Saturday 25 October 2008

OB's Test Match Blog - Bangladesh - Test One - Day Four

Thought I'd get todays one in nice and early a) while it's still fresh b) before I go to sleep. As I said yesterday, I'm pretty knackered. The whole left side of my body is about to give way. Anyone out there 6ft 2in weighing in around 90kgs that wants to transplant their left side to mine. I could go a fresh one!

Today we had two wickets to get before we could go and put our feet up for the day. These two wickets either go 'bang, bang' or they hang about and become a pain in the posterior. It was the later today. Millsy bowled a great opening spell without luck, as he has done this whole match. A couple of times he has asked me, quite honestly, how to get wickets. I tell him, I don't really know! It's almost like he's bowled to well, beaten the bat to often.. Really don't know how he hasn't taken wickets. Although in this match of the 32 wickets that have fallen so far, only 6 have gone to seamer's. And none for their seamer's.

So, these two got through Millsy and Dan's opening bursts. I replaced Millsy and felt ok. Still wasn't sure how we were going to take wickets, the pitch is just that flat. And then something strange happened; I actually visualised how I was going to get the left hander out. I saw it before it happened. Keep my action tight, hit the line of about 4th stump, (if leg is 1 and off is 3 etc) going across the lefty. Don't try to bowl this one to quick. Hit the seam, hope for some reverse... and Ross Taylor took the catch. Simple as that! We had the breakthrough.

I bowled a spell of 6 overs for 4 runs I think it was. Dan took me off... I wanted one more, I had a plan I wanted to run through with the number 11 on strike. Dan wouldn't let me. He quoted me from yesterday when after 6 overs I was cooked. Fair enough, but it was a little cooler this morning and I was fresh in the field. Anyway. Aaron Redmond took his first Test wicket, stumped! Happy days, we're off the park. And that's what counts!

So, we've got a target of 314 on a very good Test wicket. Yeah sure there are cracks in it, yeah sure it's a little tired. But it is one very good wicket. And at no point do/have we though that it is not possible.

Currently, sitting in a pretty good position. Not getting ahead of ourselves though. 170 to get, 8 wickets in hand. What it does mean though, for the first time this match, I don't have to do a 'bowling' warm up. And not having to do these makes being a bowler just a little bit better!

So, we head into day 5, a track that we actually didn't give 2 days before it was going to be terrible and we're chasing down 314 against a spin attack that has proven to be a problem in the past. The boys are confident, strong and very damn determined to knock this one off and move on to the second test in Dhaka.

Tomorrows blog could be a little difficult as we have a 8.30pm flight to Dhaka, but I'll try to get something in.

So, I've finished the match with figured of 5-64 from 40 overs. An effort and reward I'm rather pleased with. There is not much more I could have done, certainly couldn't have bowled any more overs. I do have one thing to work on moving into the next Test, an action change that i do to the left handers that I have to work on. I fall away to early/much to create the angle across the lefty from over the wicket. I need to reduce this 'falling away' which will make me more consistent in my areas. Will also help keep my delivery hand (and fingers) more upright, giving the ball more of a chance to swing back into the left hander from my ideal line of 4 1/2.

Appreciate your messages, lads. Thanks for the feedback!

OB

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