Newlands, home of Western Province Cricket, has been
described by many, together with the Adelaide Oval in Australia, as one of the
most beautiful cricket grounds in the World. Nestled behind and at the foot of
Table Mountain it is one of the most picturesque places in the world to watch
cricket.
The home team is not enjoying the scenic surroundings as
England declared at humongous 629/6 … after being 167/4 abd 223/5 at one
stage. This Test no. 2196 is the 2nd
of Basil D’Oliveira Series. Way back in
1968-69, England tour was jeopardised as Oliveira affair snow-balled in to a
big crisis. The point of contention was
whether or not the England team selectors would include the eponymous Basil
D'Oliveira, a mixed-race South African player who had represented England in
Test cricket since 1966, having moved there six years earlier. With South
Africa under apartheid, England's potential inclusion of a non-white South
African in their tour party became a massive political controversy. Under
pressure from the British government and public to show opposition to
apartheid, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) tour organisers sought to maintain
links with South Africa and have the series go ahead without incident. The MCC
selectors faced considerable criticism in Britain after they named a team
without D'Oliveira; when they then included D'Oliveira after all following an
injured player's withdrawal, outcry instead came from South Africa. Compromise proved
impossible, and the MCC reluctantly cancelled the tour. That is history.
At Capetown, it was Ben Stokes who was at the centrestage
making 258 with 30 fours and 11 sixers. The 399 partnership between Stokes and Jonny Bairstow
is England's second highest for in
Tests, next only to the 411-run stand between Colin Cowdrey and Peter May
against West Indies at Edgbaston in 1957.
Ben Stokes bludgeoned one of the great attacking Test
innings - the second fastest double century in Test history - on the second day
of the second Test in Cape Town and those who were there to see it must have
been enriched by the experience. Freckled of complexion and brawny of stroke,
he wielded his bat like a wrecking ball, razing South Africa's attack to the
ground.
A peep in the Cricket records reveals that the fastest is
Nathan Astle’s 153 ball effort against England at Christchurch in 2001-02; the
2nd is today’s innings of Stokes. Third & fourth are our own
Viru. Virender Sehwag 168 ball 200
against Lanka at Mumbai and 182 ball effort at Lahore. 5th is Brendon McCullum; 6th
is again Virupa – against South Africa at Chennai off 194. 10th and 11th are also
his – against Pak at Multan and against Sri Lanka at Galle
What a batter he was !-
Virender Sehwag, the swash-buckler.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
3rd Jan 2015.
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