The Dim Pause

Disappointed by the cancellation of the England v India Test match yesterday, which I was hoping to listen to over the next few days. To make up for it at least I am listening to Britain’s Emma Raducanu play Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in US Open tennis women’s singles final 🏏 🎾

Just sorted out my deckchair and radio to settle down for a sunny afternoon listening to the cricket when … 3rd Test: England beat India by an innings and 76 runs. 🏏

At the start of play today CricViz gave England a 97% chance of winning the 3rd Test against India. By the end of play it was down to 81%. Pujara, Kohli and Rohit Sharma all played a good and patient game. Days 4 and 5 of the match could get interesting. 🏏

So good to see both English openers bat for more than half a day and both reach their half centuries. England v India, end of the first day, a close to perfect start for England. 🏏

India in England - the 3rd Test at Headingley. Another great morning and early afternoon of cricket so far. England’s bowling has been superb after India won the toss and chose to bat. 🏏

Great day of cricket 🏏

Stunning victory by India over England in a gripping 2nd Test and Glamorgan beat Essex to reach the Royal London One-Day Cup Final.

I’ve done little else than follow these matches since 11am this morning - better go and prepare an evening meal now 😊

🏏 stats:

2021 England v India at Lord’s - the first time in a home test that both England openers have been out for 0. That’s in the 531 home test matches since 1880. 🤯

As a bonus, in checking this I’ve just discovered the HowSTAT! 🔗 website.

🏏 stats:

We have a new record. Haseeb Hameed’s nought is the 14th duck by a top-three England batsmen this year in England’s 10th Test. It’s the most Test ducks in a calendar year by any team, breaking the 13 by England in 1998.

And I was looking forward to seeing Hameed 😞

Looking forward to seeing Haseem Hameed bat for England again. Probably tomorrow. 🏏

England’s 1st innings (batting) not going too well in the 1st Test Match against India 🏏

England beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in the end, in 16.1 overs out of a possible 18. Thought Sri Lankan bowlers did really well, England win wasn’t straightforward. If Sri Lanka had managed to set a slightly higher target for England who knows … 🏏

Uh-oh rain has stopped play, England 69 for 4 with 8 overs left.

Hoping for a restart at 21:55, reduced to 6 overs and target of 103. 🏏

England v Sri Lanka T20 🏏 England 10 for 2! Chameera bowling to Morgan.

Attending my first cricket match since September 2019 - ready for England v Sri Lanka T20 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 🏏

Check in 🗺 — Sophia Gardens, England v Sri Lanka T20 🏏

🔎 Zoom in

Annual arrival day 🏏

The CricViz app has improved to become a great way to follow live cricket scores - I’m currently keeping an eye on the first match of the IPL and the opening matches of the English County Championship. 🔗🏏

England bowled out for 81. Achieving their lowest total in a Test in India 😢. So far in the day - less than 2 sessions - there’s been 127 runs scored and 17 wickets taken. India need 49 runs to win. Don’t think this is going to last long. 🏏

Now India open there bowling with 2 wickets in the first 3 deliveries by Axar Patel. Wow! 🏏

Joe Root bowling in the first session this morning - 5 wickets for 8 runs in 6.2 overs. His first five-wicket haul. I have been glued to watching the India v England third Test; was meant to be switching to radio coverage so I could get on with some home DIY 😉 🏏

England 112 all out yesterday, India now 125-8 after an hour of play this morning. Some impressive bowling from Joe Root, things moving quickly 😲 🏏

Third Test India v England - pink ball match - at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad is about to start. England batting 🏏

Waking up to a Sunday morning England collapse 😔 🏏

Great news - India vs England TV coverage: Channel 4 seals rights 🔗 🏏

It means the first Test in Chennai starting in the early hours of Friday morning will be the first live Test cricket on free-to-air TV in the UK since the iconic Ashes series in 2005, which was also on Channel 4.