Inspired use of DRS by England. Lose the appeal, which would have failed anyway, because of a no ball. Then gain wicket with the extra ball of the over.

What's really, really, really absolutely infuriating about this is that at the same time as the West Indies are struggling a little at Lord's, Chris Gayle has slaughtered 121 off 59 balls in an essentially meaningless IPL match.

Finished 128* from 62, 101 of those from the last 37. Why, why, why..... Gah

good, keep him in India then !

What's Michael Holdings problem with Shiv ?

can't believe the criticism of him being a selfish cricketer etc

come on Mikey - the little man is a genius FFS !

especially after passing Gavaskar on the all time runs list !

I think it may have something to do with Chanderpaul's lack of interest in any other part of the game other than occupying the crease for his own entertainment. Say what you will about the way Boycott used to bat, but he was always tidy in the field and with the ball.

The run-out. The taking of a single off the first ball of the last over with the inevitable consequence of Fiddy getting out in the remaining five balls.
These are regular occurrences with Shiv, but I think that going on from that to calling him out as selfish is a bit over the top. And even if he is, the guy's been around forever, scored bucketfuls of runs, is the top ranked batter in the world, has lost more Test matches than anyone else in history thanks largely to the incompetence of the WICB and his fellow players.... In those circumstances, I'd make sure I was looking out for number one and sod everyone else.

And ours...although calling them "batsmen" is taking things a bit too far at the minute.
On a pitch on which Rikki effing Clarke got an unbeaten century, our mob can barely muster 50 between them. Division 2 and the chumps in there would be too good for us at this rate.

West Indies innings lasted precisely one ball this morning. Broad to Gabriel, edged, caught. Shiv stranded on 87. 7-72 for Broad

pity about his regular party piece of running his partners out !

Placid pitch, pop-gun attack. If Strauss doesn't get a hundred here, he never will.

And 50 for the Run-grinder Pursuivant.

Played skipper

all good match practice for the REAL series against the South Africans ?

As it stands at the moment though there are, quite shockingly, two teams worse than us, so we're staying up!

One are Worcs who are not doing well against Sussex, the other are Durham who aren't playing...

Very true and Worcestershire, minus Richardson are going to struggle even more. Can't see Durham staying down there too long though and they always hump us twice a season too.

We seriously need to get a draw out of this if possible to try and get a little bit of momentum back. Unlike last season the bowlers aren't quite dragging us out of the mire as yet.

Anyway it's all about the CB40 this season

Seeing Clive Lloyd sat on the sofa as a pundit of ITV4's IPL coverage you realise how far the Windies have fallen as a test nation.

I remember their opening 5 batsmen in the "blackwash" series v England in 84?...Greenidge,Haynes,Gomes,Lloyd & Richards.

The bowlers were equally frightening

Michael Holding - probably the finest bowling action of all time ?

the finest WI team I was lucky enough to see - with Hall,Griifths & Gibbs bowling

top seven batsmen

Hunte
Carew
Kanhai
Butcher
Nurse
Sobers
Holford

top seven England team

Boycott
Milburn
Graveney
Barrington
Cowdrey
Parks
D'Oliviera

awesome !

I can just about remember Holding playing for the Windies in the late 70's, i know he served Derbyshire well after. Wasn't his nickname "whispering death"?

When your best player CBA putting on the international jersey and would rather go play evening league slog-a-thons for mega money instead, you know you're screwed as a cricketing nation.

Unless there is root and branch reform of WI cricket from top to bottom, I can't ever see them challenging the top nations again.

yes correct - he had such a smooth action and made it look so easy ! his WI teammates at the time were the likes of Malcolm Marshall,Joel Garner,Andy Roberts and Colin Croft to name but a few...
I used to love it when Worcs came to Chelmsford !



BTW the players I listed were in opposing teams in the 1966 series Eng v WI all great players in their own right - what's happened to all the 'class' that was overflowing in those days ?
I recall the WI opening game of that '66 tour when they played at Norwich against th Duchess Lavinias Eleven - I was 12 years of age sat next to the tiny I dressing room and managed to meet my great hero Sir Garfield Sobers - I tried my hardest to copy his style of both batting and bowling but failed miserably of course....I did however,manage to recreate the famous Rohan Kanhai sweep shot... probably why my knees are shot away now ?

Windies pushing on towards a 150 lead, will be an interesting day tomorrow if they can set England 200+

looks like goodnight vienna for england

Got the draw, Horton leading a defence-a-thon that even Monty Panesar would be proud of....

And yep, we've won the CC, now onto the CB40, thats the most coveted one now...probably go all wrong at Lord's in that (I am a Saints fan so finals scare me)

Brilliant batting performance from Horton and Cross on Friday, felt like a win when they shook hands. And by Christ, there's some bitter Warwickshire members after last season.



And yesterday would've been a lot more comfortable it it wasn't for SajingMahmood. Braindead tosspot.