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!

[VTR]

Bresnan has had a very poor match. Don't think he'll be playing the next one, with three seamers you need them on form and he hasn't quite got going this season.

[trebellbobaggins]

he has been very poor. Finn is much better.

[mystiroakey]

V TR i havent seen much of this match- but atherton seems to like his bowling today!

[Duty281]

Must say Bresnan's been a disappointment

1/143 in the bowling and 0 runs. Yeah I'd have to agree.

[GSC]

He might get 1 more at TB, swinging wicket.

[mystiroakey]

gotta go with the batter this time. inconclusive

[Duty281]

There we go, Swann gets the final wicket. 191 to win and only England can mess it up from here!

[GSC]

The tricky part is tonight. If they can get through to the morning there aren't any demons in this pitch.

[robbo277]

That's that then. Chasing 191 on a flat pitch against a team with no spinner. Should make it.

[robbo277]

Last 7 test matches at Lord's (4th innings)

2011
India 261 all out (chasing 467 Vs England).
Sri Lanka 127/3 (chasing 343 Vs England).

2010
England beat Pakistan by an innings and 225 runs (bowling Pakistan out for 147 on day 3/4).
Pakistan 289 all out (chasing 440 Vs Australia)
England 163/2 (match won Vs Bangladesh)

2009
Australia 406 all out (chasing 522 Vs England)
England 32/0 (match won on day 3 Vs West Indies)

The Lord's pitch is good for batting, it doesn't offer much to bowlers even on day 5 (as it didn't today) and I think England should be able to knock these runs off.

[dyrewolfe]

There we go, Swann gets the final wicket. 191 to win and only England can mess it up from here!

Heh - you said it!


...and JUST as I'm typing this Strauss is out for 1 and England are 1-1.



Uh-oh...

[dyrewolfe]

That's that then. Chasing 191 on a flat pitch against a team with no spinner. Should make it.

I wouldn't go getting too comfortable just yet...

[GSC]

Just as Strauss begins to silence the critics...

[paulscholes]

bresnan has to play 11 tests 11 wins (this should be 12 in 12 unless they all play like AS)

[GSC]

Yes, but being part of a winning team and being a reason why they win are 2 different things. The team winning doesn't really justify going for 150 runs and taking 1 wicket, while not adding runs.

[dyrewolfe]

Jimmy gone and England are now 10-2. Hope thats the last one for the day or I will be really worried.

Replays seem to indicate the ball only brushed his shirt...unlucky. Trott comes out to face the last 3 balls.

[trebellbobaggins]

i told you eng would fold.

sadly the captain encapsulates just how badly they fail to concentrate.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Yeah I would have Finn over Bresnan everyday. Finn is a better bowler and people will say Bresnan can offer something with the bat but we would bat down to 9 with Swann so I don't really see the arguement there. Finn will cause the West Indians trouble

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

i told you eng would fold.

sadly the captain encapsulates just how badly they fail to concentrate.

Typical England fan! Just have some bloody faith

[dyrewolfe]

Oh dear Lord!

Trott possibly LBW first ball. Dar doesn't give it but WI review it. Umpire's decision stands!

Phew!

[trebellbobaggins]

we just are pathetic sometimes.

Makes me bloody mad. we don't even deserve top 5 with this frail batting. Not been good enough for months and months yet nothing is done or admitted.

[mystiroakey]

omg

[GSC]

We breathe again

[trebellbobaggins]

it's a fair comment but i've seen us fold like schoolboys so many times and return to those ways all winter that i just struggle to have any faith. we're a poor batting side.

[dyrewolfe]

Close of play.

Lets hope England's batting improves dramatically tomorrow. 191 suddenly looking a rather bigger target now.

[GSC]

This period was all about survival. On this wicket they just need to get in.

[trebellbobaggins]

I like how positive SwannPuss is. A good foil for me, brings karmic balance.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

We will chase that down tomorrow. Gotta remember Strauss is the only real batter out and we bat all the way down now.

[Makrish]

We need Trott and Cook to replicate Brisbane 2010. We know they have it in them...

Just feel that in the third innings, WI batsmen actually valued their wickets (apart from perhaps first three), whereas England have seemed to be a little... lax. Sure, it's a long batting order, but you can't rely on those lower in the order.

On another note, how amazing would it be if Bairstow managed to score the winning runs, on debut?

[Duty281]

Well it won't be zipping around like that tomorrow and all we need is 180 runs from the combined efforts of Cook, Trott, KP, Bell, Prior, Bresnan, Broad and Swann. Easily done I would think. Today Strauss was done by a good ball and Jimmy is a bowler anyway so I wouldn't be too worried. England to win by five wickets.

[GSC]

We'd need a whole pack of me to balance out the rest of you

[Duty281]

Before I head off though, well done to the West Indies who showed tremendous fight and courage today. They're a team who have potential, that's for sure.

[trebellbobaggins]

That is very true. Coming back to being good. If they could get their best team out they'd win a lot.

[mystiroakey]

shocking session for england from what i saw

[Guest]

10-2 not good, however i fully expect us to wrap it up by tea!

