Story England v India Npower test series

[PhilD123]

Right, i am doing this story from my ps2, it is C2005. I will be England against India and will play 5 test matches.

Build up starts to first test at Lords

Today Michael Vaughan and Rahul Dravid faced the press on their thoughts on the first test at Lords which starts on Thursday.

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Michael, What are your thoughts on a potential exciting summer of cricket against India?

Well, its going to be a great series, we are both great sides. And we all remember last time the sides played in Mumbai.

Yes we do, You didn't play then because of a knee injury, is your knee ok now?

Yes, I've had an operation and its fine.

Will you be playing 2 spinners at Lords?

Well, we can't give our team away, but I dont expect it to spin terribly.

Thanks for your time



Next up The Wall (Rahul Dravid) feeled the heat

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Rahul, How will you approach this series?

Well we'll be confident. And we're not going to sit back and let England get on top.

Will Irfan Pathan be playing at Lords?

I can say he won't as he has a elbow injury.

Thanks for your time.



Pietersen gets 100 for hamps against Lancs

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Kevin Pietersen looks in good form ahead of the summer series against India. He scored a century in a frizell county championship match against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl. However Duncan Fletcher won't be totally happy as in the same match Andrew Flintoff got a pair and was bowled twice.

 

[manee]

Nice layout, good luck with ur story

 

[The Spin]

Looks interesting and exciting, dont believe Freddy got a pair though!

 

[RoboRocks]

Good presentation , good bulid up like the look of this, good luck.

 

[PhilD123]

Channel 4 win back cricket rights

Channel 4 have won the tv rights to screen all test matches in England until 2010. They will screen this summers action against India, which starts tommorow. The commentators include Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Atherton, Tony Greig, Mark Nicholas, Sunil Gavaskar and neutral commentator Michael Holding.

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England confirm team to play in first test


Duncan Fletcher has confirmed the side for the first test against India at Lords.


1. Strauss
2. Trescothick
3. Vaughan
4. Collingwood
5. Pietersen
6. Flintoff
7. G Jones
8. Giles
9. Hoggard
10. Harmison
11. S Jones


The main talking point is the fact that there's no Ian Bell in the line-up. This maybe due to the fact that he didn't pick the Indian spinners well in England's tour to India. Reverse swing specialist Simon Jones is back in the team alongside injury-prone Michael Vaughan. Paul Collingwood keeps his place in the side following a great century at Nagpur.

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Ian Bell- No place in the side​

Freddie gets back on form

Andrew Flintoff, got back on form today after a stunning century in 70 balls at Edgbaston against Warwickshire in the one-day form of the game. Meanwhile Ashley Giles picked up 4-34 in his 10 overs, lets hope the Lord's pitch spins for him.

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Flintoff, slog-sweeps during his 105*​

Tommorow, the first days play of the summer gets underway at Lords. It's sure to be a cracker.

 

[FishBowlMan]

Good to see cricket back on terrestrial telly here in England. If only this could happen in reality.

 

[PhilD123]

Welcome to Channel 4's summer cricket coverage

M Nicholas: Hello, and welcome to what promises to be an exciting summer of test cricket on sky sports. I will be joined by Geoffrey Boycott, Tony Greig, Michael Atherton, Sunil Gavaskar and Michael Holding. Here at Lords it is a beautiful day and the pitch is expected to swing on the 1st day but days 2 and 3 will be the best for batting. As there will be spin on the final day.Now we can cross down to Michael Atherton who is pitch-side with Michael Vaughan and Rahul Dravid awaiting the toss.

M Atherton: Well, I am joined by the 2 captains and the Match referee. I would think this is a win the toss and bat first wicket, lets see.

Match Referee tosses the coin in the air. Rahul Dravid calls heads and the coin lands. It's Heads.

M Atherton: Well, Rahul Dravid wins the toss. What are you going to do, Rahul?

R Dravid: We'll bowl first as maybe we can get a few wickets with the early swing in the pitch.

M Atherton: Well interesting move, lets speak to Michael Vaughan. Michael, what are your thoughts on batting first here.

M Vaughan: Well, I would have batted so overall i'm pretty pleased.



England make stuttering start in first session

England are 164-4 at lunch on day 1 here at Lords. First to go was Andrew Strauss who departed for a duck, in just the 3rd ball of the innings. He cut a short and wide Zaheer Kahn ball to 3rd slip and was out for 0. Then Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan shared a 2nd wicket partnership of 67, before Michael Vaughan edged to slip for 37. Then Trescothick and Paul Collingwood got going and large partnership loomed but it ended for just 37. Trescothick tried cutting a short Harbhajan Singh but the ball rebounded off his glove on to off stump. Another partnership got going between Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen, they made 57 and both of the batsmen played beautiful cover drives, on drives and glances down to third man. Then in the over before lunch, Kevin Pietersen played 1 on drive too many and played in the air to Agit Agarker at short mid-wicket. Andrew Flintoff came in and got 1 off 3 balls, while Paul Collingwood is 39* at lunch off 47 balls and is hoping for a half-century.

Boycott slates Sky Sports

Channel 4 commentator Geoffrey Boycott, today took time out from the action to publicly slate sky sports.


Boycott: They think that they can make people pay to watch cricket. I think they win the most grumpy commentator award with Bob Willis. It serves them right with their terrible coverage, that we got the rights for this series.

 

[Abhas]

I seriously don't think Zaheer Khan will manage to come back to the playing 11...deja vu sourav ganguly!!!

nice coverage though...good work.
who got vaughan???

 

[PhilD123]

I seriously don't think Zaheer Khan will manage to come back to the playing 11...deja vu sourav ganguly!!!

nice coverage though...good work.
who got vaughan???

It was Zaheer Kahn that got Vaughan and I see what you mean about Kahn. Unfortunately the games on ps2, if it was on pc i would get a roster pack.

 

[PhilD123]

India start reply​

Englands innings was over by 2:44PM as Paul Collingwood top scored with 52 runs. The innings ended at 263 all out, Andrew Flintoff got run out in ther over after lunch and then Collingwood sent 2 sixes across the mid-wicket boundary to get his fifty. He made 1 more and then edged Nehra to the slips. Geraint Jones made 22 and Ashley Giles made a great 28 but the tail ended quickly and so did england's innings.

Collingwood reaching his 50​

India came out fighting and reached 63-0 at tea, Virender Sehwag looking deadly on 40*. While Gautam Gambir was left on 11* with one four to his name.

Sehwag plays a beatiful cover drive​

Summary of session from Channel 4:

Nicolas: Well India are well on top and Sehwag looks menacing.

Greig: This is a brilliant start to the summer. Some good batting, good bowling and england will be feeling the pressure.

Gavaskar: I am overjoyed, fantastic cricket by the Indians and sehwag will get a century.

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View of the action from Lords​

 

[treva]

nice one.

are you still doing it????

 

[PhilD123]

nice one.

are you still doing it????

Didn't see anyone had replied, so that's why its a later reply. Yeah I am still doing it, im in the second innings, lets just say the Indian innings went well for England. I will do an update in a couple of weeks, but a bit busy at the moment.

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

hey man please do it in my story no one replied and i was doin it on PC but replys come as it goes on so please continue

 

[PhilD123]

Well its on ps2 so really hard work and I've started a story on MTCC, so I probably wont continue.