TEST SERIES: WEST INDIES vs SOUTH AFRICA (3 Tests)

[stmookeyj]

VS

Test Cricket in the Caribbean heats up once again as the battling West Indies take on the always formidable South Africans. The visitors come into the test matches after a whitewash in a 5 game 50 over series (the last 2 coming off the last ball chasing down 303 and 252) and winning both 20 over games at "The Sandpit" (Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua for those not paying attention). Currently they are having a glorified net against a Trinidad and Tobago XI, and are 6/347 at the end of the first of 2 days.


SCHEDULE

1st TEST: 10-14 June, Queen's Park Oval, Port Of Spain, Trinidad
2nd TEST: 18-22 June, Warner Park, Bassetere, St.Kitts
3rd TEST: 26-30 June, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados


There has been a change to the original schedule. The first test was actually due to be played at Sabina Park, but after all sorts of non-cricketing issues (read violent riots that have killed 44 people, all over someone involved in drugs needing to be deported) the test as well as the current warm-up match and the last ODI is/was/will be played in Trinidad (the warm up game is at St.Augustine). It's sort of compensation for the Trinidadians who themselves were forced to give up the 20 over games and the first ODI due to elections.


Looking at the squads, and there are no real no name players for the South Africans except for possibly the left armer Lonwabo Tsotsobe. There's no place for Makhaya Ntini despite the door seemingly not being closed for him, and there's also no Albie Morkel with brother Morne making the 15. Johan Botha is in the 15, but is unlikely to unseat Paul Harris in the XI. Every player in the squad has had their debut before this tour.

For the home team, 27 year old Domenican (Windward Islands) offie Shane Shillingford is in line for a debut in what is a 14 man squad. However he's also not likely to play despie Sulieman Benn having a falling out with skipper Chris Gayle on the field during game 4 of the ODI series leading the Gayle telling Benn to get off the park and the tall off spinner losing his match fee. 23 year old Grenadian Nelon Pascal (right arm quickie) is also in having played one ODI against Bangladesh during last year's player strike. And Darren Bravo, the younger brother of Dwayne, is also in the 14 having had 10 ODI's experience. Apart from that, most of the names on the list came to Australia, with still no Fidel Edwards (assumed injured), Keiron Pollard (who's playing at Somerset in the T20 Cup) or Jerome Taylor (played in the ODI's but hasn't played a game with a red ball since breaking down at The Gabba in November).

In terms of officials, Steve Davis and Asad Rauf are in charge for the first test with Simon Taufel in the booth. Davis is in the booth for the 2nd test, and Rauf for the 3rd. Roshan Mahanama is the match referee for the 1st test, with Jeff Crowe taking over once his commitments in Zimbabwe are completed.


SQUADS

WEST INDIES (1st TEST ONLY): Chris GAYLE (C), Dwayne BRAVO (VC), Sulieman BENN, Darren BRAVO, Shivnarine CHANDERPAUL, Narsingh DEONARINE, Travis DOWLIN, Brendan NASH, Nelon PASCAL, Denesh RAMDIN, Ravi RAMPAUL, Kemar ROACH, Darren SAMMY, Shane SHILLINGFORD

SOUTH AFRICA: Graeme SMITH (C), Jacques KALLIS (VC), Hashim AMLA, Johan BOTHA, Mark BOUCHER, AB DE VILLIERS, Jean-Paul DUMINY, Paul HARRIS, Ryan McLAREN, Morne MORKEL, Wayne PARNELL, Alviro PETERSEN, Ashwell PRINCE, Dale STEYN, Lonwabo TSOTSOBE

has LIVE coverage of the first test from 11:50 PM EST on Day 1, before shifting to FOX 2 for Day 2, and FOX 3 for Day 3-5.

 

[damochandler]

a couple of nice flatg tracks to build your average on in this series

 

[FalcoX]

Steyn & Morkel destroying the Windies 80/9

 

[alfy!]

a couple of nice flatg tracks to build your average on in this series

Not so far.

 

[damochandler]

Not so far.

look at where they are playing in the second test. some records could fall in that one

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Brilliant stuff from Steyn. 200 wickets already.

 

[Romeo]

Windies really capitulated. Poor stuff. Morkel firing early and then Steyn wrecked the tail. It's a two-paced pitch though.

 

[Lethal44]

How is Dowlin getting a game ahead of player like Dale Richards.
Dowlin was horrible in Australia and apart from a couple of handy knocks for the A-team has done nothing since.
Richards on the other hand had a prolific domestic season and was one of the shining lights in the recent ODI series against South Africa.

 

[Chris25]

Dale Richards isn't the answer any more than Travis Dowlin is. They're really much of a muchness, and I suspect Dowlin got the gig as a show of respect and for leadership reasons. But with Adrian Barath injured (among other things) the Windies needed a replacement and unfortunately they went down the stopgap path.

Kraigg Braithwaite is still too young and inexperienced, so they should have gone with Omar Phillips. Only 23 and debuted during the player strike and outperformed Richards anyway. At least that way they would get some time into another young opening batsman. Although I still want to see Andre Fletcher get a chance at the longer form of the game.

At least Nelon Pascal and Darren Bravo are in the squad though. And hopefully the Windies perform just a tad better in the next match.

 

[damochandler]

Brilliant stuff from Steyn. 200 wickets already.

mitch won't be far behind him the way he is bowling

this test coming up. bat first pitch and let the spinners do the work

 

[Lethal44]

Dale Richards isn't the answer any more than Travis Dowlin is. They're really much of a muchness, and I suspect Dowlin got the gig as a show of respect and for leadership reasons. But with Adrian Barath injured (among other things) the Windies needed a replacement and unfortunately they went down the stopgap path.

