Post by mikedPost by John HallPost by mikedPost by John HallPost by mikedWeather looks rather damp with probably
lots of interruptions.
mike
The weather's looking poor enough that I think that for once a Test
might go into day 5.
If the forcast is accurate even 5 days might not be enough for a result!
Post by John HallI'm going off on a week's holiday to the Black Forest on Saturday, so
will miss most of the match (but will program my set-top box to
hopefully record the highlights).
you might not miss much. i hope theres some play tomorrow.
mike
Well we got more play today than I was expecting. If the match had been
held where I live, I don't think there'd have been any play at all.
OTOH, it looks like if they'd played anywhere from Birmingham northwards
they might have had a full day.
It was lucky for Olly Pope - or else it was kind of the umpires - that
the players going off for bad light for the second and final time came
just after he reached his century. The umpires got booed for taking them
off of course, but imagine how much louder the booing would have been
had they done so when Pope was in the nineties.
Anyway a very good day for him and for England. Having scored at almost
five an over, the loss of about half the scheduled overs to bad light
hurt them less than it could have done. The forecast for tomorrow looks
rather better: still the likelihood of showers, but in between those the
light should be better than it was today.
SL bowled rather poorly today and let england off, Duckett was swiping
at everything when there were enough bad balls on offer, then when with
a 100 for the taking got himself out taking needless risks. england were
dominant but gifting wkts lets your opponents back in the game. But
captains innings from Pope just when it was needed. Perhaps england
should schedule 2 tests at the oval each year.
Given that Lord's and The Oval tend to get the biggest crowds,
notwithstanding Day 4 tickets for the SL games being a hard sell, it
would make economic sense. But of course the wouldn't go down well in
the north, with four out of six Tests (in a two series summer) being
played in London, so I don't think they could do that..
Post by mikedBad news about Wood, out til next year, but gives chance to all the
other hopefuls if they can stay fit.
mike
Yes, very sad. I can't see Wood playing many Tests in future, given his
injury problems and his age. Hopefully by next summer Archer might be
fit to return to the Test side, which would help plug the gap. In spite
of the hype there's been about the speeds of Atkinson and Stone, neither
seems able to reach 90 mph consistently rather than for the odd ball now
and then, though of course they are fine bowlers in spite of that.
--
John Hall
"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian