Career Player - Batting All-Rounder
Team - England
Bats At 4
First Test match as the new England captain in my 2nd season (started at 26 years old), lost the toss against South Africa and sent in to bat.
Come in at 4, with the team at 2/60odd. Quick 50 partnership with Bell before he holes out against Peterson. Enter Gary Ballance. 250+ runs later, Ballance is dismissed for 149, and I continue on my way to 190 (212), my best FC score. Declare at 9/552 shortly after Lunch on Day 2.
Bowled SA out for 220odd, and enforced the follow-on with 20 overs left in Day 2. I took 4 wickets with my off-spin.
SA then go nuts, massive partnerships from Smith/Petersen, Amla/Petersen, Amla/de Villiers and de Villiers/Philander see them bat for 138 overs and post 560 on the board, leaving England 215 for the win with a day and a bit remaining.
Cook is dismissed in the first over, and wickets fall steadily. I battle my way to 38 (62) before Morne Morkel knocks my leg stump out of the ground when I attempted to glance it to fine leg. Stuart Broad tried his best to bring home the game, but Steven Finn was dismissed for a duck just 10 runs off victory.
I was awarded MOTM in a losing side for my 228 runs for the match and 9 wickets (4 in the first, 5 in the second).
So my first game as captain, and we become just the 4th team in history to lose after enforcing the follow-on.