West Indies v England | 3rd Test | WI win by 5 wickets to level series 1-1

[Neferpitou]

Windies pulling away.

 

[TNA]

Jermaine Blackwood is my MoM if Windies take it to the finish line. What a find for the Windies.

 

[f.b.m]

Well consistency is always the hallmark of a great player. Anderson has been very consistent this spell.

 

[majiz]

Chnaderpaul seriously needs to retire. He is a complete liability now.

fanastic servant to WI cricket, deserves to finish his career with a win as much as anyone has ever

 

[The_KING]

England should have played Rashid for this match. Mooen Ali is a pretty average spin option.

 

[The_KING]

fanastic servant to WI cricket, deserves to finish his career with a win as much as anyone has ever

He is indeed a fantastic servant for WI cricket but he has looked like a liability during this series I hope that he proves me wrong and scores well in the next series.

 

[Neferpitou]

The crowd has been surprisingly good.

 

[majiz]

He is indeed a fantastic servant for WI cricket but he has looked like a liability during this series I hope that he proves me wrong and scores well in the next series.

he'll probably retire after this, he is 40 and hasnt scored all series. dunno though

 

[The_KING]

he'll probably retire after this, he is 40 and hasnt scored all series. dunno though

He will probably retire after surpassing Lara's record of most runs scored.

 

[Neferpitou]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] Your wish coming true, bhai getting spanked.

 

[The_KING]

bhai getting smashed

 

[majiz]

He will probably retire after surpassing Lara's record of most runs scored.

ohh yeahh, forgot about that :x

 

[Neferpitou]

Lara Jr. has played a Lara classic.

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] Your wish coming true, bhai getting spanked.

Awful Test cricketer, someone bump his thread.

 

[Markhor]

Uh oh.

 

[Sidilicious]

Awful Test cricketer, someone bump his thread.

Not that bad. Bled us to 20 wickets last summer

 

[The_KING]

Awful Test cricketer, someone bump his thread.

He is nothing special in ODIs either

 

[Junaids]

Uh oh.

I think we need a KP smilie face!

 

[Mamoon]

He is nothing special in ODIs either

Yes, he is famous only because of his beard.

 

[Mamoon]

Not that bad. Bled us to 20 wickets last summer

That's his only claim to fame. Has no future at this level.

 

[Sherlock]

Well Done WI.

 

[Neferpitou]

Bravo goes, superb game winning knock.

 

[Junaids]

My team is about to lose, but I have to say that I'm delighted for the West Indies.

Fifteen years in the wilderness is sad for a former superpower. It's nice to see them win at proper cricket, not short form rubbish.

 

[Neferpitou]

Victory!!!

 

[The_KING]

Very pleased for my second favourite team. They have some some really talented players for the future like Blackwood & Holder.

 

[Mamoon]

Very pleased for my second favourite team. They have some some really talented players for the future like Blackwood & Holder.

My second favourite team lost.

 

[The_KING]

If Gayle, Pollard, Dwayne Bravo & Sammy were playing, I think Windies might have won the series.

 

[Markhor]

Phil Simmons has revitalised this Windies team. I really hope this isn't another false dawn and that cricket in the Caribbean has become re-energised.

Some talented youngsters are coming through, let this be the start of a new era.

As for England - oh dear. New Zealand and Australia are licking their lips.

 

[Haroon786]

Congrats to the Windies, brilliant victory.

Have to say Darren Bravo's innings was very Lara-esque.

 

[battler]

well done to west indies.
Darren Bravo is so pleasing on the eye!

 

[The_KING]

My second favourite team lost.

At least Cookie got a hundred. That's a positive.

 

[Junaids]

Lovely to see a West Indies Test win in front of a packed Kensington Oval and with Sir Curtly and Phil Simmons giving back to their team.

Just marvellous. I hope that the West Indian clowns in the IPL realise that while they are staying out late at their metaphorical nightclub their compatriots have been achieving something real with the family in which they belong.

BTW, how did Moeen Ali get all those wickets against India? They must be even worse in spinning Test conditions than the West Indies!

 

[Buffet]

Fifteen years in the wilderness is sad for a former superpower. It's nice to see them win at proper cricket, not short form rubbish.

WI have done decent at home even in last 10-15 years. Sl, Pakistan etc are yet to win a series in WI. Eng hasn't won any series in WI in this period.

 

[Boi]

Tough summer ahead for England.

 

[Haroon786]

WI have done decent at home even in last 10-15 years. Sl, Pakistan etc are yet to win a series in WI. Eng hasn't won any series in WI in this period.

Think England won the series 3-0 in 2004 against WI in WI, the one where Lara scored 400 at Antigua.

 

[Buffet]

Tough summer ahead for England.

Nah, they will be again playing at home. They will do fine at home.

 

[The_KING]

Think England won the series 3-0 in 2004 against WI in WI, the one where Lara scored 400 at Antigua.

You are right. I remember that series very well.

 

[f.b.m]

Nah, they will be again playing at home. They will do fine at home.

Not against NZ I think.

 

[Buffet]

Think England won the series 3-0 in 2004 against WI in WI, the one where Lara scored 400 at Antigua.

You are right. I forgot about that. I just remembered the last two times when Eng toured WI.

 

[Dios]

Jerome Taylor is criminally under-rated.

 

[MartyMsd]

Lovely to see a West Indies Test win in front of a packed Kensington Oval and with Sir Curtly and Phil Simmons giving back to their team.

Just marvellous. I hope that the West Indian clowns in the IPL realise that while they are staying out late at their metaphorical nightclub their compatriots have been achieving something real with the family in which they belong.

BTW, how did Moeen Ali get all those wickets against India? They must be even worse in spinning Test conditions than the West Indies!

List of unsold players this auction! Bravo, Samuels, Ramdin are just playing tests because they are not good enough for the ipl

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2015/content/story/832783.html

 

[Buffet]

Not against NZ I think.

Let's see how well NZ plays in Eng.

 

[majiz]

Jerome Taylor is criminally under-rated.

well, he averages 35 so i dunno, perhaps a a WI track bully. roach was better before he got burn out

 

[Belawal2014]

Pleasing to see such a great crowd in for a test match. Wish we had a crowd like such in the UAE

 

[Boi]

Nah, they will be again playing at home. They will do fine at home.

Their batting will be exposed again against the swinging ball if Boult and Southee click, seen as though Taylor has caused them troubles on this tour. Anderson can't continue to bowl them to victories, the others need to stand up.

 

[Dios]

Only $500 for winning a Test match?

 

[Dios]

Pleasing to see such a great crowd in for a test match. Wish we had a crowd like such in the UAE

Yeah crowd has been fantastic. Don't know why WI haven't been playing more matches in the more traditional venues in Barbados and Jamaica instead of Grenada, Dominica, St. Lucia etc. recently.

 

[Buffet]

Their batting will be exposed again against the swinging ball if Boult and Southee click, seen as though Taylor has caused them troubles on this tour. Anderson can't continue to bowl them to victories, the others need to stand up.

NZ is not really good when ball swings as well. NZ gets cheaply bowled out most times in NZ if and when they bat first. NZ wickets are only good for cricket for the first 2 days. Then it's highway and nothing is there for bowlers.

But you are right here. Boult and Southee combination can made a better use of swinging conditions.

 

[Buffet]

* can make a *

 

[Robert]

Well done WI! I hope this can be the start of the way back for them. They have a group of good quicker bowlers again.

England pay the price for overly conservative selection once again. Moores has to go, I think.

 

[Buffet]

Well done WI! I hope this can be the start of the way back for them. They have a group of good quicker bowlers again.

England pay the price for overly conservative selection once again. Moores has to go, I think.

I was surprised to see no front line spinner in this pitch. It was a tailor made pitch for spinner on 3rd day.

 

[Belawal2014]

Only $500 for winning a Test match?

Yeah, thought that was a little too low for winning a test match.

 

[Junaids]

Well done WI! I hope this can be the start of the way back for them. They have a group of good quicker bowlers again.

England pay the price for overly conservative selection once again. Moores has to go, I think.

And Whittaker.

The only way that things could be going better for KP - remember, Colin Graves was at Kensington Oval - would be if Joe Root and Ian Bell had drowned in a Fredalo accident.

England has a viable base of Cook, Ballance, Root, Buttler, Stokes, Broad and Anderson. That is seven test class players - I've never really liked Bell, who I think is both thick and gutless.

At the same time, I look at Australia and think that they SHOULD be weaker - only Warner, Clarke and what is left of Johnson and Harris impress me as Test class. (Yes, I'm not yet convinced about Smith although I expect Hazlewood to make it big).

