West Indies v England | 4th Test | Barbados | 26 Feb - 2 Mar 09

[Oxy]

England have won the toss and will bat

West indies

CH Gayle, DS Smith, RR Sarwan, RO Hinds, S Chanderpaul, BP Nash, D Ramdin, JE Taylor, DBL Powell, SJ Benn, FH Edwards

England

AJ Strauss, OA Shah, AN Cook, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, RS Bopara, TR Ambrose, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, GP Swann, RJ Sidebottom

Windies remain unchanged

England: Harmison DROPPED! Sidebottom, Ambrose & Bopara. Amjad Khan misses out

 

[Oxy]

Stadium, pitch & outfield look absolutely terrific!

Decent crowd in - mostly English!!!

Play due to start in just over 15 mins

 

[Amjid Javed]

There are meant to be 8,000 England fans at game... probably more than were seen in 5 days at karachi.

 

[Imran_m]

England win toss and bat.

Hope Owais Shah does well.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Harmison dropped thankfully and no Bell, bopara gets the nod!

W.I showing continuity!

 

[12thMan]

If you don't pick Harmison on this pitch, you might as well tell him to pack his bags and go home," says Michael Holding, inspecting a pitch which is harder than a squadron of SAS knuckle-scrapers

 

[Imran_m]

England's bowling attack does look a little toothless.

 

[CricnPak]

Wow! The crowd is JAM-packed.

 

[Oxy]

If you don't pick Harmison on this pitch, you might as well tell him to pack his bags and go home," says Michael Holding,

I think he can kiss his England career goodbye - this pitch was made for him.

But clearly new skipper & coach not impressed with Harmison.

Surprised he didnt go on paternity leave pretending to be the father of Matt Prior's new son....

 

[Oxy]

15-0 off 6 overs

 

[kablooee87]

Wow! The crowd is JAM-packed.

Awesome.

 

[Oxy]

Flurry of boundaries from Strauss.

30 off 9 overs

 

[minhasuz]

Wow! The crowd is JAM-packed.

I would love to see that in Pakistan's test too Insh Allah one day i will see it

 

[Big Harvey]

Here we go again. Another flat pitch.

 

[Muhammad]

Powell is bowling himself into oblivion, will take some recovery in this test for him to save his test career, once a bonehead always a bonehead I guess.

 

[BD-fan]

Powell is bowling himself into oblivion, will take some recovery in this test for him to save his test career, once a bonehead always a bonehead I guess.

That bonehead was a hero in the last test for being notout.

 

[BoomBoomAfridi]

The batting track is soooooo flat!

Nothing to encourage the bowlers! Reminds me of the Karachi test lol!

 

[Oxy]

Eng 82-0

Gayle drops a sitter at 1st slip - Strauss survives...again!!

Edwards bowling with fire - no assistance in this pitch!

Where are you Sambit Lal???

 

[Muhammad]

Eng 82-0

Gayle drops a sitter at 1st slip - Strauss survives...again!!

Must be the day of being generous to your opposite number.

 

[Oxy]

Lunch

England: 108-1 off 30 overs

Strauss: 71*
Cooke: 37*

 

[On_the_up]

Strauss looks in very good form once again, carrying on from the last test, although that drop off him by Gayle was an absolute sitter, one Geoffrey Boycott's granny never mind his mother would have caught! Looks another Flat one folks.

and Oxy, it's 108 without loss

 

[Amjid Javed]

ENG 113/0

Solid start here!

 

[minhasuz]

Strauss looks in very good form once again, carrying on from the last test, although that drop off him by Gayle was an absolute sitter, one Geoffrey Boycott's granny never mind his mother would have caught! Looks another Flat one folks.

and Oxy, it's 108 without loss

How much was Strauss dropped at?

