Cricket 2017 : Day/Night tests C/D? (England vs West Indies)

Everyone's waiting for it to get dark to see if the pink ball does anything weird but the windies bowling has been utter rank so far today.

Apart from the absolute beauty that got Stoneman out of course.

this is a shambles

You want a real shambles try growing up in the 80s watching England lose 5-0 every series to the west indies!

that sounds considerably more exciting than this

root should try to hit some sixes

It's test match cricket, not 20/20

this isn't test match cricket

have switched over to watch adam lyth haha

Wtf have they not taken the new ball?

They still haven't this over! wth. All we have heard is how the 1st 10 overs is when the ball is at it's best and does the most under lights

The coach is sending out a message I think. Bizarre

at last, they're taking it!

swing right away

putting kraigg brathwaite on less than ten overs into a new ball, under lights = please ban jason holder for the next ten tests

he limped off when the new ball was available after bowling 3 balls. even then he next over they didn't take it. utterly bizarre. They needed all the help they could because Root and Cook were brilliant. I think the amount of boundaries today were a record.

Was just thinking that if you had mentioned in the 1980s, even early 90s, that Sri Lanka would be one of the top teams and West Indies one of the worst you would have laughed your head off at the thought.

Andy Roberts seemed disgusted at the windies bowlers today and michael holding said they shouldn't even be called an 'attack'.

Mind you, most of their best players would rather play 20/20 than play test cricket

sri lanka a top team? they're worse than the west indies atm. completely annihilated at home by india

ok maybe not worse. they have herath after all (for now)

they were a top team for quite a while though when murali was around. Pretty sure they even got to #1

Brilliant stuff cooky. but make it a triple!

Not sure what is less appealing: the current West Indies test squad or a night session at... Edgbaston.

you lot should be wondering how you got whitewashed in sri lanka tbf

the way this Windies innings is going, I am going to make a submission that this is taken off the Test Match record (cf. 2005 ICC Super Series)

along with the far too easy 5-0 whitewashes of England by Australia. No competition there.

hope you're all watching now. it's hilarious

England win by an innings and 209 runs. 19 West Indies wickets lost in a day.

2nd Test @ Headingley.

England win toss and will bat

Fucksake can't we give ourselves a challenge and bowl first

Innings and 200 win again probably

Or not, because they've actually picked their best bowler this time

I think I'll wait for something a bit more competitive -- Bangladesh vs Australia.

26 for 2, ok might watch

oy, that drop

140-5

England all out 258. Pretty much everyone got out in a stupid way as if they were playing 20/20

and an early wicket, WI 11-1

windies playing proper test cricket here. Good defensive cricket and putting bad balls away, none of England's 20/20 nonsense. 173-3 and Brathwaite close to his century.

Windies well on top.

this is the best test of the season. it could go either way atm. England on top right now but a wkt or two and west indies are back on top.

Stokes out caught on the boundary

Malan out bowled. England only lead by 143

I'm still backing England here

Bairstow out

Bairstow and Stokes out playing 20/20 stupid shots. West Indies well on top now. Lead of 158

we'll see. Another 40 runs and it's a very difficult total to chase.

"well on top" my arse, they'll find this total tricky enough

I'm going to Lord's in a week and a bit for the 3rd test so it would be nice if it were 1-1 for that

If the west indies bat with the discipline they did first innings they would chase down 200 . 158-7 could easily have been 170 all out (as the game stands) 250 would be awkward. leads 181. this partnership has put the game back in the balance.

i'm delighted that the Windies have made a real contest of this one but Odysseus is such a doom merchant ;)

but it's a very good test match whatever way it goes

yeah it's great it's a proper game, I do agree that it's the most exciting match of the summer, and for world cricket it would be brilliant if WI won, but I think England have a bit too much

I'm not being doom merchant here. I'm being positive about the west indies. theyve been great (except in field) imago, kbp etc were all w indies are the worst team ever and they are doing very very well

if woakes and ali put on a 50 run partnership and get the target up to 250 it could go either way. Under 200 id fancy west indies. 300 lead would be impossible

and when the lead was 158 when i posted with 3 wickets left it could easily have been windies chasing 170. 250 would set up a cracking finish I think. Both teams would start with an equal chance I think.

srsly even 170 in a 4th innings is not a simple ask

If Stokes and Bairstow hadnt played stupid shots England would've won easily.

