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

Smerky -

I wouldn't be surprised if this was India ... they freak out on their T20's and the limited game....
The WIndians love their test cricket ... so the last 3 tests must have bored them titless ... absolute shame - and, if truth be told, a shambolic cock-up.

Merlin wrote:Smerky -

I wouldn't be surprised if this was India ... they freak out on their T20's and the limited game....
The WIndians love their test cricket ... so the last 3 tests must have bored them titless ... absolute shame - and, if truth be told, a shambolic cock-up.

It is an utter Shame. I'd rather scores of 300 or 400 all out. Than 600/6 dec. When was the last 4th inning in this series?

Calm down Merls, WIFAN assures us QPO is a result pitch. It has never been flat. I'm sure he's right on this one even if he is an intolerable fan boy. I am sat here waiting with baited breath in assurance, believing in his wisdom.

I love test cricket and hate flat tracks, but at the same time it has been way too long since we won a major test series and in the short term I can understand this pitch preparation.

Having said that I would not put up with this for very long and something needs to be done about the roads that are being served up Worldwide.

I can't wait to the England tour. I hope the bowlers get some assistance as 1) I think Fidel and JT may well run amok and 2) it is the next test of our cricketing renaissance.

And Augustus, you will not succeed in winding me up . The Wisden's coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Joey Carew has indeed worked a miracle and created the first road at QPO!!!

Jimmy Anderson suffering from Collymoreitis... play and misses galore, no luck at all.

and he's got Ramdin. He definitely deserved that one.

GOT 'IM! Well bowled Jimmy - some decent reverse swing bowling

WIFAN wrote:Jimmy Anderson suffering from Collymoreitis... play and misses galore, no luck at all.

What happened to Corey Collymore by the way? I know he wasn't the quickest but he used to be a steady performer among the wayward pacemen the West Indies have, so surprised they discarded him while persisting with dross like Powell unless he had a lot of injuries.

They got fed up with him because he kept on turning up for tours half fit and bowling at 3/4 pace. So they dropped him, and he accepted an offer to join Sussex on a kolpak deal. He is still a pretty decent performer but is unavailable for selection.

beamer wrote:

WIFAN wrote:Jimmy Anderson suffering from Collymoreitis... play and misses galore, no luck at all.

What happened to Corey Collymore by the way? I know he wasn't the quickest but he used to be a steady performer among the wayward pacemen the West Indies have, so surprised they discarded him while persisting with dross like Powell unless he had a lot of injuries.

He plays for Barbados still. I think both he and Pedro Collins got Kolpak contracts and that may have affected their eligibility. I think the selectors also got tired of him looking good and not getting any wickets for it.

Arrrrrrrrrgh, all this speculation about what the conversation was between the on field umpires and the third umpires is really peeing me off. Why the hell can't we have an explanation from one of them. If they have such a good reason, I'd love to hear what it is.

Any why can't they use hotspot?

WHY???

WIFAN wrote:Personally I don't think he edged that, but how on earth could they prove that with those pictures?

I thought he missed it.

Hot spot would have proved it conclusively one way or the other.

Basil wrote:

WIFAN wrote:Personally I don't think he edged that, but how on earth could they prove that with those pictures?

I thought he missed it.

Hot spot would have proved it conclusively one way or the other.

Spot on. They have to use hotspot, without it thin edges cannot be proven wither way.

I'm bored. I don't mind watching England lose because I'm so used to it but I do mind being bored. How many ODIs are there for us to lose by to nil? Please be three or less...

Demelza wrote:Arrrrrrrrrgh, all this speculation about what the conversation was between the on field umpires and the third umpires is really peeing me off. Why the hell can't we have an explanation from one of them. If they have such a good reason, I'd love to hear what it is.

Any why can't they use hotspot?

WHY???

Because there's only 3 Hotspot devices in the world and none of them are in the Caribbean.

Yeah, I heard them say that after I'd written that.

I still think we, the players et al, deserve an explanation, especially when a decision is reversed.

beamer wrote:

Merlin wrote:I admire your undying support for jellybeans ....
So is your suggestion now to place a specific fielder behind an incompetent keeper just to counter his cock ups ?
Aye, good idea, let's leave the cover region exposed ....

Well, to be honest he doesn't seem to be doing himself any favours here, but I just can't argue with the approach of picking a batsman who can keep rather than a specialist fielder. There's only 11 places in the side and all have to justify their place through either batting or bowling (and a keeper who bowls wouldn't be too much use...)

Just wish that world-class keeper-batsman we've been waiting for all these years would hurry up and appear as we've been having this debate since Stewart retired, it's ridiculous how we can't produce one like every other country seems to!

As you're so keen to point out when the 4/5 bowler attack debate rears its head, you need 20 wickets to win a Test match, and having a wicket-keeper who you can have reasonable confidence in taking the chances that come his way is far more important than a 5th bowling option which will rarely to never offer anything worthwhile.

Moreover, England have been a shambles in the field in this Test match, and the tone in the field is set by the wicket-keeper...34 byes and counting. Some tone to set that is by Cymbals.

Oh shut up Bob. We've got bigger problems than the ugly bald qunt at the minute. The bowling attack is a shambles and has barely created a chance all series. The batting's a shambles and has unfortunately just bought itself a reprieve batting on feather-beds all series after the 51 all-out. Long, dark days ahead for England.

WIFAN wrote:

And Augustus, you will not succeed in winding me up . The Wisden's coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Joey Carew has indeed worked a miracle and created the first road at QPO!!!

Keep it polished for 6 weeks WIFAN ... WIndies are, as with 3 years ago, gonna have their arses handed back to them in May ... and btw... HTF can you claim in one sentence to "hate" flat decks - and then go on to praise an ass-bender like Joey Carew for creating a snoozefest with the crap he calls a track?

WIndies curators have done for test cricket what Mugabe's done for his "nation" - ie., f**ked it up.

Anything that winds you guys up this afternoon Merls will be said.

I just said Carew created the first road, I did not praise him for this achievement.

Is the Wisden Trophy actually at stake in the 2 match series coming up in England? Or do we have to wait until the next full tour some years away for a chance to regain it?

Davis is over for the ODIs?!

Augustus wrote:Oh shut up Bob. We've got bigger problems than the ugly bald qunt at the minute. The bowling attack is a shambles and has barely created a chance all series. The batting's a shambles and has unfortunately just bought itself a reprieve batting on feather-beds all series after the 51 all-out. Long, dark days ahead for England.

Accept what you're saying up to a point, but there has been AT LEAST FIVE dropped chances in this innings, and several more that could have gone to hand. On top of that, there has been at least one utterly diabolical umpiring decision not gone their way (and the brain dead Cymbals is also to blame for us having no referrals left when that happened).

Had less than half of those chances actually gone England's way, this match would now look very different.

How many chances did Prior drop?

Byes are often as much the bowlers and the pitch's fault as the keepers. He doesn't half accumulate them though.

Just the one sitter off Shiv early this morning.

Farkin' crucial one mind you.

Cost England the best part of an entire day of him batting.

WIFAN wrote:Anything that winds you guys up this afternoon Merls will be said.

I just said Carew created the first road, I did not praise him for this achievement.

No worries WIFAN - your boys deserved it after wiping us for 51 at Sabina.
And yours won't be the only wind-up ... Jimmy A comes over in May for his usual Tandoori-fest with us locally,
and rest assured he'll be giving it some too!!