[speaker001:] They're good to watch something like this.
[speaker002:] Even might be blocking them.
[speaker003:] Tough rule, to bowl to the er new batsman Mahammama, that's his first delivery and he stands rather quickly at that one down on the leg stump, runs away off the pad, there's a shout, I think more of anguish from Tufnell than er conviction.
[speaker002:] Well all the Sri Lankan batsmen seem pretty good at adopting the tactic of sticking the pad down at the back follow somewhere after it.
[speaker003:] Oh they loved that, yes and er, that one's played with a bat, to off and there's no run. Bill to your rescue once more.
[speaker002:] Erm, five foot three and a half. Feeling more like Alaska, [LAUGHTER].
[speaker003:] Almost like er and just in case you haven't anything about, out comes the end sheet as a plays it too. Silly point and there's run, now what have we got on, five feet ten, he's a veritable giant. Trained over here with Mill Hill Cricket Club, that's stuck a bit by er Tufnell and I think we might say that beat in the air, his attempted sweep failed completely. No run, still a hundred and eleven for three. That means an insurance manager. Tufnell bowls, quickly, flatter, and that whistles through outside the off stump, ooh, groans and shouts of disappointment all around the wicket there, echoed by Victor Marks, yeah, yeah in the box. yet to get off the mark. Tufnell bowls and there's a shout again as that goes near diving silly point's right hand, and there's no run, a hundred and eleven for three still.
[speaker002:] Had a very, very good over from Bill Tufnell there, it's always a bit tricky when you come on to bowl and it's turning and it's a long day ahead and you, you're expected to get hissed and you expect to get hissed, and you can get very impatient when they don't come, but he's got one now, he's got, now he's bowled well all morning now, he's bowled almost for an hour, but he's got that one wicket and he, that over was full of confidence, he tossed one up, misjudged the length and got into a bit of a tangle and then he bowled a quicker one which tried to cut, he then misjudged the pace and he could off nick it to the, a very, very good over and he's bowling with, with great confidence at the moment. Lewis taking over from the greatest at the pavilion er Lawrence and er, first time we've seen Lawrence this morning, and on the subject of frustration Victor which you were just airing then, did you by any chance see Tony Locke at er Old Trafford when Laker took his.
[speaker003:] Er no.
[speaker002:] It was terrible to behold.
[speaker003:] I, I was only one at the time.
[speaker002:] Oh, I'm so sorry. You wouldn't have noticed much about it. Here's Lawrence, first time in action today, bowls a ball full length and very stylishly indeed, DaSilva plated off and there's no run. Yeah.
[speaker003:] That is the other thing, when the ball is turning and your partner is turning it mild and getting wickets.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] And you're doing your utmost at the other end straining, trying even harder and harder, the harder you try often the worse it gets.
[speaker002:] That's right, but Locke was turning it on, on occasion and... and just couldn't strike at all, except for the one wicket, if he bowled quicker and quicker he might have been in trouble. A hundred and eleven for three still. As Lawrence bowls to DaSilva.
[speaker003:] Cool.
[speaker002:] And that's a beamer, and DaSilva is, stifled in the extreme, it's a no ball, now whether that was... because it was a beamer I think, but we don't know whether it's overstretched or not as far as footwork was concerned, it brought a run down to square leg anyway, and er DaSilva is now eighteen, total a hundred and twelve for three..
[speaker003:] No, no I think it's just that er, then your sorts of signs I think to indicate that, that was a no ball because it was, I'm sure an unintentional er beamer and er, they still did well really to get a bit of back on here so.
[speaker002:] Slipped out of the hand quite obviously that, it wasn't a deliberate beamer we must add that, that's went out today, thirty-four, here's Lawrence, bowls outside the off stump and the new batsman who is not yet off the mark, lets it go through to the wicket keeper. Hampshire who's been er umpiring at point now trots back to square leg because the point area is becoming rather heavily populated at the moment with a very square gully and er an even squarer point, cover point. Er Lewis and Ramprakash there, so the umpire's view is somewhat impeded, Lawrence in from the pavilion end, bowls to, oh the full length, and he's off the mark with four, steers that down to deep third man, there is no deep third man, and er he indulges in a little token trot to the other end, but no one was going to chase that or, or stop it by any stretch of imagination, four, the total a hundred and sixteen for three.
[speaker003:] And David quite got his bearings right, full toss that one, I've, I've been watching this summer this slope at Lord's can play havoc with bowlers and I always get the impression that er, he's, he bowls better than the nursery end at Lord's, David Lawrence.
[speaker002:] Hm, hm.
[speaker003:] But, Tufnell of course must have precedence there at the moment.
