The Aegean Test Championship: Match Report - Day 4
Yet another dramatic swing in fortunes, followed by late drama!
The Greeks began the day on the ropes after a disastrous Day 3 on and off the field, but if the last 3 days of cricket were any indication, this match had more twists and turns to come. The Greeks resumed on 5/1 with Agamemnon and Nestor at the crease, still trailing by 39 runs. The lingering question that hung over the innings, however, would be whether they could restore their relationship with Achilles enough for him to bat later in the day. What transpired will surely be long-remembered by all those in attendance, and go down in history as one of the more remarkable days in Cricket history.
First Session
Hector and Paris continued their probing start from last night, testing the resilience of the dour Nestor and the Greek skipper Agamemnon. There was great buzz around the ground that met every time Hector touched the ball, beat the bat or joined the crowd down at fine leg. Agamemnon met this force with equal resistance, unleashing several crunching drives off loose deliveries in the opening exchanges. Nestor, however, was happy to soak up time and balls, as he had done so effectively in the first innings.
It was Paris who first provided a breakthrough for the Trojans, catching the edge from Agamemnon’s bat as he looked to unleash another thrashing shot. His dismay turned to frustration as he saw the edge sail through to the keeper Memnon, out for 21 from only 20 balls. The smack of his bat on his pads echoed down the changing room tunnel, which was followed by the unmistakable sound of something breaking. Few words were exchanged as his brother Menelaus walked out to replace him at the crease, with the score at 30/2.
Menelaus brough a similar intensity to his batting, scoring at just under a run a ball. Priam expertly rotated his bowling stocks while Nestor held up one end, and this paid dividends when Pandarus trapped Menelaus LBW with a sharp inswinger that caught him by surprise. Making only 12 from 15, his departure left the Greeks in even more trouble, at 51/3. Many hopes were pinned on the incoming Odysseus, who had always shown the ability to survive testing situations. Nestor, now on 12 off 72 balls, brought a sense of calm to the situation and a small partnership developed.
Odysseus got into his work, collecting singles off the majority of deliveries he faced to rotate the strike, while Nestor continued to blunt the bowlers. Probing spells from Deiphobus, Pandarus and Aeneas all tested the pair, but they held out till lunch was just around the corner. Priam returned to his champion Hector, who once again bent his back and targeted the cracks now starting to show in the pitch. Odysseus was finally deceived by a back-of-a-length delivery which cut back in sharply and kept low, skittling his stumps 3 overs from the lunch break. His 23 off 30 promised much, but with the score now at 79/4 and only 35 runs in front, the Greek camp was in disarray.
The noise of the crowd turned from excitement to hushed anticipation as the next Greek batter made his way to the pitch. With Achilles’ signature helmet and bat, the realisation quickly spread that imposing all-rounder had returned to the game to rescue his team. The mood among the Greek supporters rapidly improved as he unleashed a flurry of boundaries off the imperious Hector, taking the Greeks to lunch at 91/4. Not even the Trojans fielders knew, however, that this was not Achilles at all - his faithful ally Patroclus had taken his place, using his helmet to disguise his identity so that all the world believed Achilles was at the crease. This would prove to be a turning point in the day.
Second Session
The lunch break brought a mixture of conflicting emotions for each side, with the game hanging well in the balance. The momentum of “Achilles’” arrival at the crease carried through into the second session, and the Trojans were left in his wake. Patroclus treated the bowlers with disdain, dispatching them to all corners of the oval. Pandarus and Paris came in for particularly harsh treatment, with short deliveries dispatched for six over the leg side on multiple occasions. Anything full was lofted down the ground, with one towering six off Deiphobus travelling well over the sightscreen.
At the other end, Nestor rode the wave of momentum and started to accumulate more runs, at one point even finding the boundary with a well placed dab behind point. Only Aeneas could find some control at times, giving a single to Patroclus and tying Nestor down with a nagging off stump line. Patroclus continued to make merry, reaching 50 off just 37 balls with a lusty six over wide long on. There were muted celebrations at the crease as Patroclus still refrained from giving any indication of his true identity.
