Quote:Windies cricket has been going through a protracted miserable period -- a long winter, if you will, where they move from crisis to crisis and from loss to embarrassing loss. A period in which a number of players joined the team and had reasonably long careers without experiencing any reasonable run of success. A period marked by acrimony between the senior players and the authorities, that manifested itself in public spats, court cases and even an abandoned tour. And the innings and 209-run defeat in the first Test at Birmingham was as low a point as any in the last two decades. It was an insipid display for which they were rightly and universally lambasted.
One question frequently asked over recent years is this: Will Windies cricket ever be able dig themselves from out of the deep dark hole into which they had descended?
Well, after this latest, stunning, almost unbelievable five-wicket win at Headingley, the answer to that question must be a resounding 'yes'. This one display does not mean they have suddenly become world beaters. But it shows they have the capacity to be competitive at the highest level.
It had been seventeen years since the Caribbean side last won a Test in England and nobody, save for captain Jason Holder - if what he told Michael Atherton at the presentation ceremony is to be believed - thought they'd have been able to so dramatically turn things around when they arrived at Leeds.
I mus't have said this before but I believe england has been exposed as not a very good side, or can be pressured and pushed to fall apart..or be beaten outright by straight play as happened here and now. england were beaten straight up, open, without any kind of excuse
consider the england side:
they have wat, 3 new batsmen in the top order but have a most experienced and capable batsman Moeen down at #8. that is imbalance and poor and costly use of the available talent. imagine Mooen at #5 running up a ton and half as he often does when he comes in early...particularly in the first innings of this test here. it would have been a different test match altogether.
so england batting order is flawed...not properly ordered to so speak. the 3 inexperienced cannot max like Moeen can do right now up the order
now Cook... despite his first test double is not the Cook of old. I don't think so but we will see. the real meat of their order are Moeen/Root...Stokes to an extent
knock out the early batsmen and england might fold as they did first innings. and if that happens what about the england bowling?
we we saw Anderson/Broad cud not take a wicket. age! and Ali for once was ineffective..and no one else stepped up..or could step up. so this england side is not all that great. if west indies just hold their form of this last test it will be a hard game for england coming up
has west indies turned the corner ::confused::
well england beat RSA and now we are on par with england. Bang beats the Oz... so here we go. west indies is not too far from the top..as the top is clearly coming back to meet the crowd. I wagered that if Shive and Darren were in this side we would be 1 up not evens.
so when Darren comes back cWI is strengthened to the point where we will have at least 5 batsmen who have ton'up up in tests. Paint, Hope, Darren, Chase, Blackwood could grow into a formidable 5. backed up by Jason and the return of Ramdin cWI wud be batting competitive with any side in the world
Gabe and Alzari should be tuff for the next 3 years..a fit and experienced Roach would be a great help..Bishoo..Narine and Permaul in the wings. but need to find an opener..Powell is absolutely no good.
so sure..with the fall in class elsewhere and the slight rise in cWI class west indies on paper may be out of the dumps. but the cWI bureau is still there bleeding the cricket.
and as these boys mature and come good the old problem of pay will soon resurface...especially if there is T20 demand for them..Kolpak and other opportunities that set up those guys financially like cWI pay cannot/will not