[speaker002:] Oh absolutely, yes. Here's Lawrence, bowls and that's a full length again, but it's down the leg side, glances it very delicately, it's a good throw from Tufnell, well a quick throw from Tufnell, it lands in the middle of the pitch in actual fact, but they have to hurry for the two runs now, one hundred and eighteen for three wickets now and is six, DaSilva eighteen.
[speaker003:] He thinks he's found a friend, in the score box, he keeps waving in that direction.
[speaker002:] What's that? No ball, or one short or.
[speaker003:] No, I guess checking on the number of balls left in the over I think.
[speaker002:] Oh, oh well.
[speaker003:] Cos he's lost the.
[speaker002:] That doesn't often happen.
[speaker003:] Yes.
[speaker002:] All kinds of signals going up there to the score board. Lawrence in again, bowls, ooh, and has a bit of trouble with this one, gets it on the bottom of the bat from which it bobbles away, it's a short leg, and there's no run. And er, I shouldn't really have started this over because Lawrence takes so long to go through it, erm, find Johnson waiting, think it right. Signals to the dressing room, see what comes of that. One one eight for three, out today for thirty-four. Lawrence bowling the last ball of this over and it's a bouncer and gets underneath it, he's six, DaSilva is eighteen, it's a hundred and eighteen for three and after a word for big it will be Brian Johnston. Have to tell you about Henry Hall of Hampshire.
[speaker003:] Well as usual when er David Lawrence comes into the attack things start to happen, in this case, we had a beamer, a boundary, and a bouncer.
[speaker002:] Plenty variety wasn't it?
[speaker003:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Dicky agreed a signal, I can't, you haven't heard before, he lost two of his little erm.
[speaker003:] Oh dear.
[speaker002:] Things he keeps, erm, little barrels, he keeps er number of balls, he's had to put two pound coins in his pocket instead, and I think that's put him off, anyhow he got it right. One hundred and eighteen for three, which means thirty-nine runs added in the first hour today and it's Tufnell coming up now to bowl, DaSilva, up he comes, bowls this one, DaSilva pushes forward and it just goes under the bat and fielded there by the wicketkeeper, no run. Russell pretty good figures, this is er fifteenth over, two for seventeen, eight maidens, giving the one wicket that goes field him for thirty-four and he comes up again, that little hop and bowls to DaSilva goes down the pitch, tips this one up to mid-on, but er won't get one as figure Lawrence is there to stop it, so no run, to play to sixteen overs, seven twenty eight. This is Lawrence's, er Lawrence seven overs, nought to thirty-four and we haven't seen from Lewis yet. Tufnell bowling from the end, round the wicket with a five, four field, that one er just ugly-looking thing there er DaSilva just thrusts his leg out about side leg stump of the ball and hit the pads and goes up.
[speaker003:] They, they brought a fielder from the offside to sort of short square leg to stop him I suppose sweeping and that's why he, he played that ugly padding shot there.
[speaker002:] Yes, while attempting to hit him with a bat. Here is Tufnell coming up again, bowls over and outside the off stump, and that one goes to Robin Smith, and he's hit somewhere on the boot and ricochets off down the pitch. It was a... a well pitched up ball, I like, I like love Tufnell when he gives it a bit of a, on the off stump. He's got his five fielders there, four on the leg side at the moment, so saved, er long leg as well, bowls this one and that again he thrust forward that front pad and DaSilva, and Stewart comes in from mid wicket to field it. A hundred and eighteen for three and the asking rate of the start of the day was er three point six two over, it must have deteriorated from the point of Sri Lanka.
[speaker003:] It was three point eight five a couple of overs ago.
[speaker002:] It must have, er haven't got all that worse then, here's Tufnell comes up again, slightly faster than the other one, hits him on the pad or bit of that pad maybe, Robin Smith's very close in there and once or twice he's dived, he's never quite sure whether off the pad or off bat and pad, everybody shouts at him poor chap, anyhow, catch it, a hundred and eighteen for three end of that one from Tufnell so he's now bowled fifteen overs, two for seventeen that one was yet another maiden.
[speaker003:] And he's bowling very well, he's opposing, opposing all sorts of problems, but he's also getting frustrated because of er the batsman technique of going down the pitch putting his left pad in line with the ball and then letting his back hover behind that left leg and quite rightly my view, Tufnell keeps appealing when this happens, and Jack Hampshire keeps saying not out. What, what it's frustrating for a slow bowler is that if the batsman put his left pad down the wicket and held his bat up in the air, clearly not playing his shot for all to see, then I'm sure that we, you know, it, the batsman be given out L B W quite frequently, but because the bat is hovering just behind that left pad erm, he's never given out. It's a lament.
[speaker002:] Yes, it's a.
[speaker003:] Of old, and Young's a slow bowler.
