|
|
Change Your Life! |
Atherton, 108 not out, props England to 232 for five at lunch |
|
News |
June 4, 2000
NOTTINGHAM, JUNE 3 (AP) - A fine unbeaten century by Michael Atherton hit the gloom out of the rain-affected second cricket test on Satureday as England reached 232 for five at lunch on the third day at Trent Bridge.
Atherton, who has been waiting since the end of the first day on Thursday, took just nine balls as he flicked medium paceman Neil Johnson through mid wicket for his 14th boundary to reach his 14th test hundred in his 97th test match.
After rain had delayed the start by 75 minutes, England resumed on 203 for three but soon lost Atherton's overnight partner Alec Stewart in the third over of the morning and soon after Nick Knight, both trapped leg before wicket by Guy Whittal.
At lunch Atherton was unbeaten on 108 and Andrew Flintoff on seven runs.
Stewart, a first test centurian, was trapped leg before wicket by medium paceman Whittal after adding just one run to his overnight eight.
But in the next over Atherton twice hit Johnson for boundaries to reach his fifth century here at Trent Bridge.
Whittal, who triggered a minor batting collapse in the only innings England batted at Lord's took 2-2 in three balls as the batsmen struggled to negotiate his wobbly medium pace under helpful conditions.
Zimbabwe's second breakthrough of the morning came with the second new ball.
With 105 overs lost over the first two days, play finally got underway at 12:15 hrs. local time (11:15 hrs. GMT). In the revised playing hours to makeup lost time, stumps will be at 19:00 hrs. (18:00 hrs. GMT) and the tea break at 16:10 hrs. (15:10 hrs. GMT).
Atherton, 32, has so far provided the backbone of the England batting. After figuring in a 121-run opening stand with Mark Ramprakash (56), Atherton added another 61 for the second with skipper Nasser Hussain (21).
Atherton, who became the most successful test run-getter at Trent Bridge when he passed Dennis Compton's 955 runs, has batted for five minutes short of six hours and hit 15 fours and a six off 260 balls.
The former England skipper remained composed throughout a difficult period for batting on a rain-affected pitch and dug deep to score his fifth test century here and his eighth at home.
It was Atherton's first century against Zimbabwe in four tests and followed his 55 in the first test. It was also Atherton's 50th first-class hundred.
The home side won the first test in convincing style, handing out an innings and 209-run defeat at Lord's to Zimbabwe.
|