21-06-2023, 21:58
As I said on the fourth evening, though the declaration didn't pay off, if we'd stopped fluffing chances and bowling no-balls - the absolute basics of the game - then it wouldn't have mattered; we'd have had been 50-100 up on the first innings, and 1-0 up in the series by now. Like telling a poker player he was wrong to bluff on his first hand, when he spent the rest of the game holding his cards the wrong way round.
As for the traditional batting, Australia came up short in the first innings despite the numerous let-offs we gave them, and only chased the target down on the final day when Carey and Cummins finally threw caution to the wind with 70 left. If they'd done it traditionally, they'd have been blocking for their lives in that last hour.
As for the traditional batting, Australia came up short in the first innings despite the numerous let-offs we gave them, and only chased the target down on the final day when Carey and Cummins finally threw caution to the wind with 70 left. If they'd done it traditionally, they'd have been blocking for their lives in that last hour.
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley