: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:01 pm  

Shah would probably come in for Bell, just can't of anyone else who is good enough.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:07 pm  

No1_Saints _Fan wrote:

Shah would probably come in for Bell, just can't of anyone else who is good enough.

It wouldn't surprise me if a certain former captain returned...

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:10 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

It wouldn't surprise me if a certain former captain returned...

Nasser is a bit old, don't you think ...

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:22 pm  

Hollywood Harrigan wrote:

Hmmm... turned it off when England went into bat expecting to watch around now. How does a team get bowled for 51 though when you have 2 players worth £1m each

Pieterson has got a role in a new film:

Dumb slog millionaire.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:05 pm  

what happened

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:45 pm  

From the squad that's available Id go with:

Cook
Strauss
KP
Shah
Bopara
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Monty

This is supposed to be one of the slowest pitches in the world so 2 spinners are expected to be picked and I'd give Monty a few more chances yet as he did look to bowl a lot better here than he did in India.

The best test teams have their best batsman playing at number 3 so KP has to play there for me and it would take some pressure off Shah.

Harmison and Sidebottom did nowt to merit their continued inclusion - to be fair they didnt do too much wrong neither but neither of them offer much when conditions dont suit them.

I was stunned that a bowler like Jerome Taylor did the damage...he's not particularly fast and doesn't move the ball much...I seriously think he'd struggle to get in the Lancashire team...as a bowler anyway, he'd probably get in as an all-rounder though considering our batting strength

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:27 pm  

I thought someone was taking the p*ss when they text me the score yesterday... Unbelievable.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:19 pm  

OrdsallRed wrote:

From the squad that's available Id go with:

Cook
Strauss
KP
Shah
Bopara
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Monty

This is supposed to be one of the slowest pitches in the world so 2 spinners are expected to be picked and I'd give Monty a few more chances yet as he did look to bowl a lot better here than he did in India.

The best test teams have their best batsman playing at number 3 so KP has to play there for me and it would take some pressure off Shah.

Harmison and Sidebottom did nowt to merit their continued inclusion - to be fair they didnt do too much wrong neither but neither of them offer much when conditions dont suit them.

I was stunned that a bowler like Jerome Taylor did the damage...he's not particularly fast and doesn't move the ball much...I seriously think he'd struggle to get in the Lancashire team...as a bowler anyway, he'd probably get in as an all-rounder though considering our batting strength

I don't think Bopara is with them ace, he was due to be in the studio tonight !!!

I'd play Rashid I think, not sure your going to get an opportunity any better than this to blood him. In my head, I think it's way too early for him to be playing Test Cricket, but, there'll be no expectations right now, he can't do any worse kind of thing, so maybe that's what you need rather than when things are going well for the team and it's a 'Risk Selection'. All that can happen is that he can exceed any minimal expectations.

If they were calling Bopara up, I guess it'd have happened by now logistically like. (I'm with you, I would have, get him & Shah in at the expense of Bell & Colly). They think alot of Colly though, and when he's under pressure he normally digs out a score. I'm just bored rigid of his minimal backlift and punchy style, awful to watch, quite how the IPL have picked him up, they must need a quality fielder at gully.

I think we'll get come Friday

Bell > Shah
Sidebottom/Harmison > Swann

Not sure who'll drop out, I guess they'll see what they think it'll do with the new ball, swing a bit early on, or bit of bounce before it gets flat and go from there.

I actually feel sad that in about 2 tests time, I'll have to watch Tim Ambrose play for England again. I feel vialated.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:50 pm  

OrdsallRed wrote:

From the squad that's available Id go with:

Cook
Strauss
KP
Shah
Bopara
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Monty

This is supposed to be one of the slowest pitches in the world so 2 spinners are expected to be picked and I'd give Monty a few more chances yet as he did look to bowl a lot better here than he did in India.

The best test teams have their best batsman playing at number 3 so KP has to play there for me and it would take some pressure off Shah.

Harmison and Sidebottom did nowt to merit their continued inclusion - to be fair they didnt do too much wrong neither but neither of them offer much when conditions dont suit them.

I was stunned that a bowler like Jerome Taylor did the damage...he's not particularly fast and doesn't move the ball much...I seriously think he'd struggle to get in the Lancashire team...as a bowler anyway, he'd probably get in as an all-rounder though considering our batting strength

Bopara isn't an option as he's not in the squad, and they won't be calling up anyone else unless there are injuries. The other squad members who didn't play in Jamaica are Shah, Ambrose, Rashid, Swann, Anderson. Not much scope for wholesale changes to the top order there, and that's where we lost the First Test. Harmison took 2/49 and Sidebottom went for less than two runs an over. Even if they might have taken more wickets or helped finish off the Windies innings in fewer overs they can hardly be held responsible for the team failing to avoid defeat after trailing by only 74 on first innings with just over five sessions remaining.

St John's (the next venue) is usually a batsman's paradise - it's where Brian Lara set his two world record scores of 375 and 400, neither of which helped his team to win the match if I remember rightly.

Shah simply has to replace Bell for me, and I wouldn't argue with introducing him at 4 with KP moving up to 3, but unless Swann or Rashid comes in as a second spinner for tactical reasons I'd be amazed if there were any other changes, and rightly so IMO.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:46 pm  

OrdsallRed wrote:

I was stunned that a bowler like Jerome Taylor did the damage...he's not particularly fast and doesn't move the ball much...I seriously think he'd struggle to get in the Lancashire team...as a bowler anyway, he'd probably get in as an all-rounder though considering our batting strength

I think you're doing the boy a disservice. Alright, he'll never be an Ambrose or Walsh, but that's what the West Indies selectors have been guilty of in the last 6-7 years, in that thinking that every fast bowler that's come into the side is a ready made replacement for 2 of the greatest bowlers that ever held a cricket ball. As a result, quite a few promising bowlers have been discarded after a few tests.

Taylor has had the benefit of the recently changed selection policy, and is really starting to blossom. He puts it in the right places, he does move the ball both ways, and is plenty quick enough. He'll take stacks of wickets.