Official Eng v W.I. thread
 

I know it seems like months but the Cricket is back on Thursday with the 1st test from Lords if the weather holds up.

It will be nice to get back to the 5 day game, even if Bell is playing just to wind Millamber up ;)

Half a team vs an imploding one :thumb:

With a good bit of moisture about for swing and harmison back to something like, it may well be a low scoring match....

Prior might be interesting, I have a feeling that pothas might be pushing for a place if he doesn't show promise.

I was hoping Jones would be back, now he's exploit the swing like no one else :)

he played in Glam's last match but hasn't played them all, still getting match fit possibly ??

Such a shame Harmy is such a homesick pussy, not to sure in my own mind if he should even be selected, form says yes, comitment to the team ethic says no.

I wouldn't expect to see jones until the Indian series tbh, he needs some overs under his belt.

Harmison is an enigma. Could you leave him out though ?

Just checked the weather forecast and appears to be a bit better by the end of the week :)

No I couldn't but he needs to get his head into gear, personally I just want to see Jones back fit and firing on all four for England, we don't have a better bowler IMHO, still we have plenty of good youngsters to look out for, hoping Broad will get a go.

It's stopped raining :D

Judging by the temp/moisture out there the ball could be moving sideways today ..

I'm Laying the draw fwiw

It seems our run rate is better during test matches these days....

I'd have been happy with that run rate at the WC

:lol:

Good to see the Essex Boy doing well :thumb:

Pieterson has forgotten how to play again :brickwall

They've dropped him in at 6 so he can be easily be binned for Fred when he's back.

Pieterson got suckered out *again* . Bore him for long enough (about 5 balls)and he'll have a slash at a wide one.

Too many wickets lost but all-in-all a good day yesterday I think.

Nice 50 so far from Bell ;)

Colly's rode his luck. That LBW was about as out as you can get.

Typical 2nd innings from the sherminator though........

everytime he's about to get dropped he pulls one out of the bag and rminds us that he could have potential, then he throws it away for another 4 matches:brickwall

Ramprakash has just knocked up 280 for surrey his 4th ton of the year get him back in at number 3 !! Before people say it's a backward step just look of the weight of runs the likes Gooch ,Stewart, Langer Steve Waugh etc scored in their late 30's and the runs Haydon , Ponting ,Gilchrist and Jayasuriya are still getting. He averages 27 in test cricket not fantastic i'll admit but he was batted in every position from 1 to 7 ( yes he did open the batting in test cricket believe it or not) was dropped on a weekly basis but has scored 2 100's and 12 50's for England and he his a far better player now then when he last played for England. He scored 2000 runs in 1 season last year for christ sakes !! If he had have been shown the amount of support that the likes of Ian Bell has from previous selectors he would prob have 6000 or 7000 test runs by now.

Rant over !!

Sorry to go on but Ramps has just smashed 142no live on sky sports in a 1 day game against Sussex !! That makes it 5 tons including a massive double !!

we don't need batsmen , a bowler that can hit the strip is what's required....

Is Harmy aware that he is back on British soil ? has anyone told him, his bowling was awful, looked like he was back in Oz, he clearly doesn't have the mental strength to be a top grade professional sportsman, his domestic form has been great, put him back in the test arena and what happens, he has to be disapointed with his own performance.

I thought Broad might have been called up ahead of Sidebottom of all people.

Broad's injured/returning I think ....

Tremlett doesn't seem to be in any sort of form either.

I might have gone for Onions

Steve

Well done Michael....

*MP Vaughan (rhb) 50no

:thumb:

*MP Vaughan (rhb) 100*


400 in a day if they keep scoring at this rate...

Superb

I really think he got some unnecessary stick from the media yesterday for his inclusion in the team.

Well done MPV two fingers up to the clueless media hacks

I've said it before and i'll say it again, IMHO he is the best England captain since Brearley.

Millambers favourite comes up trumps again .......

<whistles>

another few inning's like this and he's going to win me over too...

I'll say:lol:

9 balls, 6 extras and 1 wicket, and that was just in his first over:eek:


And this is the best description of him I've ever seen:)

Courtesy of Ben Dirs on the BBC's website:thumb:

Posting on the 4th Test has been postponed until tomorrow :)

if anyone happens to have access to Sky at the moment , S.Jones is actually bowling :eek:

I saw the interview on SS News

Fingers crossed for the guy, fook me he deserves a break.

Just want to see him playing at his best again, a joy to behold when he starts swinging it.