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

[mr_mister]

He's ice cold

 

[WindieWeathers]

 

[Scaly piscine]

Root and Stokes were the brains trust over the declaration apparently.

Root who forgot he had more than 4 bowlers for most of the innings, keeps throwing his wicket away after 50, and his every other word is 'positive'. Stokes who punches lockers and has took several years of monkey-getting-electrocuted-in-a-lab type repeated experiences to learn how to maximise his batting ability.

Maybe next time you can get someone with a working brain cell to make the call.

 

[Bijed]

Anyone know how many runs in total were cost by dropped catches? Cricinfo were saying it was 350+ yesterday, so I guess about 470 or something?

 

[mr_mister]

Looking forward to your long wrap up post, as well as Beamers

 

[burr]

I wish I'd put money on the Windies.

 

[mr_mister]

Glad we agree Stokes is a thug Scaly

 

[Xuhaib]

Not surprised one bit.Have seen them quite a bit in past 12 months post Lara this easily their best test side and looking at the current ages they get even better

 

[mr_mister]

I wish I'd put money on the Windies.

I'm glad I did. $240 richer. Must thank weldone for the tip. Never again will this side still be paying $8 to win after bowling out a side for under 300 on day 1


It was waaay too generous from the betting agencies

 

[OverratedSanity]

Not surprised one bit.Have seen them quite a bit in past 12 months post Lara this easily their best test side and looking at the current ages they get even better

I wasn't surprised one bit with their bowling in the first innings. Thoroughly shocked at how well they batted though, especially today, even though I really rate guys like Brathwaite.

 

[Adders]

Well played West Indies.......amazing run chase!!

 

[burr]

Not surprised one bit.Have seen them quite a bit in past 12 months post Lara this easily their best test side and looking at the current ages they get even better

To have that kind of partnership in both innings with a 23 yo and a 24 yo is pretty special. Sort the board and the pitches in Windies out, the talent is there.

 

[Bijed]

Anyway, changes for the next test? TRJ should come back for Woakes - though Woakes batted very well, his bowling is just not back up to test level yet (I really do hope he's not just stuck at Woakes 1.0 level again) and the change shouldn't have been made in the first place (easy to say with hindsight of course, but really the selectors knew he hadn't been playing much cricket and shouldn't have just hoped he'd slot back in like he'd never been away).

Also, does Westley get one more chance? He really isn't looking likely to make runs at the moment, Hales to come in for him maybe? Although Shai Hope was averaging 18 after 11 tests before this one, so you never know. I'm still not convinced by Stoneman (though 2 of 3 dismissals have been to very good balls) or Malan, but they've earned themselves at least another test

 

[Scaly piscine]

The quotes coming from Root are just frighteningly stupid. England lost it in the first two days? England got back in control despite that. They lost it today and last night when they declared. 360 off 90 means West Indies *have* to take risks. You win just as many games because of that than you would because there's the extra 6 overs. Apart from the fact that West Indies don't even have to bat the full 96 to reach 322 anyway (and they had overs to spare)

To make such a declaration when you're 1-0 up and 900odd for 18 has just been scored is an amazing display of arrogance and stupidity.

Making mistakes is one thing, being too stupid to learn from them is far worse.
.

 

[Burner]

For a side as brittle as Windies, they are pretty extraordinary in fourth inning chases..

 

[Bijed]

Root and Stokes were the brains trust over the declaration apparently.

Root who forgot he had more than 4 bowlers for most of the innings, keeps throwing his wicket away after 50, and his every other word is 'positive'. Stokes who punches lockers and has took several years of monkey-getting-electrocuted-in-a-lab type repeated experiences to learn how to maximise his batting ability.

Maybe next time you can get someone with a working brain cell to make the call.

The declaration feels like a bit of a Bayliss thing tbh. Regardless, I was happy with him at first but I'm now not sure he's the coach we want for our test side and if the Ashes go badly I would have no issues if we decided to bring in someone else.

 

[Adders]

The declaration feels like a bit of a Bayliss thing tbh. Regardless, I was happy with him at first but I'm now not sure he's the coach we want for our test side and if the Ashes go badly I would have no issues if we decided to bring in someone else.

Yeah agree. Baylis has done wonders with the ODI side but the test team really has just stagnated under him..........been 2 steps forward 2 back his entire tenure. Mind you, having said that it's not his fault we can't fill the gaps in this side with test quality batsmen.

 

[Howe_zat]

2-1 to the Windies in our last three games, not bad given what was said about them after Edgbaston.

 

[Howe_zat]

The only good thing is that after a few year in which declarations have only been made in thrashings, the 'why haven't we declared yet?' people might have the grace to **** off for a while.

 

[Adders]

And on the declaration. I didn't agree with it but I could accept it more if it was something you'd expect as a matter of course, for instance I think that would have been a fairly typical thing for Michael Clarke to do no matter who he he was playing.

But it was not typical for England and was clearly done because the brains trust didn't rate the Windies batting. When they outscored you by 150 odd in the first innings I think that was just asking for them to embarrass you.