It's been said before, but yeah that 4th innings 153* from Lara. I'm in Form 2 in secondary school and we're in class. I remember no teachers coming out to teach our class after lunch and us sending a couple people (because we were actually behaving for a change) to go ask the security guard at the gate with a radio what's the score, is Lara still there?
School ended at 2.05pm. Parents quickly swiped up their kids to go back to the car just to hear the radio. I was travelling home. In the bus on the way, the radio was on. Got home to hear that Walsh is in there with Lara. I'm thinking...Lara is there. But I didn't
believe. I was just a preteen, only 12...couldn't even look at the TV.
Jason Gillespie had just taken Ambrose's wicket. Now he's bowling to Walsh. For those of you who only know Walsh as a bowler, this man had more stretches and twists and turns and rituals at the batting crease than the average player. If you never knew he was such an amazing fast bowler, you'd almost think he was just a superstitious batsman.
No-ball, moving away. Walsh fished at it like a genuine number 11. I'm hearing all of this from my family...as you know, Caribbean spectators make the best commentators. I still cannot watch, my family is basically commentating the game.
Short, hitting him on the wrist. Walsh walks away. My late grandpa is saying something about intimidation of tail-enders.
But one thing with our crowds/spectators/home-viewers...no matter how animated we are, we get totally silent when the bowler begins his run up.
Gillespie runs in...
...and then I heard this one line that is one of the best ever lines ever uttered in all of cricket commentary:
"That is stopping the yorker...dead."
At around 6.41ish in the embedded video you'd hear it. When I heard that, I knew we'd never lose. I was able to take my hands from my face and watch the end.
There may have been better cricket matches. There may have been better innings. But for
me that was MY personal favourite.
(EDIT: A couple typos)