Kraigg Braithwaite is still too young and inexperienced, so they should have gone with Omar Phillips. Only 23 and debuted during the player strike and outperformed Richards anyway. At least that way they would get some time into another young opening batsman. Although I still want to see Andre Fletcher get a chance at the longer form of the game.

I'd like to throw Lendl Simmons name in there as well, he opens for T&T and is a right hander which would complement Gayle.

 

[Sasquatch]

Nash and Chanderpaul do over a 200 run partnership. Both making centuries. Chanderpaul 151 not out. Draw is on the cards.

 

[jiphoc]

Bad pitch. Is not offering much to any of the bowlers. A bit of bounce every now and then but the wear and tear is non existent. From the start of the game this was going to be a draw.

 

[Cooldude]

Chanderpaul and Bravo trying to destroy Test cricket with the way they batted yesterday

 

[Hu$tler]

Chanderpaul and Bravo trying to destroy Test cricket with the way they batted yesterday

That was disgraceful.

The commentators were saying shit like, "368 balls for the last 100 runs, and it felt like 368 hours".

 

[Chris25]

I didn't actually see any of the fourth day, but I woke up to read many a story about how boring it was.

Is it really the Windies fault though? With South Africa batting for well over one and a half days, there were only two possible outcomes - a draw or a South African win. Obviously the Windies had to get to stumps on Day 3 at least, to help their chances of holding onto the match. And they did that, and everybody was happy.

The Windies had every right to bat until lunch, considering how long the South Africans batted for. They did that, and as a draw was now the only realistic option, of course they were going to go for first innings points. A moral victory is a victory nonetheless, something that has been missing from this series for the Windies.

I realise that the problem wasn't with how long they batted for, but for the way in which they batted. However Chanderpaul batted at above his career strike rate. And Bravo just hasn't been hitting the ball well lately, had he played his natural game and gone for quick runs he would have gotten out and exposed a pretty long tail. Risking a South African win again.

It may not be popular or pretty to watch, but it isn't the Windies fault. As long as pitches have nothing in them for the bowlers, it's going to keep happening. Sporting declarations are great, but unrealistic especially for a struggling team.

 

[jiphoc]

I didn't actually see any of the fourth day, but I woke up to read many a story about how boring it was.

Is it really the Windies fault though? With South Africa batting for well over one and a half days, there were only two possible outcomes - a draw or a South African win. Obviously the Windies had to get to stumps on Day 3 at least, to help their chances of holding onto the match. And they did that, and everybody was happy.

The Windies had every right to bat until lunch, considering how long the South Africans batted for. They did that, and as a draw was now the only realistic option, of course they were going to go for first innings points. A moral victory is a victory nonetheless, something that has been missing from this series for the Windies.

I realise that the problem wasn't with how long they batted for, but for the way in which they batted. However Chanderpaul batted at above his career strike rate. And Bravo just hasn't been hitting the ball well lately, had he played his natural game and gone for quick runs he would have gotten out and exposed a pretty long tail. Risking a South African win again.

It may not be popular or pretty to watch, but it isn't the Windies fault. As long as pitches have nothing in them for the bowlers, it's going to keep happening. Sporting declarations are great, but unrealistic especially for a struggling team.

You are missing the point that a lot of the media and onlookers are talking about. It is not about them "saving" the test match. It is that the test match did not have to be saved. They where in no danger of really looking the test match once they got within 150 odd of Saffas first total with only 6 or 7 sessions left. On the contrary and victory might have still been open. Hell after watching that session just then I bet the Windies where hoping they did have another half a day available for them.

Cricket in the Windies are in a terrible state at the moment with funding not going to places where it is needed and crowds just pathetic. No wonder it is the case when there side are so negative and do not go after a win. I am not a Ponting fan by any means, however it is one thing I like about him. Given a 1% chance of victory Punter will go for it.

 

[Chris25]

Lets say the Windies did declare 150 runs behind, can you say for certain they wouldn't have lost? South Africa could have gone after quick runs, set them 350 and bowled them out on the last day. A batting collapse isn't exactly a new things for the Windies.

Did South Africa really have to bat for the first five and a bit sessions? They too could have declared at lunch on the second day, which would have provided both teams with more time.

I just don't think all the blame should be put on the West Indies. South Africa batted for 94 overs in their second innings, and scored at just 2.50 runs per over. Far worse than the Windies in their innings. The match was always going to end like this considering the pitch.

 

[damochandler]

3rd test starts tonight and this ground usually produces flat lifeless tracks as well

 

[Chris25]

Interesting start for the West Indies.

Ravi Rampaul was ruled out a few days ago, with Darren Sammy joining him on the sidelines. Nelon Pascal was to return after being dropped last match. Pascal then injured himself in the warm up, and Brandon Bess is going to make his debut.

Bess is a 22 year old 'lanky' right arm medium fast bowler, his first class record isn't awful but not something that would typically get you an international debut. But he was just up the road at the High Performance Centre, so looks like a case of the right place at the right time for Bess. Hopefully his shock debut can lead to better things unlike one Luke Pomersbach.

For what it's worth, there wouldn't be a heap of options regardless of where they were playing this match. Tonge, Baker, Bernard and Russell are all in England for a West Indies A tour.

 

[Romeo]

West Indies 2/21 after 7 overs. Gayle made 20 of those and then was bowled by Steyn.

 

[Hu$tler]

God I love watching Steyn. Easily the best fast bowler in the world atm imo.

 

[DoubleO7]

It's a shame they dropped Tsotsobe. He's been the most economical of their bowlers, and adds a bit of variety being a left-armer. I'd like to see him get another go, especially against the weaker cricketing nations.

 

[jiphoc]

Steyn really "spat" the dummy then

 

[damochandler]

Steyn really "spat" the dummy then

he should be in a bit of strife for that. pigeon got suspended for the samething