Ashes 2021-22: England coach Silverwood to miss fourth Test

By Sports Desk December 29, 2021

England coach Chris Silverwood will miss the fourth Ashes Test after a family member of the touring party tested positive for coronavirus.

Silverwood's position has come under question after England's dismal form in Australia, with the hosts having already retained the urn by racing into a 3-0 series lead.

Defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide were followed by a capitulation in Melbourne this week, with the third Test not even lasting three days.

Silverwood will be unable to be in attendance for the fourth match of the Tour in Sydney, as England desperately search for a result in order to avoid a whitewash.

A family member who travelled to Australia has tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest round of PCR tests administered to the touring party, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed.

Silverwood will therefore have to isolate for 10 days, along with his family, in Melbourne. Another round of PCR tests will take place on Thursday.

The fourth Test is due to start at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 5, with the series finishing in Hobart after coronavirus regulations in Western Australia meant Perth was unable to host the final match.

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    The tourists chose to bat first, having made six changes from their Test defeat to New Zealand earlier this month, but things did not go well for them as they were reduced to 32-3 and 73-6.

    Virat Kohli struggled again and went for just five after being caught by Usman Khawaja. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and number three Devdutt Padikkal were both playing in Australia for the first time and were dismissed for ducks.

    Rishabh Pant (37) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) dragged India to a level of respectability before their bowlers tore through the Australian batting lineup.

    Jasprit Bumrah (4-17) was India's saviour, producing a spell to leave the hosts 19-3. Nathan McSweeney (10) went on lbw after a review, Khawaja (8) was caught in the slips and Steve Smith was out on his first ball after another lbw.

    Both Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh went for a combined total of 17 runs, with Marnus Labuschagne next to go for two off 52 balls. Pat Cummins was the final wicket of the day, meaning Australia finished on 67-7 with Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc at the crease.

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  • 50 years of Greatness: Philip Spooner sits down with Sir Viv and Sir Gordon on their famous Test debuts 50 years of Greatness: Philip Spooner sits down with Sir Viv and Sir Gordon on their famous Test debuts

    Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first day that two of the greatest cricketers of all-time set foot on the international stage.

     On November 22, 1974, Sir Gordon Greenidge and Sir Vivian Richards made their Test debuts against India. The match was played at the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium in Bangalore.

     These two cricketing titans had illustrious careers that spanned from 1974 to 1991 and cemented their place among the pantheon of global sporting icons. During that time, they were pillars of the all-conquering West Indies team, which ruled the cricket world in red ball and white ball formats.

    Both remembered the first day of action on Indian soil “like it was yesterday”.

    The 23-year-old Greenidge was officially the 150th West Indies Test player. He entered with a flourish, scoring 93 and 107. This piloted West Indies to a huge win by 267 runs and a great start to the five-match series.

    Sir Gordon Greenidge

    The 22-year-old Richards is officially listed as the 151st West Indies Test player. He endured a tough start against the wizardry of Bhagwant Chandrasekhar. He fell to ace spinner in both innings for only three and four. But he rebounded in spectacular fashion next match with a sensational 192 not out at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. He struck 20 fours and six towering sixes to showcase his prowess and announce his arrival. West Indies won the match by an innings.

    Sir Gordon said: “It was a great feeling ... a truly wonderful feeling to walk out and open the batting for the West Indies in my first Test match in India. You were going to face four of the best spinners in the world, and that was a frightening aspect. But I’m pleased to say I was able to overcome those fears pretty quicky and was able to get a formidable score and a personal achievement. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to triple figures in the first innings. But I was able to buckle down again in the second innings and got the hundred and the team won the Test match.”

    Sir Viv said: “I didn’t really expect to play … I thought I was going as a replacement … I hit some good form going into the series and the confidence was there. I remember in those day we had some huge crowds … They were maybe 60 000 to 70 000 people in the stands. They (India) were renowned for their spinners, Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar and Venkat, so it was just different in my perspective. Coming from a small island, you were playing in front of a crowd that was as many as the country where you lived… There was quite a lot happening. Those were testing times…”

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     Both ended their careers with stellar records. Richards played 121 matches and made 8 540 runs at an average of 50.2. His best score was 291 against England at The Oval on the historic 1976 tour of England. In his first-class career, he made 36,212 runs with 114 centuries. Greenidge played 108 Tests and made 7 558 runs at an average of 44.7. His top score was 226 against Australia at Kensington Oval in 1991 in his penultimate Test innings. In his first-class career, he made 37 354 runs with 92 centuries.

     Looking back over the 50 years, Richards said that above all, wearing the West Indies colours brought him greatest pride. This was echoed by Greenidge.

    Sir Viv said: “It is not about what you achieve personally, as an individual…but it is much more about what we did as a collective for the people of the West Indies. The same way when we bleed, we bleed together and when we win, we win together, and we have fun.”

     Sir Gordon said: “Getting the nod to play for West Indies. I would have to say is the greatest moment of my career. In a land where people found it difficult to go and I managed to start so well. It might seem very strange to say that, but to get the opportunity to play, I would say I accomplished something that so many people dream of doing. I am happy to get that opportunity to play for the West Indies and for as long as I did. Representing the West Indies is the ultimate. We played for our people in the West Indies and the many people overseas who supported us.”

     Philip Spooner is the former Media Manager of the West Indies team and the former Head of Media for Cricket West Indies. He was also the Global Media Manager for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

     

     

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    Set 353 to win, the Hurricanes were dismissed for 245.

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    The Scorpions started shakily, losing Carlos Brown early for one, leaving them at 12-1 in the third over. However, Campbell and McKenzie rebuilt with a 114-run stand for the second wicket. McKenzie fell to Rahkeem Cornwall for 48, sparking a dramatic collapse.

    Cornwall and Hayden Walsh Jr wreaked havoc on the Scorpions’ middle order, reducing them from 132-2 in the 21st over to 138-7 in the 24th over. Glenn, who had been at the crease during this carnage, held firm as wickets tumbled around him. Jermaine Blackwood, Romaine Morris, and Peat Salmon all departed without scoring, while Brad Barnes managed just four.

    With the Scorpions in dire straits, Glenn found a willing partner in Jeavor Royal. The pair staged a sensational eighth-wicket fightback, adding 124 runs in just 64 balls. Royal’s aggressive 73 off 42 deliveries included six fours and six sixes, providing the Scorpions with much-needed momentum before he fell to Walsh.

    Glenn continued the charge, adding 78 runs for the ninth wicket with Gordon Bryan, who contributed 11 runs to the partnership. Glenn’s unbeaten knock ensured Jamaica crossed the 350-run mark, with Markino Mindley accompanying him in the final overs.

    Cornwall ended with figures of 4-67, while Walsh Jr took 3-78, but their efforts were undone by Glenn’s heroics and the Scorpions’ lower-order resistance.

    Chasing 353, the Hurricanes made a bright start despite losing early wickets and reached 60-3 in the eighth over. Kofi James led the charge with a spirited 79 off 64 balls, featuring seven fours and five sixes. He combined with Jewel Andrew for a 66-run fourth-wicket stand that kept the Hurricanes in contention.

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