Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 04 February 2009 / 1

It's day one of the first Test in Kingston and Ed Hawkins is on hand to bring us live updates as Andrew Strauss bids to get his tenure as England captain off to a winning start. You can email Ed at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk...

10.20 England 236-5 CLOSE
That's your lot folks. England have ended the day at [2.10], that's 0.2 from the price they started the day. They should make 300 which will be a good effort on a challenging wicket. Pietersen's innings was the highlight although whether he has rammed the words of the critics down their throats or just helped them add to their vocab, remains to bee seen. See you tomorrow.

10.11 England 234-5
It has been a responsible innings from Andrew Flintoff today, if not a deathly slow one. One is a euphemism for the other methinks. His strike rate at present is just 31. Compare that to a career strike rate of 62 and you'll get an idea of how much Flintoff has had to reign in his attacking game. Things have been easier than they could have been in the last few overs because Chris Gayle has decided against taking the new ball. Probably wise because Fidel Edwards is carrying an injury while it would be best to utilise the red cherry with a fresher Daren powell and Jerome Taylor tomorrow.

9.55 England 221-5
England's price continues to come down as Daren Powell has a leg before appeal rejected. It has got to that stage of the day where everything feels rather mundane. The crowd are quiet, so are the players and everyone seems to be waiting for the umpires to call it a day. Matt Prior has looked good at the crease. He has a nice technique and has been firmly behind everything the Windies have thrown at him.

9.35 England 213-5
England, at [2.20], are shorter now than they were after they lost their first wicket. Presumably the thought process is that England should comfortably make 300, particularly with Stuart Broad still to come. However, in two overs' time West Indies can have a new ball and generally that means runs are easier to come by unlike runs.

9.20 England 207-5
It is getting increasingly gloomy at Sabina Park but the pacemen are still on so it can't be that dark. Andrew Flintoff has been playing more shots since KP's dismissal. He has 28. Flintoff has an excellent record against West Indies. He was England's series top runscorer against them in 2004 on home soil. His average is also better against West Indies than any other nation.

9.10 England 200-5
I'm eating my sausage casserole now. Going down nicely. It's getting a little darker at Sabina Park and we may not get all the overs in.

8.55 England 190-5
Flintoff has looked shaky against Jerome Taylor. Twice he rapped him on his pads. Freddie's back leg seemed to be heading to square leg a bit, too which would point to the fact that he was a little too fast for his liking. We're in the 71st over and we could have another 19 tonight. Isn't cricket in West Indies the most perfect for television watching given the timings?

08.45 England 187-5
The very English reaction to KP's rush of blood to the head is 'idiot! What did he do that for?'. It's a silly one really because that is the type of player Pietersen is. After all, he did make 97 before he made a mistake, that's a fair few more than when Cook, Bell and Collingwood made theirs. Matt Prior is at the crease. He scored a century on Test debut against the Windies at Lord's in 2007.

08.40 England 180-5
No it won't. The very next ball KP tries to repeat a slog sweep for six off Benn and he gets a chunky top edge. It went high into the air and the keeper Ramdin pouched it. You could say his ego got the better of him. That could be Pietersen's epitaph when he packs up the game.

08.40 England 180-4
4-4-6 from KP as he goes to 97. This will be a quite brilliant century.

8.30 England 163-4
The draw price, as usual when batsmen occupy the crease, is heading south. In the past hour it has dipped from [4.30] to [3.70]. So in an hour's time it should be around the [3.00] mark. I'm not suggesting we lay that because we're unsure of what the pitch is up to (remember we flagged up the possibility of batting getting easier) but it sure will be interesting to see where it stands. Hopefully England can keep punching on without losing a wicket and our curiosity can be satisfied.

8.10 England 151-4
Snowmen everywhere in London these days. They're taking over. Carrots for noses and pieces of coal for eyes. One said to the other "dark in here isn't it?" "who said that?". Flintoff starting to play a few more shots in the cricket. Edwards is back on but he has bowled three no balls since the tea which shows that all is not right. Sausages coming along nicely.

8.05 England 141-4
I'm juggling cooking the sausages and watching the cricket currently. It would be apt if Marcus Trescothick was batting considering that sentence. Oh well, that's all in the past. England may well get out of jail here because of an injury to Fidel Edwards. He has bowled only five overs today and if WI are a bowler down then that has serious consequences for not only the rest of day one, but the four to come, too.

