St Kitts and Nevis v England, Warm up match, 25th 27th Jan

WIFAN wrote: the inevitable complaints about the standard of the opposition will be justified.

Well ,let me apologise in advance for our ineptness...

WIFAN wrote:Trust me that is not going to happen, and the inevitable complaints about the standard of the opposition will be justified.

Can't remember the last time England were in a position to complain about the standard of the opposition...

JKLever wrote:

WIFAN wrote: the inevitable complaints about the standard of the opposition will be justified.

Well ,let me apologise in advance for our ineptness...

Save that for February 4th.

Strauss gone second ball to this guy ----> http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/252937.html

Now awate the inevitable Ian Bell sexy 60 that unfortunately will cement his place ahead of Shah at #3.

Anyone got a link for radio coverage? guessing nobody is showing tv coverage...

20-1 Bell 3* and Cook 12*

The curse of the captaincy. 95% of players who become England captain often find they can't buy a run whilst leading the side. Pietersen was an extremely rare exception.

Athers, Stewart, Hussain, Vaughan.....Their batting averages were about 10 runs lower whilst at the helm.

Henry wrote:The curse of the captaincy. 95% of players who become England captain often find they can't buy a run whilst leading the side. Pietersen was an extremely rare exception.

Athers, Stewart, Hussain, Vaughan.....Their batting averages were about 10 runs lower whilst at the helm.

Especially worrying for Strauss as this side is barely county 2nd XI standard. Although as we all know anyone can get a beauty early on regardless of form. Im backing him to get a century or 2 in this series. Also expecting big things from KP, can see him getting another big double ton. I think as much as WI fans play up Fidel/Jerome/Powell, they are a pretty pop gun attack and the pitches over there aren't as pacy as in there hayday even Sabina Park. (correct me if im wrong).

Ian Bell gone for 36 giving his wicket away apparently. 96-2 Cook 50*. If Shah gets a ton in this or the match against the WI ''A'' Team he surely has to get the nod. I think its apparently clear to everyone outside of the England clique Team that he just hasn't got the cahones to be an international #3. An alternative to the #3 position could be KP?

Henry wrote:The curse of the captaincy. 95% of players who become England captain often find they can't buy a run whilst leading the side. Pietersen was an extremely rare exception.

Athers, Stewart, Hussain, Vaughan.....Their batting averages were about 10 runs lower whilst at the helm.

This is clearly not true Trev. Statistics please!

Ian Bell gone for 36 giving his wicket away apparently.

How unusual.... Still, i'm sure he looked pretty enough to seduce the selectors.

Who is Bell blowing this time?

DJ_Smerk wrote:Who is Bell blowing this time?

Everyone who wants it. The man is a slut and a whore.

Fidel/Jerome/Powell are a pretty pop gun attack

Powell is definitely carp, no argument from me. But JT and Fidel have averaged 25 per wicket over the last 18 months and have been instrumental in our improvement as a test side (we have become a lot harder to beat recently).

It was their bowling that enabled us to thrash South Africa in the 1st test in their own backyard, they bundled out Sri Lanka at the Queens Park Oval and they had Australia at 12/5 in the last test match at Sabina Park.

If the England team start thinking like that they will be bowled out cheaply, trust me. We do not have the best bowling attack in the World and they will bowl badly sometimes, but they will give any batting lineup the hurry up at some point in a series and they are improving fairly quickly.

Sabina Park is quickish without being scarey, but it has seam movement and Fidel loves bowling there. Barbados is a pacey pitch and the Aussies lost 4 wickets through being late on pull and hook shots (silly buggers kept trying to hook Fidel and were too arrogant to stop themselves at first.).

England 118/3 at Lunch

Strauss 0
Bell 36
Cook 52 (why has he lost the ability to convert starts? He used to be so good at that)

Cook has ADD, clearly. Pretty poor effort from England so far, but I'm glad because it sets things up for Ace to prove or disprove his merits. Coming in at 300/3 would render any performance insignificant.

WIFAN wrote:But JT and Fidel have averaged 25 per wicket over the last 18 months

That's interesting, didn't know that - very good news for WI then. Bowlers can certainly improve - a la Flintoff 2003

Exactly, and it has always been obvious that they both have the tools to be successful at Test level, but they were selected before they were ready (JT was just 18 FFS).

IMHO Fidel is now ready to be a force at test level, but JT is still a little fragile and needs to be wrapped in cotton wool (he is our new star all rounder remember ).

Btw both Bell and Cook were dismissed by a 20 year old leg spinner that can't make the Leeward Islands squad, and they say we are poor against wrist spin (one of the biggest fallacies about West Indies cricket IMHO).

Are you watching this 'live' fan? It's hard to make definitive statements about dismissals when all you're doing is reading crocinfo.

Nope, am getting updates through a Trini radio station.

The radio team described the dismissals:

Strauss was defeated by some extra bounce from the opening bowler.
Bell got a leading edge playing against the turn.
Cook beaten in flight and slight inside edge onto the stumps.

Of course they could be talking rubbish (they often do).

If we start the 1st test with this stodgy top 3 it will put so much pressure on the middle order of (probable) KP,Colly,Fred,Prior and lower middle order batting of Broad to get the vast majority of the runs. None of our incumbent top 3 has the temperament to impose themselves on a test attack (granted WI's isnt the best attack going).

1st XI's anyone?

Strauss *
Cook
Shah
KP
Colly
Fred
Prior
Broad
SiBo
Jimmy
Panesar

Just don't think Harmy has it in him anymore. Will get the odd one to rise/jump but rest of the time he's pretty wayward still. Bell's non inclusion is pretty self explanatory. Seriously underachieving and Shah has been waiting too long for a test berth. I know SiBo hasn't played for a while but he was so consistent before his injury(s) that i think he deserves too come back in at Harmlessone's expense. In regards to Broad's inclusion, he's on the management commitee so they obviously rate him very highly so will undoubtedly start. He's taller and just as sharp as Harmy now so guess the England teams thought is to invest in him now.

On another note, looks like Monty has some serious competition for his spot. Adil Rashid will make his debut this series I am certain.

Forget about the stats

Taylor and Edwards are outstanding and can make almost any team on this particular planet.

171/3 KP on 51 not out putting St Kitts & Nevis bowlers in their place.

KP on 52* Shah 20*... apparently KP's first shot of the day was a 6! Statement of intent!

Have just seen the Bell dismissal... Same old usual dismissal. Was looking a million dollars and gets out trying to go over mid off playing it straight to Willett.

I know ex pro's say nobody goes back to county cricket and becomes a better player but it has evidently (although not in this game) helped strauss' game and may well help Bell learn when and how to dominate at #3 if we are to persist with him there. If they were going to replace him in the squad i wouldn't mind them having a look at close quarters at Denly or Stephen Moore who i think looks like he has a very good technique/temperament. Bopara remains an enigma to me. Another like Bell weighed down by unrealistic expectations IMO

264/4

Pietersen 103

KP 103 off 89 balls. 13 4's and 3 6's and then stumped. 258-4. Shah still in.

WIFAN.

I also rate Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor has shown some promise in New Zealand. But isn't there anyone better than Daren Powell? Who are the other pace bowlers in WI Domestic cricket who are close to selection?

I think WI would be better served picking a tall, hit the deck style bowler in the mould of (but obviously not as good as) Ambrose or Garner in the past. Edwards is short and slingy, Powell shortish and (I think) Taylor is no taller than 6 ft too? We saw on the last series how lethal Harmison was at Sabina Park when the cracks had opened causing variable bounce in the second innings. Anyone to fit this description?