Eng v WI 1st Test

Just checked the current odds.England 9/2 West Indies 2/11 Draw 400/1. I think that tells you all you need to know about the likely result fcblackpool.
 
What a great test and well done to the West Indies . . . we were in the driving seat before lunch but dropped chances and great batting from Blackwood cost us.
I thought Stokes did pretty well as captain and with Root back for the two Old Trafford tests we'll bounce back.
 
Unlike what Michael Vaughn said England getting to a 200 lead would make a game of it was never going to be enough in my opinion comfortable victory in the end by W I.
 
Disappointing but predictable especially when we chose to bat first.

We don`t have a bad side but nor do the Windies. We could well bounce back as we have done before but it won`t be easy and we need to produce our best cricket to do it.Let`s hope we turn it round at Old Trafford.
 
Jaffa_The_Hut said:
Unlike what Michael Vaughn said England getting to a 200 lead would make a game of it was never going to be enough in my opinion comfortable victory in the end by W I.
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It was far from comfortable at 27-3 and one on the treatment table . . Sky had us 80% to win at that point but we dropped catches and they batted well.
 
Leither said:
It was far from comfortable at 27-3 and one on the treatment table . . Sky had us 80% to win at that point but we dropped catches and they batted well.
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Ok granted another wicket or two just then and yes things could have been so different but I doubt very much the W I players worried too much in the end.
 
The 10 min spell were we missed 3 chances was key. They were on the verge of collapsing. Well played Blackwood, who probably deserved a ton. The series is well set, Root will come back and Broad will be itching to show what a poor decision it was to play Wood ahead of him.
 
Shannon Gabriel is one of my favorite cricketers in the world. I really like Kraigg Brathwaite. I admire Holder for sticking with it and reaching giddy heights despite some real doubts about him as both a captain and a player at the outset of his leadership. I find it hard not to root for the Windies tbh. They've really got none of the advantages of England, aren't part of the ICB/ECB/CA carve up of the game globally and they keep turning up and playing proper cricket against us.

It's great to see them as a competitive side again. They're not exactly a force in the game, but they've come on a lot in the last 3 years, are a serious bowling unit and just need a couple of batsmen to really step up over time. Lots of potential but no one seems to be able to consistently make runs for them.
 
The Windies have a good bowling unit and have been well marshalled and developed by the excellent Holder. But England also have a very good bowling attack, highlighted by the fact that if everyone is fit, there's always going to be high profile omissions.
The real issue - once again - was England's batting. If you win the toss and choose to bat, getting bowled out for 200 is nowhere near good enough and it's symptomatic of our failures for a good few years now. Root will return for the next Test, but he will be rusty and has been guilty for years of getting a fifty and then not capitalizing in the way Smith, Kohli and Williamson would do.

Until that is resolved, we're going to be a team that is involved in a lot of exciting matches, but not a team that dominates more than its dominated.
 
How do you see the line-up for the second test? Root straight in for Denly? I'd quite like us to stick with Crawley, give the young lad a chance to develop and get some test innings under his belt.

I'd like to see Foakes in for the second test, too. Buttler looked absolutely all over the shop with the bat - must have been make-or-break with him for well over a year now!
 
As much I want England to win I think anyone who likes cricket wants to see a strong West Indies test team. Hopefully they are back on a upward curve with a strong bowling unit and some decent looking batters.
 
I want to see as much strength in depth for all Test playing nations and it baffles me why the ICC don't recognise this in terms of ensuring that the best players are properly rewarded for playing in all formats.

Regarding the batting line up, I think it's pretty clear that Root will come in for Denly. Re Buttler, he's had plenty of chances and has struggled for a while so it would be no surprise to see him dropped. However, I'll make a couple of points. 1) These are pretty odd circumstances in relation to the lack of time in the middle for all. Dropping someone after the first match of the summer (other than to bring back the captain) COULD be considered a little harsh. 2) Foakes did well in his first games, but his red-ball record last season was abysmal. There's no obvious guarantee that he's going to score runs. 3) Anyone batting at 7 is going to find it difficult if the top 6 consistently under perform and leave you with the impossible task of trying to score runs with the tail whilst also not getting out cheaply.
 
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