Cricket

yeah, wtf with deciding on 500 before the 3rd innings even began

lead of 280-odd = slog a quick 150 and get back out there

Yeah, give them a rabbit to chase too - though it might've turned out a bit risky, WI batted well enough

Not sure you can fault Strauss's decisions to much TBH. Just a very good batting performance by the Windies.

TOO much!

Understand why Strauss didn't enforce the follow on, still think it was a dick move, impressed I haven't seen that much grief from the press except I never read the press.

might have been said upthread but he should have declared earlier

hearty lols @ NV's display name

Confusing though, I was expecting some gloating about England's failure to wrap things up.

xpost

It's all love

Indeed, which is why it's so great!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7900632.stm

Locking the stable door after the moustachioed horse has bolted.

Harmison dropped, half fit swann plays. Hope Sidebottom is fit. Can you see England taking 20 wickets in this match?

Not sure about that one, tbh. Although I have a sneaking feeling that Sidebottom is due a haul.

Strauss just dropped by Gayle @ slip. An over after he edges wide of the slip because Smith was standing too wide. Strauss is playing like his old self now but with more luck. That wont last forever. I hope he remembers those shots get him out and stops playing them! More newlook Strauss please!

I hope he carries on playing them. His luck's in, the pitch is flat, and England have to be positive. It almost matters more how quickly England score their runs, than quite how many they make.

Harmison should be playing. Lots of pace and bounce. Some turn too, a perfect Monty pitch.

Only "lots" compared to the previous pitches this series. Harmison is bowling OK, but he's down on pace, and an 83 mph Harmison is not necessarily going to prosper on a good flat deck. It's the kind of pitch where you have to work for your wickets, and the suspicion is that Harmison won't do this quite so well as, say, Sidebottom or Anderson. A little turn has demonstrably proved to be not necessarily a "Monty pitch" either; see the first Test of this series (which turned far more). No pitch is a "Monty pitch" the way he's bowling at present.

At least he's fit though. Swann is gonna have to bowl a lot.

So much for playing two spinners then

"The problem with Strauss bringing up his hundred with a six, though, is now KP will want to hit a 12 to bring up his century..."
duckmachine on 606

rofl

that portable beach at the ground looks great fun. Most of the english supporters seem to be spending more time in the water with their inflatable toys than watching a fabulous century.

1755 - England 176-0
A single apiece from Cook and Strauss off another Gayle over edge England towards 200 but, more frustratingly, TV crowd shots show a bunch of pink Englishmen larking about in the pool on the boundary edge drinking beer and generally having the time of their lives. Is that really what you need to see when you're stuck in the office?

haha

My favourite

"If the England selectors had followed the selection advice on 606 over the years, none of the England squad would still be playing."
Cricketing_stargazer getting back involved in today's selection debate on 606

Strauss out bowled by Powell

Cook out for 94

another wicket or 2 and the WI are right back in this game.

kp nearly plays on 1st ball. Lucky escape.

On a flat pitch Shah out for 7. Anyone fancy batting at 3?
Bit of a collapse this session. Not good cricket from England.

yes, we must drop him after one failure

Not sure that's what Herman's saying. It was disappointing from Shah.

Sure, but after a 70-over opening stand, whether he's at 3 or not is moot, and bore no real relation to his dismissal. Give him this series and the start of the Ashes there.

Unless you fancy promoting KP.

Nah I think Shah's got the right stuff, he needs a proper run, I agree.

Some dickhead on Guardian OBO is saying "bring back Vaughan" yeah right.

KP dropped!! very very lucky.

I wasnt saying shah should be dropped. Im just saying neither he nor Bell are no 3s.

If Vaughan scores big runs in april/May, why not? All a big IF,but if he's in form, he's in. Same goes for any batsman. Shah has his chance to cement his place.

Ideally, KP will man the fuck up and bat at 3 a la Ponting. Which could see Shah at 5, where he belongs.

"belongs" = "is best suited"

It would be great if Vaughan came back and did a Rocky one last innings type thing, but I just can't see it happening. He'd need to score a lot of runs at Yorkshire, and he's never actually scored that heavily at county level.

I know that, but IF he does, he's in the team, unless shah gets a couple of centuries in the WI AND gets runs in the counties.

KP seems reluctant to bat @3 due to his supposed difficulties with the new ball. He prefers spin.
If Vaughan doesnt hit form, Shah doesnt score the runs, who else can play at 3? Bell is a no 5. So is Colly. If fred isnt fit Bell will maybe even bat at 6 to strengthen the batting in the ashes.

Key shouldve been in the squad. But clearly management dont fancy him.

Lets hope Shah bats well for the rest of this tour and cements his place or if not vaughan scores in the counties. Or both! Bit of competition at no3 would do no harm at all. You could be ruthless then.

As long as Vaughan doesnt come back in based on his previous record. I only want him back in if hes rattling up the runs in april/may. Pick the form players.

btw a few england players played some shocking shots (cook/fp) but were more than matched by some truly awful fielding. Some of the worst I've ever seen. WI will never field as badly as that again.

A completely out of touch KP is plumb lbw after missing a straight ball. Bit of a slump from 221-0 and 500 looking ever so far off.
Anyone think Bopara or Ambrose are capable of a century? Or is it going to be a total collapse?
Louis with rose tinted specs to thread please to help me stop worrying!

jeez man the sooner we get bowled out, the more likely we win, chill

i personally thought the KP delivery kept a little low, but Edwards is pretty skiddy anyways

Bopara will score well here, I predict

Bopara dropped. Lets hope he can capitalise.

He's playing his shots!