**Official** England in The West Indies

[Arjun]

The West Indian bowlers should cause no problems for Trescothick and Vaughan. Perhaps they can get after the opening bowlers rightaway, for a few overs, like Hayden and Langer. This attack holds no threat.

The main worry for ENG would be taking 20 WI wickets. The main threat may be Brian Lara and Chris Gayle. This series may be dominated by good batting and average bowling.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think Sarwan would also be a fairly big threat.

Regarding the squad selection, it's ridiculous. Dwight Washington has not done near enough to get near the Test team. I'm sure (I hope) he won't debut though. Surely Adam Sanford has proved that he's crap by now. England should be ashamed not to score freely off him. Dwayne Smith is a fair move given his mature century on Saturday.

As I predicted, Ryan Hinds and Powell are there, with the former more likely to play, but Dwayne Smith will play before both. Mervyn Dillon has every right to be ****ed. The WICB are treating him like crap even though he bowled better than any other bowler in South Africa. As I've said many times before, I have a strong feeling that the selectors just watch the numbers and don't actually look at the cricket.

 

[Craig]

Yet another debutant for the West Indies....Dwight Washington.

I think it's time the West Indies looked for consistency in selection, really.

And they axe the best fast bowler in the Caribbean. It's like Clive Woodward dropping Jonny WIlkinson.

 

[Richard]

Thing is, Jonny's actually made many, many significant contributions to good performances from England.
Dillon may have been perceived to have bowled well, if only better than the rest, but quite honestly, a high average doesn't often lie. If Dillon were picked for the England Tests, I'm perfectly confident he'd have another high-average series.

 

[marc71178]

And they axe the best fast bowler in the Caribbean. It's like Clive Woodward dropping Jonny WIlkinson.

Not really, since Dillon is hardly a world-beatng superstar...

 

[garage flower]

Thing is, Jonny's actually made many, many significant contributions to good performances from England.
Dillon may have been perceived to have bowled well, if only better than the rest, but quite honestly, a high average doesn't often lie. If Dillon were picked for the England Tests, I'm perfectly confident he'd have another high-average series.

I have to agree. The fact that Merv has been, arguably, the best of a bad bunch over the last few years shouldn't make him an automatic selection. He simply hasn't taken wickets on a consistent enough basis, as evidenced by his mediocre average.

He, like Ganga, has had more than ample opportunity to claim a place in the side and just hasn't done enough.

Having said that, I would have retained him - at least in the 16 - ahead of Sanford.

 

[garage flower]

Yet another debutant for the West Indies....Dwight Washington.

I think it's time the West Indies looked for consistency in selection, really.

I don't think they've been inconsistent. The bowling clearly needed to be overhauled after being mauled by the Proteas and it has been.

The selection of Washington is consistent with the recent policy of picking young players on potential despite a lack of first class experience (Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Taylor, Baugh). I think it's proved to be fairly successful.

The batting is as per the South Africa series with Devon Smith, a consistently prolific run-maker in domestic cricket, demanding a place on merit (but a replacement was required for the injured Hinds anyway) and Ryan Hinds and Ricardo Powell earning their places in the training squad on merit.

Ganga and Dillon have been dropped because they didn't perform in Southern Africa and Drakes is either injured or out of form or both.

 

[marc71178]

Well, the tour has started, with Vaughan knocking a centruy before lunch whilst England bat at over 6 an over!

Not sure how well he's played, but it's certainly a great way to start in terms of his own self-confidence!

Unfortunately Cricinfo don't see fit to cover this game even with updates, which when you consider there's no other games going on is a bit of a shame, so here's a BBC scorecard.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

the recent policy of picking young players on potential despite a lack of first class experience (Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Taylor, Baugh). I think it's proved to be fairly successful.

It has? Smith scored a hitormiss hundred and has looked totally out of it otherwise. Edwards started superbly but was clearly overworked given his age and lack of FC experience. Taylor has done very little thus far as has Baugh. It's like film IMO, we may be ruining them by exposing them too early. Sarwan was young when he debuted, but he had a fair deal of FC experience at that stage.

I don't agree with this policy. You pick your best players and Dillon is certainly better than Sanford if no one else.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Dillon may have been perceived to have bowled well, if only better than the rest, but quite honestly, a high average doesn't often lie. If Dillon were picked for the England Tests, I'm perfectly confident he'd have another high-average series.

Perceived? Did you not see Dillon bowl in the South Africa Tests? With any luck at all he could have gotten 10-12 wickets at least in those two Tests he played.

In one session he bowled so well that he could have had 4 or 5 in that session alone.

 

[twctopcat]

Anyone know of a url for a ball by ball update on the England Jamaica XI game?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

There is none available.

 

[twctopcat]

England are 5 down for 212. Now when Read gets out cheaply (as i'm sure he will) i hope the selectors have the sense to put Jones in his place for the next four dayer before the first test, much too weak at batting for my liking.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

This match does not have FC status BTW.

 

[Tim]

England have progressed to 293/8 after 69 overs.

And surprise! Chris Read is 51*

 

[marc71178]

Not so much of a surprise to me - he's now facing seam attacks on flatter wickets.

A far cry from Murali on bunsens.

 

[Tim]

How good is this Jamaican attack anyway?

 

[marc71178]

That's the other reason I'm not surprised he's got a few!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

At full strength and fitness it would include Daren Powell, Jermaine Lawson, Jerome Taylor and Andrew Richardson, with Ryan Cunningham, Nehemiah Perry and Dwight Washington available.

I'd say it's pretty good.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The current Jamaican attack contains Jermaine Lawson and a talented Dwight Mais. There's no one else there who I would really back to progress in cricket.