are in the first post

 

[Aditya]

Common Tom you need to take few wickets for your team. I won't be surprised if you take wicket of the key batsmen for Durham,Venuto.

 

[TheGreemSim]

Tom deserved a wicket with a spell like that, I'm sure he'll get at least 1 before the end of the match

 

[surendar]

If your captain or coach calls, 'Tom come here!' which Tom will go first? But am sure that if Tom gets some heroic applauses today in the match, he is going to have a severe party in the night Be Alert!