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Twenty20 Match
Over No. 20: England 172-5 England win! And Chris Gayle is going to bowl the final over! He hasn't bowled in this innings. Shah looks v worried - I mean seriously worried. Gayle doesn't.
Gayle starts with a little dummy ball - doesn't let it go. when he does Shah charges him and chips down the ground for TWO!
Four needed off five.
Ball 2: Shah spins off his feet as he paddles a single to square leg. 3 off 4.
Ball 3: Awkward whack from Dimmy up to long-on for a single. 2 needed off three.
Ball 4: Leg-side ball from Gayle misses everything and goes down to the boundary! That's four wides and England have won by five wickets with two balls to spare.
Wow- what a finish! Mauler Shah has come of age as an England player - 55 off 35 balls: he's won a one-day game for England, something the likes of Belly Bell have yet to do.
I'm still deciding on my facebook - pleae write and advise at once, readers!
Well, maybe I was wrong about this England one-day team. Or am I wrong?
Whatever. The thing is it feels a bit as though England have won the World Cup - in fact, they;ve managed to level a series against the worst ODI team in the world, thanks to a scrambled last-over victory. But - hey - it WAS a greta game - and Mauler Shah can hopefulyl go on from this surely confidence-building knock.
I've been the Third umpire, youve all been very quiet - apart from JMike and Shaway Shaw, naturally. Thanks to them and to the silent majority - the Lurkers, if you will. Check back for the report in a bit and we'll see you soon! Tell your pals!
You know the form: all complaints, requests, advice etc to [email protected].
Over No. 19: England 164-5 "Go JMauler" urges JMike - good, eh? Dimmy nudegs Rampaul into the leg-side and picks up two. It looks incredibly dark at the Oval - well, it;s nearly healf-eight and there's no floodlights.
Ball 2: another single for Dimmy. England need 12 from 10. MUST be favourites.
Ball 3: a classy, edgy steer from Shah down to third man but Bravo sprints round and cuts it off - just a single.
Ball 4: Two for Dimmy
Ball 5: Single for Dimmy. 8 to win off 7.
THEN a wide from Rampaul - well, that was deserved. A full ball outside leg-stump. 7 needed off 7.
Ball 6: Shah plays an IMPERIOUS flick to square leg for a single. England need six off six. Don't go anywhere!
Over No. 18: England 155-5 WHAT about my Facebook page? Would you join? What if there were free sweets.
Dimmy M picks up a single off Sammy's first ball here. THEN an incredibly slow ball from Sammy - less than 60 mph - that Shah can't get a bat on. Great bowling.
THEN another slow ball that Shah paddles round the corner for four! Mauler on fire!
Ball 4: Shah drives to cover for two.
Ball 5: Shah gets his 50 off 31 balls by flicking a single into the leg-side. What an innings!
Ball 6: Mascarenhas takes a single from the last ball - but didn't England need the Mauler on strike at the start of the 19th over? [email protected]
15 needed off 12.
Over No. 17: England 146-5 Smith bowls the 17th over - Shah slashes him down through point for four! We're looking at a grandstand finish.
Shah steps away to leg - Smith darts a yorker in at his feet. After this over, we'll go ball-by-ball.
THEN Mauler tickles one off his legs for four! 31 needed off 20. Mauler is turning the tide! He suddenly looks very confident. Stil lcrazy. But very confident.
THEN four wides! Well, that was very harsh from umpire Ian Gould. The ball virtually pitched on leg-stump, missed everything and went to the boundary. Unlucky for Smith.
But now England need 24 off 18. They must be favourites now. Refresh after every ball now. If you care. If you don't care - why are you here? Hmmmm?
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Over No. 16: England 130-5 The Mauler goes crazy! Well, he started off pretty crazy - but now he's turning it into runs - a huge loft fro two, a deft sweep for four, a celver cut for four more, then a sprinted two after a round-the-corner paddle. Great stuff from the Mauler!
THEN another paddle-sweep for four - and he wasn't even looking at the ball! Is this the crucial over?
What an over - 16 off it - England need 40 off the last four overs.
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Over No. 15: England 114-5 Powell returns - it feels as though Gayle has shuffled his bowlers perfectly. England need 63 off 36 as the Windies' best bowler comes back.
Mascarenhas can't get the first two balls away. England need a bit of magic here. The third ball is a bouncer. Powell runs back to his mark. Runs!
Next ball is a wide. running back to your mark puts extra pressure on the batter, I reckon. So long as you can bowl straight next ball.
Dimmy Mascarenhas finally nudges a single off the fourth ball - two runs off four balls, but England need ten an over.
