http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013’s opening day performance at Lord’s – Cricket News Update
After a week of turmoil regarding the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 fiasco, England finally charged at the South Africans on Thursday, at Lord’s, in the third and final Test of the series.
The hosts made early inroads, thanks to Finn, and reduced South Africa to 54 for four, before Graeme Smith’s men fought their way back in the game.
Talking to Sky Sports 1, Finn, who took three wickets in the morning sessions said, “We're 11 guys who just want to go out and play. We bowled well. We bowled in partnerships well today. They aren't away from us - they only scored at three an over.”
“After Monday everything was swept under the carpet. We've got through tough times together, we've done that well in the past and today we showed that again,” he added.
He regretted for not having South Africa bowled-out before stumps, but was satisfied by the way he and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JM-Anderson-c1705 performed against the tourists.
Both Anderson and Finn wreaked havoc on the Proteas, who were in trouble earlier in the day, and had it not been for a superb innings of 61 runs by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JP-Duminy-c1742, the visitors might have found themselves bowled-out on a meagre first innings tally.
Hoping to give http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 a run for their money on the second day, Finn said, “Hopefully it will be overcast in the morning and we'll get the three wickets early and then the sun will come out.”
With England down 1-0 in the series, the Lord’s Test holds great importance for the hosts, as they need to win in order to salvage their number-one spot in Test cricket.
However, with the exclusion of Kevin Pietersen, former English players believe the Poms are a weaker unit, mentioning the fact that KP single-handedly averted an imminent defeat in the second Test, at Leeds, by smacking an exuberant innings of 149 runs,
which helped the hosts draw the match.
Nonetheless, spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501 in an interview last week reckoned that the departure of KP would not weaken the English squad, and they would do whatever has to be done to save their top spot in Test cricket.
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