England v West Indies, Headingley - Day 1

Good, yes that's good. Very good. Virgil was outstanding. Just fantastic. Aggers said of one of his cover drives that there is no one in the world who plays a better stroke and he is right. Vaughan is stylish and makes it look easy. Hats off to Virgil...the king is back.

KP's at it again. This guy is surely going to be the best Test batsman of all time isn't he?

Ok. 366 for 5. Start of Day 2. Good position but the weather is about to get involved. So, what's the plan? England will not want a draw. It looks like a decent day up there today but heavy rain for Sunday. Let's assume that they get 90 overs in today and England are either out just after lunch or declare. I think that 450 will be enough. That should still leave 50-60 overs to have a go at WI. Now Sarwan looks like he is out and we already know about Chiv. This leaves their batting looking very exposed. Only Chris Gayle stands as a potentially outstanding bat. We should knock them over easily. But with so much time about to be lost to rain we need to be clinical: get them out for around 250, bat again and declare at 150 which will set a target of 350. This target will inspire WI to play shots and if the weather holds Monday afternoon and Tuesday we should have a win in the bag!

So this morning KP and Matt the Gloves have got to come out blazing. I already think they have enough on the board to win this. The sooner they are bowling the better.

England v West Indies, Headingley - Day 1

The return of Virgil was greeted with some scepticism by the sporting hacks at yesterday's press call. They have a point. After 16 Tests missed the skipper is back. But how long before he is injured again?

The weather in Leeds for today is set to be 16C with light right at times. This will favour our swing attack. I would like to see Sidebottom have a go as he seems to be brimming with confidence. No Freddie, which I think is right. He could do with a proper recovery time...like a year off. Harmison needs to be disciplined when they bowl, as does Plunkett. I am tempted to suggest playing both Anderson & Sidebottom (leave Plunkett on the bench) because they are superior at swinging the ball.

That said, England just need their bowlers to support their bats this time round. Should be an interesting day...especially if Harmy starts by spraying the ball down leg. However, I have a feeling that he will be on form today because he must be aware that his place will be under threat from the likes of Broad...and even Jones.

Would you like Onions with that?

Of course, further to the suprise inclusion of Sidebottom, I would have liked to have seen Graham Onions in the squad. Here's why:

93 wickets in 35 1st class matches at an ecomony rate of 3.79

Only 24 years old and he adds to the fun for scorers:

caught Mustard bowled Onions

Sidebottom's Back

So Sidebottom returns to the England fold after 6 years in the wilderness. A surprise choice (and he looks surprised doesn't he?) but it does show that Peter Moores is applying some thought to like for like replacements for injured players.

He didn't take a wicket for England when he was last called upon but, if he gets a game, he knows the Leeds conditions well and should 'come good'.

PS This was the only picture I could find of Sidebottom. I think it was taken before he grew his hair.

Ramps - Modern Day Cricket God

Well, what can you say about this guy? Awesome is one word that springs to mind. Technically, the most correct batsman that this country has ever produced. He is showing the world that the form of the last two seasons was not just chance. He is a class act. Here's some numbers to look at:

1st Class

391 Matches; 644 innings; 82 Not Outs; 29309 runs(!); High Score - 301*; Average - 52.15; 91 Centuries; 130 Half Centuries oh! and 228 catches.

If you get a chance to see this guy before he retires I highly recommend it. His front foot cover drive is second to none. Watch his straight bat and the high elbow - all text book stuff. And the lesson that we can all draw from his game? Watch the ball. Watch the ball. When you see him facing any bowler that is all he does. He watches the ball and his mind then controls his body. Most batsmen start to lose their 'eye' and timing after 32 but at 37 this one is just fantastic.

Go see him him play. Oh, by the way, he's a bloody nice chap too.

England v West Indies, Headingley - Preview

Right then. So Freddie & Virgil are bouncing back in time for Leeds on Friday. I'm a little concerned about Freddie I must confess. I suspect that he will be a straight replacement for Hoggard now and that Ian Bell is saved, at least for the moment, from the unfair deselection that hangs above his head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. Virgil will push Shah out of the side, who hasn't really done anything to merit any re-inclusion in the future.

Time to get serious now. This is a must win Test. We simply must win. Our batting is looking really strong but our bowlers (Monty excepted) are just not fit for the task. I see that Peter Moores is defending Harmy and saying he will come good. But what we need isn't a come-good Harmy but a consistent stock bowler like Fraser & Caddick once provided. We don't need Harmison to have a devastating spell in which he picks up 3 wickets and then fails to knock the tail over. We need a steady Harmison who can control the game and run rate with accuracy of Glenn McGrath & the ferocity of Alan Donald. Whilst I am convinced that the Northern lad can provide such performances, I feel that he needs control. Back to basics time; figure out what the problems are with the line he bowls. Take the pace off his run until he gets some consistency. With that in mind, I would drop him now until he gets it right and bring in either Broad or Mahmood. This is a relatively unimportant series (important for Moores and team morale) so we can afford to draft in the stars of the future.