Shah - he's still in, not that you'd have noticed - nudges a single. THEN Dimmy slashes a four over point off a slower ball. So eight off the over - not enough but at least Powell has finished now: he took 1/24 off four overs.
Over No. 14: England 106-5 Colly hit Samuels for six - then next ball, Samuels fires it in at 78 mph, Colly misses and Ramdin stumps him! 78 mph! Great ball! Colly out! England in trouble!
Mascarenhas is the new man.
Don't worry, readers: Yardy the Defrocked Dentist will be in next.
What about our alliterative 11? Ravi Rampaul, Chris Cairns and... who else?
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Over No. 13: England 98-4 Well, England are a-nudging and a-nurdling off Sammy here. "Not enough six-hitters in the line-up," says Nasser on Sky and he's got a point.
In fact, he's got MY point - as reader Carol Hamilton suggested earlier. Was my match report biased against England yesterday? Well, they lost and without Collingwood they would have been thrashed. considering this is meant to be a slate-cleaned moment in English ODI cricket, I still think their selection policy is all wrong especially for T20 - but it WAS a good game yesterday, no question. So.
Over No. 12: England 91-4 Drama here as Colly gets an outside edge (possibly) and Ramdin goes up and celebrates but the umpire Nigel Long doesn't give it!
Hmmmm. Well, Ramdin must have been convinced it was a catch because he didn't stump Colly - and there was a genune stumping chance too.
JMike Hammond is back Back BACK with his entire family history:
"My father's name: James Willard Hammond, goes by "Jim". My name: James Michael Hammond, go by "Mike" or, informally, "JMike". My son's name: James Yen Hammond, goes by "Jamie". He's only 5 so no guarantees yet as to whether he'll keep up the pattern."
Anyone?
If only Mauler Shah's dad had been so forthcoming. "I am the Mauler Senior; Ace is the mauler..."
I dunno: I thought that joke might go somehwere. But it didn't. So.
[email protected]
Over No. 11: England 85-4 Paul C has THIS: "As you seem to be pondering (ace word!!) getting a face book, why not get a myspace aswell? there is at least 3 liam plunketts, who all play for england and durham!! amazing! Keep up the good work"
Sammy to Shah - Shah looks like a crazy man. The funny thing is he was SO cocky during his Test debut - what happened to all that confidence? the Mauler has been 'promising' since some time in the late 1950s, so it's kind of time for him to deliver, isn't it?
I didn't tell his dad this, obviously.
Just five off the over.
Over No. 10: England 80-4 Smith bowls Colly a beamer - head height at a very murky Oval. Colly top-edges it and is caught but it's been called a no-ball.
Smith apologises - the ball obviously slipped. THEN Smith bowls a wide.
Shah looks INCREDIBLY nervous and anxious, almost like he might start crying. He's twitching and pulling faces and looking tearful. His eyes are staring crazily. Now, grinning maniacally.
I think the Windies are strangling the game here - England are going to sleep. Every over that goes by with less than ten scored off it at this stage is vital.
Or am I wrong? [email protected]
Over No. 9: England 72-4 KP out! Darren Sammy replaces Daren Powell - lots of Darrens in the Windies' team, no? What's that about?
These overs, when the game goes to sleep may be cotly to England - especially NOW because KP has misjudged a slow ball from Sammy and hit a return catch straight back to the bowler!
Sammy does a jig, goes crazy! Big wicket! KP goes for 19 off 15.
The new man is Mauler Shah. For reasons that need not detain us here, I was at some kind of 'cocktail' 'party' the other night and a fella came over to me and introduced himself as Owais Shah's uncle! THEN he called over Mauler's mum and dad - Mr and Mrs Mauler!
"Why is your boy nicknamed The Mauler," I asked Mr Mauler, snr.
He said: "He's not: his nickname is Ace."
You wanna go on Stickcricket.com a bit more mate, I said.
Obviously, I didn;t really.
Does this sound like a very weird dream, readers? It happened to me. Seriously!
Ever met a sports star's entire family at a cocktail party, pals? [email protected]
Over No. 8: England 66-3 Dwayne Smith back into the attack as Gayle shuffles his bowlers.
JMike asked yeserday why when Trott came in he didn't face the next ball - that was because Cook was out caught, after lofting the ball in the air: before he was caught, he and Prior had crossed and the rule is that Prior therefore got to face the next ball. Savvy?
Five off the over here...
Over No. 7: England 61-3 Powell again - drops it short and KP hooks him for four! And then again! Tweo fours in a row.
