Cricket legend stitched up in X-rated commentary prank

Mike Atherton has left his co-commentators in stitches after reading out a rather X-rated tweet from a fan on live TV.

The former England captain was in commentary on day four of the Poms’ first Test against West Indies on Saturday when the embarrassing mishap occurred.

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Club cricket made its return in the UK over the weekend for the first time since being suspended for the coronavirus crisis.

Atherton and fellow former England player Rob Key decided to celebrate some of the better performances from club land on the Sky Sports broadcast, encouraging fans to send them through via social media.

But Atherton came unstuck when one cheeky fan tweeted: “Unbelievable scenes for Cockermouth Cricket Club, with Hugh Jardon bowling 6 for 9!”

The cricket great relayed the impressive performance to Sky Sports viewers before realising the X-rated prank.

“Hugh Jardon six for nine at Cockermouth, that’s Ben Stokes’ old club,” Atherton said before he and Key both burst into fits of laughter.

West Indies in the box seat in first Test

On the field, Zak Crawley stepped up with the highest score of his short Test career as England established a hard-fought lead but a late surge from the West Indies bowlers left the tourists sensing victory in Southampton.

After losing just three wickets in the first two sessions England blinked late in the day, seeing their next five go down for just 30 runs as they closed 170 ahead on 8-284 at the Ageas Bowl.

The hosts had threatened to take real control for the first time in the match when Crawley joined captain Ben Stokes in a stand of 98 for the fourth wicket, but when Stokes fell for 46 and Crawley followed for 76 moments later the tone dramatically shifted.

Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel shared four wickets in the final hour, with Jason Holder responsible for Stokes' scalp for the second time this week.

Openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley laid a firm foundation, soaking up 10 taxing overs on the third evening and then continuing their good work in the morning session.

Resuming on 15 without loss they settled early to their task, quickly getting on top of the Windies' attack.

Things tightened considerably after the drinks break and, after just 11 runs in 13 overs, Burns' patience snapped as he slashed a short ball from Roston Chase to John Campbell for 42.

Sibley pressed on with Denly at his side, eventually reaching 50 from 161 deliveries. He prodded at his 162nd and saw an inside edge splay his stumps, only for third umpire Michael Gough to hush Gabriel's celebrations by calling a very tight no-ball.

The Trinidadian was visibly aghast but finished the job two balls later, Sibley caught down the leg side in an increasingly familiar fashion.

Denly was out next, for his Test average of 29, when he tamely lobbed Chase to the waiting Holder at short midwicket.

Crawley accelerated his scoring either side of tea and reached his half-century in 80 balls with his fourth boundary off Chase.

With Stokes looking confident and driving crisply at the other end, the fourth-wicket pair soon had the best stand of the match and were two short of the century when Stokes fell, stepping across his stumps to Holder and edging to the first of two gully fielders.

with AAP