The summer of cricket 2020

First topic message reminder :

We have actual cricket news for the first time in forever...and some hope that we will see some test matches this summer!

England bowlers began a return to individual training on Thursday, with batsmen and wicketkeepers scheduled to make a return on 1st June, in anticipation of the West Indies series being rescheduled to begin on 8th July (all according to various reports).

There was also reports a few weeks back they might play some one day games, whilst tests are happening too. Not seen anything else about that, but with England’s depth in the shorter format it could be done you’d think players wise (and actually would present a good opportunity to some on the fringes)

ECB is going to confirm the full list of players who will resume training next week. Murmurings about Hales in the one day stuff don’t go away...

So anyways - let’s keep fingers crossed, and hope everyone who posts here is healthy and staying safe too

Umpires appear to bottling it now.

At least these umpires calls today might settle some of those outraged claims of bias made in some quarters earlier in the match...

Archer going for one more over. Fair enough if he's willing if he can grab one more now he'll have done his job for the day I think.

And he has ...or has he ? No...drs reveals elbow not glove ...

Sounded like a clip off the bat. Not blaming the umpire for that one.

84 to win.

Bess off for Anderson. Not sure about that.

Creates an edge immediately but only one slip so it's run away for Blackwood's fifty...his game to win now perhaps ?

Anderson hasn’t been good since his opening spell. Surprised it wasn’t Wood

I mentioned a couple of days ago that Blackwood bats best against England - he's certainly showing that now. Got over 25% of the needed runs for his team. Highly impressive innings.

West Indies only need 72. But England know they're only two wickets away from an injured Campbell and three wickets away from a weak tail.

Wood to get a couple of overs before tea.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Anderson hasn’t been good since his opening spell. Surprised it wasn’t Wood

Think I'd have kept Bess on. He's been close several times ...and he tends to induce the odd rash stroke.

Wood back now ...this spell might be crucial

Blackwood's playing like a man trying to take the game away from the opposition now. It's been a really good innings in the circumstances.

king_carlos wrote:Blackwood's playing like a man trying to take the game away from the opposition now. It's been a really good innings in the circumstances.

He's had some good fortune. But it's been an innings full of character.

And starting to look like a match winner. England are going to need a minor miracle after tea now...how the last two hours have turned things around !

Tea. 57 to get...

Archer's bowled two tremendous spells in this innings, but it's unlikely to be enough because Blackwood has batted superbly for the most part. 108/1 in that session...top effort.

Can't see England coming back from here with just 57 needed. Though it has been a test full of fluctuations.

Gonna need someone as well as Archer to step up here - Wood and Anderson looked rather unthreatening before tea there.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Gonna need someone as well as Archer to step up here - Wood and Anderson looked rather unthreatening before tea there.

Stokes should have given himself a couple of overs after the first of Anderson's spell there. Even when Jimmy produced a couple of play and misses, even the edge past Sibley, the pitch so dead that they are barely carrying through.

England will need a special spell from someone to produce three quick wickets.

Archer going to have another go after the break . He's had a fine day but you wonder what he has left in the tank.

In truth one wicket could still turn this back into a nail biter . But it would want to happen pretty soon !

Wonder if Stokes might have a magic spell in him yet ?

Crying out for Stokes to do the Stokes thing

Dowrich nearly chops on, but instead he gets two runs.

That type of day for England. This is going to be a good win for the West Indies unless Archer conjures up something special.

When you add in the two umpires calls early on...what could have been.

As it is Stuart Broad is likely to win MOTM

Archer appears to be trying to produce another one of those fierce lifters at Blackwood. But the pitch doesn't seem to be playing up as much as the bowlers would like ...ball a bit old now , short stuff mostly playable.
Almost at the point where unless someone makes a mistake they aren't getting out...

Review now but it's a hopeful punt...no way that's out. Sign of desperation

Gooseberry wrote:When you add in the two umpires calls early on...what could have been.

As it is Stuart Broad is likely to win MOTM

Jokes aside Broad is just the man they would have liked today . When he gets on a roll he can take an innings down virtually single handed.

Fifty stand now...Dowritch has done another top job for his team

46 to win...this is over.

Yeah that was a desperate DRS review. Similar to Paine's at Headingley.

