West Indies A tour of England

[Beamer]

I'm very much looking forward to this as I will be watching at least one of the tour games. I expect Bravo, Edwards and Braithwaite to score heaps of runs (a long with Devon Smith who always dominates A tours, particularly English ones, before failing catastrophically at the highest level).

The squad:

Devon Smith (Captain), David Bernard (Vice Captain), Omar Phillips, Lionel Baker, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Odean Brown, Kirk Edwards, Andre Fletcher (wk), Justin Guillen, Imran Khan, Nelon Pascal, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton (wk)

Note: Kieron Pollard and Nikita Miller will replace Justin Guillen and Odean Brown for the one-day section of the tour.

That squad would tend to suggest that Shillingford and Dowlin are about to get a Test call up.

Dowlin as a reserve opener/middle order batsman, Shillingford as the off spinner.

[Beamer]

Tour schedule:

4 day

June 5-7: vs Glamorgan at SWALEC

June 10-13: vs India A at Grace Road

June 17-20: vs India A at Whitgift School, Croydon

List A

June 23: vs Ireland at Belfast Stormont

June 25: vs Ireland at Belfast Stormont

Tri-nation One-Day Series

June 28: West Indies A vs India A at Northampton

June 29: West Indies A vs England Lions at Northampton

July 1: England Lions vs India A at Grace Road, Leicester

July 2: West Indies A vs India A at Grace Road, Leicester

July 4: West Indies A vs England Lions at New Road, Worcester

July 6: England Lions vs India A at New Road, Worcester

July 8: FINAL at New Road, Leicester

(if West Indies A do not make final they will play against Lancashire at Old Trafford)

[shivfan]

Yes, remember how well Devon announced himself on that previous A team tour of England?

Ah, well....

Dowlin and Shilly might not get into the starting XI for the main WI side, but they're certain to be in the squad, I'd think. Also, Brendan Nash is currently touring Bangladesh with the A team, and he's also been omitted from the A team tour of England. So, obviously, he's likely to be in the WI Test squad too....

I like the selections of Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite. They will learn more from playing for the A team in English conditions than from a premature call into the Test team to face the likes of Steyn and co in Caribbean conditions.

The two Bajan Jasons have been omitted - Holder and Haynes.

[Beamer]

I'm not sure why Holder won't be going but Haynes simply isn't good enough and shouldn't have been on any A team in the first place.

[shivfan]

Baker has taken two wickets, and Tonge one, to reduce Glamorgan to 35-3....

[Beamer]

Glamorgan 121/5 now

Baker 2/16
Brown 2/48
Tonge 1/35

Khan hasn't bowled yet but I'm expecting a big tour from him after the disspaointing 4 day matches in Bangladesh.

I wonder who will be replacing Darren Bravo and Nelon Pascal?

[shivfan]

I see where Assad Fudadin has been called up, and is actually playing in this match....

When Barath and/or Sarwan get fit again, I really hope Darren Bravo rejoins this A team tour. As our guys are finding out, it's difficult batting in England when the conditions are humid, and it offers assistance to the seaming and swinging ball. Our guys like to stay rooted in the crease, but you have to move your feet when you're batting in England.

A useful 99 from Brown took Glamorgan to 261, with Odean Brown taking a five-fer, three wickets for Tonge, and two for Baker. But Smith and Guillen both went cheaply. It's going to be even more difficult for Phillips and Fletcher when they resume tomorrow on 11-2, in conditions that will be humid, dark and rainy. Then, they will see the English ball doing tricks!

[flibbertyjibber]

WI A 46-4 against a poor sides reserve team.

[Scaly piscine]

53-6 now.

[Howsie]

Gayle and co must get the chop, the 100's of talented West Indies youngsters coming through are all much better................

[Beamer]

There is only one 'talented youngster' that WW and I talk about who is playing on this tour and he is not playing in this match.

Laugh all you want but in fairness the selectors have done a terrible job with this tour, particularly when it comes to replacing Dowlin and Bravo. Justin Guillen completely failed in Bangladesh and yet he finds himself playing in completely bowler friendly conditions? Why on earth isn't Braithwaite playing? IMHO he should play every match on this tour. Guillen is nowhere near his class.

Also Fudadin has never even come close to impressing at FC level and yet he is playing for West Indies A? WTF is up with that?

We had Glamorgan in a similar position and let them off the hook so let's wait and see what happens.

[shivfan]

Quite simply, our leaden-footed youngsters just can't cope with the moving ball in England. This is hopefully a good learning experience for them....

This is why I would've liked to see Darren Bravo on this tour. He would've learnt a lot from playing in seaming, swinging conditions in England with this A team. I'm not sure how much he's going to learn by being on a Test team that will get thrashed by SOuth Africa's pace attack of Steyn and co.

Beamer, out of interest, who would you have picked for this tour instead of Fudadin and Guillen? To be fair to Brathwaite, I'm sure he'll play in the next match....

[Beamer]

Quite frankly Mike there are loads of superior candidates to Fudadin. They made a concious decision to hold some players like Andre Creary back and place them in the academy, but quite frankly I would prefer to have seen him on this tour instead of Fudadin as Creary has a rock solid technique.

I can understand why they chose Guillen for the Bangladesh segment as he did reasonably well in the FC competition but having failed so spectacularly there I thought they would have seen fit to try someone else or maybe even one more experienced head like Morton of Hinds.

You know I have faith in the youngsters and love to see them playing A team tours but they either have to be exceptional to get chances without much experience (e.g Braithwaite) or exceptionally talented with a pretty decent FC record (Bravo). Guillen and Fudadin have neither of those attributes.

Playing Guillen and Fudadin in these conditions is just asking for trouble.

[Beamer]

We've avoided the follow on thanks to a partnership of 68 between Imran Khan and Chadwick Walton. Unfortunately they are now into the tail with the dismissal of Khan.

[Beamer]

We were bundled out for 151 and Glamorgan are now 27/4.

Bowler friendly conditions anyone?