Brave Webbers avoid follow-on
1st Test - Day 4 - Fardin Qayyumi CC
The scenes were out of a storybook when comeback hero Greg Thomas hit Lee for four to save the follow-on for Cricket Web XI. Thomas, his Test career reborn, scored 12 absolutely crucial runs to tick past the required 406. Much of the hard work was done by Mørk before him, but after the opener fell for 160, CW XI still required 16 to ensure that Australia would bat again with five sessions left in the match.
Greg Thomas on the go! (Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
The morning session definitely belonged to Australia. Chris Butler looked a bit more confident than the night before, but only scored 20 when Stuart Clark got him caught in the gully. In came Will Kerr, the surprise debutant. His first challenge was to face Clark and he did so with a single to open his international account. He was not so lucky against Lee, however, and misjudged a quick delivery that smashed into his front pad. Kerr had not played a shot so the umpire wasted little time in raising the deadly finger. A poor period almost got worse as Wilson was dropped by Hayden, though Mitchell Johnson ultimately chipped in with his wicket for 20.
Mørk, the proverbial cheese, looked likely to stand alone. CW XI slumped further into trouble with the loss of Nick Borcich and went to lunch on 356-7. Australia returned to the field with grand plans of knocking over the tail and possibly enforcing the follow-on. Instead they were frustrated by both Mørk and CW XI captain Neil Pickup. The latter was once a batsman worthy of ridicule, but supplied important support and hit Lee for 3 boundaries in dominating a stand of 35. In fact it was Mørk who was first out of the duo, attempting to chip the ball over midoff. He failed to clear the fielder and was out for 160. Pickup was next out for 20 and CW XI were still 5 short of the follow-on target. A single and a pre-meditated blow over point later, they had achieved their first goal.
Thomas was then a maiden Test wicket for Bryce McGain, so Australia started their second innings with a session left on day four and in the lead by 197. Quick runs were certainly required and achieved by a rampant opening stand. Katich survived a close lbw shout and Hayden was dropped at midwicket, but caution was still not the order of the innings. Borcich was roughed up the most of the Webbers seamers and conceeded three sixes to Katich. The opener hit 4 in total and reached 57. Wilson took his wicket with a slower ball and a good low catch, and Ponting and Hayden firmed up the innings to 147-1 at the close.
Australia 1st Innings 605 all out (149.4 overs)
RT Ponting 127, A Symonds 119, B Haddin 76, SM Katich 72, MEK Hussey 54
GM Thomas 4-155, NA Borcich 3-99
Cricket Web XI 1st Innings 408 all out (153.2 overs)
H Mørk 160, AP Cloete 83, PE Young 21
MJ Clarke 3-42, SR Clark 2-69
Australia 2nd Innings 147-1 (33 overs)
ML Hayden 79*, SM Katich 57
MW Wilson 1-21
Australia lead by 344 runs with 9 second innings wickets remaining.