I’m gonna stick my neck out
And predict the result of the 1st Test, England v Pakistan at Lord’s will be: *fanfare* A draw. How have I reached such an inspired decision? Because look at it. Day 3, Pakistan are 360/6 with Mohammad Yousuf 160 not out, chasing England’s 528/9 dec. It’s a fairly typical mid-Summer Lord’s pitch - short, dry, hard, low and flat. It’s a perfect batting track, as England’s three 1st innings centuries display. Yousuf doesn’t look like getting out any time soon, England’s bowlers don’t look like disposing of the lengthy Pakistan tail, or even getting many chances, and Steve Bucknor looks even less likely to raise the figure, should such a chance arise.
That’s not to say we haven’t seen some good cricket. But I’m already thinking that had Vaughn been in charge of the side instead of Strauss, then England might have faired better.
But prove me wrong. I have been wrong before. Once. Didn’t like it much.
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1 opinion for I’m gonna stick my neck out
SixandOut.net - an International Cricket blog » I’m not going to brag
Jul 19, 2006 at 1:43 pm
[…] But I was right. I’m not going to brag because a more obvious result has never been so predictable. When you get 3 centuries in the first innings, a double century in the second and another century in the third, there’s a gentle indicator that it might just be a batting pitch, and getting 10 test-match wickets in 80 overs seems unlikely. Even when Yousuf was dismissed for a frankly disappointing (by his standards at least) 48, all it did was bring Inzi to the crease, who clearly had ideas other than losing the 1st Test. […]
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