England vs West Indies 1st Test (Southampton)

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:05 pm

Starts tomorrow under controlled conditions, both sides will probably consider their bowling to be their strength, and they both possess pace in abundance, so it's possible these will be low-scoring matches.

Both teams keeping their cards close to their and not naming their sides yet, i wonder if Jimmy will miss out, and be saved for the 2 OT tests, England have a luxury of bowling options to pick from, now they're all fit, the batting is more of a quandary for Stokes and the selectors to nail down, and for the WI, will Jason Holder play, there has been rumours that he's been carrying an injury for weeks now,

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:59 pm

We are extremely strong in the bowling department if expected Wood and Woakes miss out.

We might have the luxury of playing Archer one test then Wood to manage their workload.

Woakes would always play for me though especially on home soil.

fatboy47 · Post by **fatboy47** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:26 am

Won't be taking an interest in this.

However good a cricketer Stokes may be, I don't believe a yob like him should be captaining our national team.

This is cricket..a unique and culturally superior game where high standards of behaviour have always applied. It's not some grubby sordid circus for hooligans and the like.

Burnley1989 · Post by **Burnley1989** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:28 am

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:26 am
Won't be taking an interest in this.

However good a cricketer Stokes may be, I don't believe a yob like him should be captaining our national team.

This is cricket..a unique and culturally superior game where high standards of behaviour have always applied. It's not some grubby sordid circus for hooligans and the like.

Bordeauxclaret · Post by **Bordeauxclaret** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:30 am

I would have thought they may have rotated Anderson and Wood.

Big ask for them both to play three tests in such a short period of time.

huw.Y.WattfromWare · Post by **huw.Y.WattfromWare** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:37 am

Rotation might depend on who starts the first and how many overs they actually need to bowl. The selectors won’t be throwing caps around. It’ll be who can do the job on the track provided.

DAVETHEVICAR · Post by **DAVETHEVICAR** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:39 am

Stokes an outstanding choice as Skipper

CleggHall · Post by **CleggHall** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:54 am

Broad misses out according to Agnew on radio4.

claretonthecoast1882 · Post by **claretonthecoast1882** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:09 am

I do hope Rahkeem Cornwall is a quickie and asked to charge in

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:16 am

Looks as though a 1pm start is the earliest that we are looking forward to today due to the weather.

nil_desperandum · Post by **nil_desperandum** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:32 am

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:39 am
Stokes an outstanding choice as Skipper

Based on what experience?
Don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with him being captain, but he's unproven as a captain isn't he?.
He's a superb cricketer, but on the evidence of his career so far I wouldn't put him in the Mike Brearley, Richie Benaud or Bobby Simpson category yet.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:51 am

tybfc wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:16 am
Looks as though a 1pm start is the earliest that we are looking forward to today due to the weather.

Typical isn't it? We wait and wait and then the weather intervenes. Hope we can get some play sooner rather than later.

Foulthrow · Post by **Foulthrow** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:13 pm

What’s going on????? I’ve been watching on and off all morning. It has never been shown to be raining. Very little information coming out. Cricket really doesn’t help itself.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:22 pm

SSN says, toss up at 1,30, play to start 2pm.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:32 pm

England win toss and bat. Broad and Woakes not selected.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:35 pm

Big call not to play Broad.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:38 pm

Light drizzle following on and off, and the light might have been a factor. I do agree you'd have thought they'd want to get on with it.

Typical English summer, the sun splits the skies for weeks, and then the 1st morning of a test match the rain arrives, i thought the forecast was set fair for Southampton, but apparently conditions have changed in the last couple of days.

England won toss, and will bat 1st, Stokes shaking his fellow captain's hand, what is he doing the muppet.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:51 pm

Vino blanco wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:35 pm
Big call not to play Broad.

And one I don't agree with but I doubt they will be worrying about that.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:11 pm

Sibley out, bowled. England 0/1!!

Mondsley · Post by **Mondsley** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:12 pm

Oh dear. Not a great start. Sibley shouldering arms and Sky's coverage all over the place with some cameras not working.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:12 pm

Sibley gone 2nd over for a duck, poor choice to leave that delivery 0-1, good luck Denly, will Ben come to rue the call to bat 1st?

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:18 pm

Players off for rain after 3 overs, England 1/1. Bloody English weather.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:26 pm

The weather was another reason to bowl first up, i wonder what Jimmy's thinking, surely he'd have fancied a trundle in these conditions, it's offering swing, slow pitch admittedly, but England need to put 300 or so on the board here, if Bess is going to be a factor in the 4th innings.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:44 pm

Back on.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:48 pm

Players back out in the middle, how long for is anyone's guess. England need to knuckle down here, and get through these next 10 overs without further damage, the longer they can keep the Windies bowlers out there the better, they must be rusty as well as the batters, and if they are kept in the field, and forced to bowl 2nd/3rd/4th spells, then the easier it should become for England's batsman, namely the likes of Stokes, Pope & Buttler down the order.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:51 pm

Back off again.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:54 pm

Off again, it's going to be one of those stop/start days i'm afraid. Must be a nightmare for the batsman to get into their bubble.

