*Official* West Indies Tour of Bangladesh 2018

[Gnske]

You know, I'd go to watch the Windies bat just so I could sit in the crowd and watch a more depressing batting collapse on my phone.

 

[cnerd123]

This is not a 20/4 pitch lmao

BD might never select a fast bowler ever again

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ambris is such a disgusting batsman. Get back in the shed you hack.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ok, that one was definitely down to the pitch.

 

[NUFAN]

14 out / 12 not out seems a high lowest individual score for a completed innings, especially for Babgladesh.

 

[cnerd123]

Geez that spun a mile. I don't blame the umpire for giving that out live. You don't expect a delivery barely pitch on leg stump to go and miss off from around the wicket. Good review.

 

[Spark]

So what happened here? Did WI forget how the three wooden things in the ground worked?

 

[Beamer]

Three thoughts.

1) Yet again our batting is being exposed. Having this many rookies and a dud opener in Powell is batting suicide.

2) Bishoo and Warrican being exposed here again. They were ineffective.

3) Looking at Hope's dismissal and Hetmeyer's incorrect lbw, the pitch is starting to break up. Given that it was a pancake on day 1, this is another poor test pitch IMHO as whoever bats first basically wins.

 

[the big bambino]

Agreed. He's a good, solid, thinking test class seamer. When he, Gabriel (pace) and Holder (bounce, swing, accuracy) are in the same lineup we have a decent pace attack.

Is it just me that thinks a test line-up without a seamer is extremely bad for test cricket and Bangladesh? Yes they might win this series, scramble up to number 8 in the rankings on occasion but they will be annihilated by everyone overseas and be right back where they started.

I too think BD should give up their home advantage so they can an away record similar to practically every other side in world cricket atm.

 

[Beamer]

Also without wishing to jinx anything, Hetmeyer and Dowrich look like they're batting at a different level to the rest. They are actually moving their feet and have some aggressive intent without being Ambris style reckless.

 

[Starfighter]

It puzzles me that a domestic comp that produces pitches that even Nikita Miller, who barely spins the ball, picks up wickets on can't produce anyone who can play spin. Of course, the fact that Miller takes wickets shows that maybe they don;t learn their lesson.

 

[Beamer]

I too think BD should give up their home advantage so they can an away record similar to practically every other side in world cricket atm.

It is a fair point that almost everyone is getting thrashed away from home. It will be interesting to see if England continue their momentum from SL and beat us in the Caribbean. With our batting like it is at the moment I would back them to win.

 

[Beamer]

It puzzles me that a domestic comp that produces pitches that even Nikita Miller, who barely spins the ball, picks up wickets on can't produce anyone who can play spin. Of course, the fact that Miller takes wickets shows that maybe they don;t learn their lesson.

Miller is a very solid left arm spinner. He would take wickets in FC cricket anywhere in the World IMHO. I think he is better than Warrican. I've seen a lot of him and he varies flight and turns it a little bit. It's shame he wasn't given a run. Our selectors are really something. Powell gets 20 tests without dominating FC cricket whilst someone who dominates FC and A team cricket gets 4 tests spread over loads of series. It's odd.

Back to your point though, I think most of our spinners are ordinary but have been playing on pitches that make them look good. It's not actually good for young batsmen to be playing on raging turners. Some (like Ambris) adopt a get as many runs as possible before you get an unplayable ball) and others just prod and poke all day. It doesn't encourage pure stroke play.

It's a miracle we have produced someone like Hetmeyer who is a such a natural destroyer of spin bowling.

 

[cnerd123]

A lot of the dismissals today weren't down to the pitch, and I think BD's spinners are just better and know how to get something out of this wicket. So while the toss clearly has a big role, I think the gap in actual skill means BD are favourties to win even if they were bowling first.

 

[Beamer]

A lot of the dismissals today weren't down to the pitch, and I think BD's spinners are just better and know how to get something out of this wicket. So while the toss clearly has a big role, I think the gap in actual skill means BD are favourties to win even if they were bowling first.

I agree to a certain extent. Only one of our dismissals was down to the pitch, though Hope was a pretty big wicket.

However, Bishoo spins it more than any of the BD spinners (admittedly not as accurate) and he didn't get as much turn as the finger spinners got here. So the help from the pitch is significantly different at the end of Day 2.

I would agree that Warrican and Bishoo are less skilful and effective because their lines and lengths aren't as good as the Bangladesh spinners, but clearly the assistance on offer tonight was far more than on day 1 and that is not great for a competitive match IMHO.

 

[cnerd123]

Yea if both sides were equally matched in batting and spin bowling then the toss would kinda be the determing factor and it would suck. But that's not the case here.

And besides, it's a 5 day game, the pitches break up. Its just happening in a weird manner here. All part of the game IMO. Sometimes we get those seamy roads where the ball swings a ton in the first two sessions then flattens out on days 2 and 3. That's not fair on the team batting first, but we accept it. Test cricket is rarely fair, it's why we have the toss to begin with.

These complaints just remind me of how people complain about pitches in India, claiming they rely on the toss, but the numbers show they win as much batting second as they do batting first. Just comes off as sour grapes. The toss isn't as big a factor when one side is far superior in the conditions to the other.

I'm not sure if BD would be as good if they lost the toss, but simply based on how the two teams have played I wouldn't be surprised if they were.

 

[Beamer]

All fair points. It's just that this comes after the 1st test which even Bangladesh management said winning the toss was a determining factor. It would have been nice to see them tested.

Still, we shouldn't be relying on tosses against Bangladesh anyway. Our spinners and our batting is under par and something needs to be done. Bangladesh have outplayed us no doubt.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

All fair points. It's just that this comes after the 1st test which even Bangladesh management said winning the toss was a determining factor. It would have been nice to see them tested.

Still, we shouldn't be relying on tosses against Bangladesh anyway. Our spinners and our batting is under par and something needs to be done. Bangladesh have outplayed us no doubt.

Should have packed the batting with Guyanese batsmen: Tagenarine, Leon Johnson, and Vishaul Singh.

And bowling, we have better than Bishoo and Warrican. Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, Rakheem Cornwall,

 

[Beamer]

Should have packed the batting with Guyanese batsmen: Tagenarine, Leon Johnson, and Vishaul Singh.

And bowling, we have better than Bishoo and Warrican. Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, Rakheem Cornwall,

The upcoming FC season starting next week is one of the most vital in recent memory. It's clear that an opening spot as well as the spinners are well and truly up for grabs.

We need hundreds from potential openers and to look closely at spinners to see if they are genuinely beating batsmen with flight and turn as well as bowling long economical spells on the better pitches.

 

[Beamer]

Rakheem Cornwall

For me that is the most important selection. He offers off spin that has been successful at A level, a proven ability to bowl long spells and he would considerably lengthen our batting.

It's time for Browne and co to go. They have no imagination of pragmatism. They just choose who they like and stick with them regardless of results.