England V West Indies, Lords, 1st Test Thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Just a little under 15 hours now until the English Test Summer gets underway with the first of three tests against the lowly West Indies. This is seen as little more than a tune up for England, with the bigger obstacle of South Africa to come later in the summer.

Indeed, England are seen as overwhelming favourites for the series despite a disappointing Winter campaign in the UAE and Sri Lanka which saw them just about hold on to their World no.1 ranking. In the red corner, the West Indies are coming over to England on the back of a 2-0 home defeat to the Australians but their captain Darren Sammy remains hopeful of an upset.

Teams

England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson

West Indies 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Marlon Samuels, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Fidel Edwards

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Enjoy!

[Duty281]

Shannon Gabriel takes his first Test wicket and WI are actually back in this test match! 320/6, a lead of 77, but there's plenty of batting to come. Come on England!

[alfie]

I would still expect a 200 run lead. Mind you , until KP fell late yesterday I was expecting at least 300

West Indies have come back well this morning , but still need more wickets as England bat deep...

...oops ! There goes Prior...

Hmm.

[robbo277]

Just takes one partnership and we've got a lead of 150. That's a winning lead in my opinion.

[Duty281]

Oh bloody hell - Bresnan caught behind for a duck. 323/7 - let's have a swing!

[alfie]

Interesting to note that in two and a bit days on a blameless pitch only Strauss and Chanderpaul have been able to play significant innings , although a lot of batsmen have got a solid enough start.
One would normally have expected a higher "conversion rate" ... More in the pitch than we thought ?

...and Bresnan goes for a duck!

West Indies really are getting back into this match

Lot up to Bell now ...

[VTR]

Not too clever from England today. Doesn't seem to be too much emphasis apart from Bell from grafting out a lead. Plenty of time left in the game so its pretty baffling really, they've let Windies back into the game here. Would still imagine a 150 lead will be a winning one though.

[Duty281]

The traditional English collapse makes an unwelcome return:

244/2 becomes 327/7!

[VTR]

Broad doing his best to make that collapse even worse! He's a great number 9 but someone's got to stay with Bell here, if Bell is n.o. for less than 50 at the end of the innings that will not be good enough!

[robbo277]

When an opener gets a century you expect to get to 400. To be honest I think we could declare now and still win, but it would be disappointing to fall short of 400. We've had a lot of success recently by completely batting sides out of the game in the second/third innings of the game, and to get a first innings lead of 150/200 would leave the West Indies staring down the barrel and praying for weather.

[Duty281]

Disappointing session from England but the Windies will be pleased that they still have a chance in this Test Match going into lunch. The lead is 98 with 3 wickets left, if we get another 80 odd runs then it's game over.

[msp83]

So that ends the first session of the day, England 341-7.
Certainly West Indies' session. 4 wickets for 82 runs, they should be happy.
But considering the quality of their batting, and that of England's bowling, think England already has a decisive lead, despite a rather under whelming batting performance today morning.
Again, as England possess the best lower order batting unit in the world, with Graeme Swann yet to come, there is still possibility to build that 200 runs lead. And what was Broad's highest test score and where did he make it?

[msp83]

Swann time, the fireworks have already started. He didn't have much to do with the ball in the WI first innings, and he's not the type would let a match slip without some decent contribution from his side. Swanny, get to that 400 mark!.

[msp83]

Terrible captaincy again from Sammy, singles are coming as easy as they could. Aggers and Michael Vaughan are saying on TMS WI should try some short stuff to Swanny, think they have a point.

[GSC]

If we get to 400, and a 150 run lead, it should be enough.

[Duty281]

Swann's been bowled by Gabriel - a very useful 30 runs, 397/9.

[JDizzle]

If the Windies can get this last England wicket quickly and then set them 100+ to win, it could be a tricky last day chase for England...

[Duty281]

Bell's out and England are out for 398, a lead of 155. Should be enough. Funny to think I'm disappointed at England making 398 when in the old days (before 2005 or 06-08) I would have loved England to have made 398. The stage is yours Mr.Anderson...

[GSC]

Probably should've got more vs this attack. But its hard to see Wes Indies posting 300+ and giving England something to chase

[gboycottnut]

Probably should've got more vs this attack. But its hard to see Wes Indies posting 300+ and giving England something to chase

Well they would have been pretty close to getting 300 runs in the first innings if they didn't lost of their crucial wickets Darren Bravo to a daft runout.

[alfie]

Been West Indies day so far...well done to their bowlers , although a lead of 155 isn't too shabby for England.

