Stokes sledges Aussies again as Labuschagne’s county side fall one short in world record chase
Cheltenham: Marnus Labuschagne’s Glamorgan finished one run short of pulling off a world-record chase of 593 as they drew with Gloucestershire in the second tier of the England and Wales county cricket championship on Wednesday.
Mason Crane had levelled the scores with one ball to go on the fourth and final day of the match. Jamie McIlroy then went for a big shot off the last ball from Ajeet Singh Dale but was brilliantly caught behind by James Bracey. Glamorgan were all out for 592 with the match tied.
Crane finished unbeaten on 43. Captain Sam Northeast (187) and Labuschagne (119) had powered Glamorgan’s run chase.
Welsh team Glamorgan, who resumed on Wednesday on 3-222, were dismissed for 197 in its first innings.
Gloucestershire scored 179 all out and 5-610 declared.
Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes has taken a fresh shot at Australia days after the first anniversary of Jonny Bairstow’s infamous Lord’s stumping.
Marnus Labuschagne’s century for Glamorgan was in vain as they fell agonisingly short against Gloucestershire.Credit: Getty Images
Stokes claimed England live ‘rent free’ in Australian heads after last year’s fiery series, which finished 2-2 despite Pat Cummins’ side leading 2-0. Persistent rain in the fourth Test at Old Trafford meant the visitors held on for a draw, confirming they would at least retain the Ashes before England notched a second win in the final Test at The Oval.
Fox Cricket gave short shrift to Stokes’ claims, in the recently released three-part documentary Our Take: The Ashes 2023, that the actions of the English team would “live forever”.
“Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back,” Stokes says to the team in the documentary, England’s answer to The Test. “The reward for our work isn’t what we get but what we become.
“And what we have managed to do is we’ve managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket.
“What we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team – be the team that everybody will always remember.”
Fox responded with the caption “right, yeah, sure” on X before Stokes returned serve.
“Said this to the team who had watched it rain for 2 days when we had our foot on your throats, just tried to cheer up the disappointment to be honest, but anyways rent free and all that,” he posted.
AP and staff writers
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