7.40 England 132-4 TEA
England's session. And it had to be. Pietersen has been immense and Flintoff hasn't been too bad, either especially as he has such a spin threat to deal with. Back in 15 folks.

7.35 England 130-4
England are favourites at [2.32] with West Indies drifting again towards the [2.90] mark. The draw is [4.30]. At the start of the day Nasser Hussain that the wicket reminded him of one in India or Pakistan. He has largely been proved right because of the amount of turn we have seen. If Hussain is to be proved wholly accurate we could see the wicket get slower and lower. Therefore batting would become easier.

7.20 England 120-4
West Indies have brought some pace back into their attack and England have started to score more freely. Pietersen, in particular, looks a happier chap. He has batted very well indeed today to reach a half century. Inevitable really when you consider the bashing that his ego has taken. He has answered his critics in the only way he knows. By the way, does anyone know how his wife is getting on in that Dancing on Ice show? I have not been following it ever since I pitched a spin-off show to ITV and it was rejected. Dancing on Mice. Don't know why they didn't go for it

7.05 England 103-4
The last time Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff batted together they put on 149 in Mohali. A lot has happened since, you may argue. Namely KP losing the captaincy because senior players like Flintoff were not exactly fulsome in their praise of his leadership. It shouldn't affect the way they bat together, though for the simple reason that they have never been bosom buddies. They tolerate each other I believe. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Who says they need to be hanging out all the time, playing darts or hiring pedalos to score runs in the middle?

6.50 England 96-4
Play has resumed. Not quite sure what is going on today. Rain? In Jamaica? Spin? In Jamaica? It is making me feel peculiar. A bit like when I go south of the river. All the roads go round corners down there so you don't know what's coming. Seriously, though this is some sort of hell for bettors because we are all students of the form and what is happening with the spinners is unprecedented. I've gone back to 1977 without finding a spinner taking a wicket in the first session so I'm going to stop. It could take all night.

6.35 England 96-4 LIGHT RAIN
Just to put into perspective how surprising it is to see spinners dominating so early in this Test, I've had a trawl through some old scorecards. In the previous four Tests only two spin bowlers had taken a wicket in the first innings of the match. As for the last time a spin bowler took a wicket at Sabina in the first session (remember Chris Gayle removed Ian Bell just before lunch), well, I am still looking. I'm at 1984 at the moment without success. I'll keep you posted when (or perhaps that should be if) I find one.

6.25 England 94-4
Paul Collingwood is out. This could be the start of a sorry England performance. The Durham man has missed a sweep shot off Benn and he has been hit plumb in front. Collingwood's historic weakness against spin returns to haunt him once more. West Indies are marginal favourites at [2.52] with England [2.50]. Andrew Flintoff is the new man at the crease and guess what, he can't play spin either.

6.10 England 83-3
England continue to find it hard going against the spinners. I bet when they left India they breathed a sigh of relief that they wouldn't have to undergo an examination against twirl for some time. So this is most unexpected.

5.55 England 74-3
Sulieman Benn and Chris Gayle are getting some turn. Indeed Kevin Pietersen is looking flat footed against the former and Paul Collingwood unsure against the latter. Collingwood has just survived a big leg before shout from Gayle, and then a referral to the third umpire. It is odd to see a pitch turning so much on day one. One would think this plays into the hands of England because West Indies will have to bat last and Monty Panesar will be a real threat. But just because a pitch turns on day one does not guarantee that it will turn on, say, day five.

5.40 England 73-3
We're back after the lunch break during which I had my apple danish. Talk about satisfying. I followed it up with an actual apple. After that experience I would suggest that an apple danish does not taste a great deal like apple. But then again, there are many different types of apple. The apple I had (the actual apple not the danish) was a Royal Gala and the danish could have been made from a completely different apple. The moral of the story: know your apples.

5.00 England 73-3 LUNCH
Bell has dropped a clanger, losing his wicket just before the lunch. He made 28 but that is just no way near good enough for an international No. 3. Time after time he gets into the 20s or 30s but fails to go on. In the warm ups he was out in the 30s once and 50s twice. I would say that is likely to be his penultimate innings for England in Test cricket but who knows what he has to do to be dropped. Perhaps maiming a selector's pet might do it? West Indies have to be very happy with that session. Here are the prices: WI [3.15], England [2.40] and the draw [3.80].