Slightly surprised England haven't bagged one of these openers in nine overs. Perhaps I am getting too used to success But at the moment both batsmen are looking reasonably happy.

England would really like a wicket or two before tea.

[alfie]

Brilliant piece of fielding from Pietersen But Barath did well to dive and just made his ground...

Just not going England's way at the moment. Which is fair enough : on day one the near things tended to run against West Indies.

Time for Bresnan , who will be keen to get on the scorecard in this match

[Duty281]

Wonder if Swann can get in on the act with the amount of left-handers in the Windies lineup. We certainly need something.

[alfie]

And Bresnan does the trick !

Barath gone...

[Duty281]

And we have something! Well done Bresnan, 10 runs conceded and then a wicket. -119/1.

[alfie]

And Broad bounces out Powell !

I love it when a plan comes together ...

[Duty281]

The short ball does the trick and Broad gets the other opener! 36/2 - this won't last past lunchtime tomorrow!

[Duty281]

Another run out, the Windies have fallen apart! 3 wickets in 9 balls!

[alfie]

Suddenly every ball seems laced with menace...Tea can't come soon enough for West Indies..

...and it didn't ! Edwards brilliantly run out by Bairstow !

Three fell without scoring ...

O
Game over tonight ?

[GSC]

Sorta sums up why the West Indies have been bad for a while. Talented but shoot themselves in the foot in key situation.

[Duty281]

Chanderpaul is the key. If England get him in out in the first half hour of the evening then this could be over tonight, otherwise it should carry over to tomorrow.

[msp83]

Sammy would already be preparing for his end of the match presentation lines,
"We have a lot of positives to take from the match, our bowlers got the last 2 wickets for next to nothing, Chanderpaul played a big innings yet again, we competed for most of the match, the only thing that is missing is the win!!!......." Such utter crap!.

[Duty281]

No wickets in the first half hour but Anderson and Bresnan have lowered the Run Rate, 44/3 and the Windies trail by 111 runs.

[JDizzle]

In James Taylor related news, he's spending the weekend at Lord's with the rest of the England squad and he's been added to the performance squad today. Superb news.

[msp83]

James Taylor's county shift was a smart move, but he couldn't really score significant early season runs as yet, of course he did well against the West Indies. But I do feel he's one for the future for England.

[msp83]

Stuart Broad's having a new spel, if he could nip one of these out, that would be big.

[gboycottnut]

Sorta sums up why the West Indies have been bad for a while. Talented but shoot themselves in the foot in key situation.

A bit like the England cricket team in the early 1990's, particularly during the 1991 ashes series in Australia where in one test match, England managed to produce a truely spectacular batting collapse where they lost their final 6 wickets for 3 runs.

[msp83]

Chanders 4 of 43 so far, as immovable as ever!.

[msp83]

Bravo leaves alone Swann, only to be bowled!!!.

[msp83]

An innings win on the cards!?

[Duty281]

England win the patience game, well done Swann!

[alfie]

Just thinking a wicket was about due and Swann does for Bravo...

Not a good leave

[Duty281]

Lead cut to 75, 6 wickets left.

[msp83]

unfocused from Samuels, playing too many lose shots against Bresnan. England would dearly love to get one more today.

[msp83]

So play get underway on the 4th day, with England needing 6 wickets to rap up the WI 2nd innings.
Of course, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's the big wicket that they need, Jimmy Anderson to start the days work for England.

[trebellbobaggins]

Morning all.



It's all about this pair then. Stay and Windies can win, get split up early and Windies could struggle.

[msp83]

Solid over to start from Jimmy, a bit of seam movement, a thick edge that didn't carry to slip of the first ball, a leave, and a couple of decent defensive shots from Marlon Samuels.
Samuels has to be judicious with his shot selection, that often has been his undoing, many a time after getting set.

[Liam]

Morning Treb and everyone,

Not much movement this morning, these two will probably play like they did yesterday I expect. Need to bowl straighter to Chanderpaul, Onions and Finn should be playing imo but any who, England need to get Ramdin in as soon as possible and they could then really rip through the tail.

Swann I feel will pick up a few wickets today.

[msp83]

Samuels gets the WI going with a 3 against Anderson, and Shiv is away with a single next ball.
Not a good start there from Broad, Chanderpaul left 5 of the 6 balls in the over.

[msp83]

Better over there from Broad, made Chanders play most of it, and there was a bouncer as well.

[msp83]

Runout missed, no fielder to back up KP there.

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