The difference is that Lehmann can do more with 5 stars and 6 journeymen than Moores can do with 7 stars and 4 journeymen.

 

[MarkCooper]

I am so upset I may cry. I haven't been this sad since I accidentally drove over the boundary to Lancashire when I took the wrong motorway exit.

 

[shortbread]

England has a viable base of Cook, Ballance, Root, Buttler, Stokes, Broad and Anderson. That is seven test class players - I've never really liked Bell, who I think is both thick and gutless.

At the same time, I look at Australia and think that they SHOULD be weaker - only Warner, Clarke and what is left of Johnson and Harris impress me as Test class. (Yes, I'm not yet convinced about Smith although I expect Hazlewood to make it big).

The difference is that Lehmann can do more with 5 stars and 6 journeymen than Moores can do with 7 stars and 4 journeymen.

England have one good batsman in Cook and a match winner in Anderson. Not sure which Stuart Broad will turn up. Root loves his flat tracks and the rest of them against an Aussie bowling line up, I'm not so sure.

Australia have a set of good batsmen, Warner and Rogers perfectly complement each other. Then theres Clarke and Smith. Smith is a far better test batsman than any in the english line up bar Cook, unless KP makes a miraculous come back. Watson seems to have worked on his lbw weakness as well. The best part of the Aussie line up is the tail enders will chip in. Expect the last 3 wickets to put up a fight unlike England.

ECB will prepare flat wickets to ensure the games last 5 days and Johnson doesn't hurt anyone. Which will mean spinners might come into play. Lyon is a decent spinner, England have none. I dont know how good the new boy is tho.

A lot depends on Anderson, he is a match-winner and has a very crucial role to play. If the keeps taking out the top order than England will be in the game.

But before all this there is the challenge of beating New Zealand. The english batsmen will find that pace-attack a handful.

 

[Junaids]

I am so upset I may cry. I haven't been this sad since I accidentally drove over the boundary to Lancashire when I took the wrong motorway exit.

M62. I'm from the proper side of the Pennines and had to go to visit my grandparents in Yorkshire a couple of times a month. same sense of descent into the underworld!

 

[Junaids]

England have one good batsman in Cook and a match winner in Anderson. Not sure which Stuart Broad will turn up. Root loves his flat tracks and the rest of them against an Aussie bowling line up, I'm not so sure.

Australia have a set of good batsmen, Warner and Rogers perfectly complement each other. Then theres Clarke and Smith. Smith is a far better test batsman than any in the english line up bar Cook, unless KP makes a miraculous come back. Watson seems to have worked on his lbw weakness as well. The best part of the Aussie line up is the tail enders will chip in. Expect the last 3 wickets to put up a fight unlike England.

ECB will prepare flat wickets to ensure the games last 5 days and Johnson doesn't hurt anyone. Which will mean spinners might come into play. Lyon is a decent spinner, England have none. I dont know how good the new boy is tho.

A lot depends on Anderson, he is a match-winner and has a very crucial role to play. If the keeps taking out the top order than England will be in the game.

But before all this there is the challenge of beating New Zealand. The english batsmen will find that pace-attack a handful.

New Zealand are a significantly better Test team than Australia but the IPL means that key batsmen will be undercooked on and outside off-stump and the bowlers will be bowling the wrong line and length.

I'm not convinced by Australia's batting. At all. I was at the Gabba 18 months ago when England were all over them and I think they have just cashed in on easy wickets since. They will again if England serve up dead wickets.

As Sir Geoffrey says, England's problem is that Moores and Whittaker and Cook have no imagination.

It's obvious to me that:

1) In the last 3 years, England performed far better away to India and Pakistan than Australia did.

2) Pietersen and Panesar are still available - the only player who isn't is Swann.

3) England could dish up cloned versions of last Autumn's UAE pitches and absolutely slaughter Australia like Pakistan and India both did.

It would involve courage and it would require England's management to act like men and mend fences with their best bowler and batsman in those conditions.

So they would rather lose instead.

 

[Swanny]

England lost to a no.8 test team.

NZ will be licking their lips.

 

[Haroon786]

You are right. I remember that series very well.

You are right. I forgot about that. I just remembered the last two times when Eng toured WI.

No problem- England were quite good in that period of 2004-2005.

 

[Haroon786]

Anyone who doesn't rate Smith, will be in for a huge shock come this Ashes, will probably be the highest run scorer, just absolutely brilliant to watch a single cover drive of his.