[speaker002:] Yes, I think they get treated rather tough don't they, I think the batsmen take advantage of the, of the always be in the umpire's mind and he's got to be certain. Lawrence runs away from us now, comes in to bowl to and that one he lets go outside is the right pronunciation, you giggle, you look at the B B C pronunciation.
[speaker003:] I think you've put on one too many syllables.
[speaker002:] I said didn't I?
[speaker003:] You carried on too long.
[speaker002:] I don't think I did at all Dennis. and I shall stick the B B C pronunciation.
[speaker003:] Yeah, disgusting, you as in run that's right.
[speaker002:] That's right, you, thank you we've got the B B C crib there haven't you. Well, well thank you for the supporting me Victor, that snort came from the bearded one there. got back to his mark and we're going to have three slips, Lewis gone to join the slips, so it's er three slips and the gully, as waits for this one, packing were the up comes Lawrence now past Dickie Bird, bowls to him, well pitched up and he played a rather streaky stroke really, and he turns it away down to square Tufnell is down there, fields the ball, throws back quite nicely, he fielded very well, let's say that and one run goes on the total, er so that at the moment three hundred and four runs are needed and it's about three point nine seven the required rate. Three hundred and four runs more needed, it's quite a target this isn't it?
[speaker003:] Well realistically it's out of the question.
[speaker002:] It is isn't it? And of course DaSilva erm, not flashing those strokes round like he did on that first innings er, playing a very sensible innings from the point of view of Sri Lanka, but his erm, haven't seen many of his flashing strokes.
[speaker003:] No.
[speaker002:] Strengthen leg side field for him now. There's a deep mid wicket, a deep square leg, a backward point, a backward square, er short leg and a forward short leg and the mid-on. Lawrence catch behind and he's given out. Caught down the leg side, he wasn't going to walk, he waited for umpire Bird, and that's the Lawrence delighted with England of course too, DaSilva, caught down the leg side, a good catch there by Russell and Sri Lanka now a hundred and nineteen for four and DaSilva is out caught Russell, bowled Lawrence for eighteen. Ninety one balls and one four, and not a typical DaSilva innings and one does wonders whether in the end it might have been better for Sri Lanka to play at a more natural game.
[speaker003:] Yes, it may be, I mean in fact he... he was some problems by Gooch because he, Gooch put a man at deep sort of mid wicket or square leg another one back there to stop him hooking.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker003:] And he showed him firstly he's a wonderful hooker Gooch, he also had two choices, he had two short legs there as well.
[speaker002:] Yep.
[speaker003:] And Lawrence whether he meant to or not banged the ball in short, er round about leg stump, he sort of half went to glances didn't he? I think he just flicked his glove.
[speaker002:] I tell you what, erm, I've got to revise my bit in of Gooch's, I'm such an admirer of him and everything, I haven't, I would have thought he was a brilliant strategist, I think during this summer he's really begun to read the batsmen erm, strengths and failures and and set the field.
[speaker003:] Yeah, well he's certainly prepared to do er, make a few unorthodox field placements and that was a very strange field that Lawrence had.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker003:] And when someone goes out, erm, playing a little hesitantly, you can't, you know, you have to give the, the England team credit for, for posing some unusual problems. It's, I mean he played very well DaSilva I think, but in a completely different mode to the first innings, he was purely set on trying to save the game, trying to battle with, I think he didn't bowl very well, hadn't bowled very many short balls in the day and that was perhaps the first one he's had to receive and er he was caught in two minds really.
[speaker002:] You do take a long time to come out has not reached the non strikers and er, some said he had a little reading from who.
[speaker003:] I suppose they're waiting with their pads on are they?
[speaker002:] Well I don't know, but it, it is a long way down, people who don't know Lord's, you have to come down from, er and er perhaps they're not quite ready, but it is there must have taken, I don't, next time perhaps put the clock on it, but this must be a three minute or three and a half minute.
[speaker003:] Two and a half minutes since the wicket gone.
[speaker002:] Have you, technically, presumably erm, Gooch could appeal, you can be timed out if you're not on the, on the field by that time, but then of course you've got another erm eighty yards or so to walk to up to the far end.
[speaker003:] Are you, it is difficult to cross at Lord's, er, I mean it is as you say, it's quite a trek from the er, from whichever dressing room you're in, down the steps, through the Long Room, there's always someone coming the wrong direction then.
[speaker002:] There's Lawrence now, a left-hander, down to the rear and this one he turns away and it goes straight to short leg and erm, everybody claps up and sits there well, well fielded there by Morris at short leg. comes along, it's a tremendous support, I'd love to be a bowler on England's side cos you get clapped for an... whatever happens.
[speaker003:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] got clapped for the beamer did he?
[speaker003:] No, probably not.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER], and I, I, think we must assume, that, that, he was no ball because he was a beamer and not because of front foot.
