From the Editor :
After an absence of almost a month, Test cricket returns with a series between England and the West Indies. On paper it isn't a contest to salivate over, but there are several subplots to keep things interesting, so long as the rain stays away.
One of them will be settled as soon as Andrew Strauss is able to cash in on a poor day in the field from the West Indies. With the tourists going into the series with an injury problem or two, that might come fairly soon.
More interesting will be how Jonny Bairstow gets on at number six, assuming he gets his chance. With Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara having fluffed their opportunities in the berth over the last few seasons, will Bairstow be the man to finally lay claim to it?
Finally, it remains to be seen who spins in the revolving door that services England's third seamer berth. Tim Bresnan's batting makes him an attractive option, but is Steve Finn perhaps the more threatening man?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Cheers,
Team C365.
Got my tickets for Lords for Eng V SA, pity it's the 3rd test but holding the damn Olympics means the Oval is the holding first test. Still trying to get tickets to that. Doesn't really matter if I don't though. SA will be up 2 - 0 by then anyway...hahaha LOL!!!
@bonehead - KP is too inconsistent. If England battled against a lowly Windies team then what is going to happen against world no.2 in July? SA have a golden generation of their own sir! In fact, every SA team produced since 1992 was a golden generation lol.
@Beenod - hate Chelsea but as a sports fan have to agree - the stuff of dreams. The way they won the CL puts all doubts about fate and destiny to bed. If something is destined for you in life, there is nothing anyone can do about it - it is going to happen.
Pity RCB, with the best top 4 in the cup, are out!
Sorry, just checked Alec Stewart's figures and I believe Matt Prior would do well to get close to him!
Bell, Cook, KP in line to end up as the top run getters in Tests for England. Bell, Cook, KP, Strauss and Trott in line to end up with highest number of centuries among players from England. Broad and Anderson will be the top 2 wicket takers by the time they are done. Grame Swann will be the most successful English spinner in tests. Matt Prior to end up as the English Keeper with the best batting stats. Andy Flower the coach to end up with the highest number of wins.
The phrase "golden generation" doesn't have a more fitting application.
HAHHAHA CSK get into the play off by a big miracle, now they might go all the way and win the bloody thing once again! @Beenod, I agree with you on this one, to be honest it was written in the starts for chelsea to win with the amount of luck they had, and yes it was pure luck in the final, but that is a game, BM did not put away the chances and chelsea did what they had to and won the game at the end, English teams record in the penalties is bad, but chelsea changed that, fair play to them! Now allegations are that Rahul sharma and Wayne parnell been taking drugs in partt, another unwanted controversy in the IPL, even though, I do not think why it is reletaively important to link everything to IPL, I mean world wise sports you get inncidents and if found wrong you get punished but nothing happens to that sports it just moves on. Rather strange to me. But oh well!
Great captaincy by Dhoni ! The way he sneaked CSK into the playoffs will be talked about for decades to come !!
@bonehead, "'lets see how he does against world no. 1'.. You mean when facing upto the likes of Broad and Jimmy in the nets ? Wonder why you're so fussed up about the practice sessions!", I think if 3_rd man had said "Overhyped ball fiddlers" then you correct in mentioning Broad and Anderson.
C'mon this 'Luck' word is being used frequently to deny Chelsea the credit/respect they deserve and I have serious disagreement over it. U just can't reach the finals of CL by mere luck as u ve to overcome so many strong oppositions, not only playing at your home but also away. & so far the Final is concerned, yes no doubt that BM was dominant much of the time but what is the worth of that dominance which can't give u any result? It's not due to Chelsea's luck that BM were unable to utilize any of 14 corner kicks, by when Chelsea had none, it's strong and rock-solid defense of Chelsea. Only hanging on the string of luck, u can't drag the match to tie-breakers and that too by magnificently coming back in the match, neither mere luck lets u save a spot kick from a proven world class player! Chelsea won, coz they were determined to make the dream, they have been dreaming for over a decade, come true.
While Football enchanted all, cricket is not far behind as the IPL is growing more n more intense, despite all the match fixing things and WI is simply not surrendering, they r gonna give England a tough touch or who knows they can even seal the match. BTW, well played Broad!
The most wonderful feeling is when the Pom commentators talk about finishing the game in three days, and yet here they are stuttering on day 5.
On one hand, I'm disappointed that a team ranked 8th did a better job than India in this Test match. Just goes to show how pathetic they were barring Dravid. On the other hand, absolutely stoked for West Indies. England will go on to win this by 5 wickets, but brilliant on them to show some spirit.
C'mon you Windies. Gabriel can make an instant name for himself today if he takes a couple of key ones.
Well plated Chelsea, they had all the luck, still they done the job, and as an Arsenal fan, I am pleased that this also confirms no CL place for spurs next season! On the minus side, I only got 3 runs in my game yesterday, even though my bowling was reasonable.
Forget England, CHELSEA r the CHAMPIONS of EUROPE and this is something I've been awaiting since 2000. Sure it took way too long to arrive but arrived in such a grand fashion that it would go down the memory for real long long time. But yeah, admittedly BM were far better side that night, of which I might have missed only few seconds of the entire match, from beginning to end (those few second to blink my eyez); but again it's not dominance that matters in any sports, all that matters is Final score!
Congratulation CHELSEA, the King of Europe...
CHAMPIONS!!!