 

[Random Aussie]

List of unsold players this auction! Bravo, Samuels, Ramdin are just playing tests because they are not good enough for the ipl

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2015/content/story/832783.html

Nobody cares about the IPL, especially not in a Test match thread. Go play with a DLF Maximum.

Congrats to the WI! Great to see them win and even better to see England lose.

 

[JaDed]

Blackwood averaging 50 in his first 8 tests will he be able to keep up,interesting player though stepped up twice on a tough pitch.

 

[shortbread]

New Zealand are a significantly better Test team than Australia but the IPL means that key batsmen will be undercooked on and outside off-stump and the bowlers will be bowling the wrong line and length.

Watching Boult and Southee bowl in the IPL I don't think so. We will find out soon,it will be a brilliant series. Fingers crossed for the weather.

I'm not convinced by Australia's batting. At all. I was at the Gabba 18 months ago when England were all over them and I think they have just cashed in on easy wickets since. They will again if England serve up dead wickets.

As Sir Geoffrey says, England's problem is that Moores and Whittaker and Cook have no imagination.

It's obvious to me that:

1) In the last 3 years, England performed far better away to India and Pakistan than Australia did.

2) Pietersen and Panesar are still available - the only player who isn't is Swann.

3) England could dish up cloned versions of last Autumn's UAE pitches and absolutely slaughter Australia like Pakistan and India both did.

It would involve courage and it would require England's management to act like men and mend fences with their best bowler and batsman in those conditions.

So they would rather lose instead.

Who will take wickets for England on UAE like pitches without a decent spinner?! I have no idea about how good Panesar is now so wont comment. Bringing Pietersen back will be a good idea but it might affect team dynamics.

The biggest issue is how brittle the English batting line up is. The advantage England wwill have is they will face a superior Kiwi attack before the Ashes begin. So hopefully be well prepared.

Anyone who doesn't rate Smith, will be in for a huge shock come this Ashes, will probably be the highest run scorer, just absolutely brilliant to watch a single cover drive of his.

I agree, Smith is in very good form. His unconventional style makes him difficult to bowl at.

 

[Junaids]

Smith's technique is like the new Trott one. Big step out to off stump, then play. Risky on tracks which seam.

I hope you're right about NZ. Normally fifty overs to Tests requires a couple of warm-up First Class matches - adapting from T20 will be a nightmare.

 

[RamLakhan]

Nobody cares about the IPL, especially not in a Test match thread. Go play with a DLF Maximum.

Congrats to the WI! Great to see them win and even better to see England lose.

Yes Bank Maximum Now

 

[Robert]

England lost to a no.8 test team.

No, they drew an away series, due to one bad session in a series which they had otherwise bossed all the way.

The bad session shouldn't have happened though, and I think that a more imaginative selection policy would have seen a 0-2 away win.

As Sir Geoffrey says, England's problem is that Moores and Whittaker and Cook have no imagination.

Yeah. One longs for someone like Vaughan to come in as supremo, and Root to take over as skipper.

 

[Robert]

ECB will prepare flat wickets to ensure the games last 5 days and Johnson doesn't hurt anyone.

Once more with feeling: the ECB have no influence on the pitches, other than to make sure they are not bunsens or green mambas that make for two-day FC matches. The County groundsmen make the test wickets.

If England had any influence at all, the wickets would all be green for Anderson. Instead they will all be bone-dry due to the drainage systems, like they were last year and the year before that.

 

[Swanny]

No, they drew an away series, due to one bad session in a series which they had otherwise bossed all the way.

The bad session shouldn't have happened though, and I think that a more imaginative selection policy would have seen a 0-2 away win.



Yeah. One longs for someone like Vaughan to come in as supremo, and Root to take over as skipper.

Ofcourse I know the series ended in a draw. Selection, pitch, bad luck, etc dont matter now.

Was speaking more from a NZ perspective. IIRC NZ beat WI 2-1 in 2014.

 

[James]

Congratulations to West Indies, really spanked us in this match!

Are New Zealand getting a bit overrated btw? They haven't done that much in Test cricket for many years.

 

[Junaids]

I am so upset I may cry. I haven't been this sad since I accidentally drove over the boundary to Lancashire when I took the wrong motorway exit.

Did you enjoy Lancashire's Clive Lloyd handing Lancashire's Jimmy Anderson his Man of the Series award before he went to get interviewed by Lancashire's Mike Atherton?