Under 50 now as Blackwood finds the rope again. Think England's race is run. Blackwood only needs 5 more for highest individual score of the match.

England will be bitterly disappointed that, having fought back so well, they've let it slip on the final day. Sets up the remaining two tests very well.

Things are getting loose from Archer and Wood now. Searching for a wicket ball too hard, over pitching and a couple of drives for 4.

It's these scenarios where Broad/Woakes being able to bowl longer spells and keep it tight are so valuable.

It's been a frustrating days viewing.

It's unlikely to make a difference now but Stokes needs to either get himself on to really attack, bowling effort balls into the pitch. Or he needs to get Bess on to give it some air and try to draw out a false shot.

Currently England are going through the motions as the game drifts further away.

Another review binned. Archer really giving his all out there - unfortunately he hasn't had wicket-taking support from his teammates.

Ben Stokes on for the final attempt to resurrect England's chances.

It really is that type of day as Stokes oversteps before getting Dowrich to edge behind.

How many missed chances is that now? Quite extraordinary.

Oh he gets him next ball! That really is extraordinary, as Sibley and Hope were previously dismissed on no-balls, before being properly dismissed 1-3 balls later, all in the same test.

Sums up the day.

How much energy has Archer got left then...?

This really has been an exceptional test match

king_carlos wrote:How much energy has Archer got left then...?

He still has energy. But he seems to be down to one method of attack now ...and unless one leaps unexpectedly he's not going to get Blackwood now. If he got at the rabbits...

Nearly a run out then ! Been a "nearly" day for England actually.

Jofra gets a rest at last. Jimmy to try again but I can't see it happening now...

Holder has a double century against England. I'm not sure about given Blackwood a single to get Holder on strike.

22 needed, five wickets left.

We're entering water-into-wine territory now.

Not much doubt about MoTM...hope he gets his hundred now...

Oh no I've jinxed him

No centurions in this test then.

But surely too late for England. They needed Buttler to take that catch a couple of hours ago!

Campbell comes out.

That was a heck of an innings ! Don't think he'll be too fussed about going for 95... Campbell will surely knock off the rest with the skipper.

Do think Stokes might have bowled a bit earlier though. Arguably he and Bess both a bit underused ...but I don't want to nitpick. West Indies just too good today...

The contributions of Holder and Stokes to this game cant be underestimated but does Blackwood get MOTM for that innings?

Think England will regret not bowling first, which seemed obvious at the time, and not picking Broad. Even so, 200 should have been defendable today, but only Archer really turned up.

Full credit to the West Indies who bowled excellently in the first innings and for the final ninety minutes yesterday. All of their batsmen have made some sort of contribution, though Blackwood's was the stellar one.

And thank you to the bookmakers for pricing the West Indies up at 9/1, a very silly price. An excellent consolation. Will be putting a small % of the winnings on the West Indies to win the second test - will hopefully get somewhere between 5/1-7/1.

Overall a great test match. Best advert for the game on its comeback.

I'd say without a doubt, Goose. Everton Weekes must be smiling up there...

Gooseberry wrote:The contributions of Holder and Stokes to this game cant be underestimated but does Blackwood get MOTM for that innings?

Has to. Won that off his own bat from a nearly impossible 27/3...

Can't agree with Duty about the toss decision: batting first had its risks , true. But proper batting could have seen something closer to par : and the second innings effort also underachieved .
Still could have won today but for a few fielding errors ...but really the better , more disciplined team won the match. They deserved it.

I think England will regret in hindsight but they made their choices based on evidence. The pitches in the warm ups did crumble. Broad was rubbish in the warm up, Archer and Wood brilliant. End of the day there were 4 bowlers who all deserved a place.
They also placed a lot of trust in Bess, but I dont see people slating that selection even though he failed in the specific role he was supposed to play
Maybe they tried to be a bit too smart but Im with Alfie in regard to the reason why they lost, the first innings batting just wasn't good enough. Even then it took a pretty remarkable series of close shaves and nerves of steel for Blackwood to do what he did.

England should have won. That West Indies did shows a hell of a lot of character and a level of application that we havent really associated with their touring sides for a couple of decades. Impressive from the bowlers who actually seem to have listened to the coaches and showed more discipline in their lengths than the England ones who (Archer cough) bowled here their entire careers.

