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

[Richard]

Strauss too. Nothing I'd love more today than to be able to put up a report about them putting-on 250.

Well that's that hope gone.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Going by cricinfo it sounds as if Strauss's dismissal was depressingly according to type. Was it really that bad?

Moreover, is his decline terminal? Much more of this & he'll be dipping below 40 soon, average-wise.

Back to the great unwashed....

 

[Richard]

You'd have to think it is if it carries on much longer. FFS, if all it takes is pitching the ball up, well...

 

[wpdavid]

You'd have to think it is if it carries on much longer. FFS, if all it takes is pitching the ball up, well...

... or pitching it short and waitinng for him to hole out or mess up an attempted cut. The bowlers are spoilt for choice really.

 

[Richard]

Vaughan's worrying me a bit here, too. And is anyone else hating this horrible new helmet-style of his?

 

[GIMH]

So Vaughan looking shaky?

 

[Richard]

He's looking better than he sometimes does, but he's blocked a Full-Toss which worries me a bit.

 

[wpdavid]

He's looking better than he sometimes does, but he's blocked a Full-Toss which worries me a bit.

He hasn't batted much recently though, so I can see why he's erring on the side of caution.

 

[Richard]

It seemed to me that he didn't pick it up properly, TBH. And he's hit the fielders with those drives of his several times already, and that always worries me.

 

[GIMH]

RR dropping right down. Not that it matters mind.

 

[four_or_six]

Vaughan playing an ODI innings here... how irresponsible, doesn't he realise it's a test?

 

[grecian]

RR dropping right down. Not that it matters mind.

Bowling's been a lot better, I'm quite thankful, tbh. Its proper test cricket.

 

[GIMH]

To hell with proper Test Cricket, I want our boys to be prolific

 

[Richard]

That's much more like it from Vaughan - hit it up with no fielder back, hit it down with a fielder there. I'm a bit more confident now.


(Watches as Vaughan gets out next over)

 

[Scaly piscine]

Another slow wicket not helping England's bowlers (well Harmison given some others are injured) one iota and another even slower Vaughan innings where he'll probably contrive to get out at around 20-30 by miscuing the ball to a fielder.

 

[GIMH]

A big ton could take Cook's average back to 50 here. It's not important, but I'm a bit bored on my lunch break and decided to work it out.

(cue Cook getting out)

 

[GIMH]

17.4 Powell to Vaughan, FOUR, great shot, a smidgen short outside off, Vaughan rockets round with a very strong pull indeed. He just stands, delivers... and then admires, no need to leave his crease

That's what we want

 

[Richard]

Vaughan playing an ODI innings here... how irresponsible, doesn't he realise it's a test?

This innings demonstrates perfectly why Vaughan is a good Test player and a poor ODI player. Anyone who has uttered in any seriousness the "he scores quickly in Tests, so all he needs to do is play the same way in ODIs" just doesn't have a clue what they're on about.

 

[Richard]

That's what we want

That's much more like it from Vaughan - hit it up with no fielder back, hit it down with a fielder there. I'm a bit more confident now.


(Watches as Vaughan gets out next over)

...

 

[GIMH]

I think his post may have been in jest Rich

(see two posts up)