England v India at Edgbaston. Have been following the coverage via the BBC for the last four days - and thoroughly enjoying it. Not just the fact that England are playing so well, but the rather marvellous language and turns of phrase being used by the commentators.
Although the knowledge and understanding of the rules of cricket is perhaps denied to 99% of the planet's population, anyone can marvel at - or be puzzled by - the wonderful commentary. I have collected a small selection of the comments made during the fourth day of the match between England and India (India are batting). Enjoy!
The ball is turning for the twirlers and the forecast looks 85% fine and dandy for the remaining two days.
Anderson's first delivery of the morning, angled across the left-handed opener, drawing a nervous little push, the edge flying low to second slip's left. What a start for England...
Mmm, lovely gentle drive away through square by Tendulkar for his first four of the day.
Four slips in for Broad as Laxman waits, Bell under the lid at short leg - spitting up just shy of a length, hammering into the thigh pad, snagged by the diving Bell to hopeful yells from the crowd.
An arc of four slips curved round to the right of Matt Prior, and they rise back off their haunches as Tendulkar drives Anderson sweetly through the leg-side for his second four.
Laxman being peppered like a German steak out there - short from Broad, right up into the body; short again, fizzing past the snout.
Tendulkar push-drives Anderson straight for an elegant four and then runs another away through third man off the open face.
Another ball so good you want to elect it president, coming in, climbing away, taking the edge of the hapless Laxman.
Bresnan goes full to Tendulkar, and what a shot that is - driven past Umpire Taufel with utter ease for his seventh four. Creamed away through cover, with supreme timing.
Bresnan howls as Dhoni's thick outside edge squirts just past gully for two. Mishra the latest domino to be placed on the table. Packed again at Edgbaston, sun shining, beverages a'quaffing.
Dhoni scampers a brace as he turns Swann away off his pads through midwicket
Edged by Mishra, past the diving Bres for a streaky four. The ball 40 overs old now, much less swing visible there than when the cherry was ripe.
Slashing drive, high to Broad's left at mid-off - oh, excellent catch... He ran hard, reached up and snaffled with both hands.
Kumar seems to have recovered relatively well - four, smashed way over Swann's head for a one-bouncer, and then - KABOOM! six more, deep into the crowd beyond long-on. Chap there tried to catch it in his pint glass - the ball smashed straight through the receptacle, soaking him with the fizzy contents.
Dhoni now throwing caution in the dustbin - four, smashed back over Anderson's head, four more, pulled off the chest down to long leg.
Ah, it's all over for the plucky slogger. Change of bowling, Broad with a short one, adrenalised waft, easy snag at cover. England need two wickets for the match, series and number one ranking.
That's a lovely pull shot for four, and another to a scampering Bopara at deep midwicket for two more. Slashing, slicing drive over the slips, four more.
Sreesanth wears a brutal Broad snorter in the ribs. Good old-fashioned rough-house tactics. He holds his bat in front of his face to prevent another one from re-arranging his dentistry and then laces a beauty of a drive away through cover for four.
Remember being thrashed at home by New Zealand? Remember being humilated by Australia all over the place? Remember collapsing, and being flayed to all corners, and being laughed at, and having to laugh at ourselves in order to cope with the misery of it all? It's over. England are the best team in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment