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- Mike Selvey’s day four report: Brathwaite’s century frustrates England
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86th over: West Indies 238-4 (Blackwood 0, Samuels 36) I’m not sure why, but it feels rather quaint as the ground PA reads out today’s Premier League scores – holy crap Newcastle are winning! Jimmy finds a bit of swing through the air to remove the out-of-nick Chanderpaul, although it owed a lot to Cook who did brilliantly at slip. 2-3 in this spell for Anderson.
Ooh this is good work from the captain. Chanderpaul pushes at one angled across him and nicks to Bell. It should be a comfortable catch for the Sledgehammer, but he parries to Cook. Alastair reacts sharply to a chance he reasonably didn’t expect to come his way, and takes it one-handed at the second attempt.
85th over: West Indies 238-3 (Chanderpaul 7, Samuels 36) A pretty rank, very wide long-hop from Broad and on this pitch I reckon I’d have had a chance of putting that one away. As such, Samuels has no trouble in doing so, over point and away for four. Three balls later he’s too straight and Samuels works it off the pad round to to fine leg for one. It’s clouding over a bit now, so Alastair Cook will presumably be jumping for joy. You know, inside. After a single to Chanderpaul, Broad overpitches and Samuels unfurls the cover drive, but doesn’t quite time it and he only gets two.
84th over: West Indies 230-3 (Chanderpaul 6, Samuels 29) On Sky, Nass points out that Brathwaite’s tendency to get front on to the ball makes it difficult to duck and sway, hence his difficulties with the new ball. He really is one of the best commentators about, is Nasser. Maiden from Anderson, all quiet on the West Indian front.
@DanLucas86 Hopefully this Morning Bell can chip in with some close catches.
83rd over: West Indies 230-3 (Chanderpaul 6, Samuels 29) Broad looks to surprise Chanderpaul with a bouncer. Chanderpaul finds it about as surprising as the twist at the end of Shutter Island and pulls it effortlessly for four behind square on the leg-side, then pushes a fuller one back down the ground for a single. A lovely fourth ball of the over nips back quite a way, again off the pitch, and passes about eight inches wide of off-stump as Samuels leaves.
Right, let’s do this.
@aubreywriting@DanLucas86 top punnery. I feel cook may Sulk if England aren't Lucky enough to win this test. Exit Music or High & Dry?
@DanLucas86 You'd have to be quite an Optimist to see a positive result for England here. Knives Out for Peter Moores, more likely.
@tomhebunn@DanLucas86 Little by Little I'm sure they'll turn their Feral form around & will Give Up the Ghost of their recent poor form
@aubreywriting@DanLucas86 Just a few wickets would help England Creep towards a win. Could be Optimistic
82nd over: West Indies 225-3 (Chanderpaul 1, Samuels 29) About wasting that new ball... Anderson strikes with his first delivery with it, bringing Chanderpaul to the crease. Is Shiv a bit low at five? Or are waning powers being hidden down there? Anderson beats him with another lovely delivery that nips away and Atherton wonders if England might want another slip in place. Chanderpaul tucks a straight ball off his hips to fine-leg for one.
“On TMS, Tony Cozier (who should know) is pronouncing yer man’s name ‘Brathid’,” reports Colum Farrelly. Cheers, although I can get away with it as I only have to write it. And in fact don’t need to that much any more.
There’s the breakthrough! It’s an absolutely fantastic bouncer from Anderson, short and rising sharply towards the batsman’s head. Brathwaite gets in all sorts of trouble looking to fend it off and the ball loops up off the bat to give slip the easiest of catches.
81st over: West Indies 224-2 (Brathwaite 116, Samuels 29) The new ball is being taken straight away and, as you might expect if you’ve watched cricket lately, Stuart Broad has it. We’ve got an appeal from the very first ball as it nips back in a touch off the pitch and clips the front pad on its way to thumping into the back one. Missing leg comfortably, I’d say, and Brathwaite celebrates by thrashing a wild drive at a wide half-volley and getting a thick edge over Root at slip and away for four to third man. A sharp rising one has the centurion in a bit of bother as he bottom edges unconvincingly down into the ground, then he turns another lifter just wide of the man at short-leg. Having spent the last few weeks covering the IPL, it’s nice to see a short-leg. A lovely ball to beat Samuels’ outside edge to finish.