 

[12thMan]

Strauss 83(118) - Cook 46(93)
Eng 129-0 after 35.1 overs

Strauss was on 58
20.4 Edwards to Strauss, no run, Gayle's dropped him! A loose drive by Strauss, edging it straight to Gayle who just had to move forward and to his right a touch. The ball went straight in, and straight out

 

[On_the_up]

Strauss on 88 now

 

[minhasuz]

Strauss 83(118) - Cook 46(93)
Eng 129-0 after 35.1 overs

Strauss was on 58
20.4 Edwards to Strauss, no run, Gayle's dropped him! A loose drive by Strauss, edging it straight to Gayle who just had to move forward and to his right a touch. The ball went straight in, and straight out

Alright thanks

 

[Oxy]

Strauss timing the ball beautifully today - hes moved into the 80s. Cook moves to 50*

133-0 off 36 overs

 

[minhasuz]

Pretty amazed on the fact that not even a single extra has been given so far

 

[minhasuz]

Strauss on 88 now

Isn't it 85?

 

[On_the_up]

Isn't it 85?

Sorry, you are correct, was getting ahead of myself. Cook just got his 50

 

[Oxy]

100 up for Strauss - he gets it with a SIXER!!!

His 16th test century

162-0

 

[12thMan]

42.2 Benn to Strauss, SIX, down on one knee, belted imperiously over the leg side, and that is a fantastic century from England's captain. He is utterly motoring

Strauss 105 off 144 balls and also passes the 4500 test run landmark.
I saw some of his innings earlier on and he was playing very well

 

[pjkilla]

Gayle's drop is getting very costly

 

[Zaz]

Such a flat wicket, the barbados test is turning in to a TRAVESTY, who will be held accountable????????

 

[Oxy]

Such a flat wicket, the barbados test is turning in to a TRAVESTY, who will be held accountable????????

 

[Oxy]

193-2 off 52 overs

Strauss: 119*
Cook: 73*

 

[On_the_up]

207-0

 

[Amjid Javed]

193-2 off 52 overs

Strauss: 119*
Cook: 73*

Which 2 wickets? hmm....

 

[On_the_up]

Making Karachi look like a minefield

 

[On_the_up]

Oxy the optimist!

 

[On_the_up]

Harmison must be feeling happier with every run that gets scored on this travesty of a pitch.

 

[On_the_up]

someone looking strangely like George Galloway on the english balcony.

 

[On_the_up]

that's tea on 221-0

 

[Oxy]

Tea

221-0 off 62 overs

Strauss: 136*
Cook: 84*

Nasser Hussain refrs to Younis Khans triple ton - says Strauss should push on like YK did.

Also comments on the the pitch at Bridgetown - doesnt call it a 'Travesty'

 

[Zaz]

Sky sprts charles colville has called it 4 hrs of fantastic cricket, wonder what sambit mkes of this?????????

 

[OZGOD]

I reckon both Strauss and Cook will make 401*

 

[IronMan2009]

Hope strauss reaches 400.

 

[Zaz]

Strauss out!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can he on such a featherbed?

Its a travesty!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Oxy]

Powell gets the wkt - been absolutely awful today.

Trav-tastic

230-1 off 65 overs

 

[HuZi]

Hope strauss reaches 400.

keep hoping...... if anyone should get the 401 it should be a PAKISTANI !!! btw great ball from poweel

 

[Boi]

I smell a Collapse here for England! Well I hope so!

 

[Oxy]

I smell a Collapse here for England! Well I hope so!

Suleman Benn fluffs a catch of Cook - Powell is disgusted with Benn's 'effort'

 

[OZGOD]

Strauss out!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can he on such a featherbed?

Its a travesty!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that CricIndia will shortly confirm that the Bim wicket is actually a minefield. How could Strauss lose his wicket otherwise?

 

[Oxy]

And another chance!!!

Cook edges one throgh keeper & slip - both fielders stand still and watch other!

Keepers ball!

Cook survives!

 

[Amjid Javed]

W.I have been poor in field so far in game! Shocking stuff!

 

[IronMan2009]

It is not isolated. They have been bad for a while on the field. Some time back they introduced a fine system where every dropped catch carried a fine of certain amount.

