England in West Indies

[Sureshot]

A penalty of 10 runs for every unsuccessful review; snicko, hotspot and predictive hawkeye all used.

Slight change to what I'd do.

The penalty means that teams can review decisions throughout the innings, thus enabling the point of the referral system, "To right the wrongs" but it also stops teams from endlessly referring decisions.

The system needs working, dropping it is a step back. Might also help to get rid of dire umpires and you won't need the system as much. The Nash lbw vs Panesar really was bemusing.

Despite losing this series (probably) I really am not too disheartened by England, we had our collapse, we have it every series, and it cost us the series. Barring Sidebottom and to a lesser extent, Harmison, we have bowled well. Batting, cost us big in the 51 all out, since then, they've been faultless.

We just need to try and forget the series, we made a positive step in dropping Bell, I struggle to see Harmison coming back unless he hits his straps in county cricket. Sidebottom needs to be properly fit, even then, who knows what his career is.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

If Anderson came back after the end of the session with a shovel and sticks of dynamite, and dug up the pitch before blowing it up to simithereens, and stood laughing maniacally as the debris rained on him, I'd totally understand it. He's been so, so, so unlucky. As have Monty and Swann.

But that's back to my original point, it isn't the pitch. England just haven't had things go their way, and haven't done much to make their own luck.

Anderson to Chanderpaul, FOUR, edged through the slips once more. Hide the paracetamol and length of rope from Anderson - he's very nearly suicidal. A wonderful ball which induces a thick outside edge that flies between first and second slip

 

[sammy]

How unlucky has James Anderson been in this Test? He's bowled beautifully today, really looks a complete package now, and gets Chanderpaul edging behind, only to see it fail to carry to slip, again. There's pretty much no way for a pace bowler to get an edge to carry to slip, meaning the only modes of dismissal are lbw, bowled and then a false shot leading to a catch in the outfield. Very tough for bowlers.

Yes James is bowling good using 100 percent of his energry level.


But if you watched chanderpaul you would have known he normally doesn't search for the ball and his edges normally drop short. But to be honest, over the last couple years I haven't seen him gotten out in any fashion.

 

[Dare]

As West Indian said, our bowlers have had the same pitch to bowl on and I'm not sure I heard any complaining out of them. Broad was saying stuff about the pitch but Powell, Taylor, Edwards and now Baker have used the same pitches and just gone out and done the work.

 

[The_gas]

How unlucky has James Anderson been in this Test? He's bowled beautifully today, really looks a complete package now, and gets Chanderpaul edging behind, only to see it fail to carry to slip, again. There's pretty much no way for a pace bowler to get an edge to carry to slip, meaning the only modes of dismissal are lbw, bowled and then a false shot leading to a catch in the outfield. Very tough for bowlers.

I agree, Jimmy has improved so much. Broady would also be in my team. We really just need an out and out quick, and the only man capable is Harmison, only he does not seem to have the fight anymore.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Benn, Gayle and Hinds have done a lot too...

 

[barmyarmy]

@ Rabs - I personally and I'm sure the other England fans don't mean to do the West Indies down and they're certainly improved beyond recognition since the last time we toured here. The point though is that we have lost series after series since the departure of Fletcher (and arguably before that). We struggled to beat New Zealand (losing the first test there as well) and the real frustration comes from the fact that having lost the first test we haven't been able to look like forcing a result in any of the other tests.
Absolutely WI have batted very well and absolutely England haven't bowled with enough discipline, taken their catches etc but the record will show that bat utterly dominated ball in this series and WI's tactics after going 1-0 up were a poor advert for test cricket at a time when the game is struggling to retain popularity anyway.
I wish the West Indies all the best for the future. They've shown a huge amount of hunger and fight in their batting, they've got some great new players coming through and they are worthy series winners. I just would have preferred them to win 3-1 or 2-1 or even 4-0 so there were actually some results in these matches.

 

[King Pietersen]

Sidebottom's finished, there are better options. Jones, Davies, Amjad, Harmison, Hoggard, Ali and Bresnan are all better. Sidebottom had 2 good series where he dominated a poor Kiwi batting line-up, since then his record has been poor. He was unlucky in Sri Lanka, but even so, his record there finished up poor. I'd move on from him and get Davies in, at least Davies looks capable of getting wickets, his County record is astonishing.

I don't think we can have too much to complain about. We've certainly not had a bad series, just 1 bad innings. We'd have won in Antigua if we had a full cavalry of bowling options, with Flintoff and Harmison at full fitness and we'd have had a chance in Jamaica if it wasn't for the collapse. Just haven't been helped by the ridiculously flat pitches, and then negative selections by West Indies and a ridiculously flat pitch in this Test.

I can see us winning comfortably at home, we did it last time West Indies came to England, with a team very similar to this one, so I can see us doing it again. We're certainly a better team than the result and the bowling figures indicate.

 

[barmyarmy]

I can see us winning comfortably at home, we did it last time West Indies came to England, with a team very similar to this one, so I can see us doing it again. We're certainly a better team than the result and the bowling figures indicate.

I worry that pride commeth before a fall here. The Windies haven't collapsed like in the past and the home series could be a real battle.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Again, it isn't only the pitches.

Sidebottom is alright when fit, it's just that he an Broad are very alike. Containing bowlers. You can't have them both. You have Anderson who is quick and swingy and adds the cutting edge, Broad who keeps things tight, Monty/Swann as the spinner, just need (as said earlier), a pure fast bowler. Like the 05 attack. Hoggard out for Broad, Jones out for Anderson, just need a new Harmy. And then there is always Freddie to tie everything together.


Any good pure quicks in English cricket ATM?

 

[manee]

Sidebottom's finished, there are better options. Jones, Davies, Amjad, Harmison, Hoggard, Ali and Bresnan are all better. Sidebottom had 2 good series where he dominated a poor Kiwi batting line-up, since then his record has been poor. He was unlucky in Sri Lanka, but even so, his record there finished up poor. I'd move on from him and get Davies in, at least Davies looks capable of getting wickets, his County record is astonishing.

Disagree. Sidebottom has bowled superbly well when fit and his only problems have come when unfit. No one complains with Flintoff's fitness worries, so why discriminate with Sidebottom? Sidebottom has a very good Test record and yet was extremely unlucky against India and Sri Lanka. The idea of Amjad being a better option than Sidebottom is laughable, imo.

 

[Sureshot]

Us English are quite good at belittling the opposition, but I'm sure most agree with me that I say it's good to see the West Indies improving so much.

 

[Simbazz]

If Sidebottom was "finished," it'd be much like the Hoggard scenario. Muchly unjustified. What has Sidebottom done wrong?

 

[barmyarmy]

Us English are quite good at belittling the opposition

Well we're the best test and ODI nation in the world so why wouldn't we be?

 

[King Pietersen]

Sidebottom's not looked even remotely good in the last 8 months or so. Even when fit he's not bowled well. He's not the same bowler that came back for that 1 summer. He's started bowling far too wide, never, ever looks to be threatening the batsmen. Even when supposedly fit he's looked down on pace. At least with Flintoff if he plays when unfit he still looks threatening and bowls well, Sidebottom's not looked effective for a long time now, and he's been given long, long breaks to get himself fit, but always seems to be injured. I can't see him ever having a solid place in the side again, there are simply better options.