Another good day for England. We accelerated well in the morning and managed to take two valuable wickets before the close. I’ll be amazed if the Windies escape with a draw today. You see, we can be positive on this blog from time to time!
The main talking points were Gary Ballances hundred – didn’t he do well – and possibly the timing of Cook’s declaration. I think the skipper timed things about right. Many of us jump on our captain’s mistakes, so it’s only fair to point out that not everything he does is wrong.
Meanwhile, the long wait for Jimmy Anderson to break His Beefiness’s wicket-taking record goes on. Will today be the day? I think it probably will. If and when it does happen, Jimmy will deserve all the plaudits he gets. He’s been a good bowler for a long time.
Please feel free to comment on today’s events in the comments section below. Thanks.
James Morgan
@DoctorCopy
Vy pleased to see Balance get his century. Even more pleased that he will not join the list of players that England have wrecked/discarded. Only wish that they would apply this criteria to others. I would love a draw if only to prove that the term mediocre was misguided as I think the Windies have put up a good show and also to stop the ECB claiming we are back on top form and that all is right with the world
Feeling encouraged by the middle order as well as historically, we know full well how that old custom The Batting Collapse can strike at any time.
And,apropose of nothing. Can the wicket mike be turned down? Buttler is really getting on my nerves
So much fuss over Jimmy Anderson – he will overtake Ian Botham, but what a travesty though. Botham was a great bowler, Jimmy isn’t. I have a real issue of a good bowler “overtaking” a great bowler.
To be a great bowler over time, in my opinion, you need be in the mid 20’s average, win test matches for your team, get that important breakthrough when your skip tosses you the ball. Jimmy has only done the latter, in fact he’s very good at that.
Jimmy has been the best England bowler for some time, which probably is reflected on where England is at in the world standings.
No, not a fan and that was endorsed last year with the Jadeja incident..
He has a great action though……
It’s not an issue. Walsh has the most wickets of any of the great Windian quicks. No one things he is the greatest.
Anderson is no Trueman, but he’s a very fine bowler
True.
When any all time England XI is picked, it is extremely unlikely any of the three seamers would include Jimmy.
Mine would be Trueman, Willis and Botham, for what it’s worth
Comparing players from different eras is a fools errand, I wouldn’t get too hot under the collar about it.
Jimmy has played in an era where bat has dominated ball though, its not surprising his average is higher. He also struggled a lot at the start of his career, playing test cricket when he probably wasn’t ready which is another reason why his average is higher. I would say he has been a very good but not great bowler, who has definitely been one of England’s best.
Botham was also only a great bowler for the early part of his career. His first 51 tests he got 231 wickets at 23. The next 51 tests he got only 135 wickets at 33. That’s average by modern day standards, let alone in the 80’s when he was playing.
His injuries meant he lost pace and he became much less effective, hence his overall average is 28.40 which is what, only a run or so less per wicket than Anderson. Botham’s peak was definitely a lot higher but Jimmy has been more consistent over time. With the amount of cricket they play nowadays in a batsman friendly world that’s no mean feat. He and Jimmy have played basically the same number of tests, and they have essentially the same number of wickets. Botham’s legend lives on from the 81 Ashes and the fact he was an excellent batsman too, but the stats suggest he got into the team more on reputation in the latter part of his career.
Over the last 10 years there’s only Dale Steyn of quick bowlers who averages in the low 20’s. Now I am probably more on the side that he is the only genuinely great fast bowler of the last ten years, but its very complicated and hard to compare between eras.
Sorry I made a slight error in Botham’s stats. His first 51 tests: 231 wickets at 23. His next 37 tests: 135 wickets at 33. In his last 14 tests his average was in the 50′.
“Jimmy has played in an era where bat has dominated ball though, its not surprising his average is higher”.
Two problems with this argument:
1) Ferriday & Wilson studied batting records across Test history and found that the volume of runs has scored has remained remarkably consistent since WW1. The rate of scoring has increased in the last decade but not the volume of scoring.
2) Dale Steyn averages 22.5. Steyn must be S.F. Barnes crosed with Malcolm Marshall if it is so difficult for modern bowlers to have low averages.
see my comments about sky’s coverage of Cook, I mean the match …..other thread – watch out we’re on Cook alert time today
Buttler’s reverse sweep for 4 off a chest high full toss was the highlight of the day for me
Although England may well still win, the declaration was too delayed for me. Clarke set India 363 off 98 overs in Adelaide. McCullum set Pakistan 261 of 72 overs in UAE (although NZ were one down in the series and bad light meant probably all the overs wouldn’t be bowled as indeed they weren’t – but then there are possible showers forecast in Antigua today). A side stands more chance of winning if the opposition are not totally closed out of the game and keep playing their shots. England still think about not losing first. 380/390 would have been ample.
If you are going to set such a high score, then the only excuse is the ability to maintain attacking fields. During the third last over yesterday, with Broad bowling to Samuels on nought, Cook had just three close catchers.
Cook’s captaincy hasn’t been Day Four at Headingley awful. It hasn’t been Strauss in WI in 2009 awful. If avoiding awfulness is the summit of our ambitions then we can be content. If we’re looking at what the best do and seeking to emulate it then we have some way to go.
Simon I agree with much of what you say. However, if England can’t bowl out this WI side in 4 sessions, and 25 minutes with the Windies under pressure to save the game then they don’t deserve to win.
