**Official** England in The West Indies

[Swervy]

first ball to number 11...a beamer..how to get the crowd on your side hey!!!!!!

 

[Kent]

83.4 Harmison to Edwards, (noball) no run, beamer into the ducking Edwards. Run down the pitch and fight him Fidel!
cricket really could take a leaf out of baseball there

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

West Indian criticises other country for poor over rate.

Now I've read everything..

This West Indies team has not gotten talked down for slow over rate as you portray. Anyway, even if they did, that doesn't change the fact that England were horrible.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The end result would please the England camp I think, but not considering that we were 101/4. Considering the start that WI got, I think Lara will be fairly pleased with what came out of today. Hinds and Smith played beautifully and Jacobs wasn't too bad either.

 

[marc71178]

In some cases I've used tape evidence to cross-referance, too. Wherever I can.

Yes, but who is to say that that tape evidence is anywhere near reflecting what actually went on?

I find it very hard to believe that the standard of catching has dropped at all with the onset of professionalism, and certainly not by as much as you have stated.

 

[marc71178]

And I'm perfectly well aware of the fact that let-off and saw-off can't be said for certain - but disagreeance is so rare as to make it not to be worried about.

And some people will disagree on chances as well, so you can't take one without the other.

From your explanation it just looks to me to be a means of putting batsmen down.

 

[marc71178]

Pitch very good for batting, no unevenness perceptible, batting not great;

Funny that, but the radio and every report I read of the first session said that it was good bowling from the English...

I know who I'd believe out of the 2.

 

[marc71178]

About as dangerous as he always "looks" I suppose!
And APU he's turned-out as innocuous as he normally does.

Again, I'll prefer to respect the views of the experts instead of the most negative man in the World.

 

[marc71178]

OK, it's not much of an attack,

Hmm, not what the majority have said about the England bowlers.

 

[marc71178]

Great overs by Giles 21 off 2 overs, Marc enjoying flat spin NOW

I suppose he'll have to console himself with the wickets of the 2 top batsmen.

 

[marc71178]

Anyone counted the number of rabbits in this game? AFAIK Best doesn't bat at all and is down at eight. Personally, I make it Harmison, Best, Collymore, Edwards, Sanford and, in all essence, Hoggard and Jones.

You definitely under-rate Hoggard.

He does a very effective job of staying in when required.

 

[marc71178]

Giles isn't going to offer a threat to competant batsmen on this wicket, mark my words.

I suppose he'll have to console himself with the wickets of the 2 top batsmen.

 

[marc71178]

first ball to number 11...a beamer..how to get the crowd on your side hey!!!!!!

Sounded like an accident to me.

Nobody in their right mind would do that nowadays, especially to a number 11.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Great overs by Giles 21 off 2 overs, Marc enjoying flat spin NOW

Giles certainly wasn't bowling flat spin, but he did look somewhat less than Test class today. Not passing judgement though...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

'Ey, Liam, I tell you what, this Ryan Hinds isn't a bad player. OK, it's not much of an attack, but he's played nicely so far.
Devon has played beautifully from 11 onwards. Lucky to make it past that, nonetheless.

Devon Smith loves English bowling and is in the form of his life right now. He's crossed 50 in each of his last 5 or 6 innings and has scored 4 hundreds in that time with 3 of them over 150.

Ryan Hinds I always thought had/has the technique to cope with Test cricket, but I wasn't sure about the mental aspect until today. His future looks bright, but he needs to start converting.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Sounded like an accident to me.

Nobody in their right mind would do that nowadays, especially to a number 11.

It was clearly an accident. Harmison held his hand up in apology as soon as he completed his follow through. Edwards thought nothing of it either, as he realized it wasn't intentional. After all, he's done it before (Edwards that is).

 

[Rich2001]

Originally posted by Richard
Anyone counted the number of rabbits in this game? AFAIK Best doesn't bat at all and is down at eight. Personally, I make it Harmison, Best, Collymore, Edwards, Sanford and, in all essence, Hoggard and Jones.

All stats aside I don't think all of those are bunnies.

Hoggard: As Marc has said Hoggard has improved alot over the last 2 years and while he might not score runs himself as such he can certianly hold a end up and let the batsman at the other end do the job.

Best: Best is far from a bunny IMO he showed great promise with the bat every time I have seen him play 20* vs Aus and today's knock and he isn't scared to get behind the ball and played a couple of fantastic shots that the top order would have been proud of.

Jones: A bit early to tell, but if he bats anything like his debut (and only inngs I blieve) when he hit 42 (I think) you certianly can't call him a bunny either.

The Rest I agree with though

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I suppose he'll have to console himself with the wickets of the 2 top batsmen.

Giles really did bowl very poorly though Marc. He really never looked like taking a wicket on his own merit, never troubled the batsmen and was gifted both wickets he ended with.

Smith just didn't appear to realize that he was out of his crease and Hinds misplayed a sweep and was well caught.

 

[marc71178]

Giles really did bowl very poorly though Marc.

The irony is there's been times he's bowled quite well and not got wickets.

2 from him (and the 2 he got) is good enough for me.

 

[Rich2001]

Ryan Hinds I always thought had/has the technique to cope with Test cricket, but I wasn't sure about the mental aspect until today. His future looks bright, but he needs to start converting.

Liam as I was just saying to Marc on MSN, I couldn't blieve the change in this guy.

Walks out to bat and looks like a walking wicket and all over the place... I honestly was sitting there not thinking if we would get him out but when he was that bad...... Suddenly no reason at all he suddenly snaps out of it and looked expectional for a period and very solid and some of the shots he played were a joy to watch (even for us English chaps ) - I heard he has a massive problem in converting scores to 100's though, doesn't have any 100s I blieve and consistanly gets out in the 60's/70's.