Windies v. Poms - 4th. Test

Donny · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 12:29 pm

Jones set for England Test debut

From correspondents in St John's, Antigua - Fox

WICKETKEEPER Geraint Jones will win his first cap for England in the fourth Test against West Indies which gets under way this weekend after the selectors lost patience with Chris Read.

Read has failed to find any form with the bat as England have taken a 3-0 lead, winning a series in the Caribbean for the first time since 1968.

The Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper has managed just 36 runs in the three Tests so far.

Kent player Jones's inclusion is the only change to the side playing in Antigua, although spinner Gareth Batty has been put on stand-by because Ashley Giles has a stomach bug.

Although Read has looked impressive behind the stumps, Jones sealed his place with a fighting innings of 66 in his only knock on the tour so far against the Carib Beer XI last week.

"Geraint is a very impressive character," skipper Michael Vaughan said.

"In the tour match in Barbados, he was head and shoulders above all the batters except Graham Thorpe.

"Chris has had a good run in team and Geraint Jones will get exactly the same opportunity - he'll get a good stint and start against New Zealand in May."

Jones boasts a colourful background.

His parents are Welsh but he was born in Papua New Guinea before being raised in Australia.

He was in fine form for Kent last summer scoring almost 900 runs and taking 50 catches which earned him a place on the tours to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka late last year.

Donny · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 2:11 am

Lara won the toss and elected to bat.

They lost their first wicket in the 14th. over. Ganga for 10.

Flintoff's appeal for l.b.w. was successful. 1/33

Donny · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:08 pm

It finally looks like The Windies got a wicket a little more suited to batting than the ones served up by the specially imported English curators in the previous 3 Tests.

If you think that's a bit harsh on the Poms' bowling attack, you're probably right but the English batsmen haven't exactly been plundering mountains of runs.

Only Thorpe has scored a century and his aggregate is just 241 runs. The next best is Butcher with 183.

Trescothic, who began the series rated 8th. best batsman in world cricket, is averaging 12.4 and Vaughan, rated #1 just 12 months ago, 19.6

Lara won the toss and batted. He and Gayle (69 - 54 in boundaries and from only 80 balls) put on 65 for the second wicket and, at stumps, he and Sarwan had added 110 for the 3rd.

Lara looks set for a big return to form. He's 86 n.o. and Sarwan, 41 n.o.

Donny · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:28 am

Lara goes quickly to his century and Sarwan, to his 50.

The Windies are 2/251 with Lara on 118 n.o. and Sarwan, 51 n.o.
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210 partnership. Lara is 151 n.o. and Sarwan, 77 n.o. 2/311

couragous cloke · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:27 am

2/318..

sars on 82

Lara on 154..

Bat on Windies.. Bat on.

Donny · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:51 am

Sarwan (90) out to Harmison. 3/330. The partnership was 232.

Lara is 160 n.o.

Donny · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:49 am

Well, the old crystal ball is working OK. Very Happy

I was following this Test with Anthony up till lunch, about 2 am. He's somewhat pessimistic about the Windies chances, these days, and even with his team in a strong position, he thought Englang would still crash through.

My parting words to him were, "Be positive, mate. Lara will be 300 by stumps and I see a 600 total." I retired to bed.
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At stumps, The Windies are 5/595 with Lara on 313 n.o.

Jacobs is 47 n.o. and Hinds made 36. Batty has 2/141.

Lara's becomes only the second batsman after Sir Don to score two triple centuries. He must be a bit sore because he only scored 144 runs in boundaries. He has faced 426 balls.

He's just 68 runs away from reclaiming his world record from Matthew Hayden.

couragous cloke · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:39 pm

hahaha nice work Donny.. You proved me wrong ONCE again lol

Now... Ask your crystal ball if he smells a broken record coming along?!

Donny · Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:23 pm

I asked it, just for you, mate. The answer is ......

YES !!

Donny · Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:46 am

From JLC:

Lets hope the West Indies win this dead rubber (for their sake) or the runs wont mean as much.

jlc
_________________
Essendon 2000 - Premiers
Essendon 2001 - Runners Up
Essendon 2002 - Fifth
Essendon 2003 - Sixth
Essendon 2004 - ?????

The slide still continues

Donny · Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:58 am

It's 5/626. The new ball has been taken. The runs should flow a bit quicker now.

Lara has moved on to 330 n.o. and Jacobs, 60 n.o. The partnership is 157.
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Well, I THOUGHT the runs would come quicker but they've dried up almost completely. 10 overs for 10 runs.

Are the Windies trying to win this Test ? After all, they have racked up more than 600 runs.
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The runs are starting to flow again. The partnership has reached 205 with Lara on 355 n.o. and Jacobs, 80 n.o. 5/674.

I@n S · Joined: 09 Sep 1999 Location: Pakenham

Good to see Lara get his record agaist some decent bowlers unlike Matthew Hayden who only smashed the crappy Zimbabwe around.
Really how could Haydens count? Its a joke!
Anyway the match is turning into a draw. Freddy got 100 runs.
England following on but Trescothick (74) and Vaughan (61) are finaly finding some form. England 145/0

Bad news for England because according to skysports Harmison retired hurt after being struck my Tino Best. Said he made 5 runs but nothing about an Injury. Hope its nothing serious

England 3-0 Very Happy