With Flintoff back on Friday (and I am assuming that he is actually fit enough to bowl - if he's not then don't pick him) we will have a strong attack (on paper) for a Leeds ground that traditionally favours those who can swing the ball. There is a some possibility that Moores will put Jimmy Boy Anderson on notice in case Freddie is not fit because the one thing that Jimmy can do is swing the ball. But my preference would be for Mahmood who has done well at this ground at county level. If it is overcast on Friday morning England will look to win the toss and field. This is Virgil's home ground and no one in the side will have more local knowledge than him.

And so my final message to Team England is this:

Batters - hey, great job lads, you have put the bowlers to shame.
Bowlers - (Monty excepted) Pull your finger out. Bowl to your field. Bowl wicket to wicket. Bowl on a length and find that rhythm early on.

England v West Indies, Lords - Day 5

Here comes the rain...and it is forecast for light rain. There's a very good chance that this will end as a dead rubber. That said, Team England will need to attack whenever they can. So here's the run down on performance so far:

Strauss - 1st Innings 33; 2nd Innings 24. Good captaincy in places. 7/10
Cook - 105 & 65. 1 Catch. 9/10
Shah - 6 & 4. Poor decsion to bat him at 3. 3/10
Pietersen - 24 & 109. Superb 2nd inns. Awesome shots. 8/10
Collingwood - 111 & 34. Excellent 1st knock. 1 Catch, 1 Wicket. 8/10
Bell - 109* & 3. I like this guy. Class Act. Great 1st inns. 9/10
Prior -126* & 21. Set for a long stint now. Awesome batting. 9/10
Plunkett - DNB & 0. 2 Wickets. 6/10
Hoggard - DNB & DNB. 4/10
Harmison - DNB & 11*. 1 Wicket. Must do better. 3/10
Panesar - DNB & 3*. 6 Wickets so far. Will take more. Great attacking spin. 9/10

Good consistent cricket from our batsmen so far. We need our bowlers to make use of conditions today and what little time there is left.

A Declaration of Dominance

Excellent. Good call. Can't remember the last time a England side declared twice in a match...the quite often gave up twice! Not this time.

Big ask...but the weather looks bad for Monday.

England v West Indies, Lords - Day 4

I have deliberately avoided posting before now because I was eager to see if Peter Moores has the killer instinct that the conservative Fletcher always lacked. And, by the way the English batsmen are making hay, I would have to say that he has. We just need the declaration. A lead of 400 is safe and will give us a chance to bowl a few overs tonight. Put Monty straight on. Go for the throat!

England v West Indies, Lords - Day 2

Ian Bell, this morning stands on the precipice of deselection, despite one of the best innings he has ever played. Even after being demoted down the order to 6 so as to allow the hapless Shah to take guard at 3, this 25 year didn't sulk. Instead he raised his game with a show of class and true Test batting. Of course, his innings will always be overshadowed by Matt Prior's magnificent knock because Prior has scored faster and has taken the lion's share of the runs in the partnership. But, in my mind this simply highlights why Bell is the superior player; there can be no doubt of Prior's class but had he been partner to KP or even Collingwood runs would have been harder, much harder to come by. Instead, Bell's maturity as a Test batsman who is versatile enough to adapt his game from top order to middle order made sure that Prior got the strike. This was very very good cricket. Of course, Bell will be dropped as soon as Freddie passes fitness. This will be a mistake. Freddie might be fit enough to bat but he is not fit enough to bowl. Let him rest. He has nothing to offer us with his bat at the moment and a spell of having to fight for his place will do him good.

It's funny because you know that Bell will accept whatever the Selectors decide and bide his time as he has done so often. What this man has written all over him is Future England Captain.

Back from the future and to the job in hand. A declaration will surely come first thing this morning. The Hoggard & Harmison Express will be chomping at the bit right now at the prospect of a shiny new cherry and a damp Lord's pitch. Away you go lads. To be honest England have already done enough to win this game. And we should win without having to bat again. Our strike attack will knock them over cheaply and enforce the follow-on. Moores will be crowned a hero and Fletcher will be admitting to himself that when it came to spotting a decent keeper he was a 1st Class Klutz. And then the other thing a comprehensive win will bring is this: Michael Who? Freddie What?

