***Official*** England in West Indies 2015

[wpdavid]

I agree with Scaly about Broad as an ODI bowler and to be honest I'm not a fan of him taking the new ball.

Agreed on the 2nd point actually. In happier times, he would be under much more pressure to perform in that role, but we all know that alternatives are thin on the ground.

 

[Beamer]

He went from 'this guy could make 6000 test runs' to '600 test runs might be closer' with that one shot.

Only half joking but yeah it was an awful, but out of the blue shot. Deserves lots of credit for his first innings century.

Blackwood is an ultra talented aggressive batsman who has only recently learned to bat properly. In youth cricket he didn't need to bat time because he would score so quickly. His first innings century was exceptional for that reason but we will get occasional brain fades like that whilst he continues to develop. I think/hope he will be a world class test batsman but it might take a while.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Just saw this, really touching by Holder

https://instagram.com/p/1nZN1zyRBn/?taken-by=jaseholder98

 

[91Jmay]

I think Stokes is just about good enough to bat 6, but his bowling is up and down a lot. Some spells he looks great, others he is 5 RPO candidate.

 

[Daemon]

Just saw this, really touching by Holder

https://instagram.com/p/1nZN1zyRBn/?taken-by=jaseholder98

"@suliebenn #manalion" what's that

 

[Scaly piscine]

Agreed on the 2nd point actually. In happier times, he would be under much more pressure to perform in that role, but we all know that alternatives are thin on the ground.

Other seamers pretty much have to perform miracles or they get randomly dropped. Generally if the conditions are helpful then Broad and Anderson get the odd wicket early and hog most of the overs thereafter because of it - most anyone else is going to get is a couple of quick wickets somewhere. If conditions aren't helpful then Broad and Anderson get the new ball, do nowt with it then England go on the defensive. Either way the other guys are getting an older ball and are only going to get a decent bowl on a flat pitch. Oh and no prizes for guessing who's usually brought on if wickets fall or conditions become favourable.

The thing is other captains judge things as they go along and then decide who gets the favourable conditions, it can be a hunch, a match-up or someone just bowling really well. With Cook it's so rigid and formulaic - like Moores has fed him 'data' on the ideal bowling rota and he has to stick with it regardless. So Broad just takes the new ball virtually every time. Despite being crap with it.

I think without an injury to Broad or Anderson it's going to be very difficult for a new bowler to emerge and show what they're capable of. Apart from a total world-beater it's going to be very difficult to say how good (if at all) any of reserve seamers are until they get a long run, even a dozen Tests won't give that much idea.

 

[hendrix]

I mean yeah it's unfair but that's pretty much the standard definition and use of strike bowlers.

 

[Beamer]

They've dropped Suliemann Benn and added Shannon Gabriel as an extra fast bowling option. Good common sense selection for once, I'm impressed!

 

[Niall]

- Would prefer to have Blackwood that some one like Marlon Samuels in the team who plays so irresponsibly.



- Am more convinced than ever that if Windies play the extra bowler, they would be a much better team.

Its very hard to know what to do with Samuels,on these pitches they need another bowler so a batsman needs to go.

Blackwood despite his shot Yesterday has shown more than enough to be persisted so it, so it probably would have to be Samuels to be sacrificed. I have a soft spot for him, but his 2012 beast form is long gone .

Holder at seven and maybe Carlos in?

 

[Beamer]

Its very hard to know what to do with Samuels,on these pitches they need another bowler so a batsman needs to go.

Blackwood despite his shot Yesterday has shown more than enough to be persisted so it, so it probably would have to be Samuels to be sacrificed. I have a soft spot for him, but his 2012 beast form is long gone .

Holder at seven and maybe Carlos in?

I think so, they have to drop either Bravo or Samuels to play five bowlers IMHO. Either that or drop Devon and move either Bravo, Samuels or Ramdin up to open. For me, Devon gets one more test in his hometown and if he doesn't deliver it's goodnight to his international career.

They need 5 bowlers but they can't do that and bring in a rabbit like Gabriel IMHO, it will just leave us too open to collapse. So I think Carlos Braithwaite should come in. He can bat just a well as Holder and has an FC hundred and 5 fifties to his name.

My side for Tuesday:

Braithwaite (Kraigg)
Smith
Bravo
Chanderpaul
Blackwood
Ramdin
Holder
Braithwaite (Carlos)
Bishoo
Roach
Taylor

 

[Niall]

Ramdin can't open in test cricket, keep and captain, it would kill him. Although as an opener in ODI cricket it may be a clever idea, can't be much worse than Dwayne Smith at least.

Has Bravo opened before? Don't think their is much of a difference opening and batting at 3 in limited overs cricket, but its definitely not as popular switch in test cricket, Dravid an ATG hated opening.


Spot on about Carlos, Gabriel is a decent bowler, but a lower order of him, Bishoo, Roach and Taylor would be a farce.

I wouldn't expect him to play test cricket this summer or even next, but in the future, Cornwall any chance of him getting a look in? Can't see the harm of maybe an A team series.

I love him to bits though, so very biased.

 

[weldone]

Is there a chance of Moeen Ali playing in the 2nd test?

 

[Niall]

Is there a chance of Moeen Ali playing in the 2nd test?

An absolute cert I think. Why else fly him over when he could be playing 4 day cricket for Worc in the first division if they were not going to play him? He also had a fantastic test series against India last year, so even for England's lol random selections recently, he not playing would be absurd.

Not sure he will replace though, either Tredwell or Jordan I'd assume.

 

[Flem274*]

I'd agree to Wood and Plunkett coming in, but Broad stays ahead of Ben Stokes, a far far better bowler, regardless of what our friend from Durham will try to tell you.

Problem with Stokes is he's not good enough a batsman to play in the top 6 and not good enough a bowler to be relied upon as a genuine frontline option. He's still young and that may come, but as it stands he's another bits and pieces player IMO, a throwback to the 90s.

Or you take the plunge and back him to the hilt at #6. New Zealand and Australia did it with their allrounders despite it being debateable they were ready, and in all three cases (Marsh, Neesham, Anderson) it's paying off.

 

[Prince EWS]

Marsh has scored one fifty; it's bit early to say it's paying off.

And it's all well and good to say Stokes should be backed in the top six but it's a call that always seems to be made in somewhat of a vacuum. He shouldn't be batting ahead of Ballance, Bell, Root or Moeen and all of those guys should definitely be in the side, it's just not the best option for the team right now unless there's an injury (which there was in the first Test).

 

[hendrix]

I have high hopes for Carlos.

 

[Shady Slim]

i thought that ballance wasn't very good from the World Cup and the most recent ashes, well done to him

 

[weldone]

I think Moeen and Stokes can (and should) play together in the same team...too many allrounders is never a bad thing when both of them are promising

 

[Prince EWS]

I think Moeen and Stokes can (and should) play together in the same team...too many allrounders is never a bad thing when both of them are promising

Yeah there's nothing saying they can't both play, but they can't both bat six, and I don't think it'd make much sense to bat Moeen below Stokes.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I think Moeen and Stokes can (and should) play together in the same team...too many allrounders is never a bad thing when both of them are promising

It is when it's debatable that either is in the best 7 bats in the country.

I understand with where the England side is at the moment that Stokes can't fit in to the batting order; just don't try and do it at 8.