Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

2nd warmup

Keaton
Rory
Jonny
Jos (C)
Moeen
Joe Denly
Ben Foakes (Wkt)
Sam
Chris
Rashid
Broad


Substitutes:
Jimmy, Jack, Joe

Olly Pope injured with back issue.

England win toss and opt to bat.

WI playing 11
Sunil
Jermaine
John
Bryan
Miguel
Jahmar
Hemraj
Chemar
Alzarri
Raymon
Vishaul

Wood replaces Stone

Hoped they had moved on from Wood

Feels like a retro choice.

andy wrote:Hoped they had moved on from Wood

Me too. I'm assuming it's a 'horses for courses' choice and he won't be around come the summer.

2018
2 Tests 48.75
16 ODIs 57.92
But he did well on the Lions tour in the UAE so he is back. He was selected for the ODIs so he was going to the WI anyway. I think he will make way for Archer in March as Willey has improved.

England's batsmen are in for a shock, this year Roach 22.31 Gabriel 19.54 Holder 12.39

To be fair, they played 7 of their 9 tests against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, 5 of which were at home. So those stats are a little flattering.

But given the state of England's batting, they should still be nervous.

In the first two-day game at Cave Hill, England made 317, led by knocks of 87 from Joe Root and 56 from Ben Stokes against spinner Bryan Charles (5-100) and pacer Chemar Holder (3-67). Pacers Jimmy Anderson (4-12) and Stuart Broad (4-19) were the leading wicket-takers as the President's XI lost 18 wickets for 203 runs.

The second game was only slightly more sensible, as England made 379 thanks mainly to Jonny Bairstow (98) and Rory Burns (68). Medium pacer Raymon Reifer took 3-39 and part-time spinner John Campbell 3-58. The President's XI were 233-11 (yes, eleven!) when the match was called off. Sunil Ambris made 94, while pacer Chris Woakes took 3-31.

Why don't they just play one proper match, rather than these ridiculous 19 wicket innings?

Yes. Might as well not bother putting out that WI team, which doesn't look the worst.

sussexpob wrote:Why don't they just play one proper match, rather than these ridiculous 19 wicket innings?

I read somewhere the WICB wanted a 4 day game and the ECB didn't.

Cricinfo
The use of the ball could become controversial by the end of the series. ESPNcricinfo understands that the former West Indies coaching regime, headed by Stuart Law and Nic Pothas, were keen to use a Kookaburra ball in this series on the basis that England have a history of struggling to gain much movement with it. They were also keen to play on slower, lower surfaces, such as in Guyana, in the hope of negating England's seamers and exploiting a perceived weakness in their batting.

But Johnny Grave, the CWI chief executive, decided on a different approach. He reasoned that the newly adapted Dukes ball, specially designed for use in the Caribbean after consultation between the manufacturer and CWI officials, would provide faster-moving, more entertaining cricket and avoid some of the attritional encounters seen between these sides in recent years.

sussexpob wrote:Why don't they just play one proper match, rather than these ridiculous 19 wicket innings?

I have no idea.

We played 6 bowlers for 2 Tests v India and 2 against SL. Last Test it 5. It looks like now it is back to 5. I think Rashid got a central contract because they thought 2 spinners would be playing most matches. So will it be 4 seamers and Ali or 3 seamers and 2 spinners for the WI and Ashes?

Mail
'England's highest Test run-scorer Cook, who retired after series victory over India in September, said Foakes' emergence means captain Joe Root cannot play four seam bowlers and two spinners in the same team, as he did last summer'.

Could do though, that's very defensive thinking. Foakes could bat at six. That would leave Mo at seven, Curran (or Woakes) at eight and Rashid at nine.

But there's no really need to. Five bowlers is enough, and they can pick their best spinner regardless of his batting.