[speaker003:] I, I think so, because oh it's still difficult to interpret Dickie's stipulations sometimes, but he was waving his hands towards the scorer.
[speaker002:] Yeah, but he doesn't have, he doesn't have to be noted in the score book, that he was no balled for a, for a beamer, but out of interest perhaps he was letting him er, so Giles there, there, left-hander, played some lovely strokes in the first innings, wasn't in for long, then Shaw goes down on his knees there up and outside the old stump, he's playing backwards, the ball goes through to Russell. By the way the lot of seemed to be played in Hertfordshire these days, and one of the great days is at Harpenden and that's on September the first on Sunday, when they have their annual single-wicket competition, and that's a great local event and it's bound to encourage all the young cricketers in the neighbourhood, they're trying to make up for the lack of cricket in schools, so well done Harpenden and that is on Sunday next, er, er, first of September and I'll give you the time in a minute if I can find it, when it is, it doesn't say, but it's probably all day at the Harpenden club, well done Harpenden encouraging young people to play cricket, Sunday first September. Here is Lawrence, bowls this one on the leg stump, push there, the short play, fielded by Morris and that's a wicket er that was eighteen, DaSilva a hundred and sixteen minutes and he only had one four and if we remember his first innings when he scored forty-two, with seven fours and he was in only for that, thirty-something minutes, was it? Thirty-seven minutes, er a contrast and erm well.
[speaker003:] You may be right.
[speaker002:] I don't know.
[speaker003:] I think, he didn't look natural did he.
[speaker002:] No, I mean, England have bowled much better at him and Tufnell's for example is, is very difficult to get away because it is spinning a little bit and I'm sure that they, the England bowlers must have said to themselves, we're not going to bowl a lot of short balls at, at we must keep it full length, erm, and so part of this slow score is due to better England bowling.
[speaker003:] Tufnell's sixteenth over, there you've just pushed it out and a number er Lewis coming in from backward point. This is his sixteenth over, two for seventeen with nine maidens so far, bowling from the far end, the nursery end with a cluster of fielders, you've got a silly point and a short leg and a slip and he's got er, at the moment four men on the leg side as he's had most of the time and five on the off, and now a slight adjustment, we're gonna have an extra one around the batsman. Lewis is coming up to very close backward point, a silly point we have Smith, a short leg we have Morris so there are a good wicketkeeper and the slip both with hands on hips, are five men round the batsman and a mid-on, a long leg, mid-off, cover and the point and Tufnell false run, erm stops in his run, John Hampshire signals no delivery and they start again, a hundred and nineteen for four at the moment the score. And waits for this one from Tufnell, pushes forward, and it's hit on his pad outside the off stump possibly, loud appeals from everybody, there's a rather high-pitched vocals, I think we've got some young people in or a lot of ladies today. Anyhow there were, the shouts were appealing from the I should think about two thousand, five hundred people in the ground here. Entry was eight pounds today or four pounds for O A Ps and young people, Tufnell comes in now, past John Hampshire, and that one slightly faster one and edge away and was fielded by a falling Lewis at that backward point position, both in there let slip and er I don't think any of the batsmen, I think er not happy at all against Tufnell, er in, remember his very good figures at the Oval and now he's following up with some very steady bowling here, with the pitch does help him. This one now, er again hits him Mahammama on the pad, trickles out on the off side and Goch picks it up from extra cover. Gooch the general who's been switching the field around as to suit each batsman. Tufnell now, with just the three men on the leg side, six on the off, up he comes, bowls this one, tossing it up and driven straight back by, goes straight up to Lawrence mid-off and there's no run resulting from that. So the two men out today, bowled Tufnell for thirty four and DaSilva caught Russell bowled Lawrence for eighteen, the wickets fell at hundred and eleven, not a hundred and nineteen, remind you of the start of this seventy-nine for two. Now one hundred and nineteen for four, Tufnell bowls this one, forward goes and the ball trickles up towards and another maiden over so now they've had sixteen overs, ten maidens for seventeen and er I think in the old days you would have been quite proud of those figures erm Victor.
[speaker002:] I would have been thrilled to bits.
[speaker003:] .
[speaker002:] I see, I mean it's good to see really that er test match has been dom well almost dominated at the moment, by, by a slow bowler, it's an ideal situation for in England, batsmen done their job, England are in command, got lots of runs to play with, but it's definitely the left arm spinner who's causing the, the greatest problem out there, he's, he's landing it in the right place, he likes variation in that over, confident enough [clapping] looks very tempted, always very difficult to come in at first twenty minutes as a batsman, when you've come in on a turning wicket, a very, very, difficult.