@DanLucas86 so how will England waste the new ball? I'm going for short slow wide filth, like the last 6 new balls
80th over: West Indies 219-2 (Brathwaite 111, Samuels 29) This is a bit of a surprise: Cook throws the ball to Anderson an over before the new ball is due. Broad is loosening up too. Samuels punches to point off the back foot to move to 29. Not sure there’s really much point in using this over up for Jimmy to warm up. Brathwaite nudges slightly awkwardly to fine-leg for another single.
You guys are on fire with the tweets today:
@DanLucas86 there will be No Surprises if England lose again. They might Just do it, if they're Lucky. But I Might be Wrong.
@DanLucas86@tomhebunn surely Karma Police given the less than complimentary comments around the Windies prior to this test.
79th over: West Indies 217-2 (Brathwaite 110, Samuels 28) David Gower opens up a discussion on the correct pronunciation of Brathwaite’s name as the man in question knocks a length ball to mid-on for one. Brath-itt, Brath-witt and Brath-weight are my rough approximations of the options, with the latter settled on by Athers. Samuels nudges for a sharp single to short cover, then Stokes whirls and needlessly hurls at the stumps, wide of them and the ball whistles away for four overthrows.
“How Do You, obviously,” writes John Lowe. He’d better be joking.
78th over: West Indies 211-2 (Brathwaite 109, Samuels 23) Root again, as several people point out that, in asking for a favourite Radiohead song, I’ve essentially set an impossible task. Root is bowling from very wide round the wicket to Samuels, and just gives him a bit of a hurry-up with his second one. Samuels chips another into the air on the leg-side, but well wide of the short-leg and leg-slip.
77th over: West Indies 211-2 (Brathwaite 109, Samuels 23) Chris Jordan is going to have a bowl from the other end. I’m a little surprised England aren’t going with spin and giving Jordan a rest for when he has to replace the ineffective Broad eight overs into the new ball. He strays on to Samuels’ pads and gets turned away for a single to long leg. From the final ball of the over something similar, only this time there’s enough pace on it that Ali can’t get round from fine leg in time to prevent the boundary.
Radiohead and puns? I like you, Tom H Bunn.
@DanLucas86 always a fan of "there, there" on the Radiohead front
@DanLucas86 trying to think of a Radiohead song that best fits this test...it's more go to sleep than everything in its right place so far
76th over: West Indies 206-2 (Brathwaite 105, Samuels 22) Joe Root it is, with the first of the 98 overs to be bowled today. His first ball is a touch short and Brathwaite pulls easily around the corner for four to fine-leg. The new ball is due in five overs and England are surrounding the batsman – “catch it Gaz!” is the cry as Brathwaite defends one back down the ground. Surely it’s too soon to be that desperate?
We’re about ready to go. The players are out and there’s a wee bit of cloud about. Looks like England will begin with Root though.
I feel this is going to be a good riff. Albeit perhaps a depressing playlist.
@DanLucas86 clearly Pop is Dead. You part timers...
@DanLucas86 Karma Police is clearly the best Radiohead song ever. Glasto 1997 says so.
Afternoon, Gary Na-
@DanLucas86 In 2013, I saw a operatic tenor playing the part of Cinderella's Teddy Bear deliver an electrifying "Creep". Settles it I feel.
The pitch, it seems, is as flat as Win Butler live.
England’s batsmen have just had a net, now Nasser Hussain tries to accost Alastair Cook for a word. “Tan’s coming along well, Nass” says Cook as he continues to walk briskly past the poor Sky man.
Speaking of Cook, can the person behind the Cool Ed Miliband Twitter account do one for him? I’d like to see if anyone can tell the difference.
Afternoon folks. Or morning, if you’re one of those lucky folk in the Caribbean. My editors might disagree, but the latter lot of you probably shouldn’t be wasting your time reading this. For the rest of you, what better way to pass the time in dreary old England than day five of a Test that could, theoretically, still go any one of three ways.
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