Australia v Scotland, Group A, St Kitts

No pain, no gain

Plays of the Day by Andrew Miller

March 14, 2007

Majid Haq wasn't quite as ecstatic when he was dismissed © Getty Images

Scalp of the Day
Craig Wright's preparations for this match took a literal hammering when his solitary over against Sri Lanka in Barbados was tanked for 20 runs. Today his luck didn't seem to have improved when he conceded four overthrows in his first over. But then Ricky Ponting, of all the memorable men to dismiss, missed a straight one and lost his off stump. Suddenly the hard times all seem worthwhile.

Quick work of the day
Colin Smith, much to his chagrin, made a mess of an early caught-behind chance off Ponting but, standing up to his opening bowler, Paul Hoffmann, made spectacular amends with one of the tidiest stumpings imaginable. Michael Hussey's toe hovered for an instant as he over-balanced, but that was all Smith needed to gather and whip off the bails. Top work.

Cock-up of the Day
Majid Haq's run-out to end all run-outs. Accidents happen when you're playing out of your league, but this was village by anyone's standards. Left for dead by a suicidal single, reprieved by over-throws, nailed while getting too greedy and attempting a third run. Whoops.

Pep-talk of the Day
Mark Nicholas to his commentary colleagues - Damien Fleming, Daryll Cullinan, Greg Blewett and Barry Richards - in the bus en route to the ground before the start of play. "I want energy and excitement today. I want eight hours of Bill Lawry!"

Chant of the Day
"You've got toothpaste on your cheeks!" - Scotland's day-glo supporters silence a mouthy Aussie with green-and-gold zinc warpaint daubed all over his face. Just as the Barmy Army had managed in Australia earlier this winter, the Brits won the battle in the stands, even if the on-pitch confrontation was a little more one-sided.

Shark of the Day
Glenn McGrath. You just can't write him off. This wasn't a 7 for 15 performance such as the one he produced against Namibia in 2003, but it was every bit as emphatic, as he employed his full armoury of bouncers, yorkers and slower balls to show his colleagues just how to dispense of weaker opponents such as the Scots.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

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