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

[Prince EWS]

Shannon Gabriel is an interesting case. I recently had change to watch him live and close up and he both impressed and disappointed. In the flesh, he has a wonderfully strong action, bowls a heavy ball and I wouldnt want to face him. However, he isnt as quick as others on the international circuit and I cant see how he will consistently get Test quality players out.

He's a bit of a weird one; looks a completely different bowler depending on which day you happen to catch him. Usually he's much like you described but when the planets align and he's in rhythm he's a touch quicker than usual and gets late outswing.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

He's a bit of a weird one; looks a completely different bowler depending on which day you happen to catch him. Usually he's much like you described but when the planets align and he's in rhythm he's a touch quicker than usual and gets late outswing.

He bowls with a slingy action but falls away slightly to keep his arm high and just ends up spearing the ball into the batsman. If he came through slightly round arm we'd see more shape from him.

 

[Beamer]

R.E Kirk Edwards, he has been in horrible form and got dropped from the Barbados side who have a number of very promising young batsmen scoring decent FC runs like Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Royston Chase and Shane Dowrich. I rather fear his time is up. Shame, I liked him and thought he maximised his talent pretty well.

Shannon Gabriel had a bad FC season and by all accounts was outbowled quite comprehensively by everyone during the camp and practice match. I really liked SHannon a few years ago when he could swing the ball at pace but he hasn;t developed at all, in fact if anything he has gone considerably backwards. The fact he can't bat at all when Braithwaite is almost at all-rounder level doesn't help his cause.

As for the quality of our side, I think Goughy is being a bit harsh. I wouldn't underestimate our bowling attack which caused problems to a decent NZ side. Taylor and Roach are a pretty damn good opening combination and with Holder as a 3rd seamer, backed up by a decent leg spinner and possibly a solid(ish) left arm spinner if needed, it can and will cause England problems. Our batting is the big problem but at least we've got Darren Bravo back to add some class to proceedings.

As I said earlier, England should win but they're not a very good side themselves at the moment IMHO and if they are as arrogant as their press and some of their fans they might come unstuck.

 

[Flem274*]

The West Indian bowling is good enough to look England in the eye. In fact considering their form I'm quietly confident of at least one rolling over.

If England themselves figure out how to bowl in the West Indies though then they will win. I'm hoping they plod away trying to bowl like they're in England though and let's face it, they're not known for adapting their plans.

Tredwell being able to meet the "land it in the same spot 6 from 6 and let the pitch do the rest" criteria is a big downside for the West Indies unfortunately.

 

[Beamer]

Tredwell being able to meet the "land it in the same spot 6 from 6 and let the pitch do the rest" criteria is a big downside for the West Indies unfortunately.

There has been a big drive to make sure this years test match pitches are much truer so I don't think he will be too much of a problem. Certainly Bishoo should be much more challenging for England than Tredwell is for us.

I've just read Botham saying this is the weakest West Indies side he has ever seen and he will be surprised if a single match goes beyond day 4. Really? Do you research you fool! I bet he knows nothing about Kraigg Braithwaite or any of the young batsman selected, or the fact that Roach is statistically a far better pacer than anything England have to offer. Stunning arrogance, it's as if we are playing the 2005 Ashes team or something!

Phil's team talk is sorted. Just print out a selection of articles from the mind-numingly ignorant British press. Done.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

It's very difficult to change the long term nature of a pitch in a small timeframe. If they've done a really good job it might play well for three days before descending into standard bunsen territory.

 

[WalkingWicket]

There has been a big drive to make sure this years test match pitches are much truer so I don't think he will be too much of a problem. Certainly Bishoo should be much more challenging for England than Tredwell is for us.

I've just read Botham saying this is the weakest West Indies side he has ever seen and he will be surprised if a single match goes beyond day 4. Really? Do you research you fool! I bet he knows nothing about Kraigg Braithwaite or any of the young batsman selected, or the fact that Roach is statistically a far better pacer than anything England have to offer. Stunning arrogance, it's as if we are playing the 2005 Ashes team or something!

Phil's team talk is sorted. Just print out a selection of articles from the mind-numingly ignorant British press. Done.

Botham is a numb-skull when it comes to predictions. Said England would win the back-to-back Ashes 10-0, and look what happened. Ignore him.

 

[ImpatientLime]

yeah think its best to separate our horrific media and fanbase.

don't think there's two sets of fans more down on their teams than england and the west indies right now.

 

[Beamer]

yeah think its best to separate our horrific media and fanbase.

don't think there's two sets of fans more down on their teams than england and the west indies right now.

I'm just looking for anything positive tbh, young batsmen scoring runs, good sensible bowling, decent fielding etc. A crumb of hope to maintain our natural inclination for optimism and enthusiasm.

I just don't like my team being needlessly disrespected by drunken old farts who clearly have done zero research and are stuck in 2005. He should look at his own team first.

 

[grecian]

yeah think its best to separate our horrific media and fanbase.

don't think there's two sets of fans more down on their teams than england and the west indies right now.

This is a constant plead for us England fans on Cricketweb, but you can't blame oppo fans for getting annoyed at the utter partisan cretinship of so much of the UK press

 

[MW1304]

Courr it be another fascinating series between these two? No idea who is gonna win dis.

As an aside, anyone know what time lunch an tea guanna be served?

 

[Goughy]

There has been a big drive to make sure this years test match pitches are much truer so I don't think he will be too much of a problem. Certainly Bishoo should be much more challenging for England than Tredwell is for us.

