Boxing Day Test: Australian vs Pakistan, day four
December 30, 2009
By
Steve Healy
Healy's at the MCG again. This time his team wins...
GOING to the Boxing Day test is a rarity for me, in actual fact I’ve only been twice before. Last year on day three, and in 2005 on day four. On both occasions, the visiting team was South Africa.
While walking into the MCG on a sunny 29 December, I realised that on my last 52/53 outings to this ground, I had seen a game involving two teams of 18. But then again, I was still wearing my Melbourne jumper. Cricket can be a game that plays with your mind.
I sat down in the first tier of the Olympic stand, just as Mohammed Aamer charged in to bowl the first delivery of the day. I find it amazing that a guy only two years older than me can be playing test cricket. Watson and Clarke were at the crease, and they both looked secure. Watson made his way through the 70s and 80s, while Clarke played a nice supporting role by hitting the odd good shot. The score was 3/143, and a 100 partnership had been bought up, before Clarke snicked it behind to Akmal, to bring North to the crease.
As I opened up the barbecue Shapes, the game opened up for Pakistan. Marcus North finally stated playing some shots, but in doing so got bowled to give young Aamer his fourth wicket. His fifth wicket followed two balls later, Haddin edged it behind to Akmal again, who enjoyed a feast behind the stumps for the whole day. But it was Watson who was still stuck in the 90s. He and Johnson put on a few runs, before the bails were taken off for lunch. The score was 6/192, with Watson still stuck on 98, and Johnson on 20. Could Watson put an end to the century curse?
Aamer stormed in to bowl. 15,000 people held their breaths. Watson was on 99. It was a good length ball; Watson played it to point, and appeared to be caught. No! The ball fell out on to the turf, as Watson scurried down the pitch for his 100th run. The crowd stood on their feet and applauded, most in disbelief.
The two went on, but only for a little while. Johnson’s bat fell half a millimetre short of the crease when they went for a second.
Watson started to play some big shots, hitting a few balls to the rope. In the 74th over, the innings came to an end when Hauritz strolled a mile down the pitch, hoping to hit the ball higher than the cream-coloured seat (In level 2A, in the AFL members area, there is a seat to represent where the biggest six ever at the MCG was hit). Akmal whipped off the bails, and Ponting sensed enough was enough, and called the boys back to the pavilion. The time was two o’clock, the score was 8/225, and the margin was 421 runs.
After a short break, Imran Farhat and Salman Butt arrived at the crease. Now, I’m no expert on Pakistani names, but why is the former referred to as Farhat on the scoreboard, but the latter is put down as Salman?
Imran started very well, hitting Bollinger for a two and then a four in his first couple of deliveries. Butt started more slowly, before Farhat went out for 12 on a reviewed LBW decision. The score was 1/18, and Faisal Iqbal came to the crease, who was put down as ‘Faisal’. Tea is shortly afterwards.
The highlight of the partnership is a six from Iqbal, a high ball hit down the ground off Hauritz. Butt is caught plumb LBW off Johnson for 33, and it's 2/80. The next wicket is a cracker, it comes 36 runs later. Iqbal tries to cut a bowl pitched wide from Hauritz, and it unbelievably turns into the off stump. 19 year-old Umar Akmal comes to the crease, joining 35-year-old Mohammad Yousef. They put on 54 runs without a problem, and the day ends with Akmal on 27 and Yousef on 45, and it's 3/170 at stumps, leaving 252 required on the last day. I left the MCG, confident of Australian victory.
One of the many highlights of the day was seeing Doug Bollinger stick his finger up at a member of the crowd, which happened late in the last session. One of the worst decisions was bringing on Katich was three overs left, but he did almost get a wicket off his first ball, Hauritz couldn’t hold on to a gettable catch.
And I got fairly sunburnt.
Australia won the Test by 170 runs.
• Photo: Test cricket at the MCG 1978/79 season Australia vs England. This game started on 29 December so this Boxing Day Test business isn't such a big tradition. Australia won by 103 runs but lost the six match series 1-5. In this photo Rodney Hogg is the bowler. Allan Border made his Test debut and Graham Wood, who made 100 in the first innings in a low scoring game was man-of-the-match. Photo by Les Everett.
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