World Greats Test Championship - TIME TO ANNOUNCE SQUADS FOR SERIES 2 - FREDDIE, DRAVID & INZY injured!! PLUS Pakistan v India!!
- Thread starter Welwyn
- Start date
2nd Test. Colombo.
The last thing that Jayawardene needed after an innings defeat in Kandy was to lose the only toss and have to field on the only guaranteed sunny day in Colombo. That's what happened, but thanks to Herath and Murali, they'd have been happy at 76-2 at lunch. Turner and Fleming added another 100 before Herath got the opener and between them had bullied Sri Lanka's only change (Somachandra de Silva) out of the attack. Taylor continued the attack to make the afternoon session 137-1. It was evident that, with cloudy conditions due on the 2nd morning, the kiwi's were in attack mode. Murali did stop Fleming getting to a hundred but New Zealand kept going, Hadlee would be very disappointed against the new ball to lose his wicket to Mahela Jayawardene in a spell where the Kiwi's fell from 282-4 to 296-8 but Boult and Bond got them to 335-8 at the close. With the overhead conditions arriving, they decided the 2nd morning was being out for a good time not a long time and it lasted 9 balls as they ended on 343.
Sri Lanka knew things would be tricky and fought like heck against Hadlee, Boult and Bond to just survive but Chris Cairns took advantage, alongside Bond removing Jayasuriya to reduce them to 26-3. Mathews and Jayawardene decided to counter attack Cairns and got them to 50 by lunch and continue to rebuild in better conditions until Vettori got Mathews caught in two minds and got trapped LBW for 43. Jayawardene then came down the pitch and missed on from Bracewell and it was suddenly 126-5. Dilshan's plan, as usual, was to attack and it looked like a sound one until an hour into the evening session when he edged Bracewell to slip not long after bringing up his half-century and then Sangakkara went to the same combination, with a leading edge off a sweep to slip, two balls after doing the same with a reverse sweep that went to the square leg fence. Murali lasted just one ball to leave Bracewell on a hat-trick at the start of the next over, with Herath hit for four. Along with Vaas, the two left-arm bowlers actually batted really well and added 30 by close to leave them 240-8.
The third morning was always going to be more difficult after an hours rain, with a new ball but between Herath's hitting and Vaas' defence they did manage to reduce the deficit to 80, before they both departed.
McCullum obviously decided he was sick of seeing the Sri Lankan skipper opening with himself and went after him to the effect that he to just 33 balls to go to 50. Not even the loss of Turner and the introduction of the spinners could slow him down much, until one lofted straight drive too many saw him caught at mid-off for 73. By this time the lead was 201 and with eight wickets in hand, the middle order set about grinding the hosts down in more traditional test match fashion. Kane made 61, Fleming 42 and then with some added impetus from Cairns, he and Taylor had a 50-partnership for the fifth wicket by the close, with the lead up to 339.
With rain threatening throughout day four, there was always going to be a case of how long the visitors would bat for. Cairns and Taylor brought up the century stand before the all-rounder gifted his wicket to Jaywardene, but with support from Hadlee and Vettori, Taylor went on and they reached lunch at 403 for 7, a lead of 483. Taylor was on 99 though and they came out to bat after lunch for him to reach his hundred...or so they thought as he tried to turn the first ball after the break for the single he needed and missed it completely to be out LBW and force an immediate declaration.
Once it became clear that the overhead clouds were going to stay like that and not burst into a monsoon, it was obvious that it would be a case of when and not if the Kiwi's sealed an excellent series victory. Wickets fell consistently until Dilshan joined Mathews and they put on 65 before a miscommunication resulted in the later being run out for 54. Sangakkara joined Dilshan with one aim, get to close and hope the monsoon arrived tomorrow. They achieved the first part by getting to the end of day four at 168-5.
There was certainly no Day Five monsoon, in fact, the weather was significantly better but the wicket floodgates were expected to open once Bracewell had Sangakkara LBW 40-odd minutes into the day. Not so, by lunch Dilshan and Vaas had put on 64 and had forced New Zealand into taking the new ball. You could just sense nerves arriving with the bowlers when who else but Hadlee got one to wobble, take the edge of Dilshan's bat and remove him for 98. Murali only lasted four ball, Herath and Somachandra lasted significantly longer but there was never any question that it wouldn't be 2-0 to New Zealand.