[mystiroakey]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

[Guest]

completely different conditions.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

No last time England played them was summer 2009 when they pasted them twice, partly because they were cold and unpayed and didnt know why they were here.

Before that it was the away series which for the most part England dominated but couldnt force results on flat pitches and had managed the sort of collapse which wouldve made this winters batting look good in the firts test an lost the series ( i assume its that game you remember)

After that England went undeafeated in series up till Pakistan this winter. It was the start of them getting good. Maybe what they need is a good collapse to sharpen them up.

[gboycottnut]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

No last time England played them was summer 2009 when they pasted them twice, partly because they were cold and unpayed and didnt know why they were here.

Before that it was the away series which for the most part England dominated but couldnt force results on flat pitches and had managed the sort of collapse which wouldve made this winters batting look good in the firts test an lost the series ( i assume its that game you remember)

After that England went undeafeated in series up till Pakistan this winter. It was the start of them getting good. Maybe what they need is a good collapse to sharpen them up.

But West Indies did skittle England out for under 100 in the final ODI last summer. Perhaps there are a few mental scars from that humiliating defeat.

[Guest]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

No last time England played them was summer 2009 when they pasted them twice, partly because they were cold and unpayed and didnt know why they were here.

Before that it was the away series which for the most part England dominated but couldnt force results on flat pitches and had managed the sort of collapse which wouldve made this winters batting look good in the firts test an lost the series ( i assume its that game you remember)

After that England went undeafeated in series up till Pakistan this winter. It was the start of them getting good. Maybe what they need is a good collapse to sharpen them up.

But West Indies did skittle England out for under 100 in the final ODI last summer. Perhaps there are a few mental scars from that humiliating defeat.

:facepalm....different form of the game, different sides..

[gboycottnut]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

No last time England played them was summer 2009 when they pasted them twice, partly because they were cold and unpayed and didnt know why they were here.

Before that it was the away series which for the most part England dominated but couldnt force results on flat pitches and had managed the sort of collapse which wouldve made this winters batting look good in the firts test an lost the series ( i assume its that game you remember)

After that England went undeafeated in series up till Pakistan this winter. It was the start of them getting good. Maybe what they need is a good collapse to sharpen them up.

But West Indies did skittle England out for under 100 in the final ODI last summer. Perhaps there are a few mental scars from that humiliating defeat.

:facepalm....different form of the game, different sides..

But it was still an England team under Andy Flower which was supposed to win that match, and showed that they can still be mentally fragile when placed under constant pressure.

[Guest]

and it was a t20 not test match, windies side was completely diff as was england side...

silly comparison to make.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

last time we played the windies they skittled us- infact that was the start of our downfall from what i can remeber

No last time England played them was summer 2009 when they pasted them twice, partly because they were cold and unpayed and didnt know why they were here.

Before that it was the away series which for the most part England dominated but couldnt force results on flat pitches and had managed the sort of collapse which wouldve made this winters batting look good in the firts test an lost the series ( i assume its that game you remember)

After that England went undeafeated in series up till Pakistan this winter. It was the start of them getting good. Maybe what they need is a good collapse to sharpen them up.

But West Indies did skittle England out for under 100 in the final ODI last summer. Perhaps there are a few mental scars from that humiliating defeat.

:facepalm....different form of the game, different sides..

But it was still an England team under Andy Flower which was supposed to win that match, and showed that they can still be mentally fragile when placed under constant pressure.

But then you could say that in Brisbane we came through in a much more pressurised situation which required us to be more mentally strong

[GSC]

Unless we're chasing that 181 in 20 overs I wouldn't worry about that

[Guest]

if we dont chase that down by tea, we should be ashamed!

[mystiroakey]

i was talking about the one day by the way- and that was a factor i believe. Yes formats are difcferent however in that case it seemed to be the start of a slide. Still many of the same players that were supposedly invincible at the time- and the first big time collapse for ages in any format against a weakish team

[Shelsey93]

A superb day for West Indies, though the first two sections were bordering on tedious! Shiv again displaying what mental strength can do, and good to see Samuels (who I don't rate very highly at all) playing a good innings.

Roach seemed to turn his pace and hostility up in that last 20 minutes, and was rewarded.

But England are big favourites. WI have a chance, but will need to create panic in the ranks early by nipping a couple more. Otherwise their attack can't probe away all day in the same way they could for a while tonight.

[robbo277]

I know Anderson is our normal night watchman, but even before he was out I was thinking we should have sent out Bresnan. I'm a big fan of a pinch-hitter when chasing small totals. Bresnan could have played the night-watchman role tonight and then tomorrow morning he could have opened up and looked to get a quick 30. If he goes early you haven't lost a batsman, but if he comes off he puts a dent in the total and forces the West Indies to go a bit more defensive with their fields and takes the pressure off the batsman.

I still think we'll win this though, even at 10-2.

[mystiroakey]

id send out swan all day as nightwatchman

[eirebilly]

Personally i dont really see the need for nightwatchmen. If (as was the case yesterday and around 50% of the time) the nightwatchman is removed, a top order batsmen replaces them to see out the day anyway.

I would just send a top order batsmen out anyways as they have to face the bowlers and play themselves in at some stage anyway.

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