The great players tend to play in the same way whatever the situation. Hence anyone meandering into Edgbaston on Friday afternoon when the electronic scoreboard
LaDainian Tomlinson Authentic Jersey was dutifully satisfying some sponsor rather than showing the relevant numbers would have had no real idea about the state of the game. England v West Indies: day-night Test at Edgbaston, day two – as it happened Alastair Cook scored 243 as England declared on 514 for eight, with West Indies reaching 44-1 as rain stopped play before darkness fell Read more Alastair Cook was still batting – in exactly the same vein as 24 hours earlier – trotting his singles from the latest flick to the leg-side, a mild concession to advancing years as he strove to keep enough fuel in the tank (to borrow a phrase from his early mentor, Graham Gooch) on his way to another monumental score. Perhaps the absence of many close fielders was a giveaway that England were doing quite well. Then the electronic numbers returned and Cook was seen to be beyond 200 for the fourth time in his England career. A major first innings total was guaranteed in a contest that was in danger of becoming increasingly anodyne regardless of the start time or the colour of the ball. In the Hollies Stand all was subdued in the sporadic sunshine at least until five o’clock. Maybe its occupants were hung over; perhaps they were pondering whether batting would be quite so straightforward when the West Indies eventually had their turn; or they may just have been saving their energy for their twilight sing-song. Cook, of course, was magnificently relentless – rather than relentlessly magnificent in an England innings which was
http://www.officialnikejetshop.com/lawrence-thomas-jersey-for-sale-c-31.html eventually closed at 514 for eight. He cut and he clipped and he was never surprising. Once again this is a feature of great batsmen in their maturity. They have a method and they stick to it. So Cook played every ball on its merits on his way to 243, an innings that was always admirable but seldom mesmerising. It may be that Cook is still gleaning the benefits of not being captain while Joe Root is sampling that spike in the right direction, which new captains often experience, a happy set of circumstances that sages from Andrew Strauss downwards hope will last at least until the second week in January. Advertisement There was more curiosity about how Dawid Malan would play. Here he had a wonderful opportunity to make himself undroppable, though there was always the hint as his innings progressed that he himself was a little too aware of this. Beginning the day on 28, he resumed scratchily. Yet he is one of those innately elegant left-handers and soon there were reminders of that. There was an emphatic flick to the square-leg boundary and then a cover drive off Alzarri Joseph that had everyone purring. That was the most beautiful cover drive by a batsman in an England shirt since – well, since Moeen Ali batting in the last Test match. Next Malan popped an off-break from Roston Chase over mid-off and he was starting to look at ease. Maybe the imminent arrival of the lunch-break undermined him. He pushed forward with exaggerated care to another Chase delivery in the last over before the interval and the ball gently took the outside edge before landing in the hands of Jermaine Blackwood at slip. What a waste. Yet by then
http://www.authenticchicagoblackhawks.com/authentic-tony-esposito-jersey?gender=Youth Malan had accrued 65 runs, comfortably his Test best and a score of some significance. But how much? On a wet afternoon the next generation of Duckworth Lewises might care to devise a new index, which establishes the value of 65 against a weary West Indies side on a flat track at Edgbaston in 2017. Is that 65 worth more than a 40 in Adelaide or a 35 in Perth this December or a 31 in Chittagong last November? Whatever the computation it was clear that Malan, having batted serenely enough, had squandered a chance to deliver the score that would dictate his whereabouts this winterEveryone knows where Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali will be in October. All three arrived at the crease with expectations high in the stands. Pyrotechnics were on the cards but they never materialised. Stokes bristled, hit the field with massive authority several times and then opted to play the reverse sweep to Chase and the ball looped gently to slip. There were groans from the Hollies Stand since Stokes might have provided a welcome counterpoint to Cook. Nor did Bairstow ignite. He mustered 18 busily, scampering that first run rapidly in a manner that may have been causing Cook the odd alarm. Then an inside edge against the persevering Jason Holder dribbled on to his stumps. Not to worry, there was still Moeen and his silky cover drives to come. Once again there was disappointment all round since Moeen was out immediately for an ugly duck. An ambitious larrup against Chase spooned to cover. Thus Moeen’s raucous reception was quickly followed by a sad, silent exit. At least he could note that the odd ball was turning. Alastair Cook masterclass was inspiring, says Ashes hopeful Dawid Malan Read more Meanwhile Cook leant on his bat at the non-striker’s end, disguising any concern effectively. And then contrary to all expectation he was out. Once again Chase was the bowler as Cook, on 243, sought to work the ball on the on side. He missed it and this must also have surprised Umpire Erasmus, who kept his finger down. The review prompted him to raise it. It was a dismissal to hasten the progress of the game since Root declared immediately. Then the clouds rolled in, the lights came on and batting was, indeed, a different proposition. In his second over Jimmy Anderson found the outside edge of Kraigg Brathwaite’s bat with a beauty and the Hollies Stand found its voice – “Oh Jimmy, Jimmy …” They scented wickets but there were no more as Kieran Powell, dropped in the gully on two by Stokes off Stuart Broad, and Kyle Hope batted impressively through the 13 overs that were possible before the rain descended. This article was updated on 19 August 2017 to correct a photo caption that implied the match, rather than just
Trevor Van Riemsdyk Jersey the day’s play, had been abandoned because of rain. This has now been changed
