West Indies Vs England - Test Series
- Thread starter Red Astaire
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These low-scoring test matches are great because you never know what's going to happen! Something tells me that quite a modest lead might be enough for England to win.
I must have a look at the betting odds!
Do! I agree as well. The pitch is deteriorating so fast. All that heat and wind have turned it into a creme brulee! If Ballance and Stokes can knock up a semi decent partnership and the tail wags a little it's game on. I'll be watching but there's no hiding from the fact they are massively up against it.
Gonna be an interesting summer for the England cricket set-up if they lose this. What price Moores and Cook for the axe and Pietersen back in (tho' presumably not as skipper)?
A wicket finally! 34-1. Yummy
Lovely - Game on!
Chopped on!!!! 80-4 Chanderpaul as well. Brilliant. I don't like cricket..... I LOVE IT!
That's what did it as well. Root keeping things tight and choking the windies. It's compelling stuff.
I'd have him back. If only to shake it up a bit. Let's be honest with Trott gone there a spot open. Not as an opener obviously. Buttler needs moving up and Broad needs to move down. Morgan sadly is not a test player. I dunno pickings seem to be slim.So it all went tits up for England?
Big changes before the New Zealand series? I don;t want Pietersen back, although others will disagree!
I'm not a massive follower of county cricket. There has to be someone out there who can step up. Bairstow maybe? I'm out of the loop so no idea of form or injury etc. Any ideas GK?
I stopped watching after they got to 100-4. I decided my night was best used watching Hitchcock movies. The 39 Steps rocked my Sunday night. Ace movie.
I stopped watching after they got to 100-4. I decided my night was best used watching Hitchcock movies. The 39 Steps rocked my Sunday night. Ace movie.
I'm about the same! I hope the likes of Overton and Mills get tried out for bowling duties, because they have some pace, and Rayner for spin. Bairstow deserves a chance, I think. I feel awful for Trott - why the heck bring him back to open? Let him get back some confidence then consider him for batting at three. But we're way too defensive in our first four batsmen. Root needs encouraging to be positive, and Sam Robson might earn a chance. But like you, apart from Lancashire, I don't watch too many county players.
Trott to open was the dumbest decision and I'm gutted for him. I mean why? I really like Trott. Harmisen was pretty much the only one who was in his corner. I get he has problems with the short ball - That being the case - Why the fuck open with him? Moores is a big problem in my opinion. I still enjoyed several hours of the cricket as opposed to the 15mins of footy this weekend though.
Anyway I'm going to stick a bit more Hitchcock on (I'm a little obsessed at the moment) Enjoy the rest of your weekend @gkmacca Have a good one.
Anyway I'm going to stick a bit more Hitchcock on (I'm a little obsessed at the moment) Enjoy the rest of your weekend @gkmacca
Have a good one.
Moeen Ali should open. Excellent player, knows how to set himself for the long haul when needed and, as you might gather from that, has a very stable temperament. His off spin is more than useful as well.
I'm with Portly on the Pietersen question. Whatever his individual ability, he is absolute poison off the field and it was still a team game last time I looked. Have those who want him back, here and elsewhere, learned nothing from his career so far?
I'm with Portly on the Pietersen question. Whatever his individual ability, he is absolute poison off the field and it was still a team game last time I looked. Have those who want him back, here and elsewhere, learned nothing from his career so far?
Maybe he's learned a few lessons JJ. I agree completely that it's highly unlikely that he has but given the undoubted talent he has it might be worth a second chance.
They still tend to wait too long say until a player is 28 years old before picking them for tests. That mentality leads to failure and these seemingly older players actually have zero useful experience. Then they wonder why they can't cope under pressure. In that system their only chance is to hope a group of top players come along at once, because you will never be able to produce them otherwise.
Me too, I'm fed up with the media constantly reviewing the odious tool's every innings. Meanwhile Alex Hales scores 236, 141 and 94 in the last two championship games ( division one too ) and not a dicky bird. Anyway with Strauss nailed on for the director of English cricket role the door has probably slammed shut.
I thought that was a fantastic afternoon's cricket and well played by the West Indies batsmen under immense pressure. Who knows what would have happened if Buttler had taken the stumping. I don't think we should be hitting the panic button, a poor batting innings can happen and the West Indies bowled brilliantly in the second innings.
Now Trott has retired we need an opener, I would have Hales but I suppose Adam Lyth is next in waiting. I would rest Ali for the NZ tests, not much use for a spinner in England in May and hope he gets a bit of his control back, he will need it for the Ashes. I would bring in Mark Wood as the extra seamer, Mills is left arm which we need but is a bit raw and is injured atm anyway.
Opener wise we have some real talent in county cricket and I hope at least one or two of them get placed onto central contracts:
- Lyth. As we all know he was in great form all of last season, propelling Yorkshire to the Div 1 title. For me he had to be given game time although you could argue the fact that he is in good form as not requiring matches to get up to pace like was required for Trott.
- Hales. In short form he has to open for us in my opinion but I also think we are missing that spark in our top 4 of someone who has the ability to change gear and accelerate a run rate if required. He's started the season off with a big double hundred that hopefully has the selectors taking note.
- Robson. Personally I would have liked to keep him in the team after his first two series. I like him as a batsman, looks very traditional and one I expect to continue to grow in confidence and hopefully claim a spot back.
I still think it is criminal that we have these three all available and we chose Trott as a makeshift opener.
- Lyth. As we all know he was in great form all of last season, propelling Yorkshire to the Div 1 title. For me he had to be given game time although you could argue the fact that he is in good form as not requiring matches to get up to pace like was required for Trott.
- Hales. In short form he has to open for us in my opinion but I also think we are missing that spark in our top 4 of someone who has the ability to change gear and accelerate a run rate if required. He's started the season off with a big double hundred that hopefully has the selectors taking note.
- Robson. Personally I would have liked to keep him in the team after his first two series. I like him as a batsman, looks very traditional and one I expect to continue to grow in confidence and hopefully claim a spot back.
I still think it is criminal that we have these three all available and we chose Trott as a makeshift opener.
Agree with all of that, especially about Robson who I think was sidelined much too quickly. Hopefully the enquiry Graves was talking about will include selection in its remit.
Surprised nobody's taken me up on my suggestion of Moeen Ali to open though. Been there, done it and brings quality spin bowling to the table as well.
Surprised nobody's taken me up on my suggestion of Moeen Ali to open though. Been there, done it and brings quality spin bowling to the table as well.
I think Robson was a victim of the over analysis we see now on TV. They kept hammering home a point about bowing to him full and in 'the corridor' and that it would cause him problems (it causes most batsmen problems!!) but they just wouldn't let it go which I think will have then reverberated around the team/ squad/ coaches and gave an excuse to drop him.
Ali opening would be interesting, we need to find a way of getting in another seamer, one with raw pace to make a chance to the very similar speeds of Anderson, Jordan and Stokes. He doesn't strike me as very disciplined but its certainly an option. At the moment he is the bowler most at risk of being removed in order to bring in another seamer but that then places a lot of pressure on Rooty.
Ali opening would be interesting, we need to find a way of getting in another seamer, one with raw pace to make a chance to the very similar speeds of Anderson, Jordan and Stokes. He doesn't strike me as very disciplined but its certainly an option. At the moment he is the bowler most at risk of being removed in order to bring in another seamer but that then places a lot of pressure on Rooty.
Mmmm Robson was given 7 tests against two of the least potent bowling sides in test cricket and his form tailed off dramatically. I think he had his chance and I would give it to Hales. You would then have an aggressive rh bat to complement leftie Cook ( Lyth is another leftie ) Moeen needs to get lots of overs under his belt and he just won't be bowling much in the nz series so I would temporarily send him back to Worcs.
It would be great if we could find a quality left arm quick bowler, I would give David Willey a chance in the side as an all rounder instead of Jordan, and perhaps give Plunkett or Wood a place for Ali.
Despite all the doom and gloom I think in test cricket there is room for optimism, we have loads of improving young players coming up, i don't think we will be a pushover in the Ashes at all.
It would be great if we could find a quality left arm quick bowler, I would give David Willey a chance in the side as an all rounder instead of Jordan, and perhaps give Plunkett or Wood a place for Ali.
Despite all the doom and gloom I think in test cricket there is room for optimism, we have loads of improving young players coming up, i don't think we will be a pushover in the Ashes at all.