Third Test Pitch:
The last thing that Jayawardene needed after an innings defeat in Kandy was to lose the only toss and have to field on the only guaranteed sunny day in Colombo. That's what happened, but thanks to Herath and Murali, they'd have been happy at 76-2 at lunch. Turner and Fleming added another 100 before Herath got the opener and between them had bullied Sri Lanka's only change (Somachandra de Silva) out of the attack. Taylor continued the attack to make the afternoon session 137-1. It was evident that, with cloudy conditions due on the 2nd morning, the kiwi's were in attack mode. Murali did stop Fleming getting to a hundred but New Zealand kept going, Hadlee would be very disappointed against the new ball to lose his wicket to Mahela Jayawardene in a spell where the Kiwi's fell from 282-4 to 296-8 but Boult and Bond got them to 335-8 at the close. With the overhead conditions arriving, they decided the 2nd morning was being out for a good time not a long time and it lasted 9 balls as they ended on 343.
Sri Lanka knew things would be tricky and fought like heck against Hadlee, Boult and Bond to just survive but Chris Cairns took advantage, alongside Bond removing Jayasuriya to reduce them to 26-3. Mathews and Jayawardene decided to counter attack Cairns and got them to 50 by lunch and continue to rebuild in better conditions until Vettori got Mathews caught in two minds and got trapped LBW for 43. Jayawardene then came down the pitch and missed on from Bracewell and it was suddenly 126-5. Dilshan's plan, as usual, was to attack and it looked like a sound one until an hour into the evening session when he edged Bracewell to slip not long after bringing up his half-century and then Sangakkara went to the same combination, with a leading edge off a sweep to slip, two balls after doing the same with a reverse sweep that went to the square leg fence. Murali lasted just one ball to leave Bracewell on a hat-trick at the start of the next over, with Herath hit for four. Along with Vaas, the two left-arm bowlers actually batted really well and added 30 by close to leave them 240-8.
The third morning was always going to be more difficult after an hours rain, with a new ball but between Herath's hitting and Vaas' defence they did manage to reduce the deficit to 80, before they both departed.
McCullum obviously decided he was sick of seeing the Sri Lankan skipper opening with himself and went after him to the effect that he to just 33 balls to go to 50. Not even the loss of Turner and the introduction of the spinners could slow him down much, until one lofted straight drive too many saw him caught at mid-off for 73. By this time the lead was 201 and with eight wickets in hand, the middle order set about grinding the hosts down in more traditional test match fashion. Kane made 61, Fleming 42 and then with some added impetus from Cairns, he and Taylor had a 50-partnership for the fifth wicket by the close, with the lead up to 339.
With rain threatening throughout day four, there was always going to be a case of how long the visitors would bat for. Cairns and Taylor brought up the century stand before the all-rounder gifted his wicket to Jaywardene, but with support from Hadlee and Vettori, Taylor went on and they reached lunch at 403 for 7, a lead of 483. Taylor was on 99 though and they came out to bat after lunch for him to reach his hundred...or so they thought as he tried to turn the first ball after the break for the single he needed and missed it completely to be out LBW and force an immediate declaration.
Once it became clear that the overhead clouds were going to stay like that and not burst into a monsoon, it was obvious that it would be a case of when and not if the Kiwi's sealed an excellent series victory. Wickets fell consistently until Dilshan joined Mathews and they put on 65 before a miscommunication resulted in the later being run out for 54. Sangakkara joined Dilshan with one aim, get to close and hope the monsoon arrived tomorrow. They achieved the first part by getting to the end of day four at 168-5.
There was certainly no Day Five monsoon, in fact, the weather was significantly better but the wicket floodgates were expected to open once Bracewell had Sangakkara LBW 40-odd minutes into the day. Not so, by lunch Dilshan and Vaas had put on 64 and had forced New Zealand into taking the new ball. You could just sense nerves arriving with the bowlers when who else but Hadlee got one to wobble, take the edge of Dilshan's bat and remove him for 98. Murali only lasted four ball, Herath and Somachandra lasted significantly longer but there was never any question that it wouldn't be 2-0 to New Zealand.