England would rather it rained for the rest of the day now, and then they can come back tomorrow, when the forecast is supposed to be greatly improved.

Welcome to the English summer.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:18 pm

Due to restart at 3.30, if the rain holds off, why they can't just get on with it heaven knows.

There is happy news Joe Root's a dad again, so congrats to him and his wife.

And from England's POV, this should mean he's free to join up with the rest of the team, for the 2 tests at OT, who'll make way is still open to question, but Sibley's not helped his case with today's failure.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:32 pm

Tea taken England 35-1, decent little session that by Burns & Denly. They're certainly attempting to dig in.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:30 pm

Michael Holding on Sky Sports hitting the nail firmly on its head

https://www.geo.tv/latest/296953-black- ... -privilege

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:04 am

Looks like a better day weather wise, should get a lot more play today, England just need to bat all day, if they can do that they'll have 300+ on the board, and in English conditions that's a decent total.

Good to see Burns looking back to his reassuring solid best, he's been badly missed at the top of the order, he's a natural opener, he loves batting, and will bat all day if needed, perfect opener in my book. Who partners him is the difficult poser for England.

Uneven bounce on the 2nd morning, i don't think i'd be happy seeing that as a West Indies batsman, when you've got to bat last.

Maybe Stokes did call it right having a bat first and putting runs on the board.

1,000 runs for Burns, 1st England opener since Cook to pass that mark well done him.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:44 am

Denly & Burns gone in quick succession 51-3, Stokes to the rescue again?

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:20 pm

Crawley lbw for 10, 8 of which came off the edge.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:35 pm

85-4 sounds poor, but if England can get to 250, they're still in the game, because i don't think batting will get any easier on this pitch, just need a couple of decent partnerships with the middle-order, England's bowlers should fancy themselves to bowl well on this surface, but they need something to bowl at.

Neither Crawley, Denly or Sibley have helped their cause to be involved in the next test, obviously the skip will return, so someone's going to miss out.

Pope gone now 87-5, England need to be careful here, they're in danger of being rolled over, the Windies have bowled well to give them some credit.

Jason Holder showing why he's the top all rounder in the world.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:48 pm

Pope was looking pretty good there.

How does Buttler play this. Bat long and wait for a good delivery?
Or go on the counter attack?

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:56 pm

Well i wouldn't be playing any shots before lunch, but the afternoon session could be explosive with these 2 at the crease.

WI could regret that drop of Stokes, England really would have been staring down the barrel.

100 up finally, it's been hard work for the batters.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:06 pm

Lunch 104-5, windies session by a big margin. 71-4 in that session England, England have to win this next session or the game will be slipping away.

Lots for Buttler and Stokes to do, because there's not much else to come after them.

Ric_C · Post by **Ric_C** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:14 pm

Get to two hundred and we're still in the game

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:18 pm

Stokes dropped again, a dolly as well, will that hurt the Windies, 125-5 England inching towards a total that could be competitive, i can't see there being huge runs in this game, so another 100 or so, and England are well in the game.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:29 pm

50 partnership between these two, if they can stick around for another hour or so, the scoreboard will be ticking.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:33 pm

Good fight back by these two.

Putting pressure back on the bowlers, which we have lacked so far.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:45 pm

Stokes goes poor shot. 154/6

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:50 pm

Stokes gone for 43, good partnership, he added 67 with Buttler, keeps England in the game, let's hope Buttler can be kept company by the tail, he's played well thus far, in a difficult situation.

Could be one of those low-scoring thrillers.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:55 pm

Buttler gone for 35 157-7, great ball i'm not sure he could do much about that Holder showing his class again.

Jofra time this could be entertaining.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:05 pm

157/8 Archer lbw

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:12 pm

That's 3 reviews I think that the Windies bowlers have had and all 3 have been correctly overturned.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:13 pm

That's 3 reviews I think that the Windies bowlers have had and all 3 have been correctly overturned.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:20 pm

Play a few shots and let's have a go at them.

Let's see what we can get from the cloud cover.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:21 pm

174/9

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:22 pm

6 wickets for Holder, he's been impressive, i wonder what Stuart Broad is thinking watching this, he'd have fancied a bowl on this surface, Jimmy should definitely fancy a bowl on here, if England can nudge up to 200, they could still be in the contest, you do wonder whether Ben is regretting his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

174-9 the end of the innings is nigh.

The Burnley Lara about to enter the stage.