Great test, could be a corking series. The holder Stokes battle could go down in legends.

Did Bess really fail , Goose ?  He only bowled 10 overs today and with an ounce of luck he'd have had two or three wickets. On another day Stokes stays still at slip and catches Blackwood for five ...or one of those umpires call lbws are given on the field , no ?
In fact the one thing I'd criticise Stokes for today was in getting Bess off at a time he was looking dangerous late in the afternoon session. Never really had a chance to use him again...

Close game like this you can point to a lot of things I guess. I am just glad we got a proper Test Match played despite that early bad weather.

Hoping for two more good ones

Its been pointed out that although Blackwood has a very mediocre first class record (and an even worse test one) he did hit a double century in his last game back in March and scores of 50 plus in the four prior to that.

alfie wrote:Did Bess really fail , Goose ?  He only bowled 10 overs today and with an ounce of luck he'd have had two or three wickets. On another day Stokes stays still at slip and catches Blackwood for five ...or one of those umpires call lbws are given on the field , no ?
In fact the one thing I'd criticise Stokes for today was in getting Bess off at a time he was looking dangerous late in the afternoon session. Never really had a chance to use him again...

Close game like this you can point to a lot of things I guess. I am just glad we got a proper Test Match played despite that early bad weather.

Hoping for two more good ones

Would agree here Alfie - thought Bess was underbowled and unlucky today. Bowled nicely throughout the test in fact.

West Indies seamers were very impressive - how Roach didn’t grab a wicket all test is a mystery!

Root in for Denly, Broad for Wood.

Brilliant Test and my thanks to all involved, on and off the field.

Many congratulations to the West Indies who deserved their win. I reckon any three of their side could have got MotM. Gabriel who actually did, Blackwood who can console himself with Alfie's vote and Holder who would have been my choice. Not so much Holder's performance (although that was a lot more than decent) but his leadership of a well drilled and determined side.

We are rarely in a position to properly judge what goes on behind the scenes but I suspect a fair dollop of praise also belongs to their coach, Phil Simmons. Saw him interviewed on the eve of the Test. He's a good guy, knows the game and, I'm sure, his players.

Important to keep things in perspective for England as this was their first competitive cricket in about 4 months. Nonetheless, a few thoughts and comments.

Our fielding was poor today and not there when it really mattered. Hopefully that was just bad luck and one of those things that will right itself next time out. However, as our current keeper isn't scoring runs and hasn't for some time, wouldn't his replacement by a better gloveman improve the side?  

In both England innings, six of the top seven reached double figures but on only two occasions was a half-century reached; Sibley with exactly 50 and Crawley with his impressive 76. Cliched though it is but players need to go on. Denly's regularly failed to do that and seems certain to make way for Root. No one can complain about that. He's shown bottle, been prepared to battle and usefully batted time - just not enough runs which ultimately is a fundamental prerequisite of a Test batsman. Before any of the Denly family say it , only fair to point out that he scored double the amount of runs than Pope in this match. That's not to suggest we should look to jettison Pope, just to flag that Pope can't always expect to receive ''a pass''.

As said, Bess was a bit unlucky today. However, I feel it's significant that of England's front five bowlers, Stokes gave him the least overs today. That suggests he's also of the view that Bess is at his most effective in the opposition's first dig keeping it dry and maybe picking up a couple rather than rattling through them on the last day.

short summary:
Blackwood created a Black-swan event and made my script go awry

Long Summary:

-There are many Ifs & Buts that Eng should have done & could have done such as top order batting with more application in first inning.....and off-course picking Broad and/or  Woakes

BUT inspite of the above...the way game stood at the end of 3rd inning.....19 out 20 times Eng should have won from that situation. I smelt Holder, Chase Dowich etal putting up a fight....but none would have foreseen a near century in a small chase from Blackwood, who was the last man added to the playing 11 i understand.

-Blackwood simply played the inning of his life......as Did Hope on their last tour of Eng and If i recall right, Eng lost in WI last when they toured.
I have had a theory that I posted often on this forum.....WI gel well and find extra motivation vs. Eng.

