Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 08 March 2009 / 1 Comments

England have the runs on the board, the West Indies have the wickets in hand, the pitch still looks a decent one and with one eye on the Digicel girls and the other on the action in the middle, Ed Hawkins talks us through it all.

21.14 WI 349-4
That's your lot, folks. England are struggling. A disastrous last session. They haven't taken a wicket and the Windies have avoided the follow on. The draw is [1.14] and England are [11.50]. Only deterioration in the pitch can stop the hosts winning this series after Chanderpaul and Nash batted for about half a day. See you tomorrow

20.53 WI 330-4
Demoralising and dispiriting stuff this for England. The occasional yelps and screams of the bowlers are more in angst than expectation. Shiv Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash, true to form, just do not look like giving a chance. England are out to [8.40] now and the draw is [1.19]. Seven overs left. 50 for Chanderpaul, too

20.41 WI 323-4
Swann is proving to be irritable so and so.ALways moaning. At the captain for his field, at his team-mates, at the umpire. Just get on with the game,pal. Life's too short. Any minute now it could be taken from you for an innocent mistake with a cream egg at the store.

20.23 WI 321-4
I have an admission to make. I stole a Cadbury's cream egg today. In mitigation, I didn't mean to. It was just that the supermarket I was at had one of those self-service tills and I got so furious that it would not scan the bar code - and I was damned if I would 'type in the number' - that I just chucked it in the bag. I will not reveal which supermarket it was, though. I think that would make me immune from prosecution. Actually, this makes for a rather interesting experiement with regard to the power of the web. I AM A THIEF! I STOLE A CREAM EGG AT 13.27 FROM A WEST LONDON STORE! COME AND GET ME PO-LICE!

20.11 WI 305-4
It's just not happening for England with this new ball. And we've seen it so many times before in this series. Okay, the pitches have been pretty lifeless but there is enough in this surface to give the fast men encouragement. England are lacking that special someone, a guy who has the ability to rip through a batting line-up. Amjad is fast but wayward, Broad promises much but actually, when you analyse him closely, he doesn't get sideways movement and isn't that quick while Anderson is only effective when it is swinging. Panesar is their best hope on a wicket which should take more turn on the fourth and fifth days.

19.47 WI 300-4
50 for Nash. He flashed over the slips off Khan, who is actually rather wasting the new ball. As a result, Stuart Broad has been told to loosen up.

19.37 WI 288-4
As soon as I finished typing that last sentence England took the new ball. Amjad has it and he is pitching it up, giving it a chance to swing. There are still 25 overs left today. And then a full two days. I still reckon the draw is a lay. I said that at [1.77] so at [1.38] I have no reason to change opinion.

19.30 WI 283-4
England have not yet taken the new ball. Panesar, who has had two chances dropped today, continues to whirl away. Amjad is trying to get the old one to reverse.

19.12 WI 261-4
To continue our 'retired hurt' debate, Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, was pranged on his little diddy right finger by Mitchell Johnson in Durban yesterday. It was the second time Smith had retired hurt against Australia having done so in Sydney at the start of the year. His assailant was Johnson, who this time struck him on the left hand. Smith also retired hurt against Australia in the World Cup in St Kitts, probably costing his side victory. He had cramp.

19.02 WI 252-4
England have a new ball in 5 overs. They will probably take it straight away because the need to break this irritating combo of Chanderpaul and Nash is increasing by the minute.

18.39 WI 251-4 TEA
Poor old Monty could do with some luck. In the last few minutes Andrew Strauss has dropped a bat-pad chance from Brendan Nash and Panesar then appeared to have the same batsman absolutely plumb leg before.

18.22 WI 243-4
Amazingly I have answered Portuguese Pirate's question about the batsman who has retired hurt most in Test cricket. It is Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India No. 3 who was forced off the field six times in his 116-game career between 1976 and 1992. One would imagine that if Owais Shah manages to hold onto his place in this England side, he will have passed the record by this time next year. That is if he doesn't run himself out.

