**Official** West Indies in South Africa Thread

[Adamc]

Well Brian Lara can not become the leading runscoer in 2003.

Nor can he overtake Sachin Tendulkar as the 4th highest test runscorer of all time. Tendulkar after his 44 now has 8964, Lara has 8916. Third place is still a long way off though: Gavaskar with 10122...

 

[Adamc]

Great effort from Mr. Sarwan to be 95* at tea. The young VC has shown once again that he won't go down without a fight... or at least without a nasty bouncer from Ntini. Hopefully he can turn this into a big century and confirm his huge talent.

 

[mavric41]

Sarwan out for 114 and Chanderpaul just scored a 101 with a hook that went over the keeper's head!!

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Chanderpaul is caught by McKenzie for 109 - a good catch, according to cricinfo.

That means innings defeat for WI, unless Fidel Edwards have some special batting tricks up his sleeve (mainly, the ability to hit more than 18 in a Test).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Chanderpaul is caught by McKenzie for 109 - a good catch, according to cricinfo.

That means innings defeat for WI, unless Fidel Edwards have some special batting tricks up his sleeve (mainly, the ability to hit more than 18 in a Test).

Brilliant catch is more like it.

I pleased with the resistence shown by the West Indian batsmen. So much can be said in retrospect.

If Gibbs were given out LBW on 60odd...
If Kallis were given out on 48...
If Drakes or Lara held Kirsten...
If Ganga was given not out (inside edge onto pad)...

So many if's, but ultimately we went down with a fight.

 

[Adamc]

Plenty of 'what if's' but generally a rather self-destructive performance. Most of the batsmen got themselves out rather than being beaten by the bowler, particularly Baugh and Jacobs. Lara's dismissal looked pretty terrible, although it did appear as though Hall was bowling to some vague plan. The umpiring wasn't necessarily bad, though it certainly did not help the WI. In any case, though, the dropped catches were at least as detrimental to their cause.
Great performances from Sarwan and Chanderpaul however, remarkable considering they scored 4 runs between them in the first innings. Everyone down to Drakes apart from Hinds and Baugh has scored at least one half-century in the series, and Gayle may return for the third test, so from a batting perspective the team is in good shape... bowling is a different matter altogether...

 

[garage flower]

Everyone down to Drakes apart from Hinds and Baugh has scored at least one half-century in the series, and Gayle may return for the third test, so from a batting perspective the team is in good shape... bowling is a different matter altogether...

In my opinion the batting is in anything but great shape, despite the heroics from Drakes and Sanford in the first innings and a few other cameos in the 2 tests to date.

I don't remember seeing a worse top 6 than the current one. The openers simply aren't good enough and Baugh is so far out of his depth that he should be batting with arm bands. I'm sure Dwayne Smith's confidence will be sky high after he was beaten to a specialist batsman spot by an inexperienced reserve 'keeper who appears to have no concept of how to build a test innings.(not that I'd expect much more from a raw kid like Smith, I hasten to add).

Sarwan and Chanderpaul need to build on their respective centuries and provide Lara with consistent support for the rest of the series. The 3 of them are the only proven test class batsmen in the squad.

If Gayle and Collymore are fit, my team for the 3rd test would be as follows:

Gayle
Hinds
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Ganga
Jacobs
Drakes
Mohammed
Dillon
Collymore

Fidel, I think, should be rested, though that is no reflection on his performances in the series. He has bowled - at times - like the novice he is and understandably allowed his head to drop when umpiring decisions and fielding blunders have cost him wickets. He is not going to blow the South Africans away, no matter how quickly he bowls and so it makes sense, to me, to rest him for at least 1 test.

If Collymore is unfit, Sandford plays, and Smith would replace an unfit Gayle, with Ganga opening.

 

[Adamc]

In my opinion the batting is in anything but great shape, despite the heroics from Drakes and Sanford in the first innings and a few other cameos in the 2 tests to date.

I don't remember seeing a worse top 6 than the current one. The openers simply aren't good enough and Baugh is so far out of his depth that he should be batting with arm bands. I'm sure Dwayne Smith's confidence will be sky high after he was beaten to a specialist batsman spot by an inexperienced reserve 'keeper who appears to have no concept of how to build a test innings.(not that I'd expect much more from a raw kid like Smith, I hasten to add).

