**Official** West Indies in England Thread

[wpdavid]

This MCC Team could be quite a handful - 7 of the XI have represented their country.

They look a very ordinary side to me - Cook, Koenig, M. Powell, Thorpe, Benkenstein, Stephenson, M. Wessels, Patel, Jones, Willoughby, & Hoggard.

And who does select them? Hoggard & Jones fair enough - they need the game after their injuries. Cook, fair enough, as he's supposed to be one of the upandcoming talents. And Powell should relish the chance to do something against a national side. But I can't imagine Thorpe really needs another look at WI right now. And why on earth are guys like Willoughby, Benkenstein, Stephenson, Wessels & Patel playing? Surely there are some young English prospects who would benefit from playing and who would have rather more to offer.

Stomps off in a huff ....

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

But I can't imagine Thorpe really needs another look at WI right now.

Thorpe missed the Natwest series. He's getting himself back in tune for the Test series.

 

[marc71178]

I think the selection has a great deal to do with which Counties are playing in the next few days.

 

[wpdavid]

I think the selection has a great deal to do with which Counties are playing in the next few days.

I suppose so. There's the latest round of 20/20 games from today to Thursday, so that's probably the reason.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Stumps Day 1:

West Indians 373/6
DS Smith 142
BC Lara 113 retired
CH Gayle 43
CS Baugh 38

SP Jones 16-1-75-1
MJ Hoggard 17-6-28-2

 

[Craig]

Thorpe missed the Natwest series. He's getting himself back in tune for the Test series.

Well the bowling line-up he will face is not really going to change from the one in the Caribbean so it isn't anything different.

 

[marc71178]

Yes, but he has gone a fair while without a bat, hence he's having a game to get himself back into the swing of things.

 

[Adamc]

Stumps Day 1:

West Indians 373/6
DS Smith 142
BC Lara 113 retired
CH Gayle 43
CS Baugh 38

SP Jones 16-1-75-1
MJ Hoggard 17-6-28-2

Lara 113 off 105 balls, mind.

 

[wpdavid]

Yes, but he has gone a fair while without a bat, hence he's having a game to get himself back into the swing of things.

Mind you, most of our batsman could use the practice. By the time the first test starts, they won't have played a 4 or 5 day game for over a month. Not that I'd want to see the England side representing the MCC, but it doesn't strike me as the best way to prepare for a test series.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Hoggard and Jones rip through the tail.

OAC Banks             c Thorpe           b Hoggard             16  74  59  2 0
PT Collins            lbw                b Jones                2  15  13  0 0
FH Edwards            not out                                   2   6   2  0 0
JJC Lawson                               b Hoggard              0   0   1  0 0

Hoggard ends with 4/32...should be good conditions for Collins at least. Why did England pick the wrong Powell?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Halsey to say that Alastair Cook is the next Bradman in 5...4...3...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Hoggard and Jones rip through the tail.

OAC Banks             c Thorpe           b Hoggard             16  74  59  2 0
PT Collins            lbw                b Jones                2  15  13  0 0
FH Edwards            not out                                   2   6   2  0 0
JJC Lawson                               b Hoggard              0   0   1  0 0

Hoggard ends with 4/32...should be good conditions for Collins at least. Why did England pick the wrong Powell?

ITs a shame they didnt just pick a England 'A' team for this fixture. (with a few first team players who needed the match practice).

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Cook lbw by Gayle on 49. I'm willing to bet quite a bit on that being nerves before getting a 50 against international bowlers causing him to play a silly stroke.

Funny how England have two Michael J Powells of reasonable talent...I know which one I'd prefer for this game.

 

[Adamc]

Cook lbw by Gayle on 49. I'm willing to bet quite a bit on that being nerves before getting a 50 against international bowlers causing him to play a silly stroke.

Funny how England have two Michael J Powells of reasonable talent...I know which one I'd prefer for this game.

Someone mentioned in another thread that there are two Irfan Pathans who play for the same club (Baroda?). Both of them are left-arm fast bowlers and they open the bowling together on occasion. Funnily enough, Irfan S. Pathan (the one who doesn't play for India) has a better domestic record the Irfan K. Pathan.

EDIT: removed a superfluous apostrophe for Neil's sake.

 

[marc71178]

Funny how England have two Michael J Powells of reasonable talent...I know which one I'd prefer for this game.

Not the Warwickshire one, that's for sure!

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Collins and Edwards getting a pasting it seems

 

[Magrat Garlick]

EDIT: removed a superfluous apostrophe for Neil's sake.

He's gone to France anyway.

 

[tooextracool]

Collins and Edwards getting a pasting it seems

and bravo and lawson pick up 2 wickets each.....my how the world has changed since the last england-west indies series.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Bravo and Lawson should be bowling better than Collins, Edwards and Banks because they've been playing cricket in England over the last few weeks or so. This is not their first game on tour.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Also, Lawson got the mighty wickets of John Stephenson (of Essex - should tell you how good he is) and Sven Koenig. Thorpe just got too rash, considering 32 from 39 balls. Bravo also got Mike Powell, though I doubt highly how good he is as a batsman.

This game won't tell anything IMO.