A few more observations:

-Bess bowling only 10 overs in the 4th inning doesn't bode well for him......or the confidence that captain has in him,
I played university and club cricket as an off-spinner once upon a time and could have played FC had I persisted......and even today  I feel with a bit of net practice I won't bowl worse than Bess.

Leach was a better 4th inning bowler than Bess for sure but hardly effective in first 3 innings....Adil Rashid the best Eng had since Swann and Moeen not a bad compromise in English conditions.
This position is still open in my view

-Leaving Broad out was obviously glaring....but I had a feeling that Anderson wasn't Stokes' lead bowler nor even top-2
These were Wood & Archer.
Are Eng consciously looking beyond Broad & Anderson?

-The end once again showed why Test Cricket if Glorious   .....
WI have already morally won the series
Eng will come back strong i am sure and win the remaining test or tests...is it s 2 or 3 test series?

1.Burns
2.Sibley
3.Crawley
4.Root (c)
5.Stokes
6.Pope
7.Foakes (wk)
8.Bess
9.Archer
10.Broad
11.Anderson

I'm not expecting Buttler to be dropped just yet but I am encouraged by the potential of that group of players going forward. Add in Leach and Mo challenging Bess. Then Wood, Woakes and Curran in particular to push the seamers.

Today was a frustrating performance but I do think the Test team has growing potential.

In general, I thought Stokes did a decent job in his first game as skipper - I think ever in professional cricket? Missed the final session today, but thought he rotated his bowlers well and didn’t overbowl Archer/Wood. Although it sounds like he could have bowled Bess more today. Fields set seemed fairly decent too.

I would still be sceptical of how much pressure it would put on him if he got it on a full time basis, but he gets a pass from me for his first go. That decision at the toss might haunt him a bit though!

I wouldn’t have picked Buttler for this Test (let him concentrate on being the best white ball batsmen for England ever, and next captain) but now he has played one he has to at least play T2. One test shouldn’t change their mind about who is the best keeper/bat is (and I am not as sold on Foakes as others!). Think it is probably Bairstow who averages 38 as a WK in Tests and 38 at number 7. As well as having a far superior FC record to Foakes and Buttler, despite playing a lot of Tests.

And I wouldn’t pick KPF over a bloke who averages 31 with the ball in Tests either.

Bowlers... Don’t know. Wood just seems to be not much cop in England, but the pitch wasn’t offering big swing/seam after the first innings so not sure if Broad or Woakes would have made a huge difference. I’m still on the Ollie Robinson hype train!

Thought Bess bowled well today - conditions weren't in his favour, and so Stokes favoured his four seamers to exploit the uneven bounce, but Bess still generated a edge from Blackwood (which Stokes missed) and unluckily didn't get the decision on an 'umpire's call' LBW shout.

I wasn't too surprised by Blackwood being the main man. The Windies needed one sizeable contribution and he duly delivered - four of his six highest test scores have been against England.

On the whole, the West Indies fielded and ran sharper than England, which was unexpected, though the tourists did look ragged in the field for a time in the second innings before the unlikely collapse. The test in itself was unusual for the sheer number of batsmen who made starts but didn't make big scores (Joe Denly syndrome).

England should take out Denly and Buttler and Wood, and put in Root, Foakes and Broad. However, these are the England selectors we're talking about. I wouldn't be surprised to see Buttler and Denly retain their places, with Crawley harshly jettisoned. I also wouldn't be surprised to see more wholesale changes in the seam bowling department - perhaps Anderson and/or Archer might be replaced if there are fitness concerns about them playing two tests back-to-back after such a long layoff. This could apply to Anderson, especially. Expect the Windies to keep the same team unless they find Old Trafford is more conducive to spin - maybe Cornwall will come in for Joseph if that's the case.

9/2 available on the Windies to win the second test. Still overly generous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IVdarQYqAw&t=75s

All 74 of Ollie Robinson's County Championship wickets in 2018. 74 wickets, only one outfield catch and a caught and bowled in amongst them. The other 72 wickets are either caught behind, bowled or LBW.

I wouldn't pick him ahead of Broad or even Woakes just now but he is a very good bowler.

I'd strongly advise muting the video due to the music in the background though...