Almanac Cricket: Second Test – Aust v WI: Day 2 – Citrus Bob’s report: Coffee anyone?
ADELAIDE DAY 2
COFFEE ANYONE?
Living in Mildura I believe that I can talk “coffee” with great authority on the subject. After all the capital of Sunraysia is the coffee capital of Australia.
The natives here in Adelaide are getting a little restless about the future of the day/night tests and rightly so.
One of the main factors seems to be the etiquette associated with drinking coffee. I have always been told that you never drink coffee after 2pm. To back this up the majority of coffee shops in Mildura, and there are 32 of them, close their doors at this time.
At the day/night cricket we start drinking coffee at 2 pm.!
So it is a bone of contention among the Adeladians who attend the Test match at the Oval. The other major consideration is this. As we start drinking coffee then it is very hard to get to sleep when you arrive home at some ghastly hour of the night.
Mind you the big winner as always been The Footy Almanac as we are always first with the latest the next morning beating the dailies who normally only have the scores to tea time, or is it lunch?
These are some of the minor considerations because, as we all know, Adeladians were nearly all born with silver spoons in their mouth.
I have a friend who has been to 190 Test matches across the world who normally refuses to come to Adelaisde for the Tests. This year he has made an exception and he has come over but leaves the venue as soon as the lights come on. “This is my protest” he assures me.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch Australia have meandered along with some great cuts by the “Adelaide Butcher”. Why the Windies keep feeding him meat to cut is beyond me. Surely they must have learn t their lesson from yesterday?
The weather is getting warmer and the majority of the crowd have already parked themselves in the shade. Sorry, I keep forgetting we have already passed high noon!
Saturday is going to be hotter so it will be interesting what sort of a crowd that day will bring. Much will depend on how the game is balanced at the time.
Even after only fifty minutes of play it is hard to envisage the visitors taking a wicket. I can go back to the days of Prior Jones, John Trim and Gerry Gomez trundling in but they had at least those ‘two friends of mine’ Ramadhin and Valentine.
They should have a mercy rule in cricket. This is not a contest. It is a slaughter and the Butcher of Adelaide is up front and centre. His 150 comes up from 184 balls and the Mafeking Marauder follows shortly after in 293 balls.
A wicket at last! Labuschagne on 163 tried to cut Thomas for Da Silva to take a sharp catch behind. Australia 4/428 a partnership of 297 runs.
All of a sudden the bowling improves and Green is very green as the long wait seems to have taken a toll on him. Must be very frustrating for a batter to just sit and sit and sit while waiting to go into bat.
At lunch Oz were 4/436 with Head still there and Green looking very rusty.
Distaater for Head just after lunch when he is run out for 175 he was not too happy with his young tyro at the other end. A masterly innings if there ever was one but one that the locals wanted more of! Silence has broken out all around the oval.
Green was very “green” and he shouldered arms to Joseph, bowled for 9. Looks like he could do with a break from the game.
The Windies have come back well to take 3/24 in the last 40 minutes of play.
Australia seem to be in no hurry and both Neser and Carey are averaging a run for every 2 balls bowled.. SPD Smith has never been one for declarations when he captain. He will make bold bowling changes but likes his team to get as many runs as they can over the journey.
Neser tries to hit Brathwaite to Glenelg and goes LBW so at last the batters seem to be getting the hurry on with a closure eminent around tea, or is that supper?) time.
Prediction is right as Australia declare at 7/511 with Carey 41 and Starc 5. Joesph and Thomas finished with 2 wickets each. I hasten to not mention the word “best”!
Brathwaite gets of to a great start with a superb cover drive from Starc as Labuschagne does a ridiculous slide to try and stop the boundary.
It is going to be a long row to hoe, we will see what metal the visitors are made off.
It didn’t take long for Australia to break through WI. Both skipper Brathwaite and Brooks got faint edges from the aggressive Michael Neser who did benefit from fine opening and unlucky spells from Starc and Boland. Still it was fine bowling by the energetic banana.
Quasi ‘local legend’ Nathan Lyon then took a spectacular catch of his own bowling to dismiss Blackwood for 3. At 3/50 the visitors were really in big trouble. Meanwhile at the other end Chanderpaul continued on his fine first season and remained stoic and unperturbed by the relentless Australian attack.
Not the flamboyant and aggressive openers that we have come from the Caribbean in the past in the mould of Cammie Smith, Fredericks, Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Chanderpaul minor really sniffs the ball out as he crouches in his stance waiting for the ball to arrive. Very impressive indeed.
Australia certainly have a strong bowling attack when you can replace Hazlewood and Cummins with Boland and Neser. Both have bowled well tonight and given nothing away.
Bodyline, well not quite. Green has come into the attack with the express purpose of bowling short to Tagenarine Chanderpaul as SPD has four men out on the leg. It is the other batter that he gets out when Thomas chops onto his stumps.
At stumps the visitors are 4/102 with Chanderpaul minor not out 47 and Phillip 1.
It has been Australia’s day again. The batters were completely in charge and as usual the bowlers have given nothing away and have taken the top order of the Windies
More from Citrus Bob Utber Here
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About Bob Utber
At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
Doesn’t look like Day 4 will be needing the floodlights Citrus.
SWISH – how correct were you! Windies sooo uninspiring. Let us hope that there are some young players out there who will try to emulate Chanderpaul Minor with the bat.