West Indies v England, 4th Test, Bridgetown - Feb 26-Mar 2

Henry wrote:He's gone. Strauss should tell him that he needs to bowl his socks off at full pace for Durham or else he wont play for England again.

No he shouldn't. He doesn't need to say anything. It should be patently clear to Harmison why he's out of the side.

If it isn't, then there's no hope for him, and he's no loss.

Bowled "his socks off at full pace for Durham" last season, but it didn't make a jot of difference to his international performances.

Allan D wrote:Another classic declaration by Strauss as England struggle against a 100+ deficit on the final day.

That's one of the stupider posts I've read on this forum.

Dello wrote:

Allan D wrote:Another classic declaration by Strauss as England struggle against a 100+ deficit on the final day.

That's one of the stupider posts I've read on this forum.

And the competition is fairly stiff!

Basil wrote:

Dello wrote:

Allan D wrote:Another classic declaration by Strauss as England struggle against a 100+ deficit on the final day.

That's one of the stupider posts I've read on this forum.

And the competition is fairly stiff!

Ricky Ponting is no Jerome Taylor.

Broad has to stop that habit of celebrating an lbw before it is even given, especially when it is heading some way down the legside.

Dello wrote:

Allan D wrote:What are the odds of Collingwood captaining in the Ashes?

Why would he be captain?

Because he's about the only one left who hasn't captained in Tests so far. Given KP is still under a cloud, if Strauss makes another pig's ear of it against the Windies at Lord's I cannot see any other alternative unless MPV does a Brearley a la 1981 which seems as likely as the proverbial snowstorm in Barbados (see above).

So this is all Strauss' fault?

I don't see what Strauss has really done wrong in this match. He would have been criticised more for going on and getting 650-700 and using up more time. In the field, he has had to manage with a four-man attack who are just not Test quality. And if we contrive to lose it tomorrow then it's the batsmen's fault entirely.

Only thing I'd criticise from England here is the team selection, was negative really not playing another bowler but probably wouldn't have made a great deal of difference.

Strauss didn't pick the squad. He's been handed a pop-gun attack that doesn't have 20 wickets in them - unless conditions are hugely weighted in the bowlers' favour.

And his only proven Test-class bowler is injured.

What can you do? Can't make gold out of shit.

I don't accept the "nothing to do with me, guv'nor" excuse for Strauss. Granted that Harmison was crap in the last Test and deserved to be dropped why was he replaced by Sidebottom who is so clearly unfit as well as unsuited for this wicket? Why did he not gamble on Amjad and Rashid? Why did he not realise that WI were bound to bounce back after escaping with a draw at St John's? Too much of a safety-first approach. As Sir Geoffrey has so rightly said on TMS today:

"I've seen nothing special about Strauss' captaincy this series"

Two possible Test records tomorrow: South Africa scoring the highest 4th innings to win a match at The Wanderers and England going down to an (innings?) defeat after scoring 600.

So Strauss has to magic twenty wickets out of somewhere as well as open the batting, scoring the majority of the runs in the meanwhile, picking the team and marshalling the troops over five days? Considering we have failed to take twenty wickets more often than not for the past four years, he was hardly going to change things on his own in his first series as cap'n. Especially when we have an attack consisting of out-of-form rubbish bowlers. Yep, rubbish AND out-of-form. Not a good combination.

Swanny has been something of a revelation though. Windies would probably be 800/4 by now if Monty were playing.

Oh dear ... the knives are out once gain for Strauss!
Collingwood FFS!
Quelle surprise!

Bottom line - this is a f**king flat decked ROAD which only had a semblence of interest on day's 1 and 2 when the only bowler who made something happen was Edwards. It's bored me, (probably all on this forum and the several thousand who made the trek over to Barbados and paid good money)... totally sh*tless.

If groundsmen continue to make decks like these then I definitely see T20 taking over from test cricket.
My one regret today was the Saffer v Aus match finishing at 4 ish - leaving me to watch utter sh!te for the next 4 hours...

But hey, let's sack Strauss ... install Collingwood as captain and keep giving the new ball to a 78/80 mph swinger carrying a "chronic" ankle injury and currently showing figures of 1 wkt for 175 in the Carribs, purely because he's considered to be the 'best' of a sh!t bunch of quicks.

