West Indies v England, 1st Test, Antigua, 13-17 April 2015

Bob Stokoe has batted very well so far. Given the innings a bit of impetus

Stokes and Buttler at 6 and 7 has real potential for a mid to late innings gear change or counter-attack. We just need a top three player who can take the game to the opposition as well. We've needed one since Trescothick left the scene. That's what, about 8 years ago? And instead we've had a procession of samey plodders in the top three, barely even trying anyone with an attacking mindset north of number 4 in the order.

Their mantra is set: block the fock out of it up top, hope to hell the lower middle order score at a quick rate. Doubtful we'll deviate from that tactic, not while the computer says no.

Back to this game - it has been pleasant viewing from after lunch onwards, actually scored at nearly four today. Hush. My. Mouth.

Cracker from Roach to get rid of Sir Ron

Trouble is that block the fook out of it up top against Australia then leads to fear and paralysis in the middle and run for your life at the bottom. Resulting in 137 All Out.

By the way, how badly are Aus going to paste WI on their 2 'test' series.

Brass Monkey wrote:Cracker from Roach to get rid of Sir Ron

Aye boss. That was a beaut.

So, here's a tale of two blokes.

One, a bloke who got picked for his attacking prowess at the World Cup and today scored a dashing 10 off 46 before throwing his hands out to a garbage ball to nick off.

Second, a bloke who wasn't deemed good enough to be of use for our blazing batting line-up scores 71 n.o off 80 balls.

Well played Moores. Well played.

I bet Jimmy was pissed off at not getting his moment of glory as nightwatchman in his 100th Test...

Lindsay no.2 wrote:So, here's a tale of two blokes.

One, a bloke who got picked for his attacking prowess at the World Cup and today scored a dashing 10 off 46 before throwing his hands out to a garbage ball to nick off.

Second, a bloke who wasn't deemed good enough to be of use for our blazing batting line-up scores 71 n.o off 80 balls.

Well played Moores. Well played.

Surely that was down to Wonka and his Oompa-Loompas as opposed to Moores, given Stokes wasn't even in the 15 (though not meaning to defend the coach in any way for his own World Cup contribution!)

Moores, Whittaker, Downtool - you may think they're individuals but they're like a galactic reject version of the Borg. With their mantra 'Excellence is futile' they seek to destroy that quality at any given turn.

Good to see Stokes going well. Decent ton by the Belf. England look good for a 500 here.

Root appeared desperate to give his wicket away after tea. Finally did so with a lazy prod. Stokes looked the business. He'll frustrate as much as he delivers, but barring injury he should be in the side for quite a while yet. Bell was typical Bell. That's probably his pretty hundred quota used up for the next six months.

The biggest frustration was the selections. Trott instead of Lyth. Tredwell instead of Rashid. They really can't help but be desperately conservative. I blame Cook. The man is a joke, really. His wife hasn't seen him make love to her for years, owing to the fact he insists they switch the lights off as he proceeds with the usual missionary. Despite all of the calls from EVERYWHERE (including Cook and Moores themselves...promising " a bold, aggressive 'brand' of cricket", they go and make the most conservative selections possible at a time when it would be IDEAL to try a couple of new players and see what they've got.

Nothing has happened today that alters my opinion of this England side, and the people that run it.

You need to get that CCTV and mic wire out of the Cook family home and strapped on to a couple of selectors at work, Trev.

all in all a pretty good day's cricket...poms on top - but wicket looks a dead'n

btw...Stokes underscored why he should be among the first picked in any Pom team.

Lindsay no.2 wrote:Moores, Whittaker, Downtool - you may think they're individuals but they're like a galactic reject version of the Borg. With their mantra 'Excellence is futile' they seek to destroy that quality at any given turn.

I tell you again - they're the commanders of the B Ark.

Yeah good for Stokes, but here a little stat - he's only scored 151 runs in the first innings - 71 of which came yesterday

tho still worth persisting with

He's not the messiah

embee wrote:He's not the messiah

But is he Freddie?

horace wrote:tho still worth persisting with

Yeah, definitely. I was just saying that there are reasons I can believe he hasn't been in the side.

fair enough

taipan wrote:

embee wrote:He's not the messiah

But is he Freddie?

Put him in a pedalo and we'll find out...

beamer wrote:

taipan wrote:

embee wrote:He's not the messiah

But is he Freddie?

Put him in a pedalo and we'll find out...

Freddie would walk on water.

embee wrote:He's not the messiah

He's certainly been the other.

Temper flares, hand smashing, broken wrist (tackling a locker in Barbados, exactly 12 months ago, after a poor dismissal - and apparently also against a door sometime earlier in his career *), also sent home (headless boozing trip during a fiasco of the Lions tour dahnanda, Feb 2013).

I put those incidents mainly down to good desire boiling over in frustration at setbacks, though. Maybe more promising young cricketers in England should all be made to smash their hand against summat.

A thing, not an ECB official, I mean. And not career-threateningly, obvio. Would be self-defeating. Shot in the foot. Or wrist.



* So the "wally" (Pa Stokes) says himself: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2607135/Ben-Stokes-focused-fresh-start-England-troubles-field.html