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

[Beamer]

It's a shame we have no stamina and can't sustain a high level of performance for more than a session. Even this evening, Benn and Samuels have been bowling pies whilst the fielders stroll around. A complete contrast from Taylor and Roach's opening hostility.

Still, some positive signs with Blackwood being so impressive. I think it's time to play all the youngsters and let Phil SImmons instill the right discipline from the very start of their careers. The trouble is there is no way in hell they will drop Devon Smith when the test match is in Grenada. But I do think it is time to move on from the 30 plus year olds who are still failing and have become used to losing tests consistently and not putting up a fight.

My team from now on:

Braithwaite
Shai Hope
Darren Bravo
Marlon Samuels (has to keep scoring though, he's getting on a bit)
Shiv (can't be long until he retires now unfortunately.)
Blackwood
Ramdin (wk)
Holder
Roach
Bishoo
Taylor

It's definitely time to move forward, use this as a chance for a new beginning. The impact positive performances from the youngsters like Kraigg, Jermaine and hopefully Shai will have a hugely positive impact on our cricket.

 

[Howe_zat]

shai apple pie in the sky hope

 

[Beamer]

shai apple pie in the sky hope

Eh?

 

[theegyptian]

Cook needs to make more use of Tredwell in the second innings. Should have used him more in the first innings.

a) he needs to make sure England use all the overs available to them to bowl West Indies out b) West Indies play spin badly c) There isn't much in the wicket for the seamers and the likes of Broad and Anderson are better off joining Jordan and Stokes in going hard in 3,4,5 over spells rather than looking to bowl longish spells at low 80s pace.

 

[grecian]

Cook needs to make more use of Tredwell in the second innings. Should have used him more in the first innings.

a) he needs to make sure England use all the overs available to them to bowl West Indies out b) West Indies play spin badly c) There isn't much in the wicket for the seamers and the likes of Broad and Anderson are better off joining Jordan and Stokes in going hard in 3,4,5 over spells rather than looking to bowl longish spells at low 80s pace.

Agree, particularly about the short spells for the fast bowlers, reckon Root could bowl a few too.

 

[hendrix]

Really pleased for Blackwood.

Happy with the performance of the pacers, but as expected it was the fitness and maintaining intensity that was the problem. Of course it didn't help that Benn has been a passenger and the pitch is relatively flat.

Disappointed in the batting effort from the likes of Ramdin and Holder. They need to ensure their bowlers get a proper rest.

 

[Daemon]

After the third wicket gone now, can't say England are on top though they are still ahead, mainly because Windies bat last. Won't go to the last day and the pitch doesn't have many daemons. Still batting last chasing 350 or so would be tough when you couldn't get 300 in the first dig.

I assure you it has none

 

[Gnske]

Hopefully the lower order doesn't unravel again for England, i'd be happy with any target under 300 if I was Ramdin

 

[Antihippy]

Realistically how many more chances does cook get?

 

[Gnske]

Realistically how many more chances does cook get?

Depends if they win or lose the series tbh.

England shouldn't lose, but purely as a batsman he's probably got til the end of the New Zealand series.

 

[harsh.ag]

Insane that Cook already is the most successful English batsman of all time in terms of absolute numbers. England lacking in a true great batsman in the last thirty years has probably been the biggest source of their fall from grace. It's been all Cooks and Bells, and that too if they are lucky.

I have hope for Root and Ballance though. Hope they go truly big in career terms.

Btw, how did Carberry and Compton go below Lyth and Lees in the pecking order?

 

[Antihippy]

Depends if they win or lose the series tbh.

England shouldn't lose, but purely as a batsman he's probably got til the end of the New Zealand series.

Oof, can't see him doing well against the southee and boult show on his current form.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Insane that Cook already is the most successful English batsman of all time in terms of absolute numbers. England lacking in a true great batsman in the last thirty years has probably been the biggest source of their fall from grace. It's been all Cooks and Bells, and that too if they are lucky.

I have hope for Root and Ballance though. Hope they go truly big in career terms.

Btw, how did Carberry and Compton go below Lyth and Lees in the pecking order?

Doesn't this say more about the english attitude towards their players? Even the ones doing well are **** for some reason

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Insane that Cook already is the most successful English batsman of all time in terms of absolute numbers. England lacking in a true great batsman in the last thirty years has probably been the biggest source of their fall from grace. It's been all Cooks and Bells, and that too if they are lucky.

I have hope for Root and Ballance though. Hope they go truly big in career terms.

Btw, how did Carberry and Compton go below Lyth and Lees in the pecking order?

Well Lyth and Lees have done well in last years county championship and after not doing much for England Compton and Carberry haven't scored many runs. Age would be a factor too with Lyth 27 and Lees 21 compared to Compton who is nearly 32 and Carberry is 34.

 

[harsh.ag]

Nice. So why Trott then? Is it more like a you-deserve-another-shot pick?

 

[ImpatientLime]

very harsh to say compton didn't do much for england. wasn't great, but also didn't warrant binning so quickly.

carberry's more understandable, but did show some ticker during the ashes thrashing.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Nice. So why Trott then? Is it more like a you-deserve-another-shot pick?

Well Trott has an excellent test record to fall back on so I guess they decided to give him a chance, it may yet work as one bad game doesn't mean he should be written off but personally I would have had Lyth in the side ahead of him for this match as he is a proper opener and with Ballance, Bell and Root forming a solid 3,4 and 5 then there is no place for Trott at present in my view (same goes for KP) as the number 6 should be able to bowl like Stokes or Moeen Ali can.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Compton's an unlucky dude imo.

 

[wpdavid]

Well Trott has an excellent test record to fall back on so I guess they decided to give him a chance, it may yet work as one bad game doesn't mean he should be written off but personally I would have had Lyth in the side ahead of him for this match as he is a proper opener and with Ballance, Bell and Root forming a solid 3,4 and 5 then there is no place for Trott at present in my view (same goes for KP) as the number 6 should be able to bowl like Stokes or Moeen Ali can.

Makes sense. Your view, that is, not the thinking behind bringing back Trott and reinventing him as an opener. Fact is his test performances were in decline for a couple of years leading up to the 2013-14 Ashes debacle, and there's been no evidence that he's any more able to face Johnson & co than he was 18 months ago.

I have no idea whether Lyth is up to the job, but he seems to have done enough the justify a chance at this level. And I'd rather we did that now than in a couple of months time.
Obviously having 3 Tykes in the top 5 is a worry, but I'll cope.

Cook will stay to the end of the Ashes, btw. There's no way we're going into that series with two newcomers at the top of the order.

 

[ImpatientLime]

why are the fitness levels of some of the west indian players so poor? the way roach and taylor run out of steam so quickly is utterly unforgivable. if they could keep up the level of pressure they exert in their opening spells, deep into the opponenets innings they would be such a force to be reckoned with.

i seem to remember taylor against new zealand last year starting like an absolute beast and slowly as the series went on just go to pot.

if you're not good enough skill wise that is understandable as so many variables make up a players skill set. but not giving yourself the best chance to maximise what skills you do have by building a high level of fitness is shameful, especially in this day and age with so much science and knowledge built up in this field.