 

[pjkilla]

Cook falls
about time

 

[Oxy]

Cook OUT!

He ran out of luck!

Makes 94 - good catch by Hinds off Taylor

 

[HuZi]

another on goes cook GONE

 

[HuZi]

he ahsn't got his century

 

[Oxy]

Oh...and Pieterson gets an edge - nearly plays on 1st ball!

 

[Boi]

Go Windies!!

 

[Oxy]

Owais Shah caught at 1st slip for 7 - tried to slash at a widish ball

The 'failure on the featherbed' !

 

[James]

not too bothered about losing wickets, at least the game is moving on... no point in taking 2 days over 600 and drawing again. we need to get bowled out for a big-but-not-impossible-to-chase 420, and take control of the game with a first-innings lead. doesnt matter how flat a pitch supposedly is, if you bat first and get an eventual lead then you can always win, as we so nearly did in the 3rd test. that should be the plan here.

 

[Boi]

I knew I could See a Collapse Coming!!

Go Windies!!

 

[pjkilla]

England finally get a run after 35 dot balls

 

[Saj]

The Windies have been a shambles in the field today. Must have dropped at least 6 catches. The latest being KP dropped when only on 20 - the unlucky bowler once again Fidel Edwards.

 

[kablooee87]

not too bothered about losing wickets, at least the game is moving on... no point in taking 2 days over 600 and drawing again. we need to get bowled out for a big-but-not-impossible-to-chase 420, and take control of the game with a first-innings lead. doesnt matter how flat a pitch supposedly is, if you bat first and get an eventual lead then you can always win, as we so nearly did in the 3rd test. that should be the plan here.

Translation: Our bowling attack can't get 10 wickets without the batting side being teased with a chase-able score.

I'd prefer looking to bat only once. You have to take 20 wickets in the 5 days anyway.

 

[12thMan]

Collingwood reaches 3000 test runs
Pietersen 36(75) - Collingwood 22(51)
England 313-3 after 94.2 overs

 

[Muhammad]

Pieterson leg before to Edwards for 41

Wasted a referral too

Eng 318 for 4

 

[Oxy]

This is the Windies we've become accustomed to.

Another dropped catch! Taylor is the guilty man

Edwards is the unlucky bowler AGAIN - Ravinder is the lucky batsman...

339-4

Is that 10 dropped catches this inngs?

 

[Oxy]

Gotta hand it to Fidel Edwards - bowling with pace & hostility - touching speeds of 91 MPH today.

And totally let down by his fielders again.

His figures are 19-0-90-1

Bowled nothing like the stats suggest. He's been magnificent!

 

[HuZi]

edwards is great man this lil guy when hs angry he asks the ball immidiatly after bowled then he bowls at l;eas 87 mph great kid he is

 

[Oxy]

Short paced delivery strikes Ravinder in the face - via his grill / helmet

He is shaken up - bits of helmet just fal short of the stumps.

Hes sporting a nice little shiner there!

Fidel on fire!!!

 

[Oxy]

Not sure what the delay is - been over 5 mins

 

[Muhammad]

Is he coming off?

Didn't see the dropped catch off Edwards today, if yesterday's reaction is anything to go by then I'm guessing Taylor's ears were burning!

 

[Oxy]

Is he coming off?

Didn't see the dropped catch off Edwards today, if yesterday's reaction is anything to go by then I'm guessing Taylor's ears were burning!

Dont know, my missus has changed the channel to some Bolly channel...

 

[Oxy]

Dont know, my missus has changed the channel to some Bolly channel...

Normal service resumed after I pulled the 'seniority card'

382-4 off 109 overs

Collywobbles: 44*
Ravinder: 33*

 

[Oxy]

Another dropped catch - at short leg.

Straight in - and straight out

 

[Oxy]

Lunch

405-4 off 115 overs

Cauliflower: 52*
Ravinder: 46*

England on top, Windies fielders are flops, Colly's not getting wobbles and Bopara doesnt really rhyme with anything.

See you after the luncheon break...