WI tour of England, July 8-28

[The Professor]

If we play like that next year against Australia we will get crucified.

If this is the team that they see playing the Ashes and they give them a chance to develop and mature it would be an exercise worth the investment. But knowing England knee jerk changes will be afoot

[alfie]

I will be surprised if there are multiple changes . Not the style of this bunch of selectors. Not that I often agree with the selectors but observing their recent behaviour I'm expecting just Root to return ...and presumablyBroad to "rotate" in for one of the seamers.

Are they using this as mainly a "trial" for the team in future series ? If they are I think they're doing everyone a disservice...you should always pick a team to give the best chance of winning the current match . Obviously the virus-induced broken season isn't helping ; but even squad selection seems a little odd : despite a team which - apart from Root - boasts really only Stokes as an experienced "big score player" , they have dispatched eleven Test centuries to the white ball group in Bairstow and Moeen ...and of course they left nearly 500 wickets on the bench so I have to ask if they've underestimated West Indies...

One match only and England often start poorly and come back hard. Will wait for the next before calling for heads I think. But we should recognise that this England outfit is actually a pretty ordinary one overall , despite a good win last year against a strangely out of sorts SA. Think people got a bit too excited over a couple of good performances by newer players : until we see several bats averaging significantly over forty and a crew of bowlers capable of consistent excellence rather than the odd burst they aren't going to trouble the top teams. Fortunately a few of them are young enough to develop so it may yet come...watch this space.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I will be surprised if there are multiple changes . Not the style of this bunch of selectors. Not that I often agree with the selectors but observing their recent behaviour I'm expecting just Root to return ...and presumably Broad to "rotate" in for one of the seamers.

That's what I expect. Broad might not return. They might think Old Trafford will suit quicker bowlers.

Surprised Anderson didn't do better, there was something in the pitch for him. But it was a poor performance from 1-11. A couple of brighter spots were balanced by failures. Archer had a good spell in the second innings but was toothless in the first. Crawley got a big fifty, but threw his wicket away, failed in the first innings and fluffed a run out. Stokes bowled with a lot of heart but batted optimistically.

Stokes didn't have much confidence in his spinner which is a long term issue with England captains.

Sibley doesn't look the part yet. Wood had a lot of storm und drang but not much line and length.

But WI are still beatable of course.

[sussexpob]

England blew the game by missing so many chances in the field, not for the first time. WI shouldn't have chased 200 and wouldn't have if England had held most of their chances and not fluffed run outs

Assuming all the catches in the match were taken, Stokes and Buttlers 70-80 runs that took England from a possible very low total would not have existed, and England would probably have fell short of making Windies bat again, so I am personally loath to blame that, both teams at various stages missed chances to put the match to sleep. In the end its the same old story, you dont win test matches when you are 80/5 after a session over and over again.

Stokes didn't have much confidence in his spinner which is a long term issue with England captains.

I dont want to beat up on Bess too much, hes a 22 year old trying to carve out a career in the hardest art form in the game, and there is certainly talent there to work with. At times he got drift and really nice flight into the batsman, and one of his wickets (Shai Hope by memory) in the first innings was a good bit of spin bowling; having said that, if he isnt bowling to a line up that all average low 30s (if that) or to batters like Hope(less) with form of tailenders at the moment, then there is a great deal of wastage to his bowling. Atm if he wants to make it in tests he needs to be more patient and needs to link the dot balls. The only period where he created dot ball pressure was a few overs where the Windies batsman found fielders from long hops or failed to punish him.

I can see why Stokes didnt want to go to him. I think a top batter would just milk him around with the inconsistent level of quality, and would pretty easily block the good stuff. Needs to improve. His only other wicket was that utterly braindead Blackwood shot in the first innings, which was a total gift. Dowrich, the eternal blocker, even went after him at stages as he became loose.

[sussexpob]

I will be surprised if there are multiple changes . Not the style of this bunch of selectors

Its hard to understand what Ed Smith is really thinking. A part of me thinks that players are given far more time than they are worth on the sole basis that dropping them is a sort of admission that you have got it wrong. But then in the warm up to this test match Jos Buttler was given captaincy of one of the teams, which seems to indicate strongly that not only is he player who's selection increasingly defies sense, but his general stock in the dressing room if anything is becoming more valuable as his performances plummet. He was England vice-captain for this game, which doesnt say to me that the selectors are at all demanding more accountability from him, but actually rewarding and acknowledging his importance. What can England possibly see that others cant? Should we just flood the team with good lads and ignore what output they produce?

On the field, Buttlers returns are heading to zero. Average of 20 since the start of 2019, one in his last 12 tests. He isnt a great keeper either. In 2018 when he was repicked, on paper he did ok, but there was ridiculous luck in that. I remember saying at the time when his luck runs out, his returns will plummet.... whats happened? Catches get held, his output is now tragic. I struggle to think of a reason to continue picking him. But how long will he go on?

[sussexpob]

Sibley doesn't look the part yet.

Rather than continually beat on players, I guess being positive Sibley was totally outclassed in the 2nd innings and made 50. On other days he wouldnt have survived the onslaught but he did; I guess that means their is evidence of grit there, its just a question now of whether his technique can back that side of his game up; that will be the question that defines his career. Windies will certainly be targetting him on that off stump line; he shouldered arms and got bowled, then did the same to similar balls in the second innings. Roach was mms away from replicating that first innings duck about three times. Id be bowling full inswingers at him all day until he can prove he knows where that stump is, because right now im not convinced he does.

Still have England to win the series though, unless its going to be one of those wet summers....

The encouraging thing for England is, at times they bowled all over and got wickets when they got it right a few times. If the bowling is consistent, they will make dents in the Windies line up. Archer and Wood particularly need to stick to plans though, the bowl fast option without really thinking of where your putting it didnt work.

[mikesiva]

Shayne Moseley has potentially put his name in the frame for the Windies in this warm up match.

Was very much a travelling squad member but scores of 40 and 80 looks impressive.

He may come in for John Campbell, if he's still injured.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson, Denly and Wood AXED. Root comes in.

Two bowlers to come in from Curran, Broad, Woakes, Robinson.

[DiligentDefence]

Anderson, Denly and Wood AXED. Root comes in.

Two bowlers to come in from Curran, Broad, Woakes, Robinson.

The right decision on Denly/Crawley I think. I've got no idea what is going on with the bowling.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well, they say Wood and Anderson are rested. I suspect Anderson was rested and Wood was dropped.

WI will be pleased Jimmy the Saint is out.

[alfie]

It was fairly obvious from the squad selection and management comments that fast bowlers would be rotated through these three very closely scheduled matches. Anderson is presumably being kept somewhat in cotton wool as they wish to extend his career as long as possible ...understandably when you compare the sort of control he brings to the attack with the less consistent efforts of most others.
Broad comes back I imagine to fill the role of elder statesman (and I suppose his missing the first match along with the Anderson omission could be taken together as a wise plan to ensure at least one experienced bowler is fit and ready for each game ?) Could also suggest they are treating West Indies a bit lightly which is not perhaps such a good idea...
I can well believe both Jimmy and Wood have pulled up " a bit stiff" after the Rose Bowl , though I suspect Wood might have been left out in any case , since the notion that two very fast bowlers would wreak havoc on the dodgy West Indian batting lineup was rather disproved last week. He may well return for the third game : might be Archer's turn to rest?
Question as to whether it will be Woakes or Curran ? Both can bat - albeit in rather different styles. Both like swing if it is available, Curran gives variety with the different angle...my money on Woakes but prepared to be proved wrong.

Batting as expected. Root should make a big difference. But it is still just two proven Test bats and a bunch of promising young 'uns ...plus a keeper who seems to have lost any ability to make serious runs. Hopefully they'll bat much better as a group than last time ...but we should not be surprised if they struggle again.

Might be another tight match. West Indies start favourites for mine but there's not a lot in it.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Archer is out for breaking the Covid precautions. He now has to self isolate for five days.

[Arthur Crabtree]

So it's a whole new pace attack.

No details yet on Archer but if he has broken protocol and there's a chance he has infected the team, surely the game should be called off.

[yuppie]

You would think so but it seems they are continuing to play.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Archer went home to Brighton. Quite surprising he would do that.