Crucial Cook shines again as Lions secure battling draw

 

Sam Cook was a crucial part of England Lions’ squad once again in the drawn second four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane as he formed one half of a match-saving last-wicket partnership.

With the Lions requiring a difficult 337 in their second innings to win the match at Allan Border Field following Tim Ward’s century for the hosts, they slipped to 146-6 to leave them in recovery mode.

When the ninth wicket went down with 91 still needed – or, more likely, 7.3 overs still to survive – Cook joined Josh Tongue at the crease, but was able to valiantly defy the home attack with an unbeaten eight off 25 balls.

Contained within that was a glance through backward square for four off spinner Hugo Burdon that brought up the Lions’ 250, before a final maiden from Tongue, who finished unbeaten on 19, completed the job.

Not many would have expected the Lions to need to battle that hard, especially considering they had secured a first-innings lead of 105, thanks in no small part to Rocky Flintoff’s century that pulled them from 161-7 to 319 all out.

Cook was also a key part of that, having complemented Pat Brown’s five-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, by taking 2/31 as the Australians were bowled out for 214.

However, despite Flintoff’s counter-attacking 108 off just 127 balls that included 15 boundaries, of which six were sixes, and a further 4/47 for Cook in their second innings, the hosts were unbowed.

Led by Ward’s 120 – his second ton in as many games – and half-centuries from Jack Clayton, Nivethan Radhakrishan, and Ryan Hackney, the latter of whom was unbeaten – the Australians declared on 441-9.

There was some resistance from Matty Hurst and James Coles, who hit 53 and 67, respectively after the Lions had been reduced to 84-5, but by the time they both departed, there were still more than 20 overs left in the day.

Fortunately for the tourists, Flintoff and full England regular Shoaib Bashir were able to see out 14 of those between them, before Tongue and Cook took up the mantle to secure the draw late on.

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