The Hindu : Langer lasts longer, England struggling

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Langer lasts longer, England struggling

By Ted Corbett

MELBOURNE Dec. 27. Once again those among the 50,451 cricket addicts leaving the MCG tonight had plenty to discuss as they took the train to the Geelong, the tram to Toorak or the short uphill walk back to the centre of the city.

A huge Australian score of 551 for six declared, a double century from Justin Langer, a stoic's farewell from Steve Waugh and, may heaven preserve us, another set of television replays that proved absolutely nothing.

Two-thirds of the day was utterly predictable as Langer progressed steadily towards 250, the biggest Test score of his career, as he and Waugh added 129 for the fourth wicket and Martin Love, already two double centuries to the good against England this season, sailed to 62 without a pause.

How easy he must think Test cricket is; how easy he made it look, and how mundane. As Waugh will tell him there is nothing simple about the game. A year ago he was a champion, scoring runs at will, captain of all he surveyed, now he is a target for anyone's arrows and, so it seemed, had to score a substantial number of runs in this match, and preferably more than 100, to continue to lead Australia.

He reached 77 safely enough but then he either (a) edged a ball from Craig White to the wicket-keeper or (b) missed it by a tiny margin. White and James Foster had no doubts; Dave Orchard raised his finger promptly and the dream of Waugh was finished. He paused, long enough to suggest that there was a doubt and then strode manfully towards the dressing rooms.

I cannot remember feeling more sorry for any cricketer. His own vision of himself is as a practical athlete, who cares nothing for sporting hyperbole, who resents hero worship; yet the crowd rose and cheered him until he disappeared.

What tumult there must have been in his mind? He had made 77, a nothing score for the man who needs one more century to equal Bradman's 29 but, five paces before he was lost to sight he could forbear no long and raised his bat in a single, unwilling gesture before he was lost to the most passionate sporting gathering in Australia. He will not lead the side here again, more is the pity because, for all his cussed, cool, awkward and even miserable character, he has made them his friends.

Langer needs friends like these. He is a worthy Test cricketer, even if he does get hit on the head too often, but when he and Love were batting together it was difficult to hope there were spare tickets for their next performance. Still Langer, and by the end Longer seemed a more appropriate surname, went on for nearly ten hours and barely made a mistake and when this game ends predictably in an Australian win his 250 will rightly give him the man of the match award.

Waugh declared just before tea leaving England 34 overs of struggle. It lost Michael Vaughan, who had already dropped three catches for 11 and Marcus Trescothick, who looked better than for a while, for 37; but the strongest talking point came when yet another catch was sent to the third umpire who could not make a decision out of a fuzzy television picture.

Nasser Hussain drove Stuart MacGill to mid-on where Jason Gillespie scooped up the ball and claimed the catch. Some might have given the decision based on Gillespie's expression but umpire Darrell Hair watched a dozen replays and could not call it out.

At least that is as honest as Mark Butcher the previous day, who declared his uncertainty to a chance offered by Waugh. I fancy Gillespie's catch was fairly taken and Hussain was almost on his way when Butcher, of all people, called him back.

Two overs later Gillespie, recalled at the other end, had Butcher lbw and might have had Richard Dawson, the nightwatchman, to a similar ball. No matter. Australia is as much in control as it has been throughout the series and England is once again looking to the skies for Sunday's forecast thunder.

With 255 needed to avoid a follow-on, its chances are nigh impossible and 5-0 looms larger than ever. Or that was the talk on the trams tonight as the Melbourne sports fans warmed to the idea of watching Australia win the fourth Test on Saturday, the third of five, as a warm-up to the tennis next door when, they are equally sure, Lleyton Hewitt will add to their triumphs.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA — 1st innings

J. Langer c Caddick b Dawson 250

M. Hayden c Crawley
b Caddick
102

R. Ponting b White 21

D. Martyn c Trescothick
b White
17

S. Waugh c Foster b White 77

M. Love (not out) 62

A. Gilchrist b Dawson 1

Extras (lb-11, w-5, nb-5) 21

— —

Total (for six wkts., decl.) 551

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-195, 2-235, 3-265, 4-394, 5-545, 6-551.

ENGLAND BOWLING

O M R W

Caddick 36 6 126 1

Harmison 36 7 108 0

White 33 5 133 3

Dawson 28 1 121 2

Butcher 13 2 52 0

ENGLAND — 1st innings

M. Trescothick c Gilchrist
b Lee
37

M. Vaughan b McGrath 11

M. Butcher lbw b Gillespie 25

N. Hussain (batting) 17

R. Dawson (batting) 0

Extras (lb-2, b-2, nb-3) 7

— —

Total (for three wkts.) 97

— —