They can play as much T20 crap as they like in India. The Pennines are still the centre of world civilisation and cricket.

(BTW, I'd recommend any Indian to download Test Match Special's Q+A with Tino Best and Graeme Swann yesterday. A listener asked them how much better the West Indies would be with their IPL players. Tino thought long and hard, then realised that only Chris Gayle would get into the West Indies side!)

 

[Swanny]

Congratulations to West Indies, really spanked us in this match!

Are New Zealand getting a bit overrated btw? They haven't done that much in Test cricket for many years.

Well they did beat WI in WI in 2014 & SL at home before the WC. Also did drew series with Pak in UAE recently.

That pretty good I would say.

 

[Haroon786]

I agree, Smith is in very good form. His unconventional style makes him difficult to bowl at.

Not just being in form, despite the unorthodox technique, his batting is aesthetically pleasing to watch.

 

[BigBoy123]

English team is playing a bowler short , moen ali isn't a specialist bowler nor is stokes u need 4 specialist bowlers to win a test

 

[Sidilicious]

Did you enjoy Lancashire's Clive Lloyd handing Lancashire's Jimmy Anderson his Man of the Series award before he went to get interviewed by Lancashire's Mike Atherton?

They can play as much T20 crap as they like in India. The Pennines are still the centre of world civilisation and cricket.

(BTW, I'd recommend any Indian to download Test Match Special's Q+A with Tino Best and Graeme Swann yesterday. A listener asked them how much better the West Indies would be with their IPL players. Tino thought long and hard, then realised that only Chris Gayle would get into the West Indies side!)

Whats with you and IPL? Its like you have some sort of obsession with it that you need to bring it up (and sometimes Sachin) in every post. This was not even an IPL thread yet, and you brought IPL into it.

If those who prefer T20 or IPL or ODIs over Test Cricket, then what is your problem? Why do you have to shove your opinions down their throat? You seem to be one of the most insecure and classless posters on this forum.

I am a huge test fan myself, but sometimes feel like taking the **** out of test cricket just to rile people like. No need to act that Test is the only form of cricket. People can choose to play and watch what they like, and its none of your business. In fact, its attitude like yours is the reason behind the demise of cricket. You are not too different from the BCCI, who think themselves to be the masters of the world.

 

[Convict]

No, they drew an away series, due to one bad session in a series which they had otherwise bossed all the way.

The bad session shouldn't have happened though, and I think that a more imaginative selection policy would have seen a 0-2 away win.



Yeah. One longs for someone like Vaughan to come in as supremo, and Root to take over as skipper.

Way to kill a promising career

 

[James]

To call the England skipper role a poisoned chalice does not do the role justice; this particular chalice has been cast from rusted steel and then warmed up over hot coals in advance of the cyanide-champagne cocktail being applied.

Maybe the 1981 side won the Ashes because they didn't give the captaincy to 'the best' - best batsman was Boycott, best bowler was Willis and best player was Botham - instead pick Brearley as the 'specialist captain', a tactical genius who can't actually bat, then his performance doesn't matter and you can stick with him.

Joe Root, like Alistair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan before him, is currently at risk of becoming yet another sure-fire 10,000 Test-run English batsman that actually ends up slumping to a 42 average and signs off for a quiet early retirement in the country with a tearful resignation speech...

 

[ali bubba]

Aussies are going to destroy England because apart from Anderson the bowling is toothless. Broad's bowling has dropped off almost as bad as his batting.

 

[Robert]

To call the England skipper role a poisoned chalice does not do the role justice; this particular chalice has been cast from rusted steel and then warmed up over hot coals in advance of the cyanide-champagne cocktail being applied.

Maybe the 1981 side won the Ashes because they didn't give the captaincy to 'the best' - best batsman was Boycott, best bowler was Willis and best player was Botham - instead pick Brearley as the 'specialist captain', a tactical genius who can't actually bat, then his performance doesn't matter and you can stick with him.

Joe Root, like Alistair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Michael Vaughan before him, is currently at risk of becoming yet another sure-fire 10,000 Test-run English batsman that actually ends up slumping to a 42 average and signs off for a quiet early retirement in the country with a tearful resignation speech...

It's true. Every skipper since Gooch has burned out. Why? What is wrong with the culture of the team? Does the England captain have to do more than the other international captains?