[speaker003:] Well he's got six for twenty-five at the Oval so he's doing well in his test career, but it's Lawrence now to bowl for the left-handed, who pushes that one back down the pitch, gets plenty of time. Thank you bowlers, six for twenty-five and then a slight contrast, one for a hundred and fifty, but he bowled a great many overs, that's er, he's proving a very useful addition to the... the England side and he's being used erm very sensibly by Gooch.
[speaker002:] It's also good I think for, for cricket in general that he's got a pitch that helps him a bit on the fifth day and that's how it should be.
[speaker003:] Yeah, course I mean as a bat... er pitched a bat on this is a beau a beauty but are there are rough spots which you've helping the slow left arm, or help any spinner. So waits now as Lawrence comes up and bowls to him and this, oooh off the edge and that's going down up towards the third man, going over the ropes down the far end and [clapping] and that's one boundary there off the edge at one hundred and thirteen for four, Lawrence won't be to happy about that, but it happens to all fast bowlers. One twenty three for four which makes the erm, the target now exactly erm three hundred. Three hundred. Balls being collected, we've got erm three slips and the two gullies still.
[speaker002:] Three point nine six is the asking rate, we've got three seventy five at er, seventy five overs after this one.
[speaker003:] Away goes Lawrence, rumbling away from us now steams up his run waits and ducks, but it goes over the back of his neck through to Russell, no run.
[speaker002:] I'm not sure if David Lawrence is the type of bowler worries about getting nicked before hit before, it happens pretty frequently, he's such an, an, an attacking bowler.
[speaker003:] No, it's bound to happen.
[speaker002:] All he's worried about is getting wickets, and he's, as I think I said yesterday he starts to feel a bit frustrated with his lax control, the ball flows all over the place and then somehow or other he's got at the, the real quality batsmen in the opposition side, he's got DaSilva out, might have been a slightly lucky dismissal caught down the leg side and he's got him out and he's done that in every match he's played, he's given away runs pretty rapidly, but he keeps getting vital wickets as well.
[speaker003:] Well he's running up now, see what he can do with this one, ooh, over second slip down to the four runs another one has slip and a leap [clapping], like Botham and erm, away he went.
[speaker002:] He might be a bit less philosophical about that one [LAUGHTER], in that it was, it was great, it was catchable wasn't it?
[speaker003:] Indeed, well I suppose it was, I did it, I don't think he got a catch did he Botham, he's given a leap in the air and he's now on his knees explaining what's happened.
[speaker002:] Well it went very, very quickly.
[speaker003:] Terribly fast, it was er, er, over his left shoulder going down there like a rate of knots and he's now telling the other slips, putting his left hand showing where it might have gone. Anyhow it's four runs for who is now eight, and he's made them both in four, but, his two fours, eight, when you get three fours, two fours I think and a three in his first innings of eleven. Away goes Lawrence now living dangerously pushes this one forward, that's a better stroke, goes square on the off side to the nearer to the two gullies, fielded by Robin Smith. just one other cricket match, again I said in Hertfordshire, this one's at Ashwall near Baldock, and their cricket club's long way ahead in fact, but it's erm, twenty first September, but we shan't have time to talk about it before two o'clock and it's in aid of the garden hospice at Letchworth, a very worthy cause that, and John Emburey's taking a, a Middlesex eleven against the Cherubs who are the local team, John runs them down there, so that er, that is at Ashwall, two o'clock start twenty first September, have a look at John Emburey and his Middlesex eleven, all in a good, good cause, and the Cherubs watch them as well. Here is Lawrence bowls this one, oh [clapping]. Wonder why he took his bat up just away I don't know. Went through to Russell and certainly a good overlap from Lawrence his score is eight runs, so a hundred and twenty seven for four and now describing play for the next twenty minutes we've got John Adnew.
[speaker004:] He's bowling with considerable pace there, did Lawrence, that wicket's cheered him up and he was rushing in, he's got his line right, round that off stump and plays a bit of a open face anyway, so those in the slip Gordon beware and the one that did get an edge, it flew through, both Ian Botham who's at second and Graham Gooch, they both stand pretty close, they work on the theory that it's better to drop them then to have them bouncing in front of you, but they could have been about five yards deeper in that, the one, that, that went flying through with the character.