KP used to get pelters for getting out like that!

yeah but KP is a cunt :D

no, it's not simple, but its one big partnership. and any batting side would still expect to do it. Esp if the suns out!

xp

lol shhh imago might see that!

Lead is 188 at tea. Game is nicely poised and could go either way.

England have shown some fight in this innings, usually we crumble if there's a first innings deficit. It's been a proper good match. Think Stoneman and Malan have done enough to get the last test but Westwood needs replaced. Hales at 3 or 5 anybody?

xp

well yeah that was my original point, i would say once England got past 150 it was heading into "interesting finish" territory rather than a thrashing

btw 250 target should make England favourites but its not too much to get. 220 and it could go either way. under 200 I'd fancy W Indies.

oh yeah this wont be a bowled out for 90 or a 10 wicket win.

I think everything depends on this woakes and ali partnership

It's not nicely poised, England are favourites.

not certainties. I think if these 2 add runs england are favourites. Target of 190-200 I'd back West Indies to make a real fist of it.

250 plus England clear faves.

Its all on woakes and ali

List of 4th innings victorious run chases at Headingley.

Only 3 times have a team chased more than England's current lead at Headingley; one of those was Bradman's Invincibles; one was Butcher going berserk in a dead rubber against a great Australian team; the last was England scraping over the line with 219/7 in 1982 against Pakistan.

We're about to find out. 3 quick wickets and w indies have a chance

records are there to be broken! It's going to be exciting either way.

I agree. 220 target would still be interesting

I think the west indies spinners might be the key here rather than the seamers (unlike this morning where they got it wrong)

not certainties. I think if these 2 add runs england are favourites. Target of 190-200 I'd back West Indies to make a real fist of it.

You think England are going to lose their last three wickets for single figures, do you? When you've got a guy with five test centuries at the crease? Anything is possible, as we all know, but if I were a betting man...

yup theyre going with the part time spinner. I think Woakes and Ali would rather face them than Shannon Gabriel and his pace. Very odd

Tom - we dont know. we just saw a few quick wickets and anything can happen. Its not looking likely after that last over though

nice 50 from Moeen and a whole day to bowl them out no worries

All im saying is England arent clear faves at this very moment. esp when it was effectively 158-7. Games changing since i posted it tho . Windies still in it. another 50 runs and England will be clear faves

NV if that happens with ali then i totally agree. but its no gimme it will happen, that's all im saying

England clearly in a better position now than it was when I first posted!

2 stinking overs by the west indies and lead is 200

after those 2 overs there's no way they are gonna get 3 quick wickets

Bishoo on. Moeen Ali out!....off a no ball!!

how can a spinner bowl a no ball? lol

Reviewing an LBW shout now

Not Out.

All im saying is England arent clear faves at this very moment.

I imagine betting organizations are relieved you don't work for them.

If the spinner hadnt put his foot 1 mm over the line then it could've been interesting

TMS guys saying it might not've been a no ball, they reckon the back of his heel hadn't fully crossed the line even tho it was off the ground

SKY thought the same but a close up replay showed it was JUST over. Fair play to the umpire for getting it right after missing so many no balls today!

West Indies have been stinking since tea and it looks like it is getting away from them. They need a bit of luck now or something stupid from England.

They will regret that no ball as Ali scores so quickly

partnership of 81 off about 80 balls making my post look completely wrong now, lol

and as i say that woakes edges one but just short

Ali reaches fifty

Lead is 250 with 3 wkts left still. West Indies really wasted their chance.

Ali out, caught on the boundary for 84

Lead is 275

well this game turned around didn't it.

http://i.imgur.com/n7Vhue9.png

280 isn't impossible but it would take a really really really good effort as others were saying above.