England v West Indies, Lords - Day 2

Mmmm, nice to see some runs on the board and still some wickets in hand. Cook is 102 Not Out from 173 balls, which included 10 fours. Good steady innings. We need some more from him this morning but the light will be a problem again today.

The West Indies look like a side that haven't had enough practice. I'm glad that our strike bowlers have both been getting plenty of action and if rain doesn't spoil the day, England should be looking to get some overs in by tea. A lead of 400 will help that. It is vital that England play to win this; they must make allowances for bad light and rain. All England expects and a draw will not do. Peter Moores will be keen to start his own innings with a win.

So, if batting is good today and we still have wickets at 400 or 450 we should declare in order to make a match of it.

I haven't seen any of the match because I have cancelled my Sky Sports subscription. I am fed up with paying Murdoch's wages. He is ruining sport for everyone, including clubs. With no highlights available without paying for them I am having to make do with the tedium of Boycott, who despite being an all time class bat, can be a complete arse when it comes to opening his mouth without thinking about what diatribe is coming out.

England v West Indies, Lords - Day 1

Ok, good toss to win but the Windies have failed to capitalise on the conditions. Pleased for Cook. He is a class player. The Shah at number 3 was a real odd decision. He is a decent top order player at County level. But Bell is the better and more obvious choice at 3, even if he has made runs at 6 before. Shah was obviously a bit rattled after briefly forgetting he was playing cricket and not football and trying to head the ball into the back of the net.

KP...well, what the hell was all that about? Sometimes he plays his innings inside out - Starts off with confidence and then goes back into his shell. Whenever he does this he gets a start and then stomps off after holing out. When he is at his best is when he comes out and plays himself in until he hits 20 and then puts his foot down.

200 for 3 isn't a bad score though. I have seen England do much worse than that. Really they should be all out for 400 after lunch tomorrow. I doubt there will be anymore play tonight. It will be nice to see young Cook make another 50 or so. Bell should make runs and so should Prior. This tail looks a bit long and scary...more of a snake than a tail! Monty was the right choice over Jimmy Boy and both Hoggard and Barmy Harmy are on top form. All set for a good game.

Peter & his Friends

Here's the squad:

Andrew Strauss (captain),
Alastair Cook,
Ian Bell,
Kevin Pietersen,
Paul Collingwood,
Andrew Flintoff,
Matt Prior (wicket keeper),
Liam Plunkett,
Steve Harmison,
Matthew Hoggard,
Monty Panesar,
Owais Shah.

Shame no place for Bopara but they have got it right with Prior's inclusion and giving the captaincy to Strauss.

Now all they need is some sunshine...

At the Captain's Table

So...who should skipper the side if Virgil's brittle bones don't heal in time?

Cork has come out for Lancs team mate Freddie 'Pedlo' Flintoff. Some are calling for Collingwood. And then there's out of form Strauss.

Now if it was on consistent form alone I would choose Figjam - although his golden calf is torn. However, why not look at Bell who is often pushed in front of TV cameras as if he is being groomed for the job. He has a decent cricket brain and is well respected within the side. I think Strauss has all the right qualifications but lacks form and that can be a real problem.

What do you think?

Bangers & Mash Please

Looking at his stats this morning I am going to have to champion this guy. I had him in my Telegraph fantasy league about 8 or 9 years ago when he first got into the Somerset side and he did me proud. Here's some numbers:

Tests:

Matches - 76
Runs - 5825
HS - 219
Ave - 43.79
100s - 14
50s - 29
Catches - 95

1st Class:

Matches - 211
Runs - 12475
HS - 219
Ave - 35.84
100s - 24
50s - 65
Catches - 243

All looks pretty good to me. Now I need a revised line up:

1. Tressy
2. Cook
3. Strauss
4. Bell
5. Freddie
6. Collingwood
7. Prior
8. Jones
9. Hoggard
10. Monty
11. Harmison

That should sort it.

Figjam's Golden Calf

Ok...so he's out and Virgil too. No big deal. There's a stack of big hitters looking to get a call. Ed Joyce will be keen. I'd like to see Bangers in for Virgil even though he has kind of ruled himself out...but read the words he said carefully:

"I don't think I'm in contention for a Test call-up.
"Nothing has changed compared to the last few weeks - I'm just going to go about my business playing for Somerset,"

That says to me that he would be flattered by the call and is desperate to prove his worries are over. And let's face it, his troubles only seem to appear when he is away from home.

Keep an eye on this story. 284 he scored yesterday. That strikes me as a no-brainer. Call him up now.

