Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 18 May 2009 / Leave a comment

Weather permitting, England have a fantastic chance of securing a win from the second Test against the West Indies. To do so they will need the likes of Graeme Swann and James Anderson to bowl well in order to take the remaining seven wickets. Ed Hawkins talks us through it all.

14.10 England win by an innings and 82 runs
It was 16.58 on day one that we suggested England were the value to win this Test match and they have done us proud to win in what is effectively four days after day two was washed out. They have utterly outplayed West Indies in this Test, not to mention the thumping they dished out at Lord's.
However, before all you England fans start to get carried away with daydreams about Andrew Strauss clutching a tiny terracotta urn at the end of this summer, a warning: this doesn't change anything.
England will still go into that series as underdogs. Indeed they are [3.50] with Australia [1.71]. The prices have barely budged in the immediate aftermatch of this result.
And of course they shouldn't. For a start Australia will be busting a gut. West Indies weren't. Australia are together. West Indies weren't. Australia can play swing bowling. West Indies can't.
Still, England at least have some momentum and they are a settled side. With Andrew Flintoff certain to come in for Tim Bresnan, the only possible slot up for grabs is the one belonging to Graham Onions.
It should be a fascinating series, however. No doubt it will be tight, too so come July make sure you log onto betting.betfair. Getting your fingers burnt in the Ashes just wouldn't do.

13.55 England win by an innings and 82 runs
Tim Bresnan claims the last wicket to deny Anderson a 10-for. Shame. But ENgland are convincing winners in this series. 2-0 they take it. But in truth, West Indies have been awful.

13.50 WI 172-9
And hilarity ensued. Paul Collingwood has taken a catch as wicketkeeper. Chanderpaul the man out, Anderson the bowler. He has 9 wickets in the match. Not quite sure why it is so amusing that stand-in keeper Collingwood has clung onto that edge. The commentators find it amusing. So do the players and Matt Prior is having a right chuckle in the hutch. Blimey, I wish I found life as funny. Every day would be an absolute blast. Look at that piece of fruit! HaHaHaHaHa!. Oh, and there's a pint of milk! HaHaHa! And so on.

13.40 WI 168-8
Okay, this shouldn't take too long. Hope so anyway. I've got designs on a bacon sandwich. Fidel Edwards has joined Shiv Chanderpaul at the crease. He has a little plaster on his cheek from the blow he suffered in the first dig. Presumably James Anderson will soon be on to try to hit on the other cheek. They don't like each other remember.

13.03 LUNCH WI 167-8
Two more for Anderson and he will have his best analysis. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he manages it because he has been England's best bowler now for about 18 months without the rewards. Sulieman Benn, who failed to score, is his victim. It's another piece of stump vandalism from Anderson. Anymore of this and they'll have to slap an ASBO on the hoodlum. Chortle.

12.54 WI 166-7
The Count reckons that it was Sirloin of Beef's idea that this Test was staged in the north east in May when the weather was unreliable and none of the locals were interested. "Classic Beefy. I remember scratching my head when he was England captain as to why the team never won.Then he retired, started doing commentary and I had my answer."

12.43 WICKET WI 163-7
James Anderson has smashed Jerome Taylor's stumps in like a vandal going at a phone booth after too many Special Brews. With the way the ball is swinging, Anderson will fancy his chances of taking the remaining three for his first 10-wicket haul in Tests.

12.28 WICKET 150-6
Another wicket for Bresnan. Ramdin has edged to third slip with an almost carbon copy of the shot which got him in the first dig. The ball is swinging all over the place and the last few posts are a sea of black. The game is as good as over with England at [1.04]. Meanwhile, CBS has emailed to suggest that "given his current record, did Gordon Brown advise the ECB on when to stage Tests." Oh, you are a card CBs. That's satire that is. See, we don't just do cake gags on this blog. There is virtually no-one in the ground watching this by the way.

12.21 WICKET WI 142-5
I don't think we're going to be here for very long. Brendan Nash has gone. An even softer dismissal. He was caught at short midwicket off Tim Bresnan who has claimed his first Test victim. Rubbish from Nash. Very poor. I'm peeved because I had backed him for series top bat and he only needed a score of 40 odd. What a chump. Me. Not Nash. Denesh Ramdin is in now. These two represent the last chance for West Indies.

12.16 WI 141-4
England have responded to my cajoling. Simmons did make a mistake. A big one, too. It was a short and wide one from James Anderson but Simmons didn't know whether to smash it or leave it. So he hit it straight to gully. England as short as [1.47]. Brendan Nash will make his way to the middle.

12.08 WI 139-3
Right. We're back. Come on England now. Get a wicket. With this moisture around you really should be capable of getting Lendl Simmons to make an error. We've been keen on you throughout this Test and we don't want to be let down at this final hurdle.

11.57 WI 139-3
On-off-on-off. That is a summary of what has happened so far. Big spots of rain on the camera lens. I'm off to study my weather radar map again. Now we know what the weather is doing I can look back histroically to see where it came from and perhaps give a prediction as to whether this will be a regular thing.

11.45 WI 129-3
Play has resumed. The draw is out to [2.24] and England are back to [1.75]. What a silly market shift that was. By the way, Paul Collingwood is behind the stumps because Matt Prior's finger is still a little sore. Whether that harms England's chances or not I'm unsure. Yesterday I was rather forthright in saying it was a blow but I think I was just being a bit of a drama queen. As if I'd had too much Tizer or something and got overexcited at all the E numbers rushing to the brain.

11.32 RAIN WI 129-3
Good news.The sun is breaking through and the rain has stopped. Draw price out to [2.30]. This betting lark really is easy. By the way, would you be kind enough to send me suggestions as to who was responsible for the bright idea of playing a Test match in May in the north east? Someone who would struggle in an intellectual debate with a slice of toast perhaps? This is me hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

11.17 RAIN WI 129-3
Well, that didn't take long. The market flip flops with the draw at [1.95] and England [2.04]. We can wager on this weather all day long. Where is the harm in laying that draw price? We know that they'll be back out at some some stage and we're pretty sure England will claim a wicket, too. That gives the opportunity for profit.

11.07 WI 121-3
So it is two of the most reliable phenomenons known to man which stand in England's way: Shiv Chanderpaul and the British weather. There's not much they can do about the latter. As for Chanderpaul, I suppose they could just decide to target the other end. Lendl Simmons, his current partner, is hugely vulnerable because of the way he plays across the line. Brendan Nash can be tricky to dislodge but England probably reckon they have his number while Denesh Ramdin is due a failure. Then it's the bowlers.

10.56
We will have play starting on time today as England look to take this series 2-0. But our eyes will be on the heavens as much as they are on the pitch. The groundstaff, according to Sirloin of Beef, reckon that the rain will hold off. It's one of those days when you wish your best mate was Michael Fish. I don't the man. But I do know about this site, which has become my new favourite toy over the last few days. There appears to be a nasty band of rain which could hit around 15.00. Anyway, the prices are: England are [1.58] and the draw is [2.74].