West Indies v England, 2nd Test, Grenada, 21-25 April, 2015

Feeble collapse was the best thing that could've happened to England. They're a chance of winning now.

Could've seen them dragging the innings out for another couple of sessions, leaving just four to bowl the Windies out.

Sometime craptitude can work in your favour. That's Peter Moores' entire ethos.

Anderson - you selfish tosser.
Ground your bat and run harder you twat.

Absolute waste of a great innings by Root ... just 15 short of his double ton.

15? 18?

You could say Jim assured Root his * ....

PeterCS wrote:15? 18?

You could say Jim assured Root his * ....

Typo or my bad?
Whatever!
18 it is then, should've been 15.
Should've been a double ton.

The sun shines on England again - or not. Clouding over at a handy time for the first time for 2 days.

Lindsay no.2 wrote:I'm feeling no love for the gingernut from you Monkey.

Potential unrealised. Lively bowler - just doesn't do anything with the ball, really. Like Chris Woakes - oh! He's livened up! - yeah, but he's still just up and down

Your man flops again, Monkehh .... another drag-on, a big one.

So this re-discovery of blistering pace that Broad was banging on about the other day...first over of average of 81-82 mph max. With a 77mph ball thrown in for good measure. Terrifying stuff.

PeterCS wrote:Your man flops again, Monkehh .... another drag-on, a big one.

I know - I'm gutted for him

Brass Monkey wrote:

Lindsay no.2 wrote:I'm feeling no love for the gingernut from you Monkey.

Potential unrealised. Lively bowler - just doesn't do anything with the ball, really. Like Chris Woakes - oh! He's livened up! - yeah, but he's still just up and down  

Not that averages should be the ultimate arbiter - but I notice that after 7 matches Stokes has taken 3 more wickets than Jordan. I presume he's scored a fair few more runs too.

I'd forgotten about Woakes. Although I suspect the ECB haven't.

So what's the way ahead for England, go in as per this test match XI - and look to accommodate 2 of the 3 notional fast bowling all-rounders in Stokes, Woakes, Jordan alongside the spinning all-rounder in Ali.

Or...drop one of the top/middle order guys (Trott?), thereby moving Buttler up from 8 to maybe 6 (surely he should go ahead of Stokes, no?) and add in an extra 'proper' bowler such as Wood. So, an XI like:

Cook
Ballance
Bell
Root
Ali
Buttler
Stokes
Jordan
Broad
Anderson
Wood

Commentators keep saying Buttler is a proper batsman - then surely it's time to put him higher up and let him have the chance to demonstrate it. Lots of bowling options there - maybe too many? And I'd be worried about Ali at 5.

I can't see any scenario in which picking 5 seamers would be worthwhile, one at least will be a passenger and may as well be replaced with another batsman.

Lindsay no.2 wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

Merlin wrote:

lardbucket wrote:Ben St Oaks seems to have some anger management issues. I blame his Mum.

He's a ginge.

Yeah, I did think that. I resolved the gingerist issue by think that actually he's probably just a massive cockhead.

I like aspects of his aggression and at least he's got a bit of beef about him.

Welcome back Mrs Stokes.

Well done to Neph on his unbeaten 180-odd. He seems to be quite hard to get out once he goes past 30.

Pitch looks just about at its flattest right now as the Brat and new-Lara add plenty with relative ease.

Boy, do we need some variety in this bowling attack. Rashid for Jordan would be my choice.

Well played, Kraigggggg.

Decent fightback by the Windies.

New ball due five overs into tomorrow - the game should still be in the balance for a session and a half. Could be interesting. Almost certainly not.

But could be.

But won't be.

But could be...

Andrew Samson, BBC Test Match Special statistician:

"Kraigg Brathwaite, at 22 years and 144 days, is the third West Indian to reach four Test centuries, after George Headley and Gary Sobers."

Might want to head down to the job centre, mate.

Third youngest??

Dello wrote:Decent fightback by the Windies.

New ball due five overs into tomorrow - the game should still be in the balance for a session and a half. Could be interesting. Almost certainly not.

But could be.

But won't be.

But could be...

Unlike you to end half-full!

Dello wrote:Well played, Kraigggggg.

If he was a Yorkie, he might be plain Craiiiiiiiiig Braiiiiiiithwaiiiiiiiiite.

Dello wrote:Well played, Kraigggggg.

Best innings ever by a 1960s Gerard Kennedy character?

Anderson and Broad are clearly far too comfortable in this England team. I'd drop them for the next test, and let everyone know they've been dropped, not rested.

Maybe Mr & Mrs Bathwater had the same problem as this bloke....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz2LaJOVAiA

(silly bunt)

Great to see the Windies making a fist of things.

What a woeful effort at running by Jimmikins