***Official*** West Indies in England

[pskov]

Players to have made three consecutive test centuries for England: Sutcliffe, Compton, Boycott, Gooch and Bopara. If he has as good a career as any of the previous four I will be dancing on the ceiling.

 

[Smith]

3 zeroes followed by 3 hundreds.

 

[Howsie]

3 zeroes followed by 3 hundreds.

Thats not bad, I would say Bopara is the best batsmen in the England team right now.

 

[King Pietersen]

ROFL. Brilliant start to the new spell from Edwards. Think that one might have slipped out haha.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Thats not bad, I would say Bopara is the best batsmen in the England team right now.

Change that to "most in-form" and I doubt many would disagree.

Cashing in when he's in good nick which is nice to see; criticism I've often seen levelled at Bell is that he's wasteful of his good form, throwing it away with daft shot selections and the like.

 

[stumpski]

Yeah, let's see whether he's still batting at 3 at the Oval. He's made a good start, but there are sterner tests ahead.


271-1, this is looking quite ominous for the Windies.

 

[stumpski]

I just really want to see England bowl on this pitch, lets see if Onions can do what he did at Lords here. Hopefully he doesn't and the best bowler in England, Ryan Sidebottom comes back into the side.

I can see why you'd rate Sidebottom after what he did against your boys, but his record against everyone else is pretty unremarkable: 36 wickets at mid-30s in 15 Tests. Not sure why you'd want to see Onions fail, though. Many of us enjoyed his success at Lord's.

 

[Uppercut]

Two England players score centuries, posters queue up to degrade their achievement. I almost miss the days when they were chronically overrated. Almost.

 

[Jarquis]

Bye Bye Ravi;
Bowled by Baker for 108... Apparently it was a good ball.

 

[roseboy64]

Collapse now please.

 

[Jarquis]

We really know how to ram home a commanding position..
Send in the nightwatchman!

at Cricinfo commentary...

85.4 Baker to Bopara, no run, Bopara's forward into an oak-door-solid defensive. Nothing's getting through that


85.5 Baker to Bopara, OUT, what a delivery! Nips back sharply on Bopara, the ball shooting past the bat and onto his off stump

Woops

 

[cover drive man]

We really know how to ram home a commanding position..
Send in the nightwatchman!

at Cricinfo commentary...

85.4 Baker to Bopara, no run, Bopara's forward into an oak-door-solid defensive. Nothing's getting through that


85.5 Baker to Bopara, OUT, what a delivery! Nips back sharply on Bopara, the ball shooting past the bat and onto his off stump

Woops

 

[Howsie]

Priceless.

 

[superkingdave]

Two England players score centuries, posters queue up to degrade their achievement. I almost miss the days when they were chronically overrated. Almost.

Yeah, its not as if anyone was on here bigging them up because of todays innings, few people saying well done and the like but everyone realises its a motorway but people seem to feel the need to come on and almost criticize the players for making runs.

 

[Jarquis]

Anderson off the mark

 

[four_or_six]

Go Jimmy.

 

[four_or_six]

Good day for England, have done pretty much everything they could. Excellent, am really pleased.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Is it just me or does Dyson seem something of a penis?

Not likely to be in greatest of moods, but was every inch the chippy arse with Knight there.

 

[GIMH]

Two England players score centuries, posters queue up to degrade their achievement. I almost miss the days when they were chronically overrated. Almost.

Yeah, its not as if anyone was on here bigging them up because of todays innings, few people saying well done and the like but everyone realises its a motorway but people seem to feel the need to come on and almost criticize the players for making runs.

Yeah, ridiculous. case of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' Meh.

 

[Goughy]

Yeah, ridiculous. case of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' Meh.

Yeah, Ive had my doubts about Bopara but you cant criticize a guy for doing what he is supposed to. What does that mean for the Ashes? Probably nothing. But great to see a young player have success.

He was presented with a challenge at number 3 and has answered in the best possible way. He has more than justified his selection.