The Oval Test Day 1

[chickenfeet]

This series continues to deliver surprises. I don't think anyone expected 70 runs from England in the first hour or that Warne would be on by the 14th over. I bet the stas gurus are also going back through their records to find the last time the first four wickets in a test match in England were taken by a spinner. Even at Old Trafford in 1956 the first wicket fell to a quick (Cowdrey c.Maddocks b.Lindwall 80).

Warne worked his magic again despite good performances from Strauss, Trescothick and Flintoff (inevitably).

But again, the over rate! Only 88 overs were bowled despite the extra half hour being taken and despite the spinners bowling 37 of those 88. The rules used to assume 20 overs/hour and as late as 1969 the Indians achieved 18/hr on the first day of the Oval test. Now the rules officially tolerate 15/hr and the Australians can only manage 13.5/hr. That's back to the rates that the Windies sunk to with an all quick attack in the 1970s.

ETA: 17.3 overs in 85 minutes this morning = 12.2 overs/hour = utterly pathetic.

Comments

[ex-ajhalluk585.livejournal.com]

The Windies' all quick attack was 1980; Marshall, Holding, Roberts, Garner. In the immortal words of Brearley in the Sunday Times about one of them - I think Marshall;

"He stares at the batsman as if looks could kill. And then you realise he has a five and a half ounce solid projectile in his hand..." I believe they may still have had a slow man for the 1976 series against Grovelling Greig.