Roll on the Jo'burg test tomorrow - can't wait ...

Sidebottom has to go. What a lazy fielder.

Great knock Denesh, always knew he could do it.

Christ on an a bike, this is painful.....

So, can we follow Bangladesh and become the second team to allow a tailender a Test double century? (and yes he is a tailender, he averages below 25!)

Augustus wrote:So Strauss has to magic twenty wickets out of somewhere as well as open the batting, scoring the majority of the runs in the meanwhile, picking the team and marshalling the troops over five days?

More or less, that's why captains get paid a premium. If he hadn't cocked up the last match (as well as probably the one before that) this run-fest wouldn't be quite so depressing from an England pov. However, on the bright side, we've enabled WI to revive their fortunes as a Test playing nation. Wonder what AJS will be like in the one-dayers, having previously been dropped from the one-day side? Different players but same captain so don't hold your breath.

12 more runs for record Test score against England beating 751-5d by WI at St John's in April 2004.

Allan D wrote:

Augustus wrote:So Strauss has to magic twenty wickets out of somewhere as well as open the batting, scoring the majority of the runs in the meanwhile, picking the team and marshalling the troops over five days?

More or less, that's why captains get paid a premium. If he hadn't cocked up the last match (as well as probably the one before that) this run-fest wouldn't be quite so depressing from an England pov. However, on the bright side, we've enabled WI to revive their fortunes as a Test playing nation. Wonder what AJS will be like in the one-dayers, having previously been dropped from the one-day side? Different players but same captain so don't hold your breath.

No, captains are paid the premium to captain. They are not wizards. You can only captain a side to its ability, you can't go beyond that. Fact is this is the same poor England side as it has been for the previous four and a half years, one that hasn't won a Test Match against a good side for a long while, one that hasn't won a cricket match for over half a year, I think. Turnarounds don't happen overnight, especially when the tools are growing blunter by the day.

Allan D wrote:

Augustus wrote:So Strauss has to magic twenty wickets out of somewhere as well as open the batting, scoring the majority of the runs in the meanwhile, picking the team and marshalling the troops over five days?

More or less, that's why captains get paid a premium. If he hadn't cocked up the last match (as well as probably the one before that) this run-fest wouldn't be quite so depressing from an England pov. However, on the bright side, we've enabled WI to revive their fortunes as a Test playing nation. Wonder what AJS will be like in the one-dayers, having previously been dropped from the one-day side? Different players but same captain so don't hold your breath.

Jesus, blow it out your arse why don't you ... are you on a wind up or is that comment above a serious one!
WTF has the last match got to do with this one (and your constant whinging directed at Strauss) when we are playing 3 nothing-seamers on a dead track? What the hell do you expect Strauss to do ?

PS nd before Gussie et all leap up in indignation, my Middsx allegiance has sweet F**k all to do with defending a guy who has nothing but a shit popgun attack at his disposal who are doing bugger all on a motorway!
FFS - I'd even defend Wounded Knee MPV on this track ... but hey, as a Tyke he'd have probably won the match by now ... right ?!

Surprising to see no declaration yet. Half an hour or so at the England openers could have had the potential to really open this game up again.

All down to how England approach the final day now. If they scratch around and make no attempt to score then there's a very real possibility of losing the match.

Well, at least we didn't allow Ramdin to get 200. Perhaps should have let them bat out the session though... what chance England now opening with a nightwatchman. Or two perhaps!

There you go beamer, 749-9 and the declaration.

Sidebottom, Nottinghamshire lad or not, has been an embarrassment in this match. I doubt it's his fault considering his fitness problems, but he really ought to be sent home. Maybe we can chain him to Anderson and Harmison and tell them to swim back across the Atlantic. The survivors can definitely play the 1st Test vs the Windies in England...

...you just know Harmison would turn up on a beach somewhere gnawing on one of SiBo's legs.

Augustus wrote:Sidebottom, Nottinghamshire lad or not, has been an embarrassment in this match.

He's not a Notts lad, he's a Yorkshireman. Well he is when he bowls this crap, anyway...

Ramdin dismissed two short of Test HS by a WI 'keeper - 168 by Clyde Walcott v. England at Lord's in June 1950. Gayle declared Windies innings two short of Test record score against England.