***Official*** West Indies in England

[oitoitoi]

I like Bopara, don't think he's a test no.3 yet, maybe a 5 or 6, I like his technique but I think he could tighten it further. Bopara vs Johnson should be an interesting contest, (what do you think the odds are of Johnson tripping over a tennis ball on the first morning at cardiff?). I had high hopes for Cook when he first came on the scene, but he looks the same batsmen to me, no real improvement, expecting him to have a mediocre to poor ashes.

 

[Jarquis]

I like Bopara, don't think he's a test no.3 yet, maybe a 5 or 6, I like his technique but I think he could tighten it further. Bopara vs Johnson should be an interesting contest, (what do you think the odds are of Johnson tripping over a tennis ball on the first morning at cardiff?). I had high hopes for Cook when he first came on the scene, but he looks the same batsmen to me, no real improvement, expecting him to have a mediocre to poor ashes.

Pretty difficult task improving on the start of his career TBH.
Since then he's just carried on churning out the runs.
He had that run where he didn't score a century for a little while, but even in that period he hit 8 consecutive test 50's.

 

[oitoitoi]

Pretty difficult task improving on the start of his career TBH.
Since then he's just carried on churning out the runs.
He had that run where he didn't score a century for a little while, but even in that period he hit 8 consecutive test 50's.

Not talking about improving his results, talking about improving as a batsmen; he hasn't, has the same technical problems he had when he came into the side and top teams are picking at these. How many hundreds has he scored against the top teams? 50's aint good enough. Someone will probably call me up on this but I believe he has only scored 3 hundreds where he hasn't been dropped too. Has the potential to be a top player, but he needs to put the work in. He's the kind of batsmen who needs to score tough runs to really justify his place, so far he hasn't done that.

 

[GIMH]

I like Cook but I think your criticisms are on the most part fair. Usually sees off the new ball but this is the first time he's batted for a whole day, that surprised me.

Did ton up against Oz in Oz, and in india on debut, so it's not like he's never scored tough runs.

 

[Jarquis]

Only batsman to ton up in the Test series in SL a while back.
I realise SL may not be a top team, but batting in the subcontinent is not easy, especially facing Murali.

 

[_Ed_]

Bye Bye Ravi;
Bowled by Baker for 108... Apparently it was a good ball.

Really?

I find this difficult to believe.

 

[tooextracool]

I like Cook but I think your criticisms are on the most part fair. Usually sees off the new ball but this is the first time he's batted for a whole day, that surprised me.

Did ton up against Oz in Oz, and in india on debut, so it's not like he's never scored tough runs.

It has taken Cook a long time to implement the improvements into his game, but his innings today showed a much tighter technique with bat closer to the pad and generally played with a straighter bat. He still continues to poke at deliveries rather than letting the ball hit the bat, but at least hes made some progress. hopefully he will sort that out as well.

Flat pitch or not, the technique change is worthy of adulation.

 

[TT Boy]

Innings job. Wicket is fairly dry, should aid Swann against the hapless Windies left-handers and the England middle order has a great platform just to go out there and express themselves. And hopefully Anderson gets a 50.

I’ve always been a bit snooker loopy over Jerome Taylor but his performance since Jamaica denote that he is a fair-weather, sing when your winning type of bowler. He doesn’t much fancy it when the chips are down. Fidel is the only bright spark in the bowling, gives 100% regardless. Benn is useless once you understand his sheer novelty and poor old Baker would struggle in Leicestershire’s second XI. Simmons did more with the ball than him.

Shame the weather forecast for today is dodgy.

 

[inbox24]

This pitch is slow and dry, perfect for a grinding innings from Nash and Chanders to really destroy the morale of the England bowlers.

 

[superkingdave]

Shame the weather forecast for the rest of the match is dodgy.

Corrected

BBC Weather | Chester le Street

 

[TT Boy]

****.

 

[King Pietersen]

BBC Weather also claimed that we'd get heavy showers in Suffolk yesterday, but nothing came of it, wasn't a drop of rain all day. The met office has a far more optimistic forecast:

Met Office: Durham: forecast weather

 

[wpdavid]

Is it just me or does Dyson seem something of a penis?

Not likely to be in greatest of moods, but was every inch the chippy arse with Knight there.

Didn't see the interview, but talking of that does anyone know why Edwards acts like a prize knob whenever Anderson walks to the crease?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Really?

I find this difficult to believe.

Just showed it again on the highlights now, funnily enough. Good nut; full and swung back into the right hander to take out the off pole. Rav a bit late on the shot but think that's excusable when on 108.

Innings job. Wicket is fairly dry, should aid Swann against the hapless Windies left-handers and the England middle order has a great platform just to go out there and express themselves. And hopefully Anderson gets a 50.

I’ve always been a bit snooker loopy over Jerome Taylor but his performance since Jamaica denote that he is a fair-weather, sing when your winning type of bowler. He doesn’t much fancy it when the chips are down. Fidel is the only bright spark in the bowling, gives 100% regardless. Benn is useless once you understand his sheer novelty and poor old Baker would struggle in Leicestershire’s second XI. Simmons did more with the ball than him.

Shame the weather forecast for today is dodgy.

Not sure I agree, tbh. Found another gear from somewhere when the tailender came to the crease. Suggests he was bowling within himself for the most part.

 

[King Pietersen]

Also proving that there definitely is something in the pitch if you put it in. As soon as Anderson arrived at the crease the ball was sailing through, so if England can put 100% in, and get some turn and drift from Swann, then we should be able to pick up 20 wickets, unless the rain disrupts our chances of course.

 

[TT Boy]

Just showed it again on the highlights now, funnily enough. Good nut; full and swung back into the right hander to take out the off pole. Rav a bit late on the shot but think that's excusable when on 108.



Not sure I agree, tbh. Found another gear from somewhere when the tailender came to the crease. Suggests he was bowling within himself for the most part.

I didn’t see all of yesterday’s play but he was the only Windies bowler who did bend his back (early on) and I thought his performance in Barbados on concrete when England got 600 was fantastic. It deserved far better if not for a plethora of dropped catches going down and bowled some remarkable spell(s) of hostile quick bowling given the farcical state of the pitch.

 

[social]

Crap weather, no crowd and horrible wicket - Durham experiment working a treat!

 

[Uppercut]

Also proving that there definitely is something in the pitch if you put it in. As soon as Anderson arrived at the crease the ball was sailing through, so if England can put 100% in, and get some turn and drift from Swann, then we should be able to pick up 20 wickets, unless the rain disrupts our chances of course.

There's **** all in the pitch mate, England can take 20 if they take full advantage of awkward overhead conditions though.

 

[Beamer]

Didn't see the interview, but talking of that does anyone know why Edwards acts like a prize knob whenever Anderson walks to the crease?

Because Jimmy chunters away at the batsman non-stop when he is bowling. He is quite a grumpy man when he is on the cricket field. Fidel is the fastest bowler in our XI and therefore his job is to rough up his opposite number.

I remember when Jimmy confronted Runako Morton on our last tour, the one man in the West Indies you should not antagonise if you value your own safety.

 

[roseboy64]

:laugh; Quite true. Lucky he wasn't attacked with a bat or knife.