EG V WI FIRST TEST

[mal]

BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY

EG 2/158
STRAUSS 33 [70]
COOK 82* [130]
KP 26* [40]

FLINTOFF out [ankle injury ?]

Im going to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz go KP

[jackpot jim]

They r back on after about a 1/2 hour delay and MALs Love child K.P. plays a pathetic lofted cover drive off Collymore straight to Devon Smith at cover for his 3rd catch of the innings. Eng 3/162

[jackpot jim]

They're off again for supposedly bad light.
Eng 3/175.
Personally i think that the Bad light rule in cricket is one of the biggest blights on the game.
Commentator David Lloyd is currently saying it's Bullshit that they r off at the moment and that the players have the responsibility to entertain the spectators but r just exploiting the rules for their personal benefit which is understandable but is shit for the promotion of cricket.
Unbelievable, the umpires have just waved for the players to come back out to play, 5 minutes after saying that its to dark.
Just another example of this joke rule.
Fair enough, if it's too dark that its dangerous to batsmen, then go off but it seems that the batsmen get offered the light far too easily these days just bcos its not ideal for batting. So what????? Get on with it!!! Sometimes the pitch favours seam bowling or spinners which is not ideal for batting but they dont get the chance to off until the curator fixes it. the thing that makes cricket an intriguing game it that conditions are constantly changing. i.e. the condition of the Ball, Pitch, weather conditions etc. all which players have to adapt to but for some reason if the light is not ideal, batsmen get a chance to go off. Stupid rule which wont be changed bcos commomsense isn't one of the ICCs strong points.
Eng 3/186. Cook 90 Collingwood 20

[mal]

JJ has made some good points about the light.

EG 3/200 STUMPS
COOK 102*[173]
COLLINGWOOD 21*[31]
KP 26 out

COOK plays each ball on its merits
nothing startling about his array of strokes
what is startling is his career stats now
has one prolific shot square on the offside

Youngest EG player[22yearsold] to score 1,000 test runs
1 COOK
2 GOWER
3 ATHERTON
4 HUTTON
5 BOTHAM
Made centuries in his first test v India/Pakistan/West Indies
Hs made 5 test tons in 15 tests [Strauss did as well] [only SUTCLIFFE has made more with 6 ?]
has at the minute played 3 tests at lords and his average is 100.00

CAREER STATS AS AT STUMPS DAY 1

15 TESTS
1139 RUNS
HIGHEST 127
AVE 47-46

EG 3/200 in a strong spot on a seaming pitch

[Grahaml]

True there's nothing startling about his shot making, but is showing the mettle you need to succeed in tests. Pietersen needs to learn a thing or two to take his game to the level Mal thinks he's at already. Luckily for Pietersen it's easier for him to learn how to maximise his concentration and cash in on starts better than for Cook to learn to take a bowling attack apart.

[spell_check]

They r back on after about a 1/2 hour delay and MALs Love child K.P. plays a pathetic lofted cover drive off Collymore straight to Devon Smith at cover for his 3rd catch of the innings. Eng 3/162

That was the last thing I saw before going to bed last night. Playing a ball on the up and gifting Smith a catch. Yes, he is a talented player, but gets out all too often like this - stupid shots.

[mal]

Not that long ago some IrREBsposible person said KP bats for himself .....

[Rik E Boy]

I'm a big fan of Test cricket but this series will prove to be unwatchable. The West Indies simply don't have the attack to dismiss England twice. The series is over already. Only rain will prevent a reverse Ashes. Imagine going to England without a spinner. Surely there is someone in the Carieabean who can give it a tweak. The lack of variety in the bowling attack has made this test series a foregone conclusion.

KP should average 60 against this attack.

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

Matt prior has smashed a ton on debut. He's 126* off 128 balls. Collingwood earlier brought up a ton but went for 111. Bell eventually crawled to his hundred and is 109*. England 5/553 at the end of day 2. Four centurions in the first innings of the series to England. Ominous sign of things to come for the West Indies.

[Aerie]

Have watched a reasonable amount of this Test match on the tv so far. Unfortunately, after seeing a couple of those Lords members doze off in the afternoon I too fell asleep on the couch and missed Prior bring up his century, but did wake to see Bell finally go on and bring up his 100.

If Prior can keep well, perhaps England will finally have a wicketkeeper who can contribute in an all round way to the team. First wicketkeeper ever to make a century on debut for England, with Jack Russell the next best with 94 on debut.

