West Indies 192 runs to win with 2 and a half days left to play. The wicket is very tricky for the batsmen and so I hope the West Indies batters will be patient and play with caution because they have a lot of time to bat.
[quote author=Rowe992 link=topic=97406.msg635556#msg635556 date=1430668822]
West Indies 192 runs to win with 2 and a half days left to play. The wicket is very tricky for the batsmen and so I hope the West Indies batters will be patient and play with caution because they have a lot of time to bat.
[/quote]
Buttler and Blackwood showed that you can score runs with aggression on this wicket. If you get too defensive it creates a lot of pressure.
One man has surely played his last innings for England and that is Jonathan Trott. Trott has been a wonderful servant for England but no-one deserves to be continually selected on reputation alone and now is the time for the selectors to move on at the top of the order.
[quote author=Mail? link=topic=97406.msg635634#msg635634 date=1430688570]
Well Windies should win this one and my man of the match would be Blackwood who played the Guatemalan situation perfectly.
Had Shiv managed to stay around, they would not have attained that first innings total. This is what I mean about Shiv ever influencing matches and laying the match situation.
Blackwood current SR is 41 and was 20s and 30s for most of his knock! He played the situation!
This was good test cricket and it would be said we lost because Mo could not use the pitch.
Well done Windies!
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As you rightly point out, Moeen was poor. He was poor in both Test matches. Root looked the more threatening of the two spinners. Mo really struggled with his line and length in both Tests. A lot of pressure has been heaped on Moeen's shoulders. Last summer he was more of a bit part spinner, now he is considered England's main spinner. Hopefully, this was just a case of a lack of match fitness but he really did not bowl well and further raises the question as to why Rashid was not picked.
Stokes inclusion in the team also gives the team some imbalance. Cook doesn't really seem to trust him as a bowler as of yet, using him sparingly or as the 6th change bowling option, and his inclusion means Buttler bats far too low down the order. Buttler really needs to bat 6. He is wasted at 8. Lyth will likely get his chance but he will be welcomed with a baptism of fire facing New Zealand and Australia over the summer, not ideal terms to make your debut.
This series showed West Indies have plenty of reasons for optimism going forward. They thoroughly deserved this win and a series draw was a fair reflection.
