*Official* England in West Indies

[Richard]

JM Anderson hasn't had much luck this Test soooo far.

 

[ozone]

Mmm, that was the big fish too. Not easy but he'll be disappointed not to have taken it.

TBH, it was as easy as a return catch can get for a quick bowler.

Lovely delivery from Anderson.

 

[Richard]

You'd expect a bowler to take that 7 times out of 10 I'd say, so will be very disappointed indeed.

Yeah, c&bs which aren't rank loopers are never out-and-out easy but as c&bs of that nature go, that wasn't terribly hard.

 

[Uppercut]

Give Swann an over before tea!

 

[shivfan]

Thankfully, Nash and Sarwan made it to tea without further loss....

How long are we going to give HInds and Smith to finally get it good?

 

[Richard]

Smith can count himself very fortunate to be still getting more chances but Hinds has had no decent chance yet in 7 years.

 

[ozone]

How long are we going to give Hinds and Smith to finally get it good?

I'm fairly sure that about an hour ago, everyone was saying how good Hinds was compared to all the other options . Honestly can't comment on how good he is because I don't know anything about him, but would have though he deserves a stretch in the side.

 

[Woodster]

Two big wickets in the final hour of the session, and could have been three, had Broad taken the return catch offered by Sarwan. Looks very hard work out there, Harmison visibly struggling with the heat, or a delicate stomach. Flintoff just holding back a touch with his hip problem, so all things considered, England must be pleased to have them 5 down and still 345 behind.

Swann will be required to get through quite a few more overs in this final session, and hopefully if he continues to offer a bit of flight, and gets the odd one to really bite, then he can have a big say in where we find ourselves at the close.

England have done quite well, it must be very mentally as well as physically sapping, from a quicks perspective, to see an effort ball scuttle through along the ground to Prior.

Sarwan's batted well and will now be hoping for some worthy support from Nash and Ramdin.

 

[shivfan]

The problem I have with players like Smith and Hinds is that they both look good for the first 30-odd runs, and then they lose concentration and get out....

Smith has played 26 Tests, hit only one century, and averages under 24.

Ryan Hinds has played 11 Tests, had 18 innings, and has only managed two half-centuries for an average of just over 24.

Hinds should've been out twice before he was eventually out. We can give him a run, like one we gave to Darren Ganga, but I'm yet to be convinced he will have a better Test average.

 

[ozone]

Hinds should've been out twice before he was eventually out. We can give him a run, like one we gave to Darren Ganga, but I'm yet to be convinced he will have a better Test average.

Unless there's someone who particularly jumps out as deserving to be picked, I think giving Hinds a run will probably be the best option.

Why on earth is Collingwood bowling?

 

[Richard]

The problem I have with players like Smith and Hinds is that they both look good for the first 30-odd runs, and then they lose concentration and get out....

Smith has played 26 Tests, hit only one century, and averages under 24.

Ryan Hinds has played 11 Tests, had 18 innings, and has only managed two half-centuries for an average of just over 24.

Hinds should've been out twice before he was eventually out. We can give him a run, like one we gave to Darren Ganga, but I'm yet to be convinced he will have a better Test average.

He may not, but he sure as hell is more likely to than Runako Morton or Xavier Marshall.

 

[Richard]

Why on earth is Collingwood bowling?

Even allowing for the fact that Flintoff and Harmison can't bowl, starting the session with Collingwood is dead-set bizarre. Not the first time Strauss has made a strange bowling choice this game either.

 

[ozone]

Even allowing for the fact that Flintoff and Harmison can't bowl, starting the session with Collingwood is dead-set bizarre. Not the first time Strauss has made a strange bowling choice this game either.

The only explanation for it would be that Flintoff and Harmison can't bowl at all in this seesion, and as the new-ball is ten overs away, he's saving the two quicks for then. And I bet that both Flintoff and Harmison will have a few overs between now and the end of the day making this theory redundant.

BTW, even if this is true, Pietersen should be bowling ahead of Collingwood TBH.

 

[shivfan]

That's the problem - we seem to be stuck with mediocre players like Smith and Hinds....

And yes, Hinds must be better than Morton and Marshall, though his Test batting average seems to be on par with them right now!

Personally, I think we have seen enough of Hinds at this level to know he's not going to do much at this level. I think Lendl Simmons should be given a run, so at least we can see what he has to offer in Tests....

Sure, give Ryan HInds until the end of this Test series, and let him play in Barbados and trinidad. But will he produce runs with the bat? I doubt it....

IMHO, I don't think both Smith and Hinds should be playing, while Simmons is playing the Owais Shah role with the drinks....

 

[Richard]

Was anyone seriously discussing Lendl as a Test prospect until that tour-game at the start of this tour? I don't recall them doing so.

And back at The ARG, Sarwan continues to lay into Collingwood.

 

[Richard]

Would you believe it? I ask again.

Swann deserves that though.

The follow-on now beckons.

 

[ozone]

Quite honestly, that is horrible cricket.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Mmm, free wicket.

 

[ozone]

The follow-on now beckons.

Would you still enforce it without too much of a thought though? Bearing in mind that the two bowlers who everyone thought would be the most potent on this pitch both have problems?

 

[Richard]

Sarwan's going to take some shifting, isn't he.

Sarwan very often looks like he'll take some shifting, then out-of-the-blue just gives his wicket away.

England need to hope something of that ilk happens here.

Indeed.

And would you believe it again?