England in West Indies

[barmyarmy]

I know in the CC teams can lose points if their pitch is sub-standard - we just need to extend the definition to add pitches like this.
Imagine the great Windies attack of the 80s being given a pitch like this to bowl on - there would have been riots.

 

[aussie1st]

The pitch SA have prepared has been awesome. An even battle between bat and ball and the thing I love swing! I would love to see more pitches like it where the battle between bat and ball is even through the whole test. These pitches in WI have just been plain flat all the way through.

 

[RoboRocks]

Sarwan was excellent to be able to bat through the day but England's bowling attack leave a lot to be desired.

Why England have picked Sidebottom I have no idea. He's struggling for fitness and the ball was never going to swing much in these conditions.
We should have gone for Amjad Khan, he took 5 wickets in the warm-up game and is a genuine wicket taker.

There is no way this bowling attack is going to win the ashes. I just wish that Simon Jones was fit since he would give this attack more of a dimension.

If we don't win this game, which looks like the case, I would look at some young players like Amjad Khan and Adil Rashid and see how they go. Swann has an injury and it would be best not to risk him in a dead rubber anyway so have a look at Rashid since if he doesn't play it confirms that it was a waste of time being selected for this tour.

As I said, Amjad took 5 wickets and should have been playing in this game so I would certainly play him ahead of Sidebottom for the next one.

 

[Dare]

crying what in the world are these umps thinking, Shiv and Sars could have still been at the crease if it wasnt for that blunder of a decision. And then they go on and do it twice.

 

[ali_ed2001]

These umpires need serious training, they can't even get a decision right in slow motion! Wasn't Daryl Harper the culprit before as well ?

 

[barmyarmy]

From what the match ref was saying Harper only advises. It is the onfield umpire who makes the call. But disingenuous really though as the onfield umpire will clearly take the advice of someone with access to replays.

 

[Dare]

its up to the 3rd umpire to say "hey this one is going over the stumps by a good margin, it doesn't look out". I don't know what he said to the on field umpire but he clearly said the wrong thing.

 

[WestIndian]

its up to the 3rd umpire to say "hey this one is going over the stumps by a good margin, it doesn't look out". I don't know what he said to the on field umpire but he clearly said the wrong thing.

You know what am not even going to respond to some of these guys in here. When England batted, guys like Dan was calling for a ton by this one and a ton by that one. We field like a bunch of grannies, dropped many catches and could have been looking at 350 runs first innings instead we got 600. Suddenly we come in to bat, lose a few guys by a BS system and one guy goes beyond a 100, that is the same guy a few of them said was not a big 100 runs man and it's the pitch, the pitch is the problem because too many runs and too few wickets. WE dropped the wickets, have everyone forgotten that?? Droppers: Taylor 2, Gayle 1, Smith 1, and maybe others, and every one of these drops brought many runs:

Strauss on 58 made 142 added runs 84
Pietersen on 16 made 41 added runs 25
Bopara on 2 made 104 added runs 102
Collingwood on 44 made 96 added runs 52
Ambrose on 0 made 75 added runs 75

More that half of England runs came from guys that was dropped in the field due to our poor fielding, am not complaining but guys come and talk about the wicket and only 11 wickets fell and almost 1,000 runs scored, how many catches has England dropped?
Had it not been for BS decisions by Mr. Harper, or should I say poor advise by him, we would still be batting 3 wickets down, and not because the wicket is so poor as some make it out to be, it is because our batsmen took their time, and they have played well.
Early in the morning a plan was put in place for Sars, when Broad was bowling and it almost worked, thank God the fieldsman was not in place at that moment, he learned from that mistake, so it was not the wicket, if England don't have the magic of the last time they toured the West Indies, then they don't, they can't take 20 wickets without the help of a BS system, then they can't.

Going back to ARG, it was the England players that claimed how quick the wickets was, as soon as it was wet and rolled, what happened? It was another batting paradise, but England did well, they fail to close the game and win it, ok damn, that was a poor wicket too!!!

Truth be told, England still in a stronger position to win this match than West Indies, when you take into account Mr. Harper's help and advise, and if anything West Indies draw's it.
Here is a vision, England 150 on the board, then quick runs, (Shah, KP etc...) another 150 - 200 and have us chasing say, 350 on the last day and bring in Mr. Harper and easy victory!!!

 

[Dare]

if it wasn't for the bad decisions than we would have nobody but us to blame for the position that we are in at the moment. we dropped too many catches and it cost us but in no way did we deserve to be put under pressure because a guy cant see a slow motion replay on TV.

For tomorrow I just hope that Ramdin and Sarwan can add another 100 runs or so. I know that Ramdin isn't much of a batsman but this is a good wicket for batting and he needs to make a 50 at least or he will be under pressure for his batting again. I hope that the lower order can add some runs and help s get as close to the total as we can.

 

[WestIndian]

if it wasn't for the bad decisions than we would have nobody but us to blame for the position that we are in at the moment. we dropped too many catches and it cost us but in no way did we deserve to be put under pressure because a guy cant see a slow motion replay on TV.

For tomorrow I just hope that Ramdin and Sarwan can add another 100 runs or so. I know that Ramdin isn't much of a batsman but this is a good wicket for batting and he needs to make a 50 at least or he will be under pressure for his batting again. I hope that the lower order can add some runs and help s get as close to the total as we can.