Third Test Pitch:
2nd Test. Ageas Bowl, Southampton
Alastair Cook
Len Hutton
Ken Barrington
Nasser Hussain
Joe Root
Denis Compton
Ben Stokes
Alan Knott
Fred Trueman
Derek Underwood
Jimmy Anderson
Barry Richards
Graeme Smith
Graeme Pollock V/
Dudley Nourse
Jacques Kallis
AB de Villiers
Michael Proctor
Hugh Tayfield
Shaun Pollock
Dale Steyn
Allan Donald
After a humbling at Lord's, in overcast conditions, the last thing Nasser Hussain needed was to lose the toss and be coming in half-hour after lunch at 46-2, but that's exactly what he got. Despite the excellent bowling of all five quicks, he managed to knuckle down with Barrington to put on 87 until he manage to knick Donald to slip just after tea. Root's response was to take advantage of the older ball and the introduction of Hugh Tayfield to put on almost 50 by the time South Africa were able to get their hands on the new ball. That did much less than the first cherry and England managed to reach the close at 202-3.
Within two overs of Day Two, Root had plundered Proctor for two glorious off drives to get to 50. By lunch, both him and Barrington had taken advantage of the better overhead conditions to bring up centuries with the partnership well over 150. Root eventually got a grubber from Pollock, bowled trying to pull for 107 and then Donald got Barrington an over later. At 305-5, there was a chance to get back into the game. A chance that was snuffed out by a brutal Stokes attack, by the time Tayfield had him stumped last over before tea, Stokes had an 84-ball 65 and put on over a 100 with Compton. Kallis did manage to get the old ball to reverse after tea and picked up three quick wickets before Steyn used the new cherry to get Trueman. 409-5 had become 440 all out but Nasser would definitely have taken it 30 hours earlier when he lost the toss.
Richards and Smith managed to get to the close but Trueman picked Richards up early the next morning. Smith and G. Pollock shut the door though with a century stand before 'deadly' got Pollock out sweeping. Jimmy then picked up two more quickly and the visitors were under the pump at 175-4. Trueman removed the possibility of an aggressive counter attack by removing both de Villiers and Proctor after tea and when Underwood removed Nourse it was suddenly 231-7. Jimmy used the new ball to remove Tayfield and suddenly they were eight down and still needed a couple to avoid the follow on. Pollock and Steyn did that but didn't manage to get them to the close as they were bowled out with the last ball of the day for 267.
So a lead of 173 with two days for England to win the game. England's top four isn't really suited to accelerating the game but Barrington and the captain added 68 together with both scoring at a strike-rate of over 100 before Kallis removed them both and they got to lunch at 148-4. The visitors bowled much tighter after lunch as Root, Compton and Stokes struggled to keep up the pace and they only scored 101-2 in the afternoon session. They only batted for a half-hour after tea and set South Africa 454 in 3 and a half sessions.
By the start of day three, that had become 372 in a day, with all ten wickets still in hand. The partnership kept going the next morning with only Underwood looking like taking a wicket, but by the time he did get Smith, there was still half-hour until lunch and the partnership was worth 209. He then got Pollock cheaply and Richards, trying to win the match, made an error against Compton before lunch. 233-3 meant just 221 in two sessions but two sessions to get them. With Stokes' knee playing up, they were basically down to two seamers and Nourse and Kallis took advantage of that to play out the middle session and they needed 135 after tea too take a 2-0 lead. Trueman removed Nourse with 96 still needed and then almost got a hat-trick by removing de Villiers and Proctor.
With them two gone and 84 needed in just over an hour with four wickets in hand, things had swung again. Stokes tried to bowl an over which Kallis took for 24 but then Tayfield ran him out in the next over. Cue Deadly, who removed the bowlers to bring up a 5-for and level the series.
3rd test pitch:
Alastair Cook Len Hutton Ken Barrington Nasser Hussain Joe Root Denis Compton Ben Stokes Alan Knott Fred Trueman Derek Underwood Jimmy AndersonBarry Richards
Graeme Smith
Graeme Pollock V/
Dudley Nourse
Jacques Kallis
AB de Villiers
Michael Proctor
Hugh Tayfield
Shaun Pollock
Dale Steyn
Allan Donald
After a humbling at Lord's, in overcast conditions, the last thing Nasser Hussain needed was to lose the toss and be coming in half-hour after lunch at 46-2, but that's exactly what he got. Despite the excellent bowling of all five quicks, he managed to knuckle down with Barrington to put on 87 until he manage to knick Donald to slip just after tea. Root's response was to take advantage of the older ball and the introduction of Hugh Tayfield to put on almost 50 by the time South Africa were able to get their hands on the new ball. That did much less than the first cherry and England managed to reach the close at 202-3.