If they hadn't no-balled when Ali was caught behind W indies it wouldve been very different

England have declared! W Indies need 322 to win.

that's just mean trying to finish them off tonight

Imago you must be pretty chuffed that they have actually declared for once? Usually they would want 350 minimum

West Indies never looked threatened in these 6 overs

5-0 at close

BBC seemed to be of the same view

With Stokes and Malan at the crease, England were cruising in the afternoon session, but three quick wickets for spinner Roston Chase put the match back in balance.

Stokes was caught at long-off from the first ball after a drinks break, Malan was bowled two overs later, and Jonny Bairstow followed soon after as he was bowled playing a reverse sweep.

That brought Moeen and Woakes together, and they survived until tea, when England were seven wickets down with a lead of 188.

At that point the match could have gone either way, but it was England who took control as they added 133 in just 28 overs.

Moeen was his typical attacking self, hitting a series of flowing boundaries through the off side in a 117-run partnership.

Woakes contributed just 31 to that stand but was the perfect foil for Moeen, and took the upper hand alongside Stuart Broad when Moeen was caught in the deep.

Shortly after Woakes became the sixth player to score a half-century in the innings, Root boldly declared, his side having reached their highest ever score without a player hitting a century.

Only thing missing from that report is the line "west indies bowling after tea was a load of shite"

watched the 30 minutes before and hour after tea in a salisbury pub (home now)

it was a curious mixture of elation at hero moeen's strokeplay and utter, crushing despair at the quite staggeringly dreadful cricket from the windies

Moeen was fantastic. I really did think W Indies had a great chance of winning if they got him out quickly and only had to chase 200 or so, but they were truly awful in the last session. England almost handed it to them on a plate with stupid shots by Stokes/Bairstow but what the hell were they doing after tea? 1st over after tea with England on the ropes and they give Brathwaite a bowl???

The seamers wre knackered and Bishoo wasnt bowled. as soon as he came on he had moeen out as it may not have been a no ball after all (the argument there will go on). West Indies wouldve been confident of getting 200 or so. I cant see them scoring 317 tomorrow they must be so deflated. Plus Brathwaite and Hope need to repeat their centuries to do it. Will be a lot harder on a 5th day pitch that is turning.

Mind you, it's a pitch once you get in you don't look like getting out unless you do something stupid. I dont see them crumbling to a 150 run defeat.

the moment i knew they'd lost the plot was when they reviewed an lbw against ali that i could tell from first view on tv was missing leg by maybe six inches

actually opening with brathwaite after tea was before that haha

also, with the caught behind no ball, ali would have heard the shout of no-ball before he played the shot i think?

they said that technically that is why it cant be reviewed but the ex-players said that it isnt really the case and would've played that shot anyway.

Holder makes a lot of mistakes as captain but fuck me they are even worse when he is off the field. He is clearly the best of a bad bunch. Decent player though and it cannot be easy captaining that team

You take 3 quick wickets with a spinner, you have a team that's been behind all of the game so far, they've been doing well then it starts to go qrong your seamers are knackered, you have a leggie thats decent what do you do?

You dont bring on a knackered seamer. Imagine they had got ali or woakes out in that 20 mins before tea? they might have been chasing 160 or so.

Even at tea leads still only 188. You dont bloody bowl Brathwaite. West Indies fans should be bloody furious.

holder should bat at 7 and bat properly. his shot to get out was completely terrible and a turning point. he'd batted excellently to put WI in control but another 50 or so runs would have made it virtually insurmountable. he took his foot off the throat - it was lazy, complacent and stupid all at once. he's a useful test cricketer and should certainly be in the side, but darren sammy was a far better captain for all his weaknesses as a player

holder, 3 actual good pacemen, an actual good spinner (miller? portly hero cornwall?) or another quick-bowling all-rounder and chase to round it off. they need a keeper to bat 6 and that should be their team balance. one more good fast bowler is needed.

in other news, Australia are struggling against the Tigers at Mirpur. Can Bangladesh get their first test victory against the Baggy Greens?