I agree, and I have said it, we put us where we are, that said it can't be undone, poor decisions and all, however I hope Sars can get his double and beyond Ramdin 50 maybe more, and frankly if they can bat all day that will be fine with me!!!

 

[manee]

Does Strauss dislike Broad or something? Sidebottom's still looking ineffective and not remotely threatening, but is still bowling. Broad should be on, he stands far more chance of getting a wicket alongside Swann than Sidebottom does. He'll probably go and skittle out the tail and finish with a 5fer now that I've said that though.......

Broad has stamina issues, in my opinion. It is why he gets massive breaks throughout a Test match imbetween spells and why he has problems converting ODI performances to Test cricket. Broad can always bowl a potent Test spell, but a whole innings of competant Test bowling tends to be beyond Broad, hence Strauss gives him prolonged breaks which are having some positive effect.

80 overs after the first new ball was taken - I'm pretty sure.
As I've said before this match is a joke regardless of the referral system; 998 runs scored and 11 wickets gone (some of which shouldn't have been given anyway).
No way England can win this match from here and thus the series. Hardly the best preparation for an Ashes series - playing one of the weakest test nations and looking like we'll be lucky to get a drawn series. Last time we were here we won by innings or 10 wicket margins.
Well done to Sarwan but it's not even worth watching this test anymore.

I know in the CC teams can lose points if their pitch is sub-standard - we just need to extend the definition to add pitches like this.
Imagine the great Windies attack of the 80s being given a pitch like this to bowl on - there would have been riots.

You know what am not even going to respond to some of these guys in here. When England batted, guys like Dan was calling for a ton by this one and a ton by that one. We field like a bunch of grannies, dropped many catches and could have been looking at 350 runs first innings instead we got 600. Suddenly we come in to bat, lose a few guys by a BS system and one guy goes beyond a 100, that is the same guy a few of them said was not a big 100 runs man and it's the pitch, the pitch is the problem because too many runs and too few wickets. WE dropped the wickets, have everyone forgotten that?? Droppers: Taylor 2, Gayle 1, Smith 1, and maybe others, and every one of these drops brought many runs:

Strauss on 58 made 142 added runs 84
Pietersen on 16 made 41 added runs 25
Bopara on 2 made 104 added runs 102
Collingwood on 44 made 96 added runs 52
Ambrose on 0 made 75 added runs 75

More that half of England runs came from guys that was dropped in the field due to our poor fielding, am not complaining but guys come and talk about the wicket and only 11 wickets fell and almost 1,000 runs scored, how many catches has England dropped?
Had it not been for BS decisions by Mr. Harper, or should I say poor advise by him, we would still be batting 3 wickets down, and not because the wicket is so poor as some make it out to be, it is because our batsmen took their time, and they have played well.
Early in the morning a plan was put in place for Sars, when Broad was bowling and it almost worked, thank God the fieldsman was not in place at that moment, he learned from that mistake, so it was not the wicket, if England don't have the magic of the last time they toured the West Indies, then they don't, they can't take 20 wickets without the help of a BS system, then they can't.

Going back to ARG, it was the England players that claimed how quick the wickets was, as soon as it was wet and rolled, what happened? It was another batting paradise, but England did well, they fail to close the game and win it, ok damn, that was a poor wicket too!!!

Truth be told, England still in a stronger position to win this match than West Indies, when you take into account Mr. Harper's help and advise, and if anything West Indies draw's it.
Here is a vision, England 150 on the board, then quick runs, (Shah, KP etc...) another 150 - 200 and have us chasing say, 350 on the last day and bring in Mr. Harper and easy victory!!!

Agree with the message of this post to say that the pitch is not overly batsman friendly as England would not have likely made a large score of the West Indies could catch. As for the West Indies plodding along, well, that is due to poor England bowling.

 

[barmyarmy]

I agree, and I have said it, we put us where we are, that said it can't be undone, poor decisions and all, however I hope Sars can get his double and beyond Ramdin 50 maybe more, and frankly if they can bat all day that will be fine with me!!!

My post might have been badly phrased due to my frustration. I don't want to take anything away from the West Indies batting performance.
The dropped catches were very important in England's innings but that doesn't mean it isn't still an awful pitch. England have a history of giving away their wickets on flat pitches and I'm actually suprised with their last two first innings scores. Clearly this Windies team is a lot better than we suspected or gave them credit for but England still feel this is a series they should win and the pitch isn't giving us the chance.

 

[Themer]

Broad has stamina issues, in my opinion. It is why he gets massive breaks throughout a Test match imbetween spells and why he has problems converting ODI performances to Test cricket. Broad can always bowl a potent Test spell, but a whole innings of competant Test bowling tends to be beyond Broad, hence Strauss gives him prolonged breaks which are having some positive effect.

I don't really agree with you there, I think that Strauss doesn't trust him for some reason Broad said in an interview after one of the days at the ARG that he'd been asking for the ball all day but Strauss kept going to other bowlers instead.

Last year in an ODI match against S.A he bowled all his overs straight through and didn't look overly tired. And he bolwed very well against NZealand last year bowling a full session without looking knackered.

 

[Sureshot]

I fear we may have seen a glory year of Sidebottom and that be it.

 

[evertonfan]

Yeah, he had an Indian summer (and winter) and that was it. I can't help but recall me saying the same thing before we toured India last year.