***Official*** West Indies Tour of the UK 2017

[Howe_zat]

It's much too early to dump Roston Chase, especially while there are still spuds at the top of the order.

West Indies can certainly feel pleased with Roach and Gabriel but the balance to the attack hasn't quite been there. They haven't quite known what to do with Bishoo and having Chase as the sole spinner doesn't seem like a good idea either. Holder needs to either be able to be a more consistent first change seamer or else move into the middle order and take responsibility with the bat.

 

[Beamer]

yeah. your batting stood up last test, your bowling stood up this test. there's a lot take out of the series


chasing a 300+ 4th innings score and next test bundling them out for under 200 are good signs

Cheers! Very worried about Dowrich though. He looks a shadow of the player who looked so good on debut. The selectors will have a decision to make on whether to keep him in the team like they did with Shai or do they give Hamilton or Ambris a go. The difference with Shai Hope is that he looked good even when not making runs whereas Dowrich has looked awful with gloves and bat.

Number 3 should be a straight swap between Kyle Hope and Darren Bravo which is obviously an enormous upgrade. With young Hetmeyer waiting in the wings. Powell is on watch and needs a score but should retain his place for The upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.

 

[Beamer]

It's much too early to dump Roston Chase, especially while there are still spuds at the top of the order.

West Indies can certainly feel pleased with Roach and Gabriel but the balance to the attack hasn't quite been there. They haven't quite known what to do with Bishoo and having Chase as the sole spinner doesn't seem like a good idea either. Holder needs to either be able to be a more consistent first change seamer or else move into the middle order and take responsibility with the bat.

Chase being dropped shouldn't even be a discussion. The guy averages 40 in tests even after this poor series and he scored big in the warm ups so is hardly completely out of form.

Agree on the attack, but I think there's a simple solution. Either bowl Bishoo properly as they have in this innings or pick a frontline spinner Holder does trust. It's poor selection to have a specialist spinner and not use them.

 

[Howe_zat]

Has Jermaine Blackwood opened before? I think having an all-or-nothing player at #5 or #6 tends to either make collapses worse on their off days and wastes talent on their on days. Given the opening hole it might be worth a throw of the dice. Most good attacking openers started life as middle order players who found they preferred the hard ball.

 

[Howe_zat]

Send off for Blowers!

Made me smile.

 

[Beamer]

Has Jermaine Blackwood opened before? I think having an all-or-nothing player at #5 or #6 tends to either make collapses worse on their off days and wastes talent on their on days. Given the opening hole it might be worth a throw of the dice. Most good attacking openers started life as middle order players who found they preferred the hard ball.

Good shout I like it. It would also be a good foil for Kraiggs blocking. He bats at 3 for Jamaica and West Indies A. I doubt they'll do it though, they really like Powell.

It will be interesting to see what they do for the 2 Zimbabwe tests in October.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Holder's bowling has definitely shown signs of improving these last few series imo. Did really well v Pakistan and while his figures don't look amazing here, I thought he did a good job at times, especially in the second test.

What they really need to do is develop Joseph properly. He has loads of potential despite that poor performance in the first test.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Good shout I like it. It would also be a good foil for Kraiggs blocking. He bats at 3 for Jamaica and West Indies A. I doubt they'll do it though, they really like Powell.

It will be interesting to see what they do for the 2 Zimbabwe tests in October.

Also if Bravo came in at 3 he has the experience and talent to adapt his game to suit whoever he is batting with at the time.

 

[Beamer]

Holder's bowling has definitely shown signs of improving these last few series imo. Did really well v Pakistan and while his figures don't look amazing here, I thought he did a good job at times, especially in the second test.

What they really need to do is develop Joseph properly. He has loads of potential despite that poor performance in the first test.

Agreed I think Holder's bowling is coming on nicely. Joseph is a brilliant prospect though his average speed looked down to me in Birmingham, I hope he's not being over coached. One thing the CPL has shown this year is we're not short of extreme pace. I reckon we've got 4 guys bowling at close to 150kph or above. Ian Bishop wants one of them, Oshane Thomas, fast tracked into the test set up. It will be interesting to see what they do anyway.

 

[Scaly piscine]

The way West Indies have used Bishoo, they've essentially been playing with 10 men anyway. So when he's a factor or they pick someone else that will make a fair difference.

Hopefully they're on the up anyway.

 

[Howe_zat]

We won a test series, for the second time this summer. That's still a pretty great thing, always.

Well done to Westley and Stoneman - it's easy to dismiss, but scoring runs when it is easy it part of test cricket too. And these two really, really needed to just play some test cricket.

Well done Windies for a strong underdog performance that pushed us to the last day.

Most notably, well done Jimmy

 

[MW1304]

Kind of an anti-climactic finish, but it's been a good summer. Not that any of the problems we started with have been solved in any meaningful way. Nice to have a third seamer to compete with Woakes at least.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Well done England. Series victory.

I feel that this might surely be the last time we see Bishoo in the Windies team. This is sad. Holder using him like Mushfiqur using a Shafiul.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Fun series. Loved West Indies' response after the first test. Stokes and Anderson too good in the end though.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Agreed I think Holder's bowling is coming on nicely. Joseph is a brilliant prospect though his average speed looked down to me in Birmingham, I hope he's not being over coached. One thing the CPL has shown this year is we're not short of extreme pace. I reckon we've got 4 guys bowling at close to 150kph or above. Ian Bishop wants one of them, Oshane Thomas, fast tracked into the test set up. It will be interesting to see what they do anyway.

I know they discussed it on Sky but I find it unbelievable he bowls at sub 80mph with his assets. While his bowling this series has been good conditions were ideally suited to him. His bowling on dead tracks with what he serves up will still be popcorn for batsman.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Anyone else think Stokes should be MotM over Anderson? His 6fer was sensational to watch and that 60 in the first innings was incredibly crucial.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Anyone else think Stokes should be MotM over Anderson? His 6fer was sensational to watch and that 60 in the first innings was incredibly crucial.

Vital score and the 6fer makes him MOTM but it will go to Jimmy for record breaking reasons.

 

[Beamer]

We won a test series, for the second time this summer. That's still a pretty great thing, always.

Most notably, well done Jimmy

Jimmy was in God mode for most of this series. They showed his pitch map earlier and it was absolutely relentless.

What a great examination for our batsmen. It found out Kyle Hope and Shane Dowrich but it made Shai Hope who displayed something close to God mode himself. I think we'll look back on this tour and realise that it was crucial for this teams development. You won't see better seam bowling that that and they'll have learned loads facing it.

 

[Beamer]

I know they discussed it on Sky but I find it unbelievable he bowls at sub 80mph with his assets. While his bowling this series has been good conditions were ideally suited to him. His bowling on dead tracks with what he serves up will still be popcorn for batsman.

Agreed and logic tells you that but he was actually our match winner in the UAE against Pakistan. I think he'll be ok. We just need to either bowl Bishoo properly or get a better frontline spin option.

 

[Howe_zat]

Anyone else think Stokes should be MotM over Anderson? His 6fer was sensational to watch and that 60 in the first innings was incredibly crucial.

Vital score and the 6fer makes him MOTM but it will go to Jimmy for record breaking reasons.

Mostly agree, I'd have probably gone Stokes for man of the match and Anderson for man of the series. That said Stokes' 6fer did come after Anderson had already got into the Windies batting, and bowlers don't get enough MOTM awards in general. In a test dominated by the bowling, the best bowler usually ought to win.