The partnership passed 100 in quick time and it seemed the Greeks were running away with the day. Aeneas’ relentless accuracy finally brought about the downfall of the resolute Nestor, drawing him into chipping a rare wide delivery to Penthesilea in the covers. An innings that brought composure to a floundering effort, Nestor was applauded from the field for his 34 from 200 balls. He would be disappointed not to have remained at the crease to see Patroclus, currently on 97, to his well-deserved century. Nevertheless if the Trojans thought things might get easier from there, they had, like so many others, forgotten about Diomedes.
Against a tiring attack, Diomedes settled into his innings quickly and gave the strike over to the dominating Patroclus. Soon after, the crowd stood to applaud what they though was an incredible Achilles century off only 69 balls. They were somewhat bemused when he barely acknowledged the Greek supporters, though it was clear later why he did not remove his helmet to celebrate. The excitement in the stands only abated when the Tea break brought a pause in play, the Greek total looking much healthier at 217/5.
Third Session
After Tea, the Trojans were likely left wondering what had just happened, in a session where they conceded more than 100 runs. Priam was limited in his bowling options, none of which seemed to trouble “Achilles” in any way. The bowlers seemed flummoxed, perhaps because their usual plans to target Achilles were not working against his stand-in. Diomedes was a steady partner, finding the boundary on occasions as well, but playing the foil to the man in form and on fire.
Patroclus continued his heavy hitting, targeting boundaries that were covered by fielders, showing disdain for them and almost taunting them. On most occasions his placement was too good, or else the boundary riders were forced to watch the ball sail over their heads. It was only when Hector returned to the bowling crease that any relief was found, in a testing spell where his short balls proved difficult to get on top of. Hector eventually succeeded in having Diomedes spoon an armpit-height lifter to square leg, where young Troilus wearily pouched the simplest of catches. A helpful innings of 28 off 44 had helped the score to a very comfortable 269/6.
The lead now above 200, the Greek camp were still wary of the amount of time left in the game. Agamemnon seemed satisfied that he could take 10 wickets on the final day, and wanted to be sure they posted a difficult target to chase if they did declare. Greater Ajax came in and batted in a more belligerent mood than ever, punishing bad balls and pushing the strike over to his partner. Patroclus careened past 150 when Hector came out of the attack, smiting Paris to all corners of the park. Aeneas continued his long spell with relentless accuracy, ever growing into his role in the team.
With only an hour left in the day, Priam decided that he could no longer leak runs, in the hope that the Greeks would be forced into a late declaration if they kept the run rate down. He asked Aeneas to bowl an increasingly negative line around the wicket into the batsmen’s pads, while he packed the leg side for his seamers and ordered them to bowl short. Having seen success earlier in the day with his short-pitched bowling, Hector returned to the attack.
In a fiery spell, he peppered both batsmen with vicious bouncers that were either unplayable or unreachable. Ajax was content to duck and weave, finding the odd single where he could; Patroclus, however, was in such an aggressive mood that he could not contain himself. Every short ball was met with a swipe, hook or ramp, often without success. Words of calm from his partner did nothing to subdue his gung-ho attitude, and this would lead to the most significant moment of the day.
Hector, having been hooked for six the previous over, had his hackles up and was not content to repeat the experience. Coming round the wicket and aiming for what he thought was Achilles’ ribs, he dug yet another ball in short. Patroclus would not back down and once again looked to hit it out of the park. However, the ball came off his top edge and caught him beneath the grill at the base of the jaw. Falling instantly to the floor, the fielders immediately rushed to see if he was responsive. Before long, however, the Greek team had stormed the field and fought their way to get to their fallen comrade.
It transpired that Patroclus was still conscious but in bad condition. His great flaw was in wearing Achilles helmet, it did not fit him properly and therefore did not properly protect him against the delivery. It was only when Hector had helped removed his helmet that the Trojans realised that it had been Patroclus, not Achilles, all along. Hector immediately offered profuse apologies to Agamemnon, but these fell on deaf ears as the Greeks carried Patroclus from the field in a tight formation. He was left standing, along in the middle of the pitch with Achilles helmet in his hands, pondering what had just transpired.
End of Play
The Umpires made the sensible decision to call off play for the day, pending a meeting that evening to discuss the continuation of play tomorrow and the issue of the Greeks fielding a substitute batsman without permission. No matter the outcome of these discussions, the final day’s play will be a thrilling one to watch. We will continue to post updates on the status of Patroclus, who has been transferred to a local hospital in a critical condition, and what Achilles reaction to his comrade’s fate will be.
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