Kate Laven
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2nd Test: England v Australia at Lord's, 19-23 Jul 2001 Kate Laven |
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Pre-game:
England 1st innings: |
Mark Butcher was the only casualty in another short afternoon session after players returned from an extended break where they were first introduced to the Queen then took time over their tea as more rain fell over an already saturated Lord’s ground.
They came back at around 4.50pm and stayed on the field for less than an hour before the umpires offered the batsmen Atherton and Graham Thorpe the light which had faded in the previous 20 minutes.
When they departed, for the third time today, England were 95 for two with Atherton unbeaten on 37 and Thorpe, the Surrey left-hander who has been out of cricket since the Second npower Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford in May, not out 9 after a predictably rusty start.
Butcher made 21 including four assuredly struck boundaries but misjudged a delivery from Glenn McGrath fresh into a new spell and edged the ball to Mark Waugh at second slip.
The catch brought Waugh equal with Mark Taylor’s Test record of 157 catches making him one of the finest slip catchers in the history of the game.
After a ten-minute break for bad light, play resumed but moments later, McGrath captured the prized wicket of Atherton, having him leg before without adding to his total. He had been at the crease for more than two hours but his dismissal reduced England to 96 for three after 31 overs.
With the score on 121 Mark Ramprakash was bowled by Brett Lee for 14. Alec Stewart came to the crease but swiftly returned as the players went off for bad light.
After a morning which was limited through rain and bad light to just 15 minutes and 3.2 overs, Mike Atherton and Trescothick returned after a lunch interval which had been extended by an hour due to more heavy showers and resumed with the score 11 without loss.
The first over produced a false stroke from the Somerset left-hander but he continued through to the 12th over when, without moving his feet, he reached for a wide ball travelling down the offside and was caught by Adam Gilchrist having made 15.
Television replays showed the ball to be illegal after Gillespie’s foot landed beyond the line but England were 33 for one.
Mark Butcher’s first ball, a full toss from Gillespie, was driven hard to Matthew Hayden at third slip but hit the ground immediately after leaving the bat. He and Atherton, who earlier played two superbly timed cover drives off Glenn McGrath, batted out until the next rain interruption at 3.30pm when the score had moved to 55 for one, with Atherton unbeaten on 21.
The tea break had been brought forward due to the annual Lord’s visit by the Queen who was scheduled to meet members of both sides.
After a 90-minute delay due to overnight rain, England openers Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick took guard after Australia won the toss for the second time in two Tests and decided to field first.
England’s stand-in captain Atherton got off the mark with the last ball of McGrath’s first over when he pulled him defiantly through backward square leg for four but the clouds started to thicken and the light quickly deteriorated, forcing the umpires to consult their light meters.
With three lights shining in the gloom, Trescothick made the most of some early waywardness from Gillespie, bagging his first boundary with a well timed late cut.
But with the score at 11 without loss, the players were offered the light after another consultation between umpires John Holder and Steve Bucknor and the players went for an early lunch with play due to resume at 1.30pm.
Heavy overnight rain in London delayed the start of the match but play was due to start at 12.30pm.
On top of the recent deluges which saturated the Lord’s outfield, last night’s rain gave the busy groundstaff more problems as they tried to clear away the excess water.
Australia named an unchanged side from the one that beat England in the First npower Test at Edgbaston.
England left out Ashley Giles and Chris Silverwood from the squad, allowing Dominic Cork to play at one of his most successful grounds. Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash returned to bolster the middle order.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 19 Jul2001 - 22:30