4.45 England 66-2
While on the subject of Tony Cozier, does anyone else find it amusing that his initial with surname is T Cozier? Surely PG or Tetley missed a sponsorship opportunity when the great man was enjoying his longest period of exposure?

4.35 England 60-2
Tony Cozier is commentating. Now there's a blast from the past. Tony hails from Barbados and the rich twang in his voice takes me back to my childhood. Tony always used to do the commentary for the BBC when they were prepared to spend money on live sport instead of lining the pockets of oafs who think it's funny to make crank calls to pensioners. Alas, Tony's voice is a rare sound on even satellite channels these days as he has been pushed into the shadows by the obsession of employing former players as commentators. He is a tremendous broadcaster and fine journalist. Already he has spoken more sense in two stints at the mic than Sir Ian Botham has managed in the last two years.

4.15 England 50-2
England are [2.24] to win this Test now. Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen are going along nicely and it is worth bearing in mind why. Aside from Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, West Indies have little wicket-taking ability. Okay, Powell has got one today but his career record is poor and left-arm spinner Benn is not a threat, either. It highlights how much West Indies miss injured all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. If he was available, England would look more vulnerable.

4.00 England 40-2
If Owais Shah is sticking pins in an Ian Bell voodoo doll, he ain't doing it right. Bell looks in fantastic touch it has to be said. He has 19. Shah, of course, is the man who really should be playing instead of Bell. The Middlesex man scored a century in a warm-up and that should have secured his place. But there must be something about Shah's character that England do not like because they seem desperate not to give him a game. I've heard he mucks about too often but what's wrong with that when at work? In other news, I've been collecting snow from the window ledge and throwing it at old ladies as they pass.

3.45 England 31-2
West Indies have their second wicket. Alastair Cook misjudged a pull shot and presented an easy catch to Ramnaresh Sarwan. The bowler was Daren Powell. Really, there should be some sort of punishment in place for those who lose their wicket to Powell. He has a strike rate of more than 100 in home Tests. That is awful. Kevin Pietersen is in now. England are [2.34] with West Indies [3.65] and the draw [3.35].

3.35 England 24-1
Ian Bell is the man we are talking about of course with regard to the No. 3 position. He is on a horror run and managed only 49 runs on the tour to India. So just how has Bell hung onto his place in the side? Gary H has suggested on the email that Bell has paid for Strauss' whole family to travel to the Caribbean as a sweetener. It's not a bad shout. Presumably Bell had the money spare because he asked his family to come out but they were too embarrassed to be seen with him.

3.20 England 9-1
Strauss has gone this time, edging behind off Fidel Edwards. Now we will get the chance to see the unmentionable No. 3 from earlier in the blog. By the way I backed England after the fall of that wicket. I got [2.30] and suggest you do the same. We were expecting an early breakthrough but batting will get easier as the day goes on in Kingston.

3.15 England 8-0
Andrew Strauss, England's new captain, has been dropped off Jerome Taylor. It was a very simple chance offered to Xavier Marshall at slip. No doubt if Harry Redknapp was West Indies manager (this is slightly left field but go with it) he would have said "My missus would have caught that".

3.05 England 2-0
Here are the teams, by the way. Do have a look at who is batting at No. 3 for England then email me your suggestions to exactly what this person has done to be allowed to play. The address is hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Ryan Sidebottom, 10 Steve Harmison, 11 Monty Panesar.

West Indies 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Xavier Marshall, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Brendan Nash, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 Daren Powell, 10 Suleiman Benn, 11 Fidel Edwards.

2.55 England win the toss and bat
Afternoon folks. The excitement has been building here. Exotic. Mouthwatering. Satisfying. Potential to crumble. But enough about the apple danish that I have bought myself to munch on while I watch the action from Jamaica, England have won the toss and will bat in the first Test.
You can back England at [2.08] for victory. I reckon that is a pretty good price considering the Sabina Park track could well break up (this explains the 'crumble' reference in the first par). The last three games have been won by the side batting first.
By all means take those odds now but do bear in mind that moisture is rising up through the surface because of the Jamaica heat. That gives the Windies bowlers a helping hand. It should be easy to bat on in 30 minutes or so.
Now all we have to work out is whether I eat the apple danish now or later? Don't forget to email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

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1. £10 Punter | 04 February 2009

   There's only one apple I need to know: the mighty Braeburn.

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