England And Australia Alternate Fortunes

It is almost as if England were paying the price for getting wickets a little too cheaply. The honours of the day shifted from England to Australia as day four drew to a close at the second Test at Lord’s.
England would certainly not be feeling as comfortable as they did in the session before lunch or even tea. And the 521 target would not appear as a sufficient target for the Australia the way Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin batted in the final session after tea.

England are only five balls away from their first win in the Ashes of 2009. But between their last wicket and possibly the next, the time interval lapsed has been long and testing with no respite in sight.
Australia were perilously close to the end at 128 for five but that was in the session before tea. Thereafter, Clarke and Haddin stitched a valuable and more importantly unbeaten 185 run partnership for the sixth wicket that frustrated England captain Andrew Strauss and England no end. Clarke though had a valuable century to his name as Haddin did with his half century.
Earlier in the day, Australia began the day batting after England declared overnight on 311 for six. Andrew Flintoff won the battleagainst the Australian openers, Phillip Hughes and Simon Katich, but it was not without controversy.

Katich was dismissed off a delivery that clearly appeared to have been a no ball as Flintoff overstepped. Hughes was sent off by umpire Rudi Koertzen officiating in his 100th Test for a catch that appeared unclear, caught by Strauss.
But thereafter Graeme Swann effected two splendid wickets for England to feel vindicated about their efforts and their chances. Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, was bowled by Stuart Broad for thirty-eight and thereafter, Mike Hussey was caught by Paul Collingwood off Swann for twenty-seven runs. Marcus North made the day for Swann again after being bowled and Australia in deep trouble at 178 for five at tea.
The session thereafter belonged to the Australian batsmen altogether as their partnership not only denied England the opportunity to make further inroads but also, pushed Australia into the realm of thinking that if England could have a miracle at Cardiff in the first Test, they are not far from one, needing 209 runs with five wickets in hand.

WI Go About Setting Bangladesh Enticing Target

It has been a topsy turvy Test match thus far with neither team in particular hurry to stamp their mark. And the outcome, therefore, continues to remain an intriguing mystery on the third day of the second Test at Grenada.
Kemar Roach was having the time of his life. His six wicket haul meant that Bangladesh did not get away from West Indies despite restricting them to 237, that too because of Travis Dowlin’s outstanding effort to get to ninety-five.
Bangladesh had plenty of fits and starts but none that went beyond Raqibul Hasan’s forty-four and Mushfiqur Rahim’s forty-eight. It helped Bangladesh recover from seven for 157 to 232 all out, just five runs short of West Indies’ first innings score.
What it meant that West Indies would have to significantly improve from their first innings batting if they were to bat Bangladesh out of the match.

Once again Dowlin was pressed into action, making forty-nine runs as Bangladesh’s stand in captain, Shakib Al Hasan for Mashrafe Mortaza, picked up four scalps. Enamul Haque Jr picked up the key wicket of Dowlin as well as that of Darren Sammy who partnered briefly with David Bernard, batting on his Test half century, that took West Indies from five for 110 to 166.
Bangladesh were unhappy over the West Indies’ running on the field as the match assumed tenseness. Rain intervened in the final over before tea, taking West Indies to 192 for eight,just two short of the 200 target with two wickets remaining.