18.04 WI 232-4
Portuguese Pirate says: "I was never particularly good at maths myself. My algebra, trigonometry and geometry skills were appalling yet I was brilliant at probability. I never had the heart to tell my dear old teacher that it was because I was a keen gambler even at that age and had read books about odds-compiling and blackjack theory. On a separate note, do you have any stats on which Test batsmen retired hurt most often throughout their careers?" I don't. But I tell you what I do have - a Cadbury's cream egg and a cup of tea. I'll see what I can dig out, though when my sweet tooth has been satisfied

17.56 WI 231-4
Amjad, or Amstrad given how he got his wires crossed last night, continues to impress. He is moving it in and out, which is giving the batsmen something to think about. Swann is coming on now. I would have kept going with Monty.

17.43 WI 223-4
Monty is loving his work. He has correctly recognised that he has the potential to take a big haul here and give the selectors a real headache. We have West Indies' stellar pair at the crease in terms of obduracy - Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash. Amjad is currently doing a lap honour, reckoning that he has the former caught behind. He doesn't. The bat hit the ground.

17.29 WI 207-4
Yep, out. Can't understand why Lendl Simmons referred that. Or why Shiv Chanderpaul allowed him to. It was plumb. And one for the notebook. Simmons is getting too far across his stumps so all Monty needs to do is bowl dead straight, bring in leg before and short leg. England into [2.20] and the draw is [1.77]. The latter is a lay. Chris Gayle has a hamstring tear and may not be able to bat again while the wicket will continue to deteriorate.

REFERRAL
Simmons given leg before to Monty.That's out,pal. I'm sure you've just wasted one.

17.06 WI 195-3
Drama. If you can't get 'em out, knock 'em out. Sort of anyway. Gayle has had to retire hurt. As good as a wicket for England. Shiv Chanderpaul, who has a groin problem, is patched up and on his way.

17.02 WI 195-3
Bitter sweet for Chris Gayle. He has gone to a century but he may have injured himself in the process. Never one for stretching itself, Gayle's body was so shocked at being asked to do so that its hamstring might have taken offence. Really,he should have been run out but Owais Shah, another one alien to the quick single, missed. Gayle is in real trouble by the looks of things. He might need a runner.

16.57 190-3
When West Indies have lost their third wicket for 188 or more in Test since 2000, their average score is 410. Impressive number crunching that eh? I should really get a job with NASA. In truth, Cricinfo's Statsguru does all the work for me so you don't have to. In truth again I never got my maths GCSE. Not my fault, though. My teacher was retiring at the end of the year so she just didn't bother drumming in the formulae. We could do what we wanted and when you give kids at that age such an option, there is only ever going to be one outcome. I do remember sitting down to take the exam and being quite astonished how easy the first few questions were. 'I'm only gonna bloody pass this, aren't I!?' I thought. Then the algebra kicked in. Do email me, by the way, if you can explain what the point of algebra is. The address is hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk. Anyway, I've rather got sidetracked. I wanted to say that according to the market, West Indies are such shoo ins for a big score that there is little cash around on the first-innings runs market.

16.44 WI 176-3
West Indies need another 171 runs to avoid the follow-on as the second session of day bthree begins. England have to keep chipping away here. Stuart Broad takes the attack to Chris Gayle first up.

16.02 WI 176-3
That's lunch. And I shall have my lunch, too. It is an occupational hazard of doing this blog that one adjusts to Caribbean time. Some soup and a pork pie for me, I reckon. I bet the players won't be having anything as tasty. Lots of bananas for them, and some of those energy drinks which come in the most unnatural of colours. England will be content with their work. The wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan to Amjad Khan, who has been excellent, was a huge fillip. They must remove Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons from the crease. The latter is beginning to look accomplished.

