3rd Test – West Indies vs England, St. Lucia, Feb 9 - 13

[Durhamfootman]

although......... England do now have 2 openers opening, a number 3 batting at number 3, and a number 4 batting at 4. It took them a while to work that out, but then it is a complicated thing to see the wood through the trees.

Given that for a while, Stokes, Bairstow and Ali were the best 6,7,8 around, and Santiago and blonde medium pacer have been stalwarts at 10 and 11, things do make a little more sense. That it has taken so long to play people in their best positions, beggars belief.

Whether England are playing the right notes is a different matter, but at least they are now playing them in the right order

or are they?

they are probably stubborn enough to put Bairstow at 5, Buttler at 6, Ali at 7 and Stokes at 8..... just because they can

[Alviro Patterson]

Bairstow should be batting at 5, since he normally bats there with Yorkshire and partnered with his trusty sidekcick, Joe Root.

Stokes just does not have the stickability to be a consistent number 5 bat at test level.

[sussexpob]

What message does this send to the whole of the county game? Average over 40 for many years in a system with hardly anything coming through, be the best fielder in the country..... Get dropped averaging 41 for the winter, after you've been involved with a partnership that was worth half your teams first innings runs in your last match, in a tour where your team mates are collectively so far on par to destroy the worst series average in history.

I'd struggle to begin to understand this move even in the reality that there was a young buck scoring runs waiting to debut..... the fact he's being replaced by a known walking wicket elevates this to pure folly.

What is it going to take for the ECB to realise no one involved with this team knows what they are doing?

[Arthur Crabtree]

The way it's being reported suggests to me that Bairstow wanted to drop down the order and reclaim the gloves. And he's been allowed to.

Doesn't seem so long ago that Foakes was keeping Bairstow out the 11, so quite why JB1 has suddenly so much clout isn't obvious.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Meanwhile, England have another number three! How many in the last couple of years?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Answer- 8.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

That returned one hundred, in a dead rubber in SL.

[alfie]

The obvious reason for this selection is that Foakes injured hand , while OK for batting , was a risk for keeping ...damned if I know why they don't admit this .

As to the long term : Butcher suggested strongly they can't continue with three wicket keepers . I don't altogether agree . If Bairstow could nail down number three , and Buttlet five , it would work very well. So have they already decided that isn't very likely ? Sudden change of heart...

My opinions haven't changed . I think Smith's original "coup" by installing Buttler as as specialist bat at seven was a daft move , and one that has confused selection ever since. Buttler himself has surprised me by adapting well to Test batting ; and I think he deserves a chance to claim the number five spot. But the failure to explore top three options has already come back to bite them ...and I fear they are running out of time.

Anyway the job in hand is to win in St Lucia and salvage some respect from this tour . Will be watching later in hopes of a better performance.

Next summer is a new game.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Paul comes in for WI.

Stokes plays so England are as expected. Jennings for Foakes, Wood for Curran.

WI put England in to bat.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England go with Joseph's from 3-5.

[sussexpob]

Jennings edges the first ball approaching decent quality.... bounces infront of the fielder, but this guy really is rubbish

[Arthur Crabtree]

Due back on in five minutes.

That means England will get through the first hour with their openers intact.

[alfie]

All of a sudden Joe Root has lost his magic with the coin...three tosses in a row lost now after winning 'em all for ages.

Inserted again and the two openers are seemingly working on their skills at leaving the ball...not before time. I'd like to think they could put a partnership together for a change but am not taking bets just yet...

...and Jennings has a stroke of luck as he's badly dropped by Chase at slip and gets four. Should have been lbw the ball before too

Lucky day ?

[sussexpob]

Jennings edges the first ball approaching decent quality.... bounces infront of the fielder, but this guy really is rubbish

Dropped now too. Stamping his authority on this match, Jennings.

[meninblue]

Keaton dropped on 3 runs by Roston in slip. Regulation catch...Bad luck for Roach.

[sussexpob]

Keaton dropped on 3 runs by Roston in slip. Regulation catch...Bad luck for Roach.

Was also out lbw two deliveries before, but they didnt review it.