Test England vs West Indies - 3 tests

[010203]

big wicket, see ya Stokes

He got a moral hundred.

 

[Bedi]

Good call to bring Shamar Jospeh on. Desperate for a wicket here

 

[Bedi]

87...see ya Root

 

[010203]

87...see ya Root

So plumb not even Marnus would think of reviewing it.

 

[Bedi]

So plumb not even Marnus would think of reviewing it.

Was a great knock, and pretty stiff not to get the ton

 

[icyflakes]

Love the way the Windies go about it - just having fun the entire time, really hope they can keep the consistency up here and snag a win. Taking one off Aus and then England within ~6 months is a huge boost for the team, would be incredible to see them rise again

 

[010203]

Was a great knock, and pretty stiff not to get the ton

A very good knock when his team needed it too.

 

[ioppolo]

This Jayden Seales kid seems a find for the Windies. Averages 24 over 13 tests and is only 22. Someone who could consistently partner Alzarri Joseph in tests.

 

[PhatBoy]

Some of Smith’s shots have been sublime; that pull shot out of the ground was outrageous, but we have made things far too easy for him.

With Stokes and Root, we actually bowled, though not always with brilliant execution, to a decent plan and to their credit they played well and were very good during their partnership and quite often hit perfectly good balls for runs.

Smith hasn’t had to work nearly had hard. Nor has Woakes really for that matter. This is where Alzarri Joseph’s profligacy hurts us - he has never ever been able to get his economy under control no matter how good his wicket taking is, and he is generally pretty good at taking wickets but you can’t give him a good burst because he leaks runs. Holder is still finding his feet in red ball cricket again after an extended absence so doesn’t have the control he’s familiar with, and the other two have played 16 tests between them and it’s showing now that we are being put under pressure striving for these last three wickets. I can’t help but think how much of a difference Kemar Roach would have made in these situations

Motie has bowled reasonably well.

It’s frustrating viewing because there are so many visibly encouraging parts to the puzzle that just need to slot in together for it to become a reasonably decent side. The attack is certainly good enough. Cleaning out the batting of most of the recycled dead wood was definitely the way to go.

 

[Plugger35]

Hopefully the Windies can set England a challenging 4th innings run chase but they are up against it now.

That partnership from Smith and Woakes was costly, they went from being a chance of a first innings lead to giving up a big lead.

The still need about 50 runs just to get back in front.

 

[PhatBoy]

Hopefully the Windies can set England a challenging 4th innings run chase but they are up against it now.

That partnership from Smith and Woakes was costly, they went from being a chance of a first innings lead to giving up a big lead.

The still need about 50 runs just to get back in front.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the decision not to review the leg before shout against Root ten minutes into the day was, um, somewhat costly too

 

[PhatBoy]

I know England aren’t in this business to be liked as such but you can tell that they would enjoy it if they were. They’ve more or less said as much by talking about how much they want to entertain people. That goes hand in hand with being liked by cricket fans.

They won’t reach that level if they maintain the histrionics that often manifest themselves when opponents play the same way England themselves do and get away with it. It’s one thing I’ve noticed numerous times in the last two tests when the west indies have counter attacked and the ball has gone to the boundary, particularly on the air, there will often be an Englishman or two, stokes himself is regularly an example, who look somewhat petulant as if to say ‘how did you get away with that?’
Well lads you aren’t the only side that can chance their arm and produce good counter attacking batting

 

[Plugger35]

Louis and Hodge putting together a good partnership here, hopefully they can keep it going.

 

[Plugger35]

I jinxed them with Stokes getting Louis fishing at a wide one he should have left alone and he knows it.

He looks a good prospect for the Windies though, one for them to stick with, just needs to improve his technique for test cricket.

 

[PhatBoy]

162 runs at 27 in his first test series after only 7 first class matches for Mikyle Louis, opening in England, with double figures in all 6 innings. I can cop that. He gets a tick.

 

[Plugger35]

Holder fired out on an umpire's call with the ball just clipping the stumps, unlucky.

 

[PhatBoy]

Can’t argue with it in the end but gee that’s something that’s an annoying part of the system to me and yes of course I’m biased in this situation as it affects my team.

Im certain that pre-DRS it simply wouldn’t get given out not because of ‘benefit of doubt’ as such but because there simply is TOO much doubt. His height and the amount of swing. Yes it looks close and it was a good shout and the review has it clipping so fair play.

But those factors just seem to get removed now

 

[Sammo360]

Plumb surely

Umpire's call. Crashing into leg stump

 

[Plugger35]

Can't argue about that lbw, Wood trapping Da Silva plumb.

He walked off straight away without even considering a review.

 

[PhatBoy]

Disclaimer: I LOVE the actual WAY Mark Wood bowls.

He is among the most whole hearted cricketers in the world and you could never accuse him of leaving anything on the pitch.

But I think it gives him a free pass when it comes to the commentary about the quality of his bowling - you’d swear blind every spell he’s ever bowled has been outstanding and it’s either reaped wickets (the legitimately good ones) or he’s just been incredibly unlucky (the ones where he hasn’t)

 

[Plugger35]

Disclaimer: I LOVE the actual WAY Mark Wood bowls.

He is among the most whole hearted cricketers in the world and you could never accuse him of leaving anything on the pitch.

But I think it gives him a free pass when it comes to the commentary about the quality of his bowling - you’d swear blind every spell he’s ever bowled has been outstanding and it’s either reaped wickets (the legitimately good ones) or he’s just been incredibly unlucky (the ones where he hasn’t)

He bowls some great spells but he can also bowl some trash ones too, he is more consistent than he used to be though.

He also has genuine pace which is exciting to watch, not so exciting if you are facing him though.

Right on cue he blasts out Alzarri Joseph.

 

[Plugger35]

Motie copping one to the helmet, no routine check from the physio, he doesn't look too fazed though.

He might want to work on his short ball technique, he played that one horribly.

 

[PhatBoy]

He bowls some great spells but he can also bowl some trash ones too, he is more consistent than he used to be though.

He also has genuine pace which is exciting to watch, not so exciting if you are facing him though.

Right on cue he blasts out Joseph.

Agreed, he does bowl some rubbish but it seems it’s always referred to as ‘unlucky’ (note: in the case of this series, it was - he was excellent last test without much to show for it).

That was a great ball to get Joseph but he needs to do better.

He can genuinely bat. He needs to jam down on that. I guess you could point to the ball that got JDS which he DID try kind of to jam down on albeit into the onside and still got beaten by so fair enough but when a guy is trying to York you at 150kph, you can’t be trying to hit it straight down the wicket. Just drop the bat on it AJ.

He’s good enough to average 20 at test level. These are the little things that have to lift to get to a higher level.

I do like what a guy like Hodge has brought to the team, he’s a puncher.

 

[PhatBoy]

That was an exceptional ball

 

[Plugger35]

Wood removing Hodge with another great ball, this is one of his better spells.