Is it still raining at Headingley?

would be a shame if rain spoiled a brilliant test match

they've just started, it's muggy with cloud cover

It's been steady drizzle here all morning, I was wondering about Leeds

Cook drops Brathwaite . He's the key wicket too

England will win around tea regardless of that drop

Powell caught by Stokes off Broad.

yay

lol

saw this happen to david gower

broad drops the simple c&b but the ball crashes into the stumps with kyle hope stranded

Boycott says the ball was hammered at him, c&b is always difficult for a fast bowler unless it's e.g. a leading edge. Bonus wicket!

seen the replay, yeah he should have caught it

I've seen him take those before, he's a good enough fielder.

I'm just glad for a change it wasn't an England player out like that because it really is the worst way to get out. So flukish

Australia look like they're gonna win They've closed on 109-2.

smith was given not out stumped first ball when i reckon he was out, doesn't really take away from the partnership though

meanwhile, west indies' first-innings heroes are together, what can they do

If they stay together to tea they will win I guess

big if obviously

They're going very well atm looking comfortable.

hmm!

everyones very quiet

well within their grasp now, I'm saying definite Windies win here

Brathwaite out for 95. W Indies still favourites but y'never know with nerves

new batsmen and pressure. Hope should still take them home but get him out and its back in the balance

think its tea

nope, not yet

2 more deliveries then tea

great effort, whatever happens from here...

that review was every bit as desperate as bishoo's yesterday

Aye, they might regret it too

Winviz now have England 1% to win

Oh what a fucking catch!

Sub fielder too!

Wow

the 2 best strokemakers are in next so they should actually take them over the line

catch aside, what the fuck was that shot

this is also a bad review but i guess they get refreshed in two overs

yeah, figured it was more psychological than hopeful

Blackwood looks in the mood to get this over quickly

Cook has dropped another one. Hope on 106

12 to win

6 to win. come on, big wallop!

I am starting to feel cautiously optimistic we might win this.

wicket, ooh now then

Yes, I spoke too soon.

amazing scenes!

gg

Heck of a game going on in Dhaka as well at the moment. Australia need 68 with three wickets remaining.

8 down now. Come on you Tigers!

Just watchng now, first ball after lunch!

wicket keeper trying to rival Gilchrist for most annoying chatter.

36 left, 1 wicket

holy moley, 22 to win

done it!

haha did the batsman ask for a review there?

lol dunno, only got the scorecard on at work

all reviews gone for both sides I think. Another great game!

can't wait for the test series between the bad test nations (formerly known as 'The Ashes')

keeping telling yourself that

always knew nathan lyon would one day become the greatest bowler ever

one of the great underestimated men of cricket

Stokes really swinging the ball now

Scores level England with 4 wkts left. Stokes on 57. Bairstow just out. It's very tight just now, get Stokes out quickly and they are back in it

Stokes out.

LOL NO BALL. Not Out

lucky lucky lucky. bet he gets out next ball though mind.

out this time

same delivery but legal this time

Windies must be hoping it will be sunny when they bat as that would win them the game most likely. I guess it's better to get them in today assuming it wont be sunny. If tomorrow is sunny whoever is batting will likely win?

Hows the weather outlook in London just now and for tomorrow? Neil? LJ? Tom?

moeen out

Not looking forward to the Ashes considering we are an 8 man team and are basically 0-3 starting off. #s2,3 and 5 contribute nothing.

Suns out just in time for the west indies batting btw

England lead by 71. Bright sunshine; if I were the west indies I'd try knocking off the deficit really quickly while it's great batting conditions.

Can Jimmy get his 500th wicket in his 1st spell?

Jimmy has 500!

500 wickets is an amazing achievement

Powell dropped

2 down

wonderfully poised

If it's sunny tomorrow West Indies should get a decent score as long as Shai Hope stays there. If not they will struggle

jermaine blackwood to slog a ton off 65 balls and annoy the shit out of everyone

lol not really though, it depends mostly on these two/maybe MAYBE holder

he's capable of it

xp

I wouldn't fancy chasing 250 if it's conditions likes yesterday and today.

blackwood is a total shambles haha

I reckon Cook will have knocked these runs off by tomorrow just before the close

may want to recalibrate that

England win. Pretty good series in the end. Been a good summer of cricket