Powell gives KP a hard stare. I reckon KP might get carried away here and get over-excited - maybe that's the Windies tactic.
Powell stands at the top of his mark, looking menacing - runs up and appeals for a catch-behind! But even Ramdin is having none of it - because Rmadin caught it and THEN landed on the ball. So effectively a drop.
THEN a CORKER that moves away from a bewildered-looking Colly... Windeis just on top here, I'm saying - but england's best two batters are at the crease andPowell only has one more over.
Interesting. Very interesting.
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Over No. 6: England 50-3 Trott's off! Short ball from Rampaul and hapless Bozzer Trott goes to pull, top-edges and is caught by Denesh Ramdin!
Thanks for coming, Trotty.
KP faces the next ball and gives a tantalising edge that JUST evades the diving Bravo at slip. Would have been a great catch.
THEN Colly leaves a ball that nearly bowls him. England under the cosh here now.
JMike Hammond writes in from the States. Is that really his name? In manner of JLloyd Samuel, the popular Villa full-back?
He writes: "A literal and smartassed answering of your over #1 questions. Yes, you should get a Facebook page, it's not *only* for squres. I'd rather be in a hot-air balloon with a Boer. I didn't have any exams. I haven't done work experience so my answer to the next question is "N/A". No."
Play the game, son, will ya?
Over No. 5: England 43-2 Here's the thing: Powell was def the fastest Windies' bowler during the Tests but suddenly he's about 3-4 mph faster. He looks taller, too.
He gives KP a bit of width here and KP smears him through point for four. I predict a... close finish. Powell stares KP down. What's happened to him?
Right, pay attention. If you DO have a SPIN subscription - why not get another one? Why should you? Because right now, you get free sunglasses worth £60 when you do.
No, that's not economically viable for us. Of course it isn't. Sign up before we change our mind.
http://www.spincricket.com/subscribe.html
Over No. 4: England 38-2 Cheese off! It's Ravi Rampaul again - Cheese steps down the pitch and slices him over cover for four! THAT's a proper T20 shot!
The new batter is Jonathan Trott. He's a teetotaller who looks like Mark Bozzer Bosnich, the hard-partying Aussie goalie. But about half Bozzer's size.
Another heinous wide from Rampaul. Not a hair out of place. He DEFINITELY uses products. You?
Prior is going after everything here and hoists Rampaul for four through the leg-side. He tries it again, doesn;t get hold of it but still gets three. Do you have to hit every ball for six, Cheese? Isn't that how you get out?
Well, we'll see.
Ooooh, a straight ball from Rampaul and Prior plays a CRAZY swipe at it, misses and is bowled. He goes for 22 off 14 - here's KP.
Shall we put together a team of alliterative players? Ravi Rampaul, Chris Cairns - and nine others. Free SPIN magazine to the first nine people to come up with a sensible answer. Obviously you all have subscriptions anyway - but you can give it to one of your pals. Spread the word.
[email protected]
Over No. 3: England 25-1 Cook out! Daren Powell is on now, with Smith taken off after a single over. Powell is bowling very very fast, 88-89 mph.
He hits Cheese Prior on the hand and the physio comes on with the magic sponge. England physio Kirk Russell ambles down onto the park - anyone remember the Sirils' physio from last year who bombed onto the park like an Olympic sprinter? What a character!
Cheese is having some pain-killing spray, er, sprayed on. First email of the innings: it's Andrew Shaw! Who knew? "G'day Ump. I missed the windies innings. I don't think the total will be high enough but I think England will collaps so we have a chance."
'We'? Suddenly he's a Windian!
Powell is suddenly incredibly fast, too fast for Anchorage who edges one past the keeper for four and then plays and misses at one. And THEN an absolute peach that yorks Cook and bowls him! A length ball that Cook played all around!
Thoughts? [email protected]
Over No. 2: England 20-0 Now, it's Ravi Rampaul: is he YOUR favourite alliterative cricketer, readers? Or is it Corey Collymore? Or... Belly Bell. Or is that cheating? Tell me!
Rampaul has impressive hair. He may use products, I think. He starts with an atrocious wide - THEN overpitches and Cheese plays a lovely flick up to mid-wicket for four. THEN Cheese nearly puts his back put with an ugly swipe-and-miss. THEN the next swipe goes for four. Hats off, Cheese! Great start for England.
Or am I wrong?