Interesting they have put Bell down to number 6. Thought he did ok at number 3 in Australia, but like the look of their batting line up much better with KP at 4. Vaughan back into their side at 3 and Flintoff at 8 and all of a sudden they look to have a very good batting attack. Still, West Indies are no Australia and England should pile on the runs this series.

[mal]

ROD its going to be a boring series because we agree !!!!
The WI attack will at some stage frighten EG but not often enough
I WILL TRY AND INVENT A DUMB PREDICTION SOMEWHERE TO PROMOTE CHAT

EG 5/553
4 centurions in the innings Wow
COOK 105[156]
COLLINGWOOD 111[208] prob the most improved cricketer in Int cricket
BELL 109*[190]
PRIOR 126*[128]
KP 26
SHAH 6
STRAUSS 33

BELL now has 6 tons, 4 batting in his spot , number 6

PRIOR the 4th EG keeper in the last 12 months on debut 126 off only 128 balls
watched his innings 70 onwards and he hammered SARWAN and GAYLE
He is 25 and just what the poms needed a keeper who makes runs
17TH PLAYER TO MAKE 100 ON DEBUT FOR EG
ONLY EG KEEPER TO MAKE 100 ON DEBUT [Jack Russell made next best 94 on debut]
in 1921 GEORGE BROWN made 57 v AU thats the best v AU on debut for a keeper
BELL was 56 when PRIOR came in and was 95 when PRIOR got his ton !!!!!
PRIORS 100 OF 105 BALLS that would be one of the fastest tons in history

He looks OK attacks well, but the short ball ?????? looked sus a few times.

The umpires called the game off due to bad light BULLSHIT !
190 PARTNERSHIP OFF 212 BALLS I THINK BELL/PRIOR HAD THIER EYES IN !!!!!!!!!!!!!

County news
Young Graham HICK made another county 100
There is so much KP to compare with him[but KP is far superior at test level]
how old would HICK be now ?

Its a 4 test series
I will still tip EG 3-0
I think EG will win this test

[MAY-Z]

will b interesting to see how prior keeps as he is seen as more of a batsman than genuine keeper in county cricket (averaging 38) and doesnt always kee for sussex- but hopfully he can do the job as it certainly ives the england side a bit of depth with the bat especially if plunkett can bowl well and cement a place as he is a handy bat aswell.

chris gayle is teh windies best spinner- hence no specialist spinner being included in the squad.

i disagree with mal that 6 is bells spot as if he has to bat with teh tail i dont think he has he array of strokes to push teh innings along- he should be their long term number 3 as he has great concentration and a fairly solid defence, he just needs to learn to rotate the strike a little more and relieve the pressure on himself and teh batsmen at the other end.

a team of strauss, cook, bell, pietersen, collingwood, flintoff, prior, plunkett, harmison, hoggard, panesar doesnt look to bad on paper and should be together for the next few years.

graeme hick is 41 in a few days and has now scored just under 40000 first class runs with 133 first class 100s

[Rik E Boy]

chris gayle is teh windies best spinner- hence no specialist spinner being included in the squad.

Oh dear!

regards,

REB

[MAY-Z]

chris gayle is teh windies best spinner- hence no specialist spinner being included in the squad.

Oh dear!

regards,

REB

hooray we agree on something

[Rik E Boy]

Now let's never speak of it again.

regards,

REB

[Stumps]

Prior 12-18 months ago stank it up in the ODI's against a quality paki attack of Sami and Akthar, Yes he was opening but was clearly out of his depth at international level. He is basically a slogger but hits the ball very long. Whats my point?

1. Either he has improved or
2. International bowling attacks (including windies)are as a rule rubbish at this point in time

Average cricketers are made to look world beaters against some pump attacks. Yeah cooks a decent player but he has enough technical problems that he shouldnt be averaging over 50 at test level....yet anyway

I reckon test batsmen are having it pretty easy these days

[redwhiteandblueblooded]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......

boring, boring cricket!!

will the poms declare in the morning? I think not. What happened last time they declared after making 550 in two days?

[mal]

Where will FLINTOFF bat ?
Where will VAUGHAN bat ?


Good top order, this batting line up as long as they dont
have to face OOH AHH/WAAARRRNNNEEEYYYYY/CLARK/LEE/TAIT/BRACKEN
looks good enough to score at will against most world attacks.

[another grub]

BORING!!!!! How weak are the windies.... give Bangladesh a go......

[mal]

They r back on after about a 1/2 hour delay and MALs Love child K.P. plays a pathetic lofted cover drive off Collymore straight to Devon Smith at cover for his 3rd catch of the innings. Eng 3/162

Guess who made a 100 in the 2nd dig

CLUE : Diana Ross once had a titled song on your description of this player