WI tour of England, July 8-28

[alfie]

Light looks fine...shadows cast now by the players.

Surely ...yes ! Caught by Bess off Stokes...One to go

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson, Woakes and Broad for the third game, on performance.

Leach in for Bess.

[alfie]

Just Gabriel to come...


Stokes 176 , 78 no , vital wickets both innings ...might be a chance for MoTM

[Arthur Crabtree]

If WI win, Roach might get it.

[alfie]

Anderson, Woakes and Broad for the third game, on performance.

Leach in for Bess.

Probably. Though I think I'd keep Bess in. He's been a bit better than his figures show , I think. And he's learning ...plus he is a more than handy bat.

[alfie]

If WI win, Roach might get it.

If Roach hits 100 in 18 overs to win , he will have earned it

[alfie]

Job done . Well played England

Stokes the star ; but apart from his terrific efforts , some good team contributions all round.

Set up for the decider

[DiligentDefence]

That's a good overall performance from England, Difficult selection for the next test.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Comfortable win. Good work by the bowlers after an inauspicious start. Runs on the board. Buttler, Pope and Burns could do with a score.

[Durhamfootman]

Yes, well done to England. I waited to find out the final result on the highlights programme (once I'd stopped muting and fast forwarding through all the nonsense, of course)

At the Rose bowl, England picked the wrong team, won the toss, made the wrong decision and lost. At OT, WI picked the wrong team, won the toss, made the wrong decision and lost. Who'd be a captain?

WI will have to change their team this time, because their bowling just looked jaded throughout, after the fast turnaround. No time to rest before the third test starts.

[bigfluffylemon]

Happy to have been proved wrong. Well done England, especially Stokes, Broad and Woakes, but a team effort to get over the line. Stokes' innings really gave the impetus - it left the West Indies with a target they couldn't chase, and therefore allowed the bowling to be more attacking throughout the day than it otherwise might have been if the team had had a 'Hope in 2017' in the back of their minds.

I'm running out of superlatives for Stokes. He just seems to be able to do it all. Greatness, or just the purple patch of his career? Let's hope the former. In the last 2 years he's been averaging 45 with the bat and 28 with the ball. And his batting average since the start of 2019 is 55. That's some mighty impressive numbers.

Gotta wonder about Buttler though. How is he still in the team? Average of 23 since the start of 2019, with 3 50s in 29 innings is a ludicrously poor return when Foakes (and dare I say Bairstow) are waiting in the wings. I can't see what is keeping him in the side other than blatant favouritism.

But of course there won't be any changes to the top 7, probably all summer. Meanwhile, we end up with the perennial question of which bowlers to miss out? Do you change a winning side, or play your 'best' three quicks. Who are the best three? It's hard to believe that England's best lineup doesn't still include Anderson, especially at Old Trafford (or any venue north of Watford, frankly). Do Archer or Wood come back (no, for my money). Who misses out? On the numbers it's Curran, then you end up with 3 right arm over medium-fast and the attack looks samey and toothless if the ball doesn't move. Hmmmm.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes seems to have arrived as a Test class batter, and has at least maintained his potency as a bowler. It used to feel like he didn't quite get in the side for batting or bowling, but was a useful package in all, including his fielding. Now he's one of the best two batters, and probably one of the best 5-6 bowlers given he is good with an older ball.

I suppose it might still be wondered how he'll do against better sides away from home.

[Arthur Crabtree]

WI will have to change their team this time, because their bowling just looked jaded throughout, after the fast turnaround. No time to rest before the third test starts.

Pick a spinner. Rather than pick a part time spinner who then bowls a lot of overs.

[mikesiva]

This batting line up has also carried Shai Hope and John Campbell for too long.

Moseley for Campbell, Bonner for Hope? Is Gabriel fit? If not, does Cornwall play?

[alfie]

Gabriel looked pretty cooked by the end of this match. He's given it everything but hard to ask him to front up again in three days...Joseph also seemed to be getting weary. (As of course did Holder : but the skipper remains essential)

In three games so close together , I think some rotation , as per England , is probably necessary. How are the pace reserves , Mike ?

(Not sure about Cornwall . Will he really be a factor in a - probably rain affected - match on a pitch similar to the last one ? )