Musings about sports in general, & Cricket in particular. With baseball season coming up, will look into that, too. And lots of good cricket in 2007, including the World Cup.
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This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
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20030522
Morning rain and bad light saw just 59 overs bowled, and after being sent in to bat in trying conditions the hosts reached 184-3 at stumps. Trescothick's 59, his first half-century since the first Ashes Test last November, was complemented by Butcher's admirable, if lucky, unbeaten 52. England handed Test debuts to James Anderson and Anthony McGrath, while the visitors also boasted a new face, 20-year-old all-rounder Sean Ervine. Matthew Hoggard was given the nod over James Kirtley, and Ashley Giles became the first England spinner to play at headquarters since Chris Schofield against Zimbabwe in 2000.
Opener Michael Vaughan struggled badly against the pronounced away-swing of Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut on either side of lunch. His first four runs were excruciatingly compiled off 40 deliveries. An off-driven four off Streak suggested Vaughan was warming to the conditions, but next ball he missed a regulation leg-glance and was bowled off the underside of his thigh pad. It was due reward for Streak, whose first spell was 12 overs long and littered with wicket-taking deliveries.
Trescothick, meanwhile, was reaping the rewards of a thoughtful approach. Zimbabwe's seamers were obliged to bowl straighter by the Somerset opener's reticence outside off-stump, and Trescothick was merciless on anything straying onto his pads. But the left-hander's old demons came back to haunt him and he was caught in second slip, chasing a wide Blignaut ball with his feet rooted on the crease.
Butcher's knock was notable for some impressive strokeplay among his seven fours, but he was lucky to survive two clear chances. The Surrey left-hander, playing across the line to Doug Hondo early on, survived a very interesting lbw shout and was dropped on 36 by Ervine off the first ball of Streak's second spell. Butcher took no chances after tea, leaving that to his rash captain Nasser Hussain.
Hussain did not look particularly comfortable in reaching 19, a 56-ball effort that saw him hook and miss on two separate occasions. It proved to be third time unlucky for the number four, with Travis Friend striking with his first ball and Doug Hondo gobbling up the chance at fine-leg. Rob Key looked assured, finishing unbeaten on 11 when poor light called an early halt to proceedings.
England will be content after losing an important toss, but not so happy their wickets were lost to poor shots rather than good bowling on a day tailor-made for seamers.
Kent are not doing so well against Warwickshire. With the Bears still batting at 289-9, the Spitfires can only pray for rain. That, at least seems plausible.
The Aussies are taking a break today from beating up on the Windies.
7:04 PM
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