*Official* West Indies Tour of England 2020

[BoyBrumby]

Campbell's probably single-handedly sunk WI here. Dropped Stokes when England were going for quick runs and gets out in the first over while trying to save the game.

He's probably had better days at the office, yes. Stokes made 48 after John's bollock.

TMS have just obligingly informed us Stokes's 50 was the fastest ever by an England opener. That's going to be a trivia question in a few years...

 

[Howe_zat]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ri-lanka-tour-of-united-arab-emirates-2013-14

And Herath who's better than anyone in this English attack got absolutely destroyed.

There's also this one with the same teams, which is the one I thought everyone was talking about. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...stan-3rd-test-pakistan-tour-of-sri-lanka-2015

That one's a bit bigger and was done with plenty of time left so it doesn't really fit tbf. But if Shan Masood can do it, anyone can.

 

[Howe_zat]

I was driving during the first hour so I couldn't comment at the time, but Isa Guha on TMS kept saying that Joe Root had 'a chance to show he's also a short format player'. Root's a better ODI player than test, and he's one of England's best ever short format players. One of the strangest takes I've ever heard (that didn't come from Mick Vaughan).

 

[wpdavid]

TMS have just obligingly informed us Stokes's 50 was the fastest ever by an England opener. That's going to be a trivia question in a few years...

Not a huge surprise. Did they say who previously held the record? I'm guessing Trescothick.

 

[MW1304]

I was driving during the first hour so I couldn't comment at the time, but Isa Guha on TMS kept saying that Joe Root had 'a chance to show he's also a short format player'. Root's a better ODI player than test, and he's one of England's best ever short format players. One of the strangest takes I've ever heard (that didn't come from Mick Vaughan).

Maybe she meant t20 specifically and just messed up the wording? Works considering he doesn't make that team and we were basically playing t20 shot-a-ball stuff.

 

[morgieb]

I was driving during the first hour so I couldn't comment at the time, but Isa Guha on TMS kept saying that Joe Root had 'a chance to show he's also a short format player'. Root's a better ODI player than test, and he's one of England's best ever short format players. One of the strangest takes I've ever heard (that didn't come from Mick Vaughan).

While Guha's not perfect as a commentator, that feels weird coming from her. She seems like someone who'd do her research and not come up with bullshit.

 

[Howe_zat]

He's probably had better days at the office, yes. Stokes made 48 after John's bollock.

TMS have just obligingly informed us Stokes's 50 was the fastest ever by an England opener. That's going to be a trivia question in a few years...

Another trivia point may be that Stokes has now added opening the batting to his previous appearances from 3-11 in the order. No. 2 the only position he's yet to bat at.

 

[Howe_zat]

Not a huge surprise. Did they say who previously held the record? I'm guessing Trescothick.

Yep. Ally Cook was on and asked if he appears, so they ran down the list to 13th (where Cook comes in) and it's pretty much all Tresco, Strauss and Gooch.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Another trivia point may be that Stokes has now added opening the batting to his previous appearances from 3-11 in the order. No. 2 the only position he's yet to bat at.

I would never have guessed stokes had batted at 10 or 11 with broad and anderson in the side.

 

[morgieb]

I would never have guessed stokes had batted at 10 or 11 with broad and anderson in the side.

My suspicision is that the time he batted 10/11 was because he got injured. It happened in the same Test when he didn't bowl in the second innings.

For his #9 stint, he was selected to bat 8 but a nightwatchman was put in.

 

[Jarquis]

Can somebody work out what Woakes would need to do in his next 15 Tests to end up with a better batting average than bowling average?

 

[Howe_zat]

I would never have guessed stokes had batted at 10 or 11 with broad and anderson in the side.

He got injured in the UAE and batted only because England were losing.

 

[Jarquis]

Rough calcs tell me that 77* and 8/29 (and then averaging 28.5 thereafter with both) would get him there...

 

[OverratedSanity]

Welp. I sense a quick finish here.

 

[MW1304]

Welp. I sense a quick finish here.

People said that last week in a similar position tbf.

 

[morgieb]

Yeah that's the one guy they really didn't want to lose /Mark Taylor

 

[GotSpin]

Campbell's probably single-handedly sunk WI here. Dropped Stokes when England were going for quick runs and gets out in the first over while trying to save the game.

yeah so bad

 

[wpdavid]

Yep. Ally Cook was on and asked if he appears, so they ran down the list to 13th (where Cook comes in) and it's pretty much all Tresco, Strauss and Gooch.

I remember Tresco making a really rapid 50 on Day 1 at Edgbaston in 2005. No idea if that's the previous fastest, as obviously he was capable of destroying opening attacks if things went for him. I did wonder about Stewart in the first ashes test of 1997, but it turns out it was Atherton who made an almost a run a ball 50 in celebration mode as they chased a small total. Maybe Gooch's fastest was in India in 1981/82? I vaguely remember a match when we'd put them in, they'd scored loads, and Gooch responded in kind.

 

[harsh.ag]

Huge wicket.

Woakes is pitching it shorter than he usually does. Could use some more full(er) deliveries.

Dayyum this wicket is keeping low

 

[Howe_zat]

Rough calcs tell me that 77* and 8/29 (and then averaging 28.5 thereafter with both) would get him there...

Think he's more likely to get there by say 450 runs at 40 (i.e. scoring at his normal rate, but only being dismissed 10-12 times out of 20) and getting his bowling average a smidge below 30.

But I actually don't think he'll play 15 more tests.