"the 2 best wingers in the world and a better coach".. Sorry for the diversion but couldn't resist. 33 years as a top level coach and he has one european title? Even the ol' whiskey face trumps him in this ;)
"strauss is facing mediocre bowling".. I remember the same bowling attacking posed quite a few problems to both the Aussies and Indians. I'd say that was an excellent knock under pressure.
"lets see how he does against world no. 1".. You mean when facing upto the likes of Broad and Jimmy in the nets ? Wonder why you're so fussed up about the practice sessions!
strauss is facing mediocre bowling, what did we expect? lets see how he does against world no. 1, 6 and 10 come july!
actually i dont see south africa doing better than windies. not because i think poms r more than mediocre but because all other teams r held ransom by ipl and south africans wen they get to england wil hav no idea how to play test cricket. england is only team to b able to take test cricket seriosly as they never invited to any other tournaments and there players always available
@beenod, i dont see bayern choking at home. they have the pedigree as well, having won it 4 times before. the 2 best wingers in the world and a better coach.
Let England enjoy their laugh once again as they have trod back to their home turf and looking good against a weak opposistion! Real Business will begin when saffers come here, and when England go to India, we will see what Swing Anderson gets and what lines broad deleivers, and see if Strauss will look class again as he looking vs windies. I dearly hope England do not give big talk, because soon as they play saffers and India next, then England will need to concentrate on the line of the bowl rather than line of words.
the sad thing is that the media is using the chanderpaul selfish thing to distract him and cause dissention in the team . easily done in a team where money can lure there loyalty
Walk in the park for England...Sarwan, Gayle, Bravo should hang their heads in shame that they are chasing a few filthy rupees in the Indian pyjama league and not helping out their countries in the real cricket. Of course them playing may not help the current standard of buffet bowling being served up, but another 100-150 odd runs on their first innings might have meant that England batsman had a bit more pressure on them...but then those who like big things and like screaming 'WOW SIX' a lot as the dancing girls and boys jig about, will never understand how the filthy pyjama baseball is diluting real cricket...perhaps when their older?
i have to disagree about chanderpaul. yes he is a run machine but he could have saved 3 wickets and a session and that makes a difference between a draw or loss or even a win . but its nonsense thAT A guy who played so many games cant turn the strike and if u watched his performances and this innings was a gud example wer he took a single off 1st ball in so many overs , shows his selfish play and lack of team effort which u see in samuels also and most windies players, not just his batting but his lack of consern when samuels thort he was bac in the ipl he shud hav told the junior to rein it in.
@Pom.. I still get the creeps when I think of him breaking down in the middle of that Edgebaston test against the Saffers. More so when Freddie himself was kind of knackered and we need a fourth bowler. And a year later, he was bowling wide back of the length pies to Indians on the second morning of the TrentBridge test. He never had the fitness nor the brains for an international fast bowler. The sight Broad and Anderson running in makes me so happy. Both of them should surpass Beefy and end up as all time English greats.
& one thing I forgot, not quite cricket but sports of course. Tomorrow midnight, my time, is the biggest match of club football of the season. Chelsea taking on Bayern Munich on their home ground! How many of u have your money on Chelsea??? Well, I do have!
So England losses Cook early! Interesting, or is it? What u guyz think? Do WI stand a chance here or it's Eng all the way from here? Is it gonna be a run feast and Eng victory by an innings + margin? Whatever, gonna enjoy & even more when KP comes in, hoping he'd start right from where he's left!
Cheers & a very good weekend to me!!!
@Bonehead..."when our attack was led by Sidebottom (now he is bowler who can not get my granny out)"...to be fair he had one great season. On the Sri Lanka tour he was immense, but he was a typical 'form is temporary class is permanent type'...he just never had the class.
Pom_in_SA: I have no doubts that Gayle should be serving his national side but I's just referring to his performance in what he is currently involved. I am not in the side of money over nation but that's what is going on and that can hurt int'l cricket badly but I wish that day would never come! & btw, I respect your feeling and in this matter I m with u n all those u think like u.
@Pom_in_SA .. woof! I was only taking into account performances at home (in response to mash's earlier post). Anyways, save for the two years under Moorsy, when our attack was led by Sidebottom(now he is bowler who can not get my granny out), England have been fearsome at home since 2003. Peter Moores had really set us back by two years by the time he had finished. It's mainly to the credit of Flower that England is where it is today.
@mash.. Haha! You must be a Saffer/Indian whose team had pinched a win in England when Moores was the coach and now must be wondering how your team can compete with current lot ?
bonehead says...
Have Your Say
Posted 21/05/2012 @ 18:41
England have got massive problems and I mean massive problems, Teams like England and Pakistan need batting class coaches if they are going to maintain high levels in all conditions, I use this example as both England and Pakistan have great bowling attack but a total garbage batting ability. Lets face it, if South Africa will have a field day bowling vs England and India getting England out in Indian conditions. Mind you West Indies have a good bowling unit, so I am not saying it because it was against Windies they stumbled, it is because England keep on having these problems.This only shows how India were not fully focused when in the UK, some may say it is sour grapes talk, but UK press have said exactly what I am saying here. Before my mate Bonehead accuses me of being biased or whatever he may call it, just want to remind him and everyone how much I slated India for poor show, but facts will remain when India have played bad they been totally bad! I raised my views on a radio station her ein the UK called 5 live sports on Test match special, and the crew from the radio agreed with me.