Sarwan and Chanderpaul need to build on their respective centuries and provide Lara with consistent support for the rest of the series. The 3 of them are the only proven test class batsmen in the squad.

As you pointed out, the problem atm is the openers and Baugh. This has obviously not been helped by Gayle's injury: if he was in the side, Baugh wouldn't be in it and Ganga wouldn't be opening. This would solve many problems. If Gayle returns, the only major batting worry I can see is Hinds, who is playing with little confidence and less foot movement. Chanderpaul is providing consistent support, having made 34, 74, 0 and 109, being involved in three century stands. Lara is obviously in good form, and Sarwan was batting well even before his century, though his scores don't suggest that. Ganga showed promise in the first test, and Jacobs and Drakes have contributed well with half-centuries. Gayle's return should bring much-needed stability, enabling Ganga to return to the middle-order.

 

[Mister Wright]

What's going to happen to the West Indies' side for the next test? If Gayle is fit will that mean he will become a straight swap for Baugh or will they consider leaving out the desperately out of form Hinds? It will be interesting for the selectors, perhaps some changes to the bowling line-up too...

 

[marc71178]

I don't remember seeing a worse top 6 than the current one.

Be fair, injuries have played a part there, and I'm sure if they'd been at home, someone better than Baugh would've been on hand to step in!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If Gayle and Collymore are fit, my team for the 3rd test would be as follows:

Gayle
Hinds
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Ganga
Jacobs
Drakes
Mohammed
Dillon
Collymore

Fidel, I think, should be rested, though that is no reflection on his performances in the series. He has bowled - at times - like the novice he is and understandably allowed his head to drop when umpiring decisions and fielding blunders have cost him wickets. He is not going to blow the South Africans away, no matter how quickly he bowls and so it makes sense, to me, to rest him for at least 1 test.

If Collymore is unfit, Sandford plays, and Smith would replace an unfit Gayle, with Ganga opening.

I agree with most of what you say. However, I think Ganga should open with Gayle and Hinds should drop to 6.

Edwards should be rested as we don't want an Anderson situaution on our hands. Sanford hopefully will not play again in this series.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Be fair, injuries have played a part there, and I'm sure if they'd been at home, someone better than Baugh would've been on hand to step in!

Very true. The West Indies certainly has had no favours on this 'regain respect' mission.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I agree with most of what you say. However, I think Ganga should open with Gayle and Hinds should drop to 6.

Edwards should be rested as we don't want an Anderson situaution on our hands. Sanford hopefully will not play again in this series.

Agree with all that you say here. Edwards will be one of the best fat bowlers in the world, with experience.

 

[marc71178]

Edwards will be one of the best fat bowlers in the world, with experience.

Until he took those pills, that accolade belonged to Warnie!

 

[Tom Halsey]

Oops, I missed the letter out!

Anyway, that accolade belongs to Inzy. My mate told me he has only bowled a few overs. One of them lasted 19 balls, too many wides - just like him!

 

[Craig]

Hinds I suspect will be left out. Mohammad I suspect will play.

 

[garage flower]

Be fair, injuries have played a part there, and I'm sure if they'd been at home, someone better than Baugh would've been on hand to step in!

Fair enough, but the lack of depth is very worrying and the openers remain a huge problem that Ganga certainly won't solve.

Certainly, someone better than Baugh would've stepped up for a home series, but few players spring to mind. I suppose Devon Smith would have opened, with Ganga dropping down the order.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Hinds I suspect will be left out. Mohammad I suspect will play.

If they play Baugh again that would be the height of ridiculous. Why drop a batsman with 4 years experience who can bowl useful medium for a young wicketkeeper batsman who can't?

I can't see any justification for dropping Hinds. He should be dropped down the order.

 

[Craig]

But he isnt excatly in form either.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Certainly, someone better than Baugh would've stepped up for a home series, but few players spring to mind

Floyd Reifer
Travis Dowlin
Imran Jan
Leon Garrick (mishandled IMO)
Robert Samuels (even more mishandled)

There are a few better choices at hand.