Within two overs of Day Two, Root had plundered Proctor for two glorious off drives to get to 50. By lunch, both him and Barrington had taken advantage of the better overhead conditions to bring up centuries with the partnership well over 150. Root eventually got a grubber from Pollock, bowled trying to pull for 107 and then Donald got Barrington an over later. At 305-5, there was a chance to get back into the game. A chance that was snuffed out by a brutal Stokes attack, by the time Tayfield had him stumped last over before tea, Stokes had an 84-ball 65 and put on over a 100 with Compton. Kallis did manage to get the old ball to reverse after tea and picked up three quick wickets before Steyn used the new cherry to get Trueman. 409-5 had become 440 all out but Nasser would definitely have taken it 30 hours earlier when he lost the toss.
Richards and Smith managed to get to the close but Trueman picked Richards up early the next morning. Smith and G. Pollock shut the door though with a century stand before 'deadly' got Pollock out sweeping. Jimmy then picked up two more quickly and the visitors were under the pump at 175-4. Trueman removed the possibility of an aggressive counter attack by removing both de Villiers and Proctor after tea and when Underwood removed Nourse it was suddenly 231-7. Jimmy used the new ball to remove Tayfield and suddenly they were eight down and still needed a couple to avoid the follow on. Pollock and Steyn did that but didn't manage to get them to the close as they were bowled out with the last ball of the day for 267.
So a lead of 173 with two days for England to win the game. England's top four isn't really suited to accelerating the game but Barrington and the captain added 68 together with both scoring at a strike-rate of over 100 before Kallis removed them both and they got to lunch at 148-4. The visitors bowled much tighter after lunch as Root, Compton and Stokes struggled to keep up the pace and they only scored 101-2 in the afternoon session. They only batted for a half-hour after tea and set South Africa 454 in 3 and a half sessions.
By the start of day three, that had become 372 in a day, with all ten wickets still in hand. The partnership kept going the next morning with only Underwood looking like taking a wicket, but by the time he did get Smith, there was still half-hour until lunch and the partnership was worth 209. He then got Pollock cheaply and Richards, trying to win the match, made an error against Compton before lunch. 233-3 meant just 221 in two sessions but two sessions to get them. With Stokes' knee playing up, they were basically down to two seamers and Nourse and Kallis took advantage of that to play out the middle session and they needed 135 after tea too take a 2-0 lead. Trueman removed Nourse with 96 still needed and then almost got a hat-trick by removing de Villiers and Proctor.
With them two gone and 84 needed in just over an hour with four wickets in hand, things had swung again. Stokes tried to bowl an over which Kallis took for 24 but then Tayfield ran him out in the next over. Cue Deadly, who removed the bowlers to bring up a 5-for and level the series.
3rd test pitch:
pillowprocter
Panel of Selectors
Whew what a thriller
Kindly add the pitch conditions etc. when asking for a lineup please.
3rd Test, MCG
Needing to win to draw the series, Imran Khan knew that they had to bowl exceptionally well after losing the toss. On the first morning they all did, Waqar and Wasim proving impossible to get away and it paid benefit in an unlikely way when Hayden turned one to leg, didn't realise it had hit short leg and was run out by half the track. Wasim then got Morris in a more conventional way and then the skipper and Fazal Mahmood, in the team for Shoaib Ahktar, kept the pressure on. Mahmood got Ponting for 9 and suddenly the hosts were 51-3. Problem is, three down for this Australian side usually means Bradman being partnered by Greg Chappell, who may just be in the form of his life. They got through the plays and misses and then bullied Saqlain and Mushtaq Mohammad to get to 198-3 by tea. They desperately needed it to reverse for Wasim and Waqar, what they didn't want was Hanif to put down Chappell and see them both get to centuries. By the close, the partnership was worth over 300.
What they needed was someone to launch a comeback, Saqlain provided by removing both and Gilchrist for one. At 415-6, Pakistan had hope again, but Keith Miller and Alan Davidson hit back with excellent counter-attacking knocks in an 89-run partnership. Saqlain eventually got Davidson and he ran through the lower order with Akram but Miller kept going, before being stranded on 93.
The last thing Pakistan needed was for Lillee to reduce them to 6-2 but that was what Javed Miandad faced when he joined Younis Khan in the middle. It looked like his half century was going to get them to the close two down but Warne then got Younis Khan in a complete cuffudle and had him stumped and left them 111-3 heading into Day three.
