Still getting in early!!Awake early after a very enjoyable dinner with old friends and consult blackberry to discover football scores. Pleased to see Bristol City beat Millwall 1-0 while Forest lost at home to Orient. Up to second as Scunny also falter. Also though read the sobering news that Ashley Giles is heading home to be with his wife who is ill. The thoughts of all England fans will be with them both and hopes for a speedy recovery.The other departee from the tour Marcus Trescothick has been sorely missed until today when Cook was outstanding.
Jack Russell adorns my T-shirt today and the kind of display he and Mike Atherton put on in Jo'burg is needed from the current crop of tourists over the next two days. As Cook nears 100 (fingers crossed) I am standing in a queue outside to secure our tickets for tomorrow. Mercifully the queue moved quickly and I was back inside tickets secured before Cook moved to a hard earned and much deserved ton. Sad that Ian Bell did not achieve the same as he set the tone for England's fightback with two splendid straight sixes off Warne. Who at one stage was near tantrum status after a number of ambitious appeals had correctly been declined. Warne eventually snared Bell caught at short extra by Ponting for an excellent 87, after a tremendous stand of 170 with Cook. Paul Collingwood fell caught behind off Clarke who was perhaps the pick of the Aussie bowlers to make it 185 for 3 .
Pieterson and Cook battled until in very poor light as clouds came over McGrath induced an edge from Cook and then bowled Hoggard second ball to bring the Aussies back to life and Freddie to the crease with the lights then turned on and the atmosphere electric. Two balls from McGrath slid by the outside edge prompting half appeals from the Aussies.Warne then found life, bounce and turn to beat KP twice outside off stump but England survived and end the day 265 for 5 having shown the character they have talked of.
A great day that could have finished so much better had Cook still been there to start again tomorrow. George got Freddie and Ian Bell to sign his bat so he's a happy little chap. Let's hope he has more to smile about tomorrow though the odds are sadly against us.
Jack Russell adorns my T-shirt today and the kind of display he and Mike Atherton put on in Jo'burg is needed from the current crop of tourists over the next two days. As Cook nears 100 (fingers crossed) I am standing in a queue outside to secure our tickets for tomorrow. Mercifully the queue moved quickly and I was back inside tickets secured before Cook moved to a hard earned and much deserved ton. Sad that Ian Bell did not achieve the same as he set the tone for England's fightback with two splendid straight sixes off Warne. Who at one stage was near tantrum status after a number of ambitious appeals had correctly been declined. Warne eventually snared Bell caught at short extra by Ponting for an excellent 87, after a tremendous stand of 170 with Cook. Paul Collingwood fell caught behind off Clarke who was perhaps the pick of the Aussie bowlers to make it 185 for 3 .
Pieterson and Cook battled until in very poor light as clouds came over McGrath induced an edge from Cook and then bowled Hoggard second ball to bring the Aussies back to life and Freddie to the crease with the lights then turned on and the atmosphere electric. Two balls from McGrath slid by the outside edge prompting half appeals from the Aussies.Warne then found life, bounce and turn to beat KP twice outside off stump but England survived and end the day 265 for 5 having shown the character they have talked of.
A great day that could have finished so much better had Cook still been there to start again tomorrow. George got Freddie and Ian Bell to sign his bat so he's a happy little chap. Let's hope he has more to smile about tomorrow though the odds are sadly against us.
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