Right, here's the schedule. The 1st match for the Windies should be very interesting if Bangers is playing. Especially as he appears to be on the form of his life. He is sitting pretty of 185 not out this morning against Northampton but seems to be ruling himself out of the series. Personally, I'd like to see him included. My verdict for the series? Well, the tests should finish 2-1 to England and the ODIs the same. It will be even honours in the Twenty20s.

May
12-14 v Somerset, Taunton
17-21 1st Test, Lord's
25-29 2nd Test, Headingley

June
1-3 v MCC, Durham
7-11 3rd Test, Old Trafford
15-19 4th Test, Riverside
21 v England A, New Road
24 Twenty20 v Derbyshire, Derby
26 Twenty20 v PCA Masters, Arundel
28 Twenty20 International, The Oval
29 Twenty20 International, The Oval

July
1 1st ODI, Lord's
4 2nd ODI, Edgbaston
7 3rd ODI, Trent Bridge

Bad Day at the Office...

Yesterday, with eager anticipation, I trudged off to the far-flung regions of Greater Peterborough to play my first competitive game of the season. Our opponents? A side from a small hamlet. The pitch was well covered with green grass and was rock hard. Our skipper duly won the toss and choose to field. And when we had them at 40 for 4 the decision looked the right one. Their skipper had confessed to being a better bowling side that lacked definition to their batting. But something went wrong. And it went wrong badly. By the time we had reached 40 overs out of 45 they were 315 for 9. I suddenly realised just how all those hopeful opposition sides felt against the might of the Baggy Greens. So what went wrong?

Well, we didn't take the chances we should have done. Simple as that. In the very first over their big opener clipped one to square leg; a tough one-handed chance went to ground. He was then dropped at Long On - a chance that should have been taken. Two more chances were missed as well as being trapped plumb in front - their umpire was having none of it, stating that it was missing the stumps but wouldn't say if it was going down leg or past off. So five chances to get the big opener out missed. I felt that he had a weakness against a slower ball and was given my chance to prove it. My first ball was flighty affair, straight and on a good length which he tried to charge only to misfire completely. That was the ball. But whenever I tried to replicate it he was there. Two massive 6s in one over, one of which left the ground completely and was last seen bouncing off the tiles of a house in a neighbouring street. He finally fell to a very slow top-spinner bowled from the back of the hand just back of a length. His eagerness of his charge ensured that he was through the shot before the ball even landed and was stumped whilst still three feet out of his ground. He was on 149. Now, I wouldn't have minded if he had played some chanceless innings. But it wasn't. It was simply carefree - Matthew Hayden style. Rarely did he wait for the ball or pick it out of the hand. His more fluent shots were selected on length because of the slowness of the pitch. But the damage was done. 319 all out was always a big ask. We were skittled for just 137 in near darkness.

But the lesson from that is that one man can make a difference. Take him out of the equation and their batting did lack definition. Sadly this is the case more often than not with England's ODI side; one player carries the rest. Sometimes this means a win and sometimes a loss. The question remains however - how do England match Australia at ODI level? Simple really: get the same definition in the top six batting as Australia have. Time for a change? I think so. As RB's comments suggest in my previous post we have the players to do the job. Forget opening with three 'touch' players like Strauss, Vaughan & Bell. We need on-form Freddie, KP & Bopara opening up, setting the pace and sparing the lower order from keeping up with the run rate.

12 Good Men

I refer to an earlier posting that English cricketers appear to be made from some brittle material. And I'm right. Once again Vaughan finds himself sidelined with an injury and once again the debate about who will fill his shoes is raging. Well, this is a real no-brainer. No debate required. Give the job to Strauss who, despite a poor run of form with the bat, is really the only man in the squad with a decent cricket brain.

And so, with the forthcoming series against the Windies on the horizon, I thought I'd stop sulking about our dreadful showing of the recent winter and focus upon a game we can play: Test cricket on green top pitches. This is our game. This is what we are good at. And, in a funny sort of way, the future is very bright. We have a decent squad of players, although we are lacking a couple of in form quickies (but Harmy & Hoggy are doing well at the mo). There is some good batting going on in the counties - mainly due to an exceptionally dry April, with a swave of young batters looking to break through. There is a leadership contest running for head gloveman - I reckon that Peter Moores will tip his hat to Matt Prior over part-time club doorman Paul Nixon. Simon Jones is in decent shape and even the ultimate stonewall blocker Matthew Hoggard managed to score 61 the other day. Add into the pot the ingredients of an out of form and out of control West Indies side and we have a competitive series in prospect.

So, here they are, 12 Good Men:

1. Cook
2. Strauss
3. Bell
4. KP
5. Collingwood
6. Flintoff
7. Prior
8. Jones
9. Hoggard
10. Harmison
11. Monty
12. Plunkett

Watdayareckon?