**Official** West Indies in England 2012

[stumpski]

Very surprised they didn't get a full day in today, it's been fine here {about 50 miles away).

 

[Neil Pickup]

It's been a ridiculous day weather-wise, even given the last few weeks. North and West Oxfordshire have had hailstorms and tornadoes (yes, really) and Oxford itself has been dry... mind, you could see the banks of cloud and it looked like armageddon in the distance...

 

[Furball]

Odds on actually getting 90 overs worth of play over the entire 3 Tests?

 

[four_or_six]

Looks like the weather will start picking up in the next couple of days. Should be fine to get enough cricket in at Lords I think.

 

[Mainze]

I get the feeling the Windies will need kind weather in the next few days to get their eye in, these green tops will make for a 2/3 day game IMO.

 

[theegyptian]

Most of the English guys have had a bit of a game. Least prepared would be Matt Prior who has one duck and hasn't batted in any of the other games he has played - and he doesn't look like getting a bat in this round of county games.

but no-one from either team is going to go into the game with a large amount of cricket under their belts- first test could be a strange old game.

 

[TT Boy]

Barath gone early. Can’t see how he, Powell and Edwards are going to put any run of scores together. He looked so, so ordinary in the home series against Aus.

Lack of BBC commentary coverage is disappointing. Are Sky showing this?

 

[Jacknife]

Both openers gone already 16/2.

 

[superkingdave]

Barath gone early. Can’t see how he, Powell and Edwards are going to put any run of scores together. He looked so, so ordinary in the home series against Aus.

Lack of BBC commentary coverage is disappointing. Are Sky showing this?

Sky showing Sussex vs Lancs this week lol

16-3, Barath, Powell, Edwards triumvirate going well

 

[Jacknife]

Good first wicket for Coles, gets Shiv out on the pull shot.

 

[Howe_zat]

All the seamers in on it now, Meaker gets both set batsmen. Impressive showing given that basically no-one thought this attack should be selected.

 

[Jacknife]

Personally had no problems with the attack and I thought it would be good enough for this WI line up .With Woakes and Harris out of action and the selectors know what they're going to get from Onions it seemed a fairly straight forward choice, just the selection of Coles was a bit out of left field.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Don't know how the top 3 going to cope with this

 

[Howe_zat]

Fidel starts the innings with 3 no balls in a row. Huh.

 

[Howe_zat]

Personally had no problems with the attack and I thought it would be good enough for this WI line up .With Woakes and Harris out of action and the selectors know what they're going to get from Onions it seemed a fairly straight forward choice, just the selection of Coles was a bit out of left field.

I think "knowing what you'll get" out of Onions is treating him harshly - the guy should still be pushing for a Test spot and that's what these games are for. I'd have selected Finn as well.

 

[grecian]

Not sure if I'm happy with Dirtbag in the side, but Brooks certainly deserved it, Meaker is quick, if a bit rubbish. Coles got in for his early season form, and fair enough, think Barker may be the better long-term bet.

Hard to say what this performance means really, against an under-cooked Windies side in seaming conditions, you could probably put our top 25 seamers in a hat and draw them out, and it's unlikely tthe West Indians would have scored over 200, IMHO.

 

[Jacknife]

I think "knowing what you'll get" out of Onions is treating him harshly - the guy should still be pushing for a Test spot and that's what these games are for. I'd have selected Finn as well.

No not at all, I wouldn't of picked Onions for the same reason I wouldn't have picked Finn, the selectors know what they are capable of and are along with Jimmy, Broad and Bres are the 5 best bowlers in the country atm and Tremlett when he's fit.

I'd much prefer to see guys who haven't played for England before getting a chance to show what they can do at the next level up, especially the bowlers as we have such good reserves in the bowling front. It's not as if any of these guys who are playing today are going to jump in front of the likes of Finn & Onions.

I just don't see the Lions side as just being for the next best 11 bowlers & batsmen in the Country. Imo it should be a mix of future players who are maybe a season or two away, players who are pushing for selection who've never played before and for guys pushing to get their chance again.

 

[Jacknife]

Not sure if I'm happy with Dirtbag in the side, but Brooks certainly deserved it, Meaker is quick, if a bit rubbish. Coles got in for his early season form, and fair enough, think Barker may be the better long-term bet.

Hard to say what this performance means really, against an under-cooked Windies side in seaming conditions, you could probably put our top 25 seamers in a hat and draw them out, and it's unlikely tthe West Indians would have scored over 200, IMHO.

I think Meaker gets a bit of a bum rap tbh, especially when it comes to first class cricket, sure he's a pretty poor one day player, who hasn't mastered enough variation for that format yet.

But 101 wickets @28 for a young fast bowler isn't bad at all and I do think as he matures he'll get a lot better.

 

[Viscount Tom]

So the Windies crumbled to what is really the third choice set of seamers.

Not looking good for them for a test that starts next week.

The title of this week's Switch Hit on Cricinfo was 'Can it get worse for WI?'

 

[Pup Clarke]

So the Windies crumbled to what is really the third choice set of seamers.

Not really surprising though is it? I'd back most county attacks to skittle them for something similar at this stage in the tour.