Tom Curran rues Ashes near-miss
MELBOURNE. - England debutant Tom Curran described his near-miss of a first Test wicket as “the worst feeling I’ve had” after opener David Warner enjoyed an outrageous moment of good fortune in the fourth Ashes Test cricket yesterday.
Tom Curran is the son of former Zimbabwe international cricketer, the late Kevin Curran, who collapsed and died in Mutare while jogging a few years ago and who also coached the Chevrons. Tom went to school in Zimbabwe.
Warner failed a patience test on 99 when, faced with a seven-two off-side field to stifle his scoring, he mistimed a shovel-pull off Curran for a simple catch to mid-on.
But, as the combative opener trudged off, television replays showed the seamer had overstepped for a no-ball from round the wicket, and he returned to clip the very next delivery off his hip for three-figures - having hit 13 fours and a six from 130 balls.
Warner’s 21st century for Australia propelled the hosts to 244-3 at stumps and the Surrey bowler explained his emotions during the unusual episode with the 31-year-old opener.
He told BT Sport 1: “I asked the umpire how my foot was the ball before that and he said that it was half-andhalf, just behind, so I moved it a little bit forward. But yeah, (I’m) gutted.
“It was horrible. It was the worst feeling I’ve had. But, looking at the positives, I get to get my first wicket twice. Let’s just hope the first one is soon. It was disappointing to bowl the no-ball, (on) other days things could have gone differently.”
It was not all doom and gloom, despite Curran remaining wicketless from his 17 overs for the expense of 44 runs on the flat wicket in Melbourne on his first Test.
“It was great to make my debut today,” he added. “It is a proud day. Obviously, (there were) a couple of ups and downs but a proud day.
“Coming out here for the first time, it’s like the Colosseum. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. To be out there playing, to make my debut today - it is just a very proud day and hopefully it’s upwards from here. I found out yesterday morning. (It was) a nice Christmas present.
“I laid in bed for about an hour, your heart does start racing when you start imagining how it’s going to go, but once I fell asleep I slept right through.”
Warner also described his feelings when he was nearly dismissed just one run short of his first Ashes century in the series.
He said: “(It was a) pretty poor shot. I played a similar shot two balls before. It was one of them half-hearted shots that you are in-between.
“Usman (Khawaja) spoke about not pulling and cutting with the wicket a little bit up-and-down and two-paced, then obviously when the umpire said he overstepped, I was praying that he sort of did.
“There was a roar when he dismissed me, but then the reversal was a louder noise.” The opener now has back-to-back tons in the Boxing Day Test, following a score of 144 against Pakistan last year, having recorded just one half-century in his previous nine innings in Melbourne. But Warner feels he should have posted a bigger score after being dismissed by Jimmy Anderson on 103.
“I’m obviously pleased but I am disappointed that I didn’t manage to go on with it,” he added. - The Guardian.