The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Lara reaches 10,000 mark

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Lara reaches 10,000 mark

By Ted Corbett

MANCHESTER. Aug. 15. Brian Lara hit the searing, swerving cover drive that swept him to 10,000 runs on Sunday and then fell victim to the Bradman Factor. Two balls later he was caught at slip; off the new champion Andrew Flintoff whose bowling gave England half a chance to achieve a dramatic victory in the third Test at Old Trafford.

The drive skimmed three feet above the turf and only a yard from James Anderson at cover. Immediately the whole crowd rose to acknowledge the debt cricket owes Lara, his daring stroke play and his three World records. England did not gather round and give him three cheers but Michael Vaughan, the England captain, had put Flintoff on for a purpose and Lara fell into the trap.

Like Bradman in 1948 he appeared to be disconcerted by the moment although he got a superb lifting ball and he was good enough to edge it. He is the third to 10,000, quicker than Sunil Gavaskar by 17 innings and far quicker than either Steve Waugh or Allan Border.

How he will be dealt with by the match referee Ranjan Madugalle will be seen at the end of the match but he could be suspended for the West Indies rate of 13 an hour and particularly for the 22 overs before lunch today.

It was the second explosive moment of a day which saw England lose its grip and then regain it. The only other came before lunch when an over by Fidel Edwards lasted more than 11 minutes. It included a three minute break for a finger injury to Graham Thorpe which threatens to keep him out of the final Test, a no-ball for too many deliveries above shoulder height and one missile at 95.6 miles an hour.

Thorpe scores century

You could tell how shaken Thorpe was by his celebration for his 15th Test century — his third against the West Indies and his second at Old Trafford — was sober compared with his dervish whirl a couple of months ago at Trent Bridge. It may also have been to do with the tempo of play. Lara has despaired of orthodox success and switched to contrived declarations, slow over rates and gamesmanship for wickets.

Thorpe was caught at slip 20 minutes after off Dwayne Bravo who went on to persuade Geraint Jones to play on and caught and bowled Ashley Giles: three wickets in 14 balls for a 20-year-old cricketer with a future. England was all out 330 and 65 behind. Sylvester Joseph was caught at mid-off driving Flintoff at 41 and afterwards he had Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in nine balls.

Windies collapses

At one stage West Indies was 88 for one but Flintoff, Giles and Steve Harmison, emerging like a tortoise from a winter's sleep, had reduced it to 161 for nine when bad light stopped play. That means England will need 236 tomorrow and although Thorpe will bat it will be a difficult task on a pitch taking turn at speed against a team that have been in the driving seat since this Test began.

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