[speaker002:] Very quick ball indeed, here's Tufnell, resuming from the nursery end, tossing the ball into his left hand, he's now to bowl to, who's down the pitch driving to Lawrence there's no run. [clapping]. It's a fascinating contest between Tufnell and particularly another right-hander who's found him very difficult indeed. He's having all sorts of problems outside the off [clapping]. Three men catching on the off side, a slip, gully and silly point. There's Tufnell again passed on by John Hampshire, bowling in sweeps that, he gets it away very fine indeed, he's running right underneath us here, he gets to the ball now, you can almost hear his footsteps, past the and a good return, and has two [clapping]. Brings him to nine, a hundred and twenty nine for four. Some chanting from left, and Dennis and Sri Lankans contingents haven't given up hope. Here's facing Tufnell, sweeps again, but he doesn't make contact this time, the ball goes through Jack Russell's leg who now have a bye, Ian Botham moves from slip takes off his psychedelic sunglasses and Graham's to throw to Russell. Now this contest I'm looking forward too, it's young left-hander who plays all manner of strokes, where the superb hundred at Hove last weekend, and er, tucked in particularly since Salisbury the leg spinner, on a short leg side boundary and it was similar situation today. Let's see if he does, he comes Chapel now, to bowl to him and he hoicks that away on that leg side, that's the area you're gonna try and hit it, that's four runs, anywhere near it, so making intentions plain, he's going for that leg side boundary, that was a real power shot, hit with a spin, this is exactly the way he played at Hove, he got away with it there, he moves on to twelve, I think there's going to be a field change as a result of that and quite rightly so. David Lawrence moving from mid-on, he's going to strengthen that leg side boundary. goes in front of square. He's a deep forward square leg and there's Lawrence about thirty yards away from him a little finer, here's Tufnell the he cuts it away on the off side, that's a fine and wide give himself a little bit of room ease that away through extra cover, steward in front of the grandstand, four more, which is the way he plays, sixteen not out. A hundred and thirty-eight for four. Yes all coming in boundaries thank you Bill. From eleven balls, he really is an exciting young player. Surveys that leg side boundary. It's two men saving single on the off side, as a mid-off and, here comes Tufnell again to Bolton, that's pitched up and this time plays a very defensive shot on the off side, the ball trickles out to Smith at point, that's the end of Tufnell's over. Eases on his cap and trudges away towards the out field. has nine and sixteen, Sri Lanka a hundred and thirty-eight for four, yes it has dented his figures, seventeen overs, ten maidens, two for twenty-seven, so ten runs coming off that over. It's exciting though, David Lloyd who's popped into the box again.
[speaker004:] Well that's the way to play I think, against Philip Tufnell, around the bat, plays natural games, you swing it away, swing with the tie, hit with the spin, insignificantly again the next delivery was a rank one which he cracked through the off sides. Take the, take the battle to the bowler.
[speaker002:] Away goes David Lawrence the start of the fifty-ninth over of this innings, a hundred and thirty-eight for four he's bowled to short outside the off stump, he lets that go through to Russell.
[speaker003:] There's one thing, best shot's he played in that innings down at Hove and it was a short boundary, it was a good deal shorter, in fact this one we have here at Lord's in this match, is a six over cover off good old Lester Piggott who was steaming downhill there at Hove all arms and legs and eased him over for six.
[speaker002:] He would have enjoyed that.
[speaker004:] Yeah [LAUGHTER]. He was not a happy man, no, it was a great shot. He give it a full swing of the bat. David Lawrence is a little quicker than Tony, his present with some problems with his last over, edging away through the slips. It's who's facing Lawrence now, he's in and bends off a short ball going towards Botham at leg gully, played it pretty well, in fact, the ball bouncing up towards his ribcage, angle the back down, played it very safely.
[speaker002:] You'll know more about it than me John, but er, I just think that David Lawrence er from the pavilion end is click this morning he's bowled some very, very quick deliveries we've been saying all along that this is a very docile pitch now and a good batting service er, er against the, but there's been some quick deliveries this morning.
[speaker004:] Yes, all that rhythm, one day you have it the next you don't, and er Lawrence has certainly got it today, you can tell by just looking at a bowler running in, if he's easy and relaxed, Lawrence I suppose never really looks relaxed when he's belting into bowl, but he's clicked he's, he's right at the crease. Away he goes again, now, past Dickie Bird he bowls, that's another quick ball outside the off stump and er lets that one go through to Russell. So it is a slow pitch, there's very little pace in it for him, but it never puts him off, he still comes hurling in and er he'll, he'll flat out on anything, that it, we were saying some days he gets it right and others he doesn't.
[speaker003:] Just had a chat with Mickey Stewart and erm, he offered that he thought David Lawrence was a bit tired in the test matches that he's played and that it's took it out of him and not, not very quick. I should think he is tired, he's been running around this field, he's been at deep square leg, at third man and everywhere and he just gave me that blank stare.
