***Official*** West Indies in England (Pointless 2 T20 series for Sky's benefit)

[Beamer]

Getting a bit sick of people calling this WI side "4th rate" or "a C team". They've got six or seven players missing, not twenty.

Players not available for selection or not selected due to WICB stupidity:

Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Carlton Baugh Jr, Denesh Ramdin, Suliemann Benn.

Not to mention the fact that they deliberately didn't pick some talanted young batsmen like Kieran Powell, Devon Thomas and Kraigg Braithwaite, all of whom are significantly better than what was on show today. The likes of Charles, Bonner, Bascombe and Christian have no business being in A West Indies representative side of any kind and it is disgusting that the WICBand the selectors have seen fit to choose them. What a waste of £35.

Oh well, here's to a miracle in the next match and that one of these randomers performs above themselves. Either that or Russell, Sammy, Bishoo or Samuels has to put in a God-like performance just for us to be competitive.

 

[NasserFan207]

This is a pretty awful side. The only players worth anything at all are Bishoo, Sammy, and to an extent Russell. Gayle is probably worth more than all the rest put together, just for starters.

 

[SeamUp]

This game was pretty average. It was quite embarassing at times.

 

[zaremba]

At first sight, Bonner's action would put Botha and Ruchira Perera to shame.

 

[OMM!]

The future's bright. The future's England.

Hales looks a terribly nervous and dodgy starter, but once he's in he looks a powerful all-round hitter. Kieswetter is now nailed on as a T20 opener for England for a long time (Still not convinced as an ODI opener and never have been!). Look forward to seeing Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow later today hopefully too!

Dernbach is fast becoming the 2nd best T20 seamer in world cricket behind Malinga. Any bloke who can bowl 92mph or 72mph with the same arm speed is talented. Any bloke who can smash you noggin, break your toes or make you look an idiot by swinging ten seconds too early is a potentially world class limited overs bowler.

This guy has to be persevered with! He could be utterly brilliant! Potential Test bowler with that pace as well!

Really think England's best T20 bowler for the last 2 years, Danny Briggs, needs a game today. He's definitely earnt an England cap! Bring him in for Bresnan (Let him and Jimmy go off on early holidays before India!) and let him open the bowling too with 95mph 6'7 Stevie Finn!

 

[Woodster]

On Steven Finn, have to say was very impressed with how he was getting the ball through on Friday (also in the ODI's) though his second over on Friday was more 'in the slot' than he'd have hoped. Presume on a couple he was trying to find the yorker but didn't nail them and was flayed to the boundary. Hitting his ideal length consistently and having the skill to deliver a yorker on demand may see him become a very good bowler.

Hopefully with his pace and the rhythm he currently has, when he finds his way into the Test side, he can maintain speeds of around 90mph, and be used in shorter bursts. Of course it's more difficult to bowl quickly throughout the course of a day incorporating around three spells of five overs, than it is to bowl a maximum of four overs per game!

 

[superkingdave]

Bowling again

Borthwick in for Finn

 

[OMM!]

Astonishing there is no Danny Briggs! He's been the best T20 bowler in domestic cricket for 2 years. Scott Borthwick's figures, by comparison, are abysmal.

 

[Howe_zat]

Bowling first. Hoping we have a high scoring game then, and we see the whole side play.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ugh. Just ugh. Why bother picking middle order batsmen if you're going to keep fielding first against this lot?

 

[BoyBrumby]

The debutant Krishmar Santokie seems quite the T20 specialist. 26 and no FC games at all.

 

[Howe_zat]

Good move to bring on Samit early, I'd say.

Okay, so he's immediately hit for four, but now's as good a time as any really.

 

[MW1304]

Thought both those appeals were out tbh.

 

[OMM!]

Patel's 2nd LBW was stone dead. Terrible decision.

Wicket for Dernbach. Obvious there that Smith was playing for the slower ball and couldn't then react to the quicker ball. Worst way to play Dernbach.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Why is Bascombe's shirt completely different to his teammates? Odd.

Have the Windies finances got so bad they can no longer spring for a shirt for everyone.

 

[OMM!]

He looks a bit of a fat lad Bascombe. Probably didn't have a large shirt in the other style.

 

[Howe_zat]

Wides piss me off.

 

[MW1304]

He's wearing a jumper, that's why it looks different. You'll see quite a few of them in the field.

Edit: That looked less out than the last two. Still probably out, mind.

 

[Daemon]

The updated cricinfo app for Chrome is gun. Lets you tick matches you want to follow and flashes updates on the bottom right of your screen whenever a wicket goes down.

 

[Howe_zat]

Nice delivery from Patel, played horribly. There's plenty of tweak out there.