WI vs Eng: 1st Test

[Tigers_eye]

At Lords.

Umpires Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and RE Koertzen (South Africa)
TV umpire NJ Llong
Match referee AG Hurst (Australia)
Reserve umpire RA Kettleborough


Visitors:
CH Gayle, D Ganga, DS Smith, RR Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, RS Morton, DJ Bravo, D Ramdin, DB Powell, CD Collymore, JE Taylor

Hosts: AJ Strauss, AN Cook, OA Shah, KP Pietersen, IR Bell, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior, LE Plunkett, SJ Harmison, MJ Hoggard, MS Panesar

England is far superior team even without Flintoff in the line up. WI is missing Lara on their side. Hope to see some fight from the WI.

[Tigers_eye]

Cook looks strong and on his way to a big total. England 158/2. 43 overs going on (second session). Powell took both wickets.

England 1st innings			R	B	4s	6s	SR
	AJ Strauss	c Smith b Powell	33	70	6	0	47.14
	AN Cook	not out	82	130	7	0	63.07
	OA Shah	c Smith b Powell	6	19	1	0	31.57
	KP Pietersen	not out	26	40	4	0	65.00
	Extras	(lb 9, w 1, nb 1)	11
	Total	(2 wickets; 43 overs)	158

[BonBon]

I dont feel so strong about the WI..they looked kind of desolate and no so organized..bad light stopped the play. English bowlers will have the key role in this match as WI is vulnerable

[gatekeeper]

This is the real basement battle!!!

[chinatown]

poor O.shah after long time he finally get chance but got out cheaply

[Sohel]

The so called Sarwan-era begins today. The Era of Uncertainty would have been the more accurate way of putting it. Brian Charles Lara, after shouldering the declining legacy of West Indian cricket almost entirely on his own, decided to call it quits a few years too soon - and however hard to believe it still may be, here we finally are.

It's been the bowling, we've been told time and again and they were right. We've learned to root for Sri Lanka in the mean time, and they're still singing the same old song. Before long, our very own Bangladesh will start to bring the dreams of our fellow 150 million Bangladeshis to life and the same damn island tune will continue reverberate throughout the world until West Indian selectors fabricate the sort of cohesive courage that looks beyond temporary plug-ins and start the process of restoring West Indian cricket back to its rightful place. They need to take chances with what they have and remember that excitement and victory can regenerate interest, and revitalize the pool of talent from within the rich cricketing culture faster than the lax, play it safe-type of mediocrity that has stagnated West Indian cricket over the past decade, despite the heroic resistance of legends like Brian Charles Lara.

Sure... Powell, Taylor, Lawson and Edwards can still develop into the new fearsome foursome all of us WI die-hards wish for, but the part time antics of Chris Gayle still remains a band-aid solution in our search for that essential spinner. The likes of Nagamutoo never cut the mustard and never will in the future. Find that spinner out there somewhere, before fielding a test side at this day and age, I'd say.

Sarwan, Gayle, Chanderpaul, Samuels and Ganga need to realize for once and for all, that the honeymoon is over, that Lara's not around anymore, and that it's time to deliver on all that promise with type of consistency that can start the process of the much awaited revival of West Indian cricket. Bravo and Ramdin are good finds, but they need to consistently improve, and play out of their skins until better players come along. That's a tough ask through a divided system still dependent on talent, rather than talent and the structure to develop that talent - still lurking in places like Guyana, Trinidad and parts of Jamaica - into the type of steady match-winning performances that defined Caribbean cricket during the latter half of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even the early part of the 90s. Maybe the time has finally come for a genuinely unified cricket board, and the gradual implementation of an Australian-style, more systematic approach to find, harness, and develop the Laras and Holdings yet to come.

Good luck guys, we'll always believe that you can do it.

[Tigers_eye]

Where is mohammad the spinner. What happened to him? Just because it is in england you don't exclude spinners. Warne, Murali bamboozled these English time and again.

[Mahir]

Dave Mohammed struggled the last time he faced England. His FC career isnt dangerous enough to scare the English. WI always seem happy to stick with their 4 main seamers and Gayle to carry the spin load.

[tonoy]

pietersen gone! man I wish someone could pm me a damn link. I mean come on... is it too much to ask?

[rah]

Originally Posted by tonoy
pietersen gone! man I wish someone could pm me a damn link. I mean come on... is it too much to ask?

yeh man any links out der

[Sohel]

i never could fathom the strange love WI selectors have for corey collymore. even talha's better than him.

[Sohel]

light stops play... great. powell's looking good, as expected.

[Yasin]

A century for Cook. Awesome youngster. Awesome find for England.

[Sovik]

it doesn't feel the same.

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Sohel NR
i never could fathom the strange love WI selectors have for corey collymore. even talha's better than him.

He got the prize wicket. Having a good econ rate. Can give you 25 overs a day.

I am still hopeful on Talha. He should be under consideration within a year or two. Age is on his side.

[Yasin]

Originally Posted by sovik
it doesn't feel the same.

True. Time to get used to harsh reality.

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by sovik
it doesn't feel the same.

you said it bro...

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
He got the prize wicket. Having a good econ rate. Can give you 25 overs a day.

I am still hopeful on Talha. He should be under consideration within a year or two. Age is on his side.

ya, ya... but why can't they play edwards and lawson. they may spray a little, but the pace can get those wickets too!...

[Yasin]

Day 2 - Lunch

England 278/4. Cook gone for 105. Taylor took his wicket.

[cleazer]

West Indies had a few chances but failed to capitalize.
But overall, their bowling wasn't that bad.
Perhaps they'll hold on to their catches in the second session.

[Sovik]

still not feeling anything. is there any cricket going on in england. i would love to follow northamptonshire than following windies

[Hatebreed]

England dominates the second day also!

England 1st innings			R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	AJ Strauss	c Smith b Powell	33	100	70	6	0	47.14
	AN Cook	c Bravo b Taylor	105		196	9	0	53.57
	OA Shah	c Smith b Powell	6	20	19	1	0	31.57
	KP Pietersen	c Smith b Collymore	26	77	44	4	0	59.09
	PD Collingwood	b Bravo	111		209	14	0	53.11
	IR Bell	not out	109		190	11	0	57.36
	MJ Prior	not out	126		128	19	0	98.43
	Extras	(b 8, lb 17, w 8, nb 4)	37
	Total	(5 wickets; 142 overs)	553

[Yasin]

What a knock by Prior...trying to cement his ODI place with a test knock?

[Sohel]

it's getting too painful to watch...

[OZGOD]

This is going to be an absolute thrashing.