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!

[Liam]

I would have sent out Swann/Broad/Bresnan as someone else alluded too, in that they have the quality to survive the late finish, then in the morning, are capable of taking the attack to the WI bowling and score a quick 20/30. Takes the pressure off the incoming BATSMEN then after a good start.

Although, in English conditions I don't really see how England can lose today and I think they'll win by 5/6 wickets with a session to spare.

[mystiroakey]

yep swann ,broad or bresnan can actually bat- therefore all we are really doing is promoting them under a certain situation rather than having a true nightwatchman which from my pov is negative tactics

[eirebilly]

The pinch hitter idea is a good one in theory but its also a bit of a gamble. England have more than enough steady batsmen to see this home comfortably without requiring a pinch hitter though. In other circumstances it is a very good idea.

[Fists of Fury]

England to win by 4 wickets after a few scares.

[Duty281]

Cook and Trott to take it up to around 40/2 after an hour. Then Cook nicks behind. KP goes on the attack and Trott supports him - 90/3 at lunch. Trott to be out early in the 2nd session but KP and Bell will see England to around 160 before KP holes out. Bell and Bairstow see England home - 191/5.

[eirebilly]

I still think that this match will drag into the 3rd session myself. The ball may not be doing much but the runs wont be easy to come by.

[eirebilly]

Or a collapse?

[GSC]

Trotters gone. Need KP to bat a session ideally.

[alfie]

Well Roach got his team off to a good start this morning with the wicket of Trott.

Batting not looking easy at the moment against a new ball and a couple of fresh quick bowlers , who certainly don't intend to let England get these runs easily.

This has been a much better match than some of the pre-game publicity suggested - perhaps the biggest surprise being how well West Indies competed with the bat in the second innings , without which effort they would not have this chance to pressure England's batsmen today. We knew - or should have known - their pace bowling was decent , if not exactly Holding/ Marshall etc.

Fiftth day crowd have a game to watch...

[GSC]

As good as they've been here though, I have a feeling they'll struggle to make 5 days at TB

[GSC]

50 up, 141 to win with 7 wickets in hand.

[alfie]

Plenty of action so far ... Apart from the wicket , runs are coming quite swiftly ...

Now we see the first bowling change with young Gabriel coming on for Edwards. A test for the young man. He actually bowled some useful stuff in parts in the first innings and his attack the stumps style may suit ...

... Well blow me down he gets KP !

Game very much on...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

KP has been such a disappointment in recent test years. So much potential just has never really lived up to it

[GSC]

There goes Pieterson...

[alfie]

Bit of a loose shot from Pietersen there ... He'd smashed the previous ball and tried to repeat the dose , just a thin edge.
Looked as if he wanted to dominate the young bowler from the start and I guess if it had worked he would have been praised : as it is you just know he will be Public Enemy No 1 should England contrive to lose this

Cook and Bell have some rebuilding to do .

[liverbnz]

KP has been such a disappointment in recent test years. So much potential just has never really lived up to it

??

[alfie]

KP has been such a disappointment in recent test years. So much potential just has never really lived up to it

Oh I don't know ... 20 Test centuries , average around fifty... Not too bad for a failed South African off spinner

[Fists of Fury]

KP has been such a disappointment in recent test years. So much potential just has never really lived up to it

Olly, just shows how talented he is. 20 Test tons at a shade under 50 is ruddy good, yet there is still that feeling that he could be better. Crazy, really.

But he has been far from a disappointment, that's a bit of an ill-informed remark.

[eirebilly]

KP has been such a disappointment in recent test years. So much potential just has never really lived up to it

Oh I don't know ... 20 Test centuries , average around fifty... Not too bad for a failed South African off spinner

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I'm only going by what I watch. I only see England games on the occasion due to school but everytime I watch KP seems to fail! Guess I''m just his unlucky charm

[eirebilly]

Thank god you havent watched him much then Olly, England may have lost a few more series had you watched him more

[GSC]

Less than 100 needed now.

[liverbnz]

Under 100 to go now.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

As much as I like to watch cricket I just don't get the time to. Much prefer playing it anyway, great banter in the field at my club

[eirebilly]

Well next time England are in trouble and need KP, we will ask you to not watch Olly

[gboycottnut]

Under 100 to go now.

England can still lose this as there have been instances in test match cricket in the past where the side batting second needed under 100 runs to win but still managed to engineer a spectacular collapse and get bowled out. The best example of such an instance was at Edgbaston in 1981 when Australia needed around 50 to win with 5 wickets remaining, but they lost these final 5 wickets due to a remarkable bowling spell from Ian Botham who got these 5 wickets for 1 run.

[liverbnz]

50 for Cook.

[GSC]

Just calmed it down now.

[alfie]

121/2 in the session...

Lunch will be a less nervous meal than seemed possible at 57/4

Good cricket from both teams , fifth day crowd has nothing to complain about.

Roach will be back after lunch giving his all for a burst , but the ball is getting older...

[GSC]

Lunch, England need 60 runs with 6 wickets remaining. Morning started out in the WI favor, but Cook and Bell steadied the ship. WI will be disappointed, the opening burst was followed by some ordinary bowling.

England will do well to lose this from here.

[GSC]

Bell putting pressure on Trott for the #3 slot?

[Duty281]

Trott out to a good ball, KP out to a daft shot and England are 57/4 and in a bit of trouble. Step up Cook and Bell who showed brilliant experience and maturity to take England to 131/4 at lunch and in complete control of the Test.

