*Official* England in West Indies

[Richard]

I suppose it's some version of not fixing what isn't broken or superstition or both. That being said, not the least surprising aspect of Chanderpaul's average over the last two years is that the WI lower order has stuck around long enough for him to achieve what he has done. They certainly weren't doing that when we played them 5 years ago.

TBF, nor was Chanderpaul. Seems utterly incredible, but Chanderpaul missed the corresponding match at this ground in 2004, and not because he asked to miss it, but because he was dropped.

A strange decision given he'd essentially had no more than 4 or 5 bad games or so, but a decision that didn't get that much questioning at the time.

 

[Richard]

Well, he's taken 173 wickets in 97 first-class matches, bowling an average of 18 overs a game. He's even bowled an average of 16 overs per test, not including this match currently taking place. I think that classes him as an all-rounder to be honest, regardless of which discipline is superior.

Nah. He's a batsman, who can also bowl. His batting is clearly superior to his bowling, really. It's not how much you bowl but how effective your bowling is that counts, and Hinds is clearly not much of a bowler. However, his batting is clearly good enough to gain Test chances in itself.

 

[ozone]

Is anyone else becoming slightly irritated with the Sky commentators constantly referring to Viv Richards as 'possibly the best batsman of all time'? I think everyone with an ounce of cricketing knowledge knows that, good as he was, he doesn't even remotely deserve that title.

 

[Jamee999]

KP bowling in shades

 

[Prince EWS]

KP bowling in shades

And turning it square..

 

[Richard]

Is anyone else becoming slightly irritated with the Sky commentators constantly referring to Viv Richards as 'possibly the best batsman of all time'? I think everyone with an ounce of cricketing knowledge knows that, good as he was, he doesn't even remotely deserve that title.

Nah, I'm more than used to people - plain wrong-headedly IMO - calling him the second-best there's ever been.

 

[Richard]

KP bowling in shades

Swann was doing that shortly after Lunch.

 

[Uppercut]

Hinds is looking almost painful tbh. Sarwan's good form is distracting from how uncomfortable he's looked in this innings of 17 off 62 balls.

 

[Richard]

He's actually looked OK IMO since those two let-offs in an over. He's not scoring but nor is he constantly edging straight balls that do nothing or anything.

 

[Prince EWS]

He's actually looked OK IMO since those two let-offs in an over. He's not scoring but nor is he constantly edging straight balls that do nothing or anything.

He's looked very solid in defence since he got off the mark but his timing has been awful. He definitely looks a much more defensively sound batsman than he did when he scored that 80 odd against England a few years back but he's understandably pretty nervous out there ATM.

 

[Uppercut]

He's actually looked OK IMO since those two let-offs in an over. He's not scoring but nor is he constantly edging straight balls that do nothing or anything.

He's looking like he could get out, but not scoring runs. Playing and missing, edging short balls a mile into the air, defending with hard hands. Maybe he's just that type of player though. The West Indian Colly.

 

[Richard]

Always funny when that sort of thing happens immediately after people have commented on how iffy he's looking. Two crunching blows.

And did he really edge short balls miles in the air? I thought he just spliced one that got big on him and actually did pretty well to keep it down.

 

[wpdavid]

Were Broad's six over for five runs before lunch really so unthreatening that he hasn't merited a bowl since the break?

 

[Richard]

Exceptionally bizzare that he's gone to Pietersen and a patently unwell Harmison before him. Very strange indeed.

Half-century for Sarwan - different player from that First Test a few weeks ago. And 200 up next ball as well.

 

[Uppercut]

Always funny when that sort of thing happens immediately after people have commented on how iffy he's looking. Two crunching blows.

And did he really edge short balls miles in the air? I thought he just spliced one that got big on him and actually did pretty well to keep it down.

It was only one ball, yeah. But there's no way he "did pretty well to keep it down", considering it looped waaay up into the air and landed half an inch short of KP at gully.

 

[Richard]

Generally those loop straight to gully as absolute lollipop catches. Especially from Flintoff.

Anyway, Broad finally on.

 

[Uppercut]

Generally those loop straight to gully as absolute lollipop catches. Especially from Flintoff.

Anyway, Broad finally on.

But there's no way it was anything other than luck that it didn't.

 

[Richard]

Hmm. Well I don't recall it in graphic detail so I'd have to see it again to say fo' sho'. From what I do remember about it though, I thought he played it relatively softly and did his best to get out of the way.

 

[pskov]

Hmm. Well I don't recall it in graphic detail so I'd have to see it again to say fo' sho'. From what I do remember about it though, I thought he played it relatively softly and did his best to get out of the way.

Nah, he was a luck boy on that one. Gone now anyway....

 

[Richard]

Gooooooonnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeee.