Second Test: West Indies v England, April 21-25

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes makes things happen.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Why Trott! They'll be off soon.

The light! My bad.

[ianp1970]

Wanted to keep Marlon waiting for his ton?

No other reason not to bowl Root, is there?

[yorker_129-7]

Pudding of a pitch, England wasted the new ball and were dug out of a hole by good middle-overs bowling from Jordan and Stokes.

[shankycricket]

I'd be seriously livid if England waste Stokes. Special player. Treated woefully vs India last summer (yes, I know they won 3 Tests).

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well done to Marlon Samuels. If not for him, the game would have swung too far to England as a spectacle. Dug in well.

Moeen looking very much like a part timer. Under cooked. Maybe.

Seamers bowled well. Even Broad, even though pace is still a worry.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'd be seriously livid if England waste Stokes. Special player. Treated woefully vs India last summer (yes, I know they won 3 Tests).

He looks a pretty potent bowler. Still got a bit to do to prove he's a number six and Perth wasn't a freak. But I hope England stick with him through the bad days, which will come. He compares well with a 23 year old Flintoff.

[shankycricket]

No early start despite losing 20 overs?

[shankycricket]

I'd be seriously livid if England waste Stokes. Special player. Treated woefully vs India last summer (yes, I know they won 3 Tests).

He looks a pretty potent bowler. Still got a bit to do to prove he's a number six and Perth wasn't a freak. But I hope England stick with him through the bad days, which will come. He compares well with a 23 year old Flintoff.

Has a better record at 6 than Moeen!

[shankycricket]

WI pace attack looks awful without Jerome. Be amazed if Cook doesn't score big here.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'd guess he's going to bat at six in this game and Moeen at seven. I don't suppose you can just pretend those innings at 8 (even 9 I think) didn't happen though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

No early start despite losing 20 overs? :?

The commentators said 15m early, but that should be extended (in my opinion) as they went off 12m before the close.

[Arthur Crabtree]

WI pace attack looks awful without Jerome. Be amazed if Cook doesn't score big here.

As that article you linked to suggested, he will do well against just ok attacks. Given his qualities (patience, determination, ambition) he should capitalise in helpful circumstances when his weakness (technique) isn't an issue. But if there is still swing around tomorrow, I expect him to struggle. If it's a good batting pitch, he could well score heavily. If he doesn't score runs in this series, I suspect he's on his way out.

Listening to George Dobell on cricinfo Switch Hit, who is often quite sensible, I was amazed he was able to say so emphatically that Cook looked over his problems in Antigua. I don't think we'll be able to say that until the year is out.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I also Dobell reacted a little too bullishly to Ballance's third innings ton.

[KipperJohn]

Well done to Marlon Samuels. If not for him, the game would have swung too far to England as a spectacle. Dug in well.

Moeen looking very much like a part timer. Under cooked. Maybe.

Seamers bowled well. Even Broad, even though pace is still a worry.

I lost count of the number of maidens bowled by our seamers without a shot being played. Apart from Anderson's beauty (after which he bowled to short) Stokes and Jordan were easily the better bowlers, Stokes pace and full length could have got him a few more wickets on another day.

Why Cook persisted with Ali You don't bowl a player just to justify his selection.