15.39 WI 159-3
Big shout from Monty for a leg before against Lendl Simmons. But there was an inside edge. England reckoned that Simmons was hit pad first but the pictures showed bat and pad came together at pretty much the same time. Monty, as is his wont, was screaming for the decision. TCozier reckoned that it was "intimidation" that is "unacceptable". Easy Tony. Monty couldn't intimidate a mouse. It is pure excitement, nothing more and the umpires know it, too.

15.28 WI 146-3
We are seeing a few keep low from Panesar's arm. Encouraging for backers of England or draw layers. Amjad is taking a breather and the Sky team have been talking about his action, which is perfectly legal. To the naked eye it may look that he is a chucker but he is just cocking his wrist, really snapping it back. That is where he gets his pace from. He hit 93mph last night. If he can learn to bowl steadily at 85mph plus, and occasionally bowl one at 90 as a 'surprise' ,England have a player on their hands.

15.15 WI 133-3
Amjad Khan and Monty Panesar are bowling well in tandem. It is good news for English cricket. These are two characters who have had their problems, one more recent than the other. Last night Amjad had a difficult start to his Test career as he sprayed the ball around with reckless abandon. A lesser man could have been broken and I feared the worse for him when he looked rather sheepish as his team-mates encouraged him. But he has bounced back in terrific style. As for Monty, his confidence must have taken a real hit with Graeme Swann usurpring him as England's No. 1 spinner in this series. But you wouldn't know it from this spell. His flight and speed are good and he actually looks a more accomplished twirler than Swann.

14.58 WI 118-3
Lendl Simmons is the new batsman. England will be confident of picking him up cheap.Simmons, who plays his cricket at Queen's Park, is on debut and will be nervous. He made 282 against England in St Kitts in a warm-up at the start of the tour but this is big boys stuff now. Amjad Khan, who trapped Sarwan leg before, is reversing it at 85mph plus.

14.53 WICKET 118-3
It's Sarwan. Amjad Khan claims his first Test scalp and it could not be bigger wicket for England in the context of this game. England'sprice plummets to [2.44].

14.41 WI 115-2
Monty is having some sort of golden 10 minutes. He is bowling nicely and just made a terrific stop at cover. DROPPED! As I type. And it's Sarwan, too. He went fro a drive off Monty and it went straight to Collingwood. Of all the people to drop!

14.27 105-2
The weather here in west London has just turned atrocious. We've got thunder and lighting, not to mention rain. So gloomy here that I've had to switch on the lights. Port of Spain looks rather lovely. Indeed, according to the forecasters there will at least be no rain in this Test to potentially frustrate England. Monty Panesar is coming on. Slightly surprised he wasn't used ahead of Swann this morning because, after all, it was Monty who claimed a wicket last night.

14.14 WICKET WI 96-2
A lifter from Stuart Broad has done for Daren Powell. We rather cursed him with our previous post didn't we? Good news for that England. Now they just have the small matter of removing Ramnaresh Sarwan cheaply. England's price, surprisingly considering Powell is no batsman, has dipped quite a lot to [3.15].

14.10 WI 96-1
Let's have a look at the prices, then. And it's grim reading for England backers from those first two days. The Three Lions are whimpering at [3.60] and rising. The draw is [1.49]. West Indies are [16.50]. England's first job is to remove nightwatchman Daren Powell, who has been a pain to England with a bat in his hand in this series but a boost with the ball. He batted for an hour and a half in Antigua.

14.05 WI 92-1
Underway in Trinidad for a day which will almost certainly decide whether England can level the series or we are in for another turgid Test.Gosh,let's hope for the former. We're here all day to describe the action, market moves, have the odd debate or two and, hopefully,a giggle.

Comments (1)

1. anthony st bernard | 11 March 2009

   like the spartans holding the mountain pass againes the advancing persians the wi tailenders have defied the english hordes twice in the series well played england better played wi test cricket is still alive

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