NPR

Windies have bowled very well. Nice and straight on a length that hits the stumps.

Crawley appears to be one of those guys, like Vince, that always looks good but just gets out without making a big score - momentary lapses of concentration maybe. Might explain why his 1st class average is so poor. I'd have preferred Lawrence at 4.

Ovals wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:25 am Crawley appears to be one of those guys, like Vince, that always looks good but just gets out without making a big score - momentary lapses of concentration maybe. Might explain why his 1st class average is so poor. I'd have preferred Lawrence at 4.

Never been quite sure how he's close to the side

Pope gone. England in real bother now

And 1 guest wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:40 am Pope gone. England in real bother now

SNAFU

It's OK. They'll drop a bowler after this batting performance.

Stokes was very fortunate - Roach really should have caught that mistime hook. Anyway, still some hope of getting something more respectable. Stokes is there and Buttler looked good in the warm up match (I'd still have Foakes, of course), and he's due a few runs for England. Clearly not an easy pitch to bat on and the Windies have a good pace attack. Going to be interesting to see how our bowlers get on - especially as the weather is supposed to be considerably better for the last 3 days.

Stokes gets another life - very easy catch dropped by Brooks.

Stokes dropped twice now. He looks a street ahead of the rest of the batsmen so far.

And 1 guest wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:19 pm Stokes dropped twice now. He looks a street ahead of the rest of the batsmen so far.

What about Buttler?

Probably setting myself up here but I don't see Buttler batting a long innings.

Stokes gone. Round the wicket to left handers really seems a good tactic in test cricket these days

And 1 guest wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:36 pm Probably setting myself up here but I don't see Buttler batting a long innings.

he might run out of partners soon

Great catch from the keeper

I've had to move to another room so I can't see what's happening, but it sounds like another wicket has gone down?

sturginho wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:54 pm I've had to move to another room so I can't see what's happening, but it sounds like another wicket has gone down?

Buttler caught behind off Holder. Good ball, good catch. No real fault to the batsman

sturginho wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:54 pm I've had to move to another room so I can't see what's happening, but it sounds like another wicket has gone down?

Buttler ct behind - good ball. TBF he batted well - but we're just left with the tail now - might be better to play a few shots before you get the ball with your name on it.

And it's go well and cheers to Archer. Holder is some player

Archer out for a blob - he really looks like a number 11 at test level.

Ovals wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:06 pm Archer out for a blob - he really looks like a number 11 at test level.

They keep saying Archer can bat but he doesn't really provide any evidence of it

He's a limited overs hitter and not much else.

Say, the decision to bat first seemed dodgy at the time and it's turned out to be a fairly bad one, no?

JM2K6 wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:13 pm He's a limited overs hitter and not much else.

Say, the decision to bat first seemed dodgy at the time and it's turned out to be a fairly bad one, no?

I think a dodgy top 4 got found out by a good bowling attack and that would have happened regardless of the toss.

6 for Holder. I wonder if we'll regret not selecting Broad on this pitch.

If only we also had a tall bloke who pitches it up and bowls 80...

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:33 pm If only we also had a tall bloke who pitches it up and bowls 80...

With 400 test wickets behind him

And 1 guest wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:39 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:33 pm If only we also had a tall bloke who pitches it up and bowls 80...

With 400 test wickets behind him

Chris Woakes would probably also be a handful in these conditions....

Let's see what the guys they have picked can do on this pitch. It's the batters who have put England into a bad place.

Handy last wicket partnership of 30. 204 ao. Bess batted very well - over to the bowlers.

Really impressed with Bess’s batting there.

Stating the obvious, but those runs with Anderson could be crucial.

If Jimmy pitches it up he will be very dangerous on this pitch. As said before, I would love to see Broad in the side

Do you think not being able to use saliva was anything to do with Broad not being picked?

Don’t laugh, but a drier ball is more conducive for reverse swing, and wouldn’t that be more Mark Wood’s thing?

(I’m grasping a bit I know)

It's probably a semi-cynical "Wood being fit is a gift, let's not ignore it" approach

I can only assume they are taking a longer term view with the Aussie tour in mind, but as of today Broady would be more than handy. Having said that the conditions will probably change over the next few days. Would Stokes have made that decision on his own? Athers thinks he would have taken soundings.

Archer is remarkable. No massive run up, ball doesn’t seem to be going that fast and there it is - 92mph!

Umpires not helping the Windies one bit today, sheesh.

JM2K6 wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:42 pm Umpires not helping the Windies one bit today, sheesh.

I’ve not been watching for 20 mins. What’s happened?

The Windies had to repeatedly challenge LBW decisions to get wickets, then Anderson got a wicket with one that pitched outside leg and also had to be overturned on review by the Windies...

JM2K6 wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:59 pm The Windies had to repeatedly challenge LBW decisions to get wickets, then Anderson got a wicket with one that pitched outside leg and also had to be overturned on review by the Windies...

That was a poor decision - always looked like it pitched outside leg.

Neutral umpires anyone?

Ovals wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:04 pm

JM2K6 wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:59 pm The Windies had to repeatedly challenge LBW decisions to get wickets, then Anderson got a wicket with one that pitched outside leg and also had to be overturned on review by the Windies...

That was a poor decision - always looked like it pitched outside leg.

And another one that the Windies have won the review. Six reviews in the match, Windies have won five and the other one was umpires call.

Edit - and another one, but this one proves to be out.