Friday 2 August 2019

Edgbaston Day Two

I had no work today but had to be out and about early, nearly half an hour of play had passed as I reversed into the drive and I feared what I would find when I switched the TV on.  England know what they have to do; bat properly, all day.

I switch on Sky to find the score is OK, 22/0 but two balls after my arse touched cushion Roy was out.  Bugger.  The captain is batting at three, about time too.  Australia are bowling tight and Lyon's first ball spins ominously.  Siddle is on at the other end, an Aussie I can't help liking and a bloody good cricketer.

England actually start to look solid; Burns and Root run well and the score reaches fifty.  For once I actually feel calm.  But there is a moment of panic when Root is given out caught behind, he reviews straight away but the review shows he hasn't nicked it, in fact it's just clipped the stump without removing the bail!

The TV cameras have a habit of picking the selectors out of the crowd.  I have nothing against Ed Smith or James Taylor but they look a strange duo, like comedy villains.  England are still solid and reach lunch at 71/1 which is bloody great by our recent standards.  I would definitely have settled for that at start of play.

At lunch there is an interview with the KPego, I don't see much.  When he claimed that backyard matches against his brothers were tougher than international cricket it confirmed that he still talks bollocks.

After lunch England creep along.  Burns passes fifty and Root overturns an LBW decision via DRS.  For the first time in a very, very long time England's top order look in control and the score passes 100.

I had to pop out for half an hour and in that time more landmarks went by; the hundred partnership, Root's fifty and just after I sat down again the score had reached 150/1.  But minutes later Root was out to a sharp caught and bowled by that man Siddle, the score is 154/2 and recent experience tells me this could become 200 all out.  Shane Warne is on commentary, the annoying, one eyed Aussie bastard.  We plod on till tea and the score is 170/2 with Burns on 82.  I'd have absolutely settled for this.  It may not be spectacular batting but it's just what we need!

We resume after tea and England creep onward reaching 185 with Burns in the nineties.  The Aussies convince the umpires to change the ball and it looks like this fucker is swinging.  Concentrate please Burns and Denly!  Denly gets out...  Buttler comes and goes too quickly and its a different game since that ball was changed.  With the ball swinging Paine brings on Lyon and the threat seems greatly decreased.  Not the first strange bowling change of the day.

Burns nudges on, the score reaches 200.  Burns moves on to 99 where he is stuck for nine balls before clipping a single off his legs and beating the fielders throw.  A maiden test century!  In an Ashes match!!  The Edgbaston crowd has been lively all afternoon erupts and the volume is maintained for the rest of the day.

Burns and Stokes carry  on accumulating, the partnership passes fifty and the score goes beyond 250.  The day meanders to a close with England reaching 267/4, just 17 runs behind.  We've waited years to see England grind out a day like this, proper test match batting.  It's got us on top and if we can do it for a couple more sessions we should win.

Today was a good day.

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