Thoughts on Man of the Match? I'd say Broad.

[GSC]

Broad is the most obvious MotM for a while.

[msp83]

So at Lunch, England comfortably placed at 131-4.
Despite the wickets of Trott and Pietersen this should be considered an opportunity missed for the West Indies, as England were allowed to score 121 runs in the session. Ones Roach was off, there was nothing much that challenged the Englnd batsmen, and as Boycott said on TMS, the WI bowlers really didn't try to make things happen, not even by bowling round the wicket.

On the other hand, very well done from Cook and Bell, they scored at a fair clip, didn't take any unwanted risks in the process but built up a basis from which England should go on to win.

[GSC]

Looking forward to TB (dangerous I know), unchanged team? I'd imagine they'd give Bresnan another go on a swing wicket.

[Duty281]

I think the Windies will be destroyed at Trent Bridge - look how much Anderson was swinging it at Lords. What will be more interesting will be to see how the England batsmen fare.

[Mad for Chelsea]

I thought WI got a bit carried away in that session TBH, they looked to me like they were striving too hard to take wickets off every ball instead of bowling in the right areas. Not easy when you're defending a low-ish score but you still need to build pressure. Cook and Bell with a very good partnership.

[msp83]

With Bresnan in there England just can't lose, in fact all these worries about them chasing 191 was absolutely unfounded!!.
Would like to see Steven Phin in action in the series though, and he could only come in place of the Yorkshire man!.

[msp83]

MFC, I thought they missed a trick by not getting Roach for a 2 over spel just before lunch. Samuels might get the odd wicket on his day, but he's not even a decent parttime option in test criccket, as he can't turn the ball at all. Of course Roach has had a longish spel, but if ever WI is going to win it, then they have to find ways to get 6 remaining wickets, and among all the bowlers, Roach was the pick by a fair way. and As England was knocking off the runs, preserving him for a later spel, well it just isn't worth it.
Hate to say it again and again, but disappointing captaincy from Darren Sammy.

[alfie]

msp , I think Finn will appear at some stage this summer. Not sure it will be at Trent Bridge though.
Bresnan bowled better than his figures suggest , though in hindsight I suspect Finn might have done better on the pitch that was served up here. Won't complain about Bresnan's selection , he was my pick too , and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get another go in Nottingham. Conditions there may suit him better.

[gboycottnut]

msp , I think Finn will appear at some stage this summer. Not sure it will be at Trent Bridge though.
Bresnan bowled better than his figures suggest , though in hindsight I suspect Finn might have done better on the pitch that was served up here. Won't complain about Bresnan's selection , he was my pick too , and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get another go in Nottingham. Conditions there may suit him better.

Well if they do want to play Finn at Trent Bridge, how about the idea of dropping Prior from that match and giving the keeping gloves to Bairstow, with Bresnan moving up to 7, Broad at 8, Swann at 9, Anderson at 10, and Finn at 11.

[GSC]

They arent dropping Prior

[msp83]

Don't think 5 batsmen, 5 bowlers are the prefered way for Strauss and Flower. Considering the inconsistencies of the England lineup over the winter, and the bowler friendly nature of the pitch and general overhead conditions, I think that is quite a sensible move. So if Finn has to play, then Bresnan has to sit out, and I don't he has done anything wrong to deserve the drop, but I just feel Finn has become a better bowler than what he was during the ashes downunder, and he will be mighty effective in these conditions, and he, rather than Bresnan, might add more eege to England's already strong bowling unit, which won't be lacking a lot with Bresnan in there, but the point is that Finn might just add more to it.

[msp83]

Think Sammy has lost it completely, what is Samuels doing out there??????? I can't believe this, this is absolute madness from 'Captain Superb'!!!!. They bloody well need wickets, and Marlon's 2nd name is not Warne/Muralitharan/Kumble!. Not even Bishoo, Shillingford or Narine!!.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Battings the problem not the bowling, and Bairstow would surely make way for Prior who has an excellent record in test cricket rather than a ginger kid who's had one good innings in his international career. Just a thought.

If they are going to bring Finn in more likely for Bresnan. But Id be surprised if they make any changes even if the batting flarts up here and they somehow lose.

Despite struggling for two sessions England still managed to bowl Windies out for a combined total of under 600 on a flat pitch. Their 4 man attack has rarely struggled against any batting line up over the few years, at trent bridge they would expect some swing and to keep the scores low again. The only danger to England is their current tendancy to lose clusters of wickets cheaply, I dont see that being solved by bringing Finn in for a batsman.

[msp83]

England are just walking this, and Sammy is pushing them hard to get done with it fast!. Stupid!.

[msp83]

He might as wel take Roach off, bring Powell or Barath on. Even Shiv has had a bowl in test cricket at some point, and he might fancy his chances!.

[mystiroakey]

Good play from the steady eddies out there- england gonna stroll this out. Any win is preety decent at lords

[alfie]

It is an interesting choice isn't it ? Finn may well add more cutting edge , but on the other hand England have bowled out good teams on flattish wickets without him , and the game plan of maintaining pressure through accurate bowling has worked very well for England recently , with Bresnan often an integral part...

plus he is 11 from 11 ... And looks set to make it twelve today

Anyway , six Test matches , someone will get injured sooner or later ...

[eirebilly]

100 run partnership from 148 balls. Thats excellent going.

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