[speaker004:] Yes, they haven't really looked after him in the field have they? They could have put him down to graze somewhere and left him there quietly for an hour or two, but certainly yesterday he was running all over the field. Mops his brow with a sweat band on his left wrist, straightens up now, comes steaming in again to bowl to that's a quick ball and fends down into the gully, off the back foot, short bouncing steered it down too smooth. Gooch, and together at second, spinning it, it's sort of back spin version frisbee, er puts it on his head, he'll be happy with the way the morning's gone hmm. They've removed the danger man as far as England were concerned and DaSilva both back in the pavilion and they were the wickets that England needed. Certainly felt if Sri Lanka had any chance at all of knocking off these runs, they had to score big hundreds. Oh that's not to be, Sri Lanka are a hundred and thirty-eight for four and here's Lawrence to pitched up and he drives outside the off stump, the ball goes through to Russell, low again, beaten back at the pace rehearses a shot outside the off stump, he was trying to hit it somewhere through extra cover. Moral victory there for Lawrence who very smartly, it's good to see, oldies pull through, turns on his heels and sets off back again in search of his mark. He's got a long way to go to find it. All of thirty, thirty-five yards I should think.
[speaker003:] Had a chat with Dickie Bird on the way back. Not short of a word Dickie to the bowlers.
[speaker002:] I saw Dickie this morning and I said to him how do you let these bowlers follow through the other pitch? Oh my, oh my,. He's had a good game, they've both had good games, difficult for them with the ball turning and fielders round the bat. An umpire's nightmare really, lots of appeals. Away he goes Lawrence again to the right-handed and that's short on the back foot plays it down with a dead bat, ball bounces [clapping] little more than a yard or two. So another over full of effort from David Lawrence, he takes a massive breath and then heaves himself off some distant corner of the field. A hundred and thirty-eight for four, has nine sixteen and Lawrence has completed thirteen overs now, one for forty-three.
[speaker003:] Best bite of erm when everybody's round the bat and there's a bit of action.
[speaker002:] Do you think so?
[speaker003:] Oh I do yeah, I used to love it and I'm sure these two er get, I mean very, very good umpire is Dickie Bird and John Hampshire. They'll, they'll be happy with this situation with fielders around the bat and having to make decisions.
[speaker002:] Well there's three men crouching round them now, as Tufnell comes to bowl to, who covers up and plays a very certain spec defensive shot. There's Robin Smith, who's moved a little straighter in fact, you can't call him silly point now, he's more of a silly mid-off, on that's sort of line, and he's about three yards on bat, two men out, deep on the leg side, there's tough on the who's hoisted that one away on the leg side, I think that could well be safe for, who's chasing wicket, two bounce it's over the rope, and four more runs [clapping] to, he's kept up his one hundred per cent boundary rate, moves on to twenty, five fours, and it, again, his eye very much on that short leg side boundary and Tufnell and Gooch they're having further consultations and that leg side field being adjusted again. Lawrence is coming squarer, which means I'm sure that becomes squarer. He's gone to bowl in the deep mid wicket position and Gooch just giving himself a few yards er mid-on. Here's Tufnell again for, that one comfortable low in turn, he played pretty well in fact, but it's down in front of his feet and then very sportingly picks down and picks the ball up gives it to Jack Russell. Very refreshing attitude this young man... only twenty-one. straight through Smith's hand, this time, I'm sure that's the Stewart a little in fact shies at the stumps that's the bowlers in, was well home. was suppose to rapidly back up, he's twenty-two, born thirtieth June 1969.
[speaker003:] He's got a single.
[speaker002:] He has he's broken his little sequence there, twenty-one. A hundred and forty-three for four. Interest to see how he plays David Lawrence when he gets his he'll be, he can just slash him away on the off side. on nine, facing Tufnell, digs out a full-length ball and guides it down on the off side, poor old David Lawrence has to give another painful chase their from backward point, [clapping] but er, he lumbers after it and sends it an energetic return on the er, he's swivelling round as he threw it. Poor David Lawrence the ball does seem to follow him around whenever he's bowling as well he, ease himself back to his position now two more to, he moves on to eleven. A hundred and forty five for four. waits for Lawrence to reach his position. He's there now, a little and Tufnell aborts his approach, gets up to the and dries his hands in the dust of the foot holes and sets off back to his mark. He's bowling from the nursery end here at Lord's, where a skip comes in to, leg stump, but he flicks that one nicely round to. He'll a deep square leg. He sends the return one more to, he keeps the strike, the end of Tufnell's over, a hundred and forty-six for four chasing four hundred and twenty three runs to win.
[speaker003:] David Lawrence is certainly having a lot of work to do in the field as well as bowl, runs a long way, that's to be better at deep back with square leg, in place of Philip DeFreitas and let Daffy do some running about, he's just had a drink there. is fine swinging the ball with the tide erm, when Tufnell's bowling, just an alteration in the field, Mike was deep forward square leg, if, if, that's the right place he was neither square legged or mid wicket and it's prompted him to move straighter, but he's just a natural swing for the left-hander to hit with the tide in that mid wicket area. Which he, he did with relish, he looked at the area, assessed it, thought well I can get it there without any problem at all. Prompted Gooch to move mid wicket.