I think I hate Cooks conservative captaincy more than his batting. Perhaps if he had the captaincy taken away from him a year ago, and told to just focus on his batting he might have done better.
He has many supporters in the media and his batting does have a record he can keep falling back on. (2010/11 Ashes) but his captaincy is so timid. I am amazed the Gowers, and the Selveys and all the other courtiers still try to present him as a good captain. He Ain’t.
Even Agnew, yes mild Cook loving Agnew was banging on about why England never have a short leg yesterday. Jonathon has be on about it for years. Yesterday Broad had a semi short leg slightly back from normal, and that’s where the first wicket came.
Broad had a short leg behind square, not a semi short leg – short backward square is always a little further back because the ball flies there. Jimmy had a short leg with the new ball – didn’t see the last part of the day after tea, so can’t comment. The pitch is slow, so they tend to like short covers and mid-wickets as catchers instead. It’s a modern captaincy trait, unless you’re on quick bouncy pitches.
There’s a difference between the media tearing into him, as I assume you feel they should be, and presenting him as a good captain. I can’t comment on Newman, Etheridge etc because I don’t read them, but most of the stuff I’ve read has been fairly balanced. He’s had a fairly effective game here, he’s rotated his bowlers well, he’s kept relatively attacking fields without being gung-ho, but he doesn’t exactly have a gung-ho attack.
He’s certainly a long way from the dark days of Headingley last year. Hussain, who rarely pulls his punches in his criticism of England tactics, made the very good point that it’s easier to be a lot bolder in the commentary box (and on cricketing blogs) than it is when it’s your head on the block.
That’s not a very good point, it’s stating the bleedin’ obvious.
It would appear Mr A Cooks head is never on the block.
I can’t comment on Cook’s positioning of his fielders or use of his bowlers, as I haven’t been watching, but England are going to get 130 overs to bowl the Windies out. I can’t see how that’s too few.
Lets not forget this is a very flat pitch, I wouldn’t bet against even WI chasing down 300 odd here… Ballance, Stokes and Buttler paced their innings well and ENG declared at the right time… if they don’t win it won’t be because of the timing of declaration.
Cook’s field placings were terrible. He is not the right man to lead England and on current form should not even be in the team.
Which field placings in particular?
Anyone still want to drop Ballance? He only averages 60 in Test cricket, after all…
I don’t see how he could have declared much earlier – when Ballance was out, they were 380 ahead with c135 overs left (less than 3rpo), and then Buttler and Jordan put on 50 in 6 overs.
Think you’re splitting hairs. Cook’s captaincy has been pretty good in this match – the wicket is set up for attritional cricket. There have been decent fields set, although sometimes I think he’s overdone the catchers in front at the expense of an extra slip.
He’s never going to be Mike Brearley (although he’s trying to get his batting average into Brearley territory), but he’s much better than he was. It’s his batting that’s going to be the end of him.
I haven’t actually heard a single person advocating dropping Ballance at any point. Is this a bizarre straw man argument?
I think some people are forgetting his test exploits of last summer in light of his poor form in the World Cup.
Boycott has been saying Trott should be at 3, with Ballance going down to 5 or 6.
Weakens an already weak bowling line up. I guess Stokes would be the one to drop out, and while his bowling isn’t too much yet, he is a reasonable fifth bowler. And with Moeen back, do really need we Balance/Bell at 5 and 6?
Seems like a typical opinion Boycs hasn’t properly thought through, not for the first time…
For me, Ballance at 3 and Trott as back up to him. I differ from England selectors in that I believe we need 14+ capable players – including a 3rd opener (not that I think we have 2 yet) another spinner, another quickie (finn?) ……
Point is, if someone is injured, we need a ready replacement not a medic with a needle, if someone is out of form, let them rediscover it away from test cricket. Basically, I’d like to see a squad and not the Miller/whittaker lazy thing: we’ve settled on 11 fabulous players – job done.
I think that makes sense …..
Agreed. Enough of playing people out of position. Trott should be next cab off the rank if Ballance loses form or is injured – but shoehorning him in to open when we have a specialist opener in Lyth is just daft.
We need a squad deep enough to have a quality replacement in every position.
Don’t quite know why, but this made me laugh:
Jonathan Agnew adds: “Geoffrey combusted at that wicket. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so angry.”
Particularly as I agree with him that Blackwood displayed “less brains than a pork pie”…
I thought pork pies were basically eyeballs and bumholes. So that statement stacks up. Might as well be some brains in a pork pie, seeing as it’s not quite the best bits of the pig.
Is this a cricket blog? Sorry about that.
Anyway…yeah Colin talk nah. Dinesh is at least beginning to think about preparing to do an Atherton. 28 overs to go… squeaky bum time.
Holder !
Nearly day 6 in Antigua. Jason Holder’s a bit of a monolith, ay he? Great work, fella. Well done, West Indies.
Congratulations to James Anderson on taking Sir Beefy’s record. I wonder if anyone currently playing in county cricket will get the opportunity to take the record from him. Any likely candidates?
And I wonder where Moores[y] will point his I’m-not-blaming-you-but-you’re-dropped finger?
Fascinating to see two 23 year olds, with eight tests between them, score fine maiden centuries, under no little pressure, to deny England.
West Indies might be short at least one class bowler, but they look to be rising above the ‘mediocre’.