I've just read Botham saying this is the weakest West Indies side he has ever seen and he will be surprised if a single match goes beyond day 4. Really? Do you research you fool! I bet he knows nothing about Kraigg Braithwaite or any of the young batsman selected, or the fact that Roach is statistically a far better pacer than anything England have to offer. Stunning arrogance, it's as if we are playing the 2005 Ashes team or something!

Phil's team talk is sorted. Just print out a selection of articles from the mind-numingly ignorant British press. Done.

I think it is entirely fair and the way it should be that all young players are assumed to be nothing until they do something. You earn credit in Test cricket and isnt on potential. Nothing is given away and this WI team may be big on potential but has little in terms of accomplishments. You have to admit that this WI team his a pretty light resume compared to other WI teams. This Test squad has, what?, possibly 3 proven Test players.

 

[91Jmay]

I think it is entirely fair and the way it should be that all young players are assumed to be nothing until they do something. You earn credit in Test cricket and isnt on potential. Nothing is given away and this WI team may be big on potential but has little in terms of accomplishments. You have to admit that this WI team his a pretty light resume compared to other WI teams. This Test squad has, what?, possibly 3 proven Test players.

Valid point about the opposition facing them though. Not exactly murderers row with the ball is it. Tredwell/Jordan/Stokes. We had better hope Broad/Anderson fire.

 

[hendrix]

Some McHesson style thoughts:

- Taylor and Roach are good bowlers and possibly a better pair than Broad and Anderson in these conditons...if they're fit. NZ cruised to victory in the first test last year partially because Roach was severely underdone. Similarly, Taylor was cooked by the third test. The won the second when they were both firing together. It's absolutely critical that they are well prepared.

- Cook could score runs here. Taylor and Roach can sometimes struggle against left handed batsmen, at least until reverse arrives.

- Holder is gun and I like what I've seen of Carlos.

- I like Benn in these conditions.

 

[Donald]

Go Windies!

 

[Salamuddin]

R.E Kirk Edwards, he has been in horrible form and got dropped from the Barbados side who have a number of very promising young batsmen scoring decent FC runs like Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Royston Chase and Shane Dowrich. I rather fear his time is up. Shame, I liked him and thought he maximised his talent pretty well.

Shannon Gabriel had a bad FC season and by all accounts was outbowled quite comprehensively by everyone during the camp and practice match. I really liked SHannon a few years ago when he could swing the ball at pace but he hasn;t developed at all, in fact if anything he has gone considerably backwards. The fact he can't bat at all when Braithwaite is almost at all-rounder level doesn't help his cause.

As for the quality of our side, I think Goughy is being a bit harsh. I wouldn't underestimate our bowling attack which caused problems to a decent NZ side. Taylor and Roach are a pretty damn good opening combination and with Holder as a 3rd seamer, backed up by a decent leg spinner and possibly a solid(ish) left arm spinner if needed, it can and will cause England problems. Our batting is the big problem but at least we've got Darren Bravo back to add some class to proceedings.

As I said earlier, England should win but they're not a very good side themselves at the moment IMHO and if they are as arrogant as their press and some of their fans they might come unstuck.

Kraigg, Daz Bravo, Blackwood, Ramdin, Holder, Bishoo/Permaul/ , Taylor , Roach is a decent nucleus.

If Simmo can build around that, the WIndies could be pretty decent outfit in a year or two.
They need to get rid of Devon Smith and Benn though - Permaul is a better bowler than Benn. Not terribly convinced by Devon either - surely there is a better opening partner for Kraigg in the region.

 

[Dan]

There has been a big drive to make sure this years test match pitches are much truer so I don't think he will be too much of a problem. Certainly Bishoo should be much more challenging for England than Tredwell is for us.

I've just read Botham saying this is the weakest West Indies side he has ever seen and he will be surprised if a single match goes beyond day 4. Really? Do you research you fool! I bet he knows nothing about Kraigg Braithwaite or any of the young batsman selected, or the fact that Roach is statistically a far better pacer than anything England have to offer. Stunning arrogance, it's as if we are playing the 2005 Ashes team or something!

Phil's team talk is sorted. Just print out a selection of articles from the mind-numingly ignorant British press. Done.

To be fair to Botham here, it probably is the weakest Windies side he's ever seen. I doubt he actually watches much cricket aside from that played by England and, realistically speaking, the team being trotted out by the West Indies here pales in comparison to those of the 1980s when Botham was playing, and isn't boosted by a Lara or an Ambrose as the post-1995 Windies teams were.

Arguably it's stronger than some of the mid-2000s sides the West Indies have churned out vs. England, but they were strong on paper with Gayle-Sarwan-Chanderpaul being a genuinely good batting unit in theory, and most of the quick bowlers being at least passable. And we can't expect Botham to do much more than go "I recognise that name, he must be good. And who the **** is Kraigg Brathwaite?"

West Indies being at home tightens this contest up a bit, IMO. Should be a very interesting series.

 

[Flem274*]

Permaul is just another left arm straight break bowler with average use of flight and speed making him entirely uninspiring. I don't see why he's getting rated in here.

 

[Dan]

Permaul is just another left arm straight break bowler with average use of flight and speed making him entirely uninspiring. I don't see why he's getting rated in here.

Spreadsheets show 307 FC wickets @ 22, and he isn't old like Nikita Miller.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

WI FC stats mean **** all for spinners. Permaul will do the same job as Benn while being far less of a ****.