[speaker002:] Gooch has moved himself now to a very advanced second slip, no he's going back to the aisle or to, I thought perhaps his position as Lawrence comes into short down the leg side and Russell takes it on his knees, but the conscience I think of the ball not carrying, he just mostly can, Chris Lewis that, come up a yard or two and Lewis scraps a mark with his boot. who's probably the orthodox first at position a yard or two behind Jack Russell and Gooch is probably a yard in front of Jack Russell at second slip and Lewis a foot or two up on him at third. Conscious of a ball not carrying through all the time to Jack Russell and while a slash or a drive will go very fast to them, have to be sure that the ball is going to carry. Away goes Lawrence, shirt soaked with sweat, he bowls to who plays well forward taking the bottom hand off the bat and the ball rolls up to Lawrence who doesn't field it, it's Hugh Morris running from short leg, who then hands the ball to Philip DeFreitas, gives it a good shine on his right thigh. Lawrence I think gave his handkerchief to turned his nose up a little and stuffed it into his left pocket.
[speaker003:] It's the sweat rag erm, David Lawrence er, uses that at the end of every ball er from DeFreitas, just to wipe his palms, he really is sweating profusely as you say, his shirt is very, very wet, he's had a lot of work to do.
[speaker002:] A very warm day here at Lord's, breeze just starting to get up a little, in fact the sun has just disappeared behind one of a very few clouds. Away goes Lawrence to, takes it again with the bottom hand away from the bat, it's off the back foot this time, stabbing it down in front of him, a short of a length ball. Yes, there's the er sweat rag as you call it being tossed from DeFreitas to Lawrence who, as he dries his hands rather like a towel.
[speaker003:] Well, his which is a brute of a delivery and the, the new directive of course Dickie Bird immediately called it normal.
[speaker002:] [clapping]. Great, nasty ball to get. It was DaSilva wasn't it, who lucky not to er to be rattled on the hand by that.
[speaker003:] No intention I'd thought.
[speaker002:] No slipped out.
[speaker003:] Still got to deal with it.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]. Tell me, if you've had ninety miles an hour, straight at your heart. Lawrence takes a deep breath and starts off again, with this massive approach, comes in now to, it's short and it ends in a way I think probably off the body, he tried to take the bottom hand away again, that, that they do seemed to be trying this angle of attack at him, as Botham there at leg gully and a short leg and they're trying to be, don't forget the balls at 's ribcage, he's certainly troubled by that one.
[speaker003:] He looks right David Lawrence I must say and that was a very, very quick delivery and getting back to your other point, that slips coming forward going back, it's just every now and again that it doesn't come out right from David Lawrence, it goes down comparatively slowly, but when he does get it right, it really flies through to slips. There's a huge I know we keep saying it, but, it really is his greatest virtue. Away he goes again with those huge boots of his, steaming in now to, that's pitched up, raps him on the pad, ball go, going down the leg side. Trevor stung a little he's adjusting his thigh pad now rattled in there at the rate of knots, and er Hugh Morris at short leg fielded. I think we've said it before did, about David Lawrence that he, he has the ability to bowl very quickly and in that learning curve of test cricket, he's now got to go from a, a lad who goes for five and six and all the regularly, he's got to drop that economy rate, down to three and still take the and then he's a test bowler.
[speaker002:] Yes, he's got to become with experience, only come with playing tests.
[speaker003:] With and Malcolm not really firing for Derbyshire, I shouldn't think Lawrence would be a virtual certainty for the winter team.
[speaker002:] He comes down to and that's a better looking shot from, comfortable, defensive slope which he pushes back up the pitch and [clapping] from mid-on, a rare a house bowl with, with more economy, great economy, er in this innings, walking over one for forty-three, a hundred and forty-six for four.
[speaker003:] Well, also better figures er, what you've got to stress is that he doesn't lose pace. He bowls more consistently, he gets it in the area that troubles top test class batsman which is off stump, a decent height and a decent pace, without really falling all over the shot, only come with experience.
[speaker002:] He's trotted away down to deep square leg and Trevor Ward the Kent batsman there with a large drink for him. It's Tufnell to bowl to, he's a good contest he edges that one away on the leg side just for a single, that's a shame because er, it really is a good contest this. He has a run, Hugh Morris jogs after it and returns the ball to Russell. moves on to twenty two. A hundred and forty seven for four, the chanting continues with. Sri Lankans there certainly supporting their, their team. [clapping] Cluster of four fielders round 's back now, they're all crouching as Tufnell comes in to bowl to, is it an appeal from Tufnell as the ball raps him on the pad but he's playing well forward, but the question Tufnell is asking really to John Hampshire is he playing a shot? He's just hiding the bat behind the pad.