[email protected]
Over No. 1: England 10-0 Greetings, pals. Third Umpire here in the Big Chair. Should I get a Facebook page or is that for squares? Would you rather be in a hot-air balloon with a bore or a boor? How did your exams go? Ever done work experience? What was it? Can you guess what Kemp's holiday job is? Answer these questions in order and win a pound! Or a DVD, I dunno. Something, anyway. [email protected]
So it's Cheese Prior and Anchroage Cook to lead the chase for 170 to win this second T20. I'm worried that the speed of T20 nmay be too much for me and I may end up looking like Spud Tait's fielding: cart-horse-esque. Anyway.
Dwayne Smith opens the bowling. Dibbly. Dobbly. 78-79 mph. Not giving the players much width.
Cheese goes for a sharp single here - nearly gets run out, survives. My TV is on the blink. Anchorage Cook is playing for a draw- but then a LOVELY cover drive for four! THEN onto the back foot to force one away square for four more! He's on fire!
Good start for England. Monty has the funny glasses-and-nose combo on. What larks!
Over No. 20: West Indies 169-7 And so Jimmy bowls the final over as I wonder whether The Third Umpire will be here in time to bring you the second innings.
Experience tells me not to hold my breath.
Sammy's in now. Did I mention that? Well, this pair are trying to make the most of the last over with some fierce running. Two great dives by Sammy and he's safe. But he's all over the place the next ball as he ducks a bouncer, falls over, gets up, then falls over trying to get his bat over the line.
A comical end to procedings and the target is 'only' 170.
Can England do it? Join us back here soon...
Over No. 19: West Indies 161-7 WICKET! And another one! Morton's caught and bowled by Sidey! Excellent bowling! The team plan to change the pace has worked - Morton returns a slow ball straight back to the crazy-haired bowler.
And then Smith gets run out by KP. What drama!
Marvellous from Sidey: 2 for 25 off his four overs.
Over No. 18: West Indies 157-5 No sign of Bravo yet - here's Dwayne Smith instead. The Windies line-up has certainly been interesting...
Interesting bowling figures: yesterday the quicks went for loads but today Sidey, IP and Jimmy have only gone for 7 an over whereas Yardy, Dimi and Colly are over 10. Make of that what you will.
And Yardy's figures take another bashing as Morton hits him for six.
Hmmm.
Over No. 17: West Indies 147-5 WICKET! Sidey gets Ramdin And now Sidey to do some death bowling, apparently.
Anyone still think 200 is possible?
No, me neither.
And he strikes! Great catch from Colly (of course) as Ramdin hoofs it up in the air and he's out for 10.
It's looking good for England.
Over No. 16: West Indies 144-4 Regular readers will know I'm a bit of a Colly fan.
You're probably wondering exactly how delighted I am that he's been made captain.
Well, since you ask, I'm chuffed to bits. It's about time his talent, dedication to the game and all-round niceness were recognised.
The downside is that the ECB (boo) have banned him from doing one-on-one interviews. So my exclusive interview for Spin magazine will just have to wait.
Sigh.
Yardy's back in the attack.
To no great effect.
Over No. 15: West Indies 138-4 WICKET! Colly gets Samuels! Wow, he got him! Samuels also falls for Colly's slow ball and though at first it looks like it's going for six, it drops short to allow a great catch from Mascarenhas, way in the deep.
Samuels goes for 42 off 20 and Runako Morton's next in.
Great fielding from Jimmy - he can't reach a hook shot from Ramdin that flies over his head, but then does a great stop next ball to save a boudary.
And here's a stat for you: Colly is now the world's leading international Twenty20 wicket-taker - with 9.
Who'd have thought?
Over No. 14: West Indies 126-3 Another six - his third - from Samuels - this time off Mascarenhas. He got four sixes yesterday so we could say he's in pretty good nick...
Over No. 13: West Indies 113-3 WICKET! Colly gets Gayle! Good grief, Samuels broke his bat with that last ball.
So Captain Colly brings himself on to try and do better than the one over he bowled yesterday that went for 17.
And he does! Gayle's forgotten how to play with Samuels hogging the strike and Colly tricks him with a slower delivery that is top edged up in the air and down into the hands of the IP. Gayle goes for 61 off 37.
Dinesh Ramdin is the next man in.
Over No. 12: West Indies 104-2 And now a bit of ppin.
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No, not that spin, but Yardy spin. And it was a tidy over until Samuels hoofs him up in the air and it drops behind the sight screen. Samuels looks ridiculously confident, hitting the next ball for four over extra cover.
Dan Jarvis seems to think the Windies are going to hit 200 again today.
Before that over I'd have disagreed but you never know...
Over No. 11: West Indies 90-2 And now Samuels is off - hitting the Infant Phenemenon for 6.
