Meant to mention that yesterday was Fancy Dress Friday (there was so much else going on) so these didn’t make it to the final version of the blog…so to bring a smile to faces, you don’t normally see this fancy dress at Lord’s (ok, the egg and bacon colours in the Pavilion are their own choice)!
We all have good days and bad days and days when we’d rather not be at work but doing something else. This morning both sides were clearly in the latter. At 351/5 some 63 runs had been scored for one wicket off 34 overs (session extended due to rain/breaks). Slow it may have been but neither side made an effort to dominate the match. To be true, it was dire watching even for us hardened cricket nuts.
The only positive is that if you have young children or grandchildren who misbehave or refuse to do as they are told, threaten them with being forced to watch that session of play. It beats the Eurovision Song Contest as a form of admonition hands down.
Of the players the two busiest were Ollie Pope as 12th man frequently coming on and off the ground with drinks, towels, more drinks, protective gear etc (I hope he’s paid the same as the players) and Jonny Bairstow who had what seemed to be a productive session organising a fun time later with those in the party stand. Let’s hope for a better afternoon!
The afternoon starts well with a wicket second ball (but the team still needed a drink just after they’d had their lunch!) and Brathwaite crawls to 150 and then out for 160 in an innings of close to 12 hours. Did he once play for Yorkshire to learn how to be that patient?
Wickets begin to fall so that at tea, WIndies are 396/8 just 111 behind. England could make a good fist of forcing the game forward and set a tricky score of 250/275 to face but I fear the lack of penetrative attack by England will mean by this time tomorrow (Covid fit to fly test time) a long well-fought draw will be called.
My camera decided this afternoon that it was too tired to take too many photos, so those from today are from the morning session.
By close a nailed on draw looks the only result; WIndies closed at 411 – 96 behind, leaving England a theoretical 17 overs to either push on and set up a run chase tomorrow or settle for the draw. As I said, it looks nailed on at 40/0
This match alone is worth £19m to the Barbadian economy and with 20,000 in attendance for each of the four days, coffers are being filled but the quality of the play has been questionable on occasions – the paying public deserve better pitches for better matches. At least Cricket West Indies have the courtesy to say that they cannot be responsible for the quality of the play – perhaps that’s something the ECB can consider for England?
But I suppose with all this money around, someone is not having a bad day at the office!
Cricket51days 