West Indies v England, 5th Test, Port of Spain, Mar 6 - 10

As WI are clearly not going to make any attempt to declare and win the game, or chase a stretching target on the last day, I'm not sure getting 650 is really going to help that much. It's a case of having as much time as possible to get 20 wickets, we can't leave them 9 down on the final day again having batted on for too long.

If this stays together as much as the last did, it's not going to matter a jot what we do!

I'd say 600 again. If WI post 700 again then so be it, we may well just have scrapped the last 2 tests.

Re Amjad Khan, FC batting average of 18 - so you would think he'll be in ahead of Anderson

Bet he can't wait to start bowling on this

Aye, JKL.

Hence why I'd keep batting if we can. No point flogging our bowlers to death on that at the moment. May as well keep them fresh, and grind the Windies players into the ground for when a new cherry and then the spinners might get a bit more out of it later in the game.

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Anyway ton up for Matty Prior to please you Bob

Phurt . . . I'd have fancied making a few out there today.

They're putting such little pressure on us, Colly found the time and comfort in his state of mind to sing along to Bob Marley between overs.

Sky boys:

"There'll be some club cricketers watching out there who would have fancied making a Test century today."

Yup.

Our remaining batsmen need to do a bit of a Shahid Afridi job on the pitch, "accidentally" scuff it up with their feet while the umpire's back is turned to help the spinners out a bit...

JKLever wrote:

But FFS Shah is all over the place. Never going to have a test career if he's going to run himself out every other innings. Probably the worst '33' i've ever seen....

Five Tests, three run-outs, two retired hurts with hand cramps, two fifties - at least he's not boring...

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Anyway ton up for Matty Prior to please you Bob

Phurt . . . I'd have fancied making a few out there today.

They're putting such little pressure on us, Colly found the time and comfort in his state of mind to sing along to Bob Marley between overs.

Sky boys:

"There'll be some club cricketers watching out there who would have fancied making a Test century today."

Yup.

Still, I wouldn't have backed Flintoff to score the runs. He's got to bat behind Sussex now, surely. The gap-toothed egg-head looks perfectly comfortable at six.

Tiffin is utterly useless. Fact.

According to Wiki, he's a former test umpire!

Russell Blair Tiffin (born 4 June 1959) is a current international cricket umpire, and a former Test cricket umpire. He has been a member of the ICC International umpire panel since 1995. He became a member of the ICC Elite Panel in April 2001, but was demoted in February 2004 along with Asoka de Silva and Dave Orchard.

Incidentally, I think 550 and have a dart at them tonight. Can't drag it out for too long, and with the possibility of two spinners bowling in tandem for much of the innings, England should be able to rotate their seamers intelligently and not grind them into the dust.

Demelza wrote:According to Wiki, he's a former test umpire!

As he will be again (soon, I would've thought).

Garbage.

Dello wrote:

Demelza wrote:According to Wiki, he's a former test umpire!

As he will be again (soon, I would've thought).

Garbage.

I doubt if there's a single first class umpire in England as poor as Tiffin

Basil wrote:

Dello wrote:

Demelza wrote:According to Wiki, he's a former test umpire!

As he will be again (soon, I would've thought).

Garbage.

I doubt if there's a single umpire as poor as Tiffin

Fixed.

530-6 Broad gawn.

Agree, 550-575 maybe.

How we bowl them out for less than 350 on this remains to be seen....

How a couple of proper spinners and front-line bowlers actually trying to take wickets go on this also remains to be seen.

True.

546/6d to follow up 533/9d & 600/6d since THAT '51'

Why would you declare with a ball left in the over I don't know...

Premature e-declaration?

Swanny could've smashed the last ball for four and England would've had a nice round 550.

Ah well - only the OCD-ers will care.

Dello wrote:

Demelza wrote:According to Wiki, he's a former test umpire!

As he will be again (soon, I would've thought).

Garbage.

I thought the "Gar" bit was unnecessary now, or is that just in reference to Jimmy Anderson?

Reserved for Jimmy. Although, depending how he goes in this match, even four letters might be more than he's worth.

Ge, by the end of the Test.

Are England trying to prove to the Cricketing World that they can amass over 500 on a flatdeck against the likes of Ryan Hinds and Nash Potato?

Is the satellite feed to Wales a couple of hours behind the rest of the developed world?

Well that was a good positive declaration I think. Could have gone on for 600+ but no need really, may as well have a go at them and we can always bat again if necessary.

Dello wrote:Reserved for Jimmy. Although, depending how he goes in this match, even four letters might be more than he's worth.

Ge, by the end of the Test.

How do you pronounce that?

Yes.

eowyn wrote:

Dello wrote:Reserved for Jimmy. Although, depending how he goes in this match, even four letters might be more than he's worth.

Ge, by the end of the Test.

How do you pronounce that?

Like "meh". But a bit shorter