The IP responds with a wide.
And there's some brilliantly athletic fielding from Jimmy to save a boundary. I always hold my breath when they do that, sliding into the rope suicidally.
And then... was it a catch? Er no. KP looked as if he'd made good ground to catch a Samuels hook but the ball bounces short of him.
Doh.
Over No. 10: West Indies 78-2 50 for Gayle! Mascarenhas back - and Gayle promptly hits him for six to reach 53 off 30 balls.
Halfway through. Any score predictions?
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Over No. 9: West Indies 64-2 WICKET! Richards trapped by Broad! Ooh, the sun's come out and the Oval looks lovely. Empty seats though. Shame.
Lovely shot from Richards off the IP there, but just as he reaches double figures the next ball, umpire Gould's finger goes up. There's confusion in the commentary box - it's LBW and Hawkeye agrees but there's a suggestion of an edge. Yet Richards departs meekly.
So now, finally, yesterday's big hitting Samuels is in - maybe the runs will properly flow now.
Over No. 8: West Indies 58-1 We've had a challenging email from Carol Hamilton accusing The Third Umpire of bias. Yes indeed! Who'd have thought anyone could possibly level that accusation at a writer who is usually so balanced and considered?
She feels that last night's match report was basically a rant about the decision not to choose a specialist Twenty20 side, and that not enough focus was placed on the closeness of the game.
Ye-es but without Colly's efforts, it wouldn't have been that close at all, and some players (naming no names - but the one with hair- at the top of the over) looked somewhat unsure playing this form of the game.
But what do YOU think?
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Mascarenhas was bowling that over by the way. Just 6 off it. This isn't yet the run fest of yesterday.
Over No. 7: West Indies 52-1 Gosh, that Pudsey Plunkett is a wag, isn't he? Not only does he cut his hair with a knife and fork, he's sitting in the dugout wearing a false nose and glasses.
Hilarious.
Just two off a tight over from the IP there. Good bowling.
Over No. 6: West Indies 50-1 WICKET! Simmons out! England are bowling fuller than yesterday but Simmons is growing in confidence and manages to lop Jimmy's delivery back over his head to reach the boundary.
However, after that he thinks he's invincible and tries a similar shot ... straight down Broad's throat.
He departs for 9 off 12.
And here's another debutant - Austin Richards, who even Jimmy Adams doesn't know anything about. So that's helpful.
Over No. 5: West Indies 44-0 "There's not really a lot you can do as a captain," Nasser says, mournfully as Gayle helps himself to another boundary. Colly is fidding with the field placings but the restrictions are doing exactly that. One thing Nasser has noticed is that Colly's best position at backward point isn't the best place to captain. He's shouting across to Broad, but KP has already shown he can deputise if needed by offering a helpful word to IP...
Over No. 4: West Indies 33-0 Imperious, that's what Gayle is. Three boundaries in a row off Jimmy who then shows he's feeling the pressure by bowling a wide.
15 off the over, Gayle keeps the strike. Maybe he can do it himself...
Now the Infant Phenomenon - who Jimmy Adams TWICE calls Chris Broad - is having a go...
Over No. 3: West Indies 19-0 Is it me or does Sidey, who looked so energetic and exciting in the Test series, suddenly seem VERY old in these Twenty20?
Gayle almost hooks him for 6 - it bounces just short of the rope - and then tries it again the very next ball. And the next one. As long as Gayle can keep his rookie off strike maybe he can do it all by himself.
Over No. 2: West Indies 8-0 I'm Mrs The Third Umpire by the way. The Third Umpire will be joining us later from the publishing empire that is Spin magazine.
www.spincricket.com
And now it's Jimmy, who impressively clean bowled Gayle yesterday. Now's his chance to do it again. He doesn't, but this is a bit of a baptism of fire for rookie Simmons. He's 22 but looks 12 and is a bit out of his depth, swinging and missing...
So who's going to win it tonight? Email me your predictions:
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Over No. 1: West Indies 7-0 Hallo everybody and welcome to the second international Twenty20 in two days. At the same venue. But not quite the same teams. England is unchanged so those rumours about Monty coming in were unfounded. But the Windies are confident enough to rest Devon Smith and Shiv Chanderpaul (!) for the impressively named Lendl Simonns and Austin Richards.
So Sidey's starting the bowling again. And the Windies make a good start again. Seven off the first two deliveries from Gayle and then Simmons is in. He has an average of 3. And he leaves Sidey's swingers apart from the last two which he drive straight to the covers fielders. 7 an over - that's nothing!
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