Once, Warne had Miandad stumped, everyone throughout the middle order kept making starts and getting out; Yousuf caught on the crease by Davidson for 47; Mohammad with a little feather through for 21; Imran himself caught slip off Lillee for 26. 207-7 became 208-8 with Wasim getting a duck to McGrath and whilst Fazal managed to scrap out 33 but still saw them bowled out 110 short of the follow on target.
Given that the only realistic way of Pakistan winning the match was to follow on, it was no surprise that Bradman didn't enforce it. Australia weren't shy about attacking though and breezy knocks by Hayden and Ponting gave way to the Bradman and Chappell show again, the former with almost a run a ball 127 and the latter with an even quicker 43 before they declared an hour into Day four with a lead of 610.
Once Lillee ended a half-century opening partnership, him and Warne decimated the Pakistan batting and only another half-century stand by the skipper and Fazal Mahmood ensured a day five, but that lasted barely a few balls.
Needing to win to draw the series, Imran Khan knew that they had to bowl exceptionally well after losing the toss. On the first morning they all did, Waqar and Wasim proving impossible to get away and it paid benefit in an unlikely way when Hayden turned one to leg, didn't realise it had hit short leg and was run out by half the track. Wasim then got Morris in a more conventional way and then the skipper and Fazal Mahmood, in the team for Shoaib Ahktar, kept the pressure on. Mahmood got Ponting for 9 and suddenly the hosts were 51-3. Problem is, three down for this Australian side usually means Bradman being partnered by Greg Chappell, who may just be in the form of his life. They got through the plays and misses and then bullied Saqlain and Mushtaq Mohammad to get to 198-3 by tea. They desperately needed it to reverse for Wasim and Waqar, what they didn't want was Hanif to put down Chappell and see them both get to centuries. By the close, the partnership was worth over 300.
What they needed was someone to launch a comeback, Saqlain provided by removing both and Gilchrist for one. At 415-6, Pakistan had hope again, but Keith Miller and Alan Davidson hit back with excellent counter-attacking knocks in an 89-run partnership. Saqlain eventually got Davidson and he ran through the lower order with Akram but Miller kept going, before being stranded on 93.
The last thing Pakistan needed was for Lillee to reduce them to 6-2 but that was what Javed Miandad faced when he joined Younis Khan in the middle. It looked like his half century was going to get them to the close two down but Warne then got Younis Khan in a complete cuffudle and had him stumped and left them 111-3 heading into Day three.
Once, Warne had Miandad stumped, everyone throughout the middle order kept making starts and getting out; Yousuf caught on the crease by Davidson for 47; Mohammad with a little feather through for 21; Imran himself caught slip off Lillee for 26. 207-7 became 208-8 with Wasim getting a duck to McGrath and whilst Fazal managed to scrap out 33 but still saw them bowled out 110 short of the follow on target.
Given that the only realistic way of Pakistan winning the match was to follow on, it was no surprise that Bradman didn't enforce it. Australia weren't shy about attacking though and breezy knocks by Hayden and Ponting gave way to the Bradman and Chappell show again, the former with almost a run a ball 127 and the latter with an even quicker 43 before they declared an hour into Day four with a lead of 610.
Once Lillee ended a half-century opening partnership, him and Warne decimated the Pakistan batting and only another half-century stand by the skipper and Fazal Mahmood ensured a day five, but that lasted barely a few balls.
Australia beat Pakistan by 417 runs
Last edited:
Aislabie
Test Cricket is Best Cricket
We'll go unchanged I think, partly because I'm at work and can't really check my squad right now
Openers
Barry Richards
Eddie Barlow
Graeme Smith
Middle Order
Graeme Pollock V/
Dudley Nourse
Colin Bland
Hashim Amla
All-Rounder
Michael Proctor
Jacques Kallis
Shaun Pollock
Trevor Goddard
Keepers
Quinten De Kock
AB de Villiers
Pace
Allan Donald
Dale Steyn
Vernon Philander
Kagiso Rabada
Spin
Hugh Tayfield
^- will bowl
Adcock wasn't in your 18 @RUDI
Apology Vernon Philander in then.
- Barry Richards
- Graeme Smith
- Jacques Kallis ^
- Graeme Pollock v/
- Dudley Nourse
- AB de Villiers
- Shaun Pollock ^
- Vernon Philander ^
- Kagiso Rabada ^
- Dale Steyn ^
- Allan Donald ^
