England vs West Indies First test Edgbaston

[Aidan11]

Whoever wins the toss will probably bowl. They will probably have the opposition 45/7 as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Since Strauss retired, five years ago (!), who is England's only partner to Cook to average over 40?

Who was the only partner to score more than one ton?

Which partner scored the most runs?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Answers below.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Answers:

Average over 40: Joe Root, 41.2.

Two centuries: Nick Compton, both in NZ.

Most runs: Alex Hales with 573.

[bigfluffylemon]

In response to your above comments AC, (although I know you were not being entirely serious), I wasn't advocating for five seamers. That would be madness. But we know that England with three seamers plus Stokes and Mo works well in English conditions, we know that Edgbaston almost never does anything for spinners (Swann averaged 38 here and only took 10 wickets in 4 games, and no other spinner in the last 10 years, English or visiting, has taken more than three wickets in an innings, except Ajmal, who as a chucker doesn't count), so call it innate conservatism if you will (not something I'm often accused of), but I don't see any need to change that formula now.

We are getting mixed messages about the pink ball and what the D/N format will mean, and it's clear that the answer is that no-one really knows, in English conditions. We should be wiser in 5 days. I've read that the ball softens quickly and doesn't swing for long, making it harder to get batsmen out with it, but I've also read that it can be harder to pick up, especially under lights, and the dew can be a factor, implying that it could be difficult for batting. Perhaps they'll cancel each other out - the evidence from Adelaide so far suggests that this might be the case, and that it might be a little more attritional than is traditionally the case at Birmingham. That does suggest that having a variety in attack might help, which could be a reason to replace a quick with a leggie, especially given that Anderson, Broad and Woakes are all pretty similar medium-fast right armers (at least RJ offers a bit of variety, but not a lot).

However, I maintain there is no point giving Mason Crane a debut with the Ashes coming up. Perhaps he will be the English Shane Warne and will prove me wrong, but visiting spinners get destroyed in Australia, almost invariably. Even Murali struggled there. Throwing a novice spinner into an away Ashes is just asking to have his confidence shot to pieces. The lad has clear potential, and I am sure will feature for England some day, but I think he's too inexperienced, and now is not really the time. I'll be happy to be proved wrong if he gets picked and takes a hatful in Australia, but I'm not going to bet the farm on it happening.

[bigfluffylemon]

On the 'attritional' side, that suggests that bat first will be the way to go. Get through the first hour, then the ball should soften and you'll have the best of the batting conditions in the afternoon and evening sessions, and by the time you hit the supposedly tougher night session the ball will be old and the bowlers tired. Conversely, if you bowl first, you're aiming to get a side out within two sessions (IMO, if you can't do that, you shouldn't be bowling first), which means that you'll start your reply under lights with a new ball and fresh bowlers, which theoretically is going to be the toughest point to bat in the game.

England should be too strong at home for a very inexperienced West Indies batting line up regardless of the toss or the fifth bowler (assuming that Anderson, Broad, Stokes and Mo are given), so it could all be academic, but it will be interesting to see what the tactics are.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Put nightwatchers in at dusk?

[bigfluffylemon]

Put nightwatchers in at dusk?

[bigfluffylemon]

Reports are that Woakes and Crane won't play, TRJ keeps his place, so the only change for England from OT will be Stoneman for Jennings.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Just read that on cricinfo. Stoneman will be the only change, becoming the unlucky 13th partner for Cook since Strauss. They have this for WI:

1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kyle Hope, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo/Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Worst brothers to play Test cricket?

[bigfluffylemon]

Just read that on cricinfo. Stoneman will be the only change, becoming the unlucky 13th partner for Cook since Strauss. They have this for WI:

1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kyle Hope, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo/Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Worst brothers to play Test cricket?

Kyle will debut, so let's not judge until he has actually played. FC stats don't look promising though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Best of luck to him on his debut, and Stoneman too.

[Aidan11]

Surprised Woakes isn't in.

Might be a good test to miss.

[Alviro Patterson]

Some questions with regards to a day-night test in England....

Will dew play a part? Will it reduce the effectiveness of Bishoo?

If so, we could see the same team that played against Derbyshire, play in this Test....

From experience at Headingley in the Day/Night County Championship against Surrey, the pink ball is going to behave like a windball. Awful for new ball opening where the ball loses movement in just a few overs, gets dull after 40 overs, difficult to sight and even worse for spin bowlers where the ball just hangs in flight.

The pink ball only does something for seam bowlers once daylight diminishes and under cloud cover. In short, it's going to be a glorified limited overs match and a batting run rate in excess of 4rpo.

IMO there is no place for pink ball in test cricket because there the ball does not behave normally in air and the sooner it's axed the better.

[alfie]

George Bailey reckons the pink ball is rubbish...