Straight Drive

Yes, Nicholas Pooran has not played enough first class games. However, his cricketing intelligence and his ability to score runs quickly all around the wicket off pace and spin should be enough for Roger Harper to consider him. His evident skill-set, great technique and his average close to fifty in O.D.I are other attributes. As such, i am hereby opening a petition for  Pooran. Jermaine Blackwood was the leading run-scorer for West Indies on the recent England Tour and that is by no accident. He was looking to score when he got to the wicket. It was attack first and defence second. These are the cricketers that West Indies need. Let it  be absolutely clear, i am not advocating for carelessness and recklessness. I am advocating for a shift in culture of the West Indies test team. It appears that the policy is to defend first and then batsmen get caught up in a defensive hole that they cant play themselves out of.   Then,  a good ball comes along which tend to ha...

Any batsman that is not willing to put his body on the line for the West Indies  should not be playing for the team. The humble surrender of the West Indies side is simply pathetic. To see batmen hopping around like frogs was simply comical, Dorwich simply didn't want to get in line to the England bowlers. He sat back and was LBW again. Braithwaite dismissal in the second innings was ugly, again trapped in-front staying back to Broad. There were soft dismissals right through the innings. Jason holder continue to say that he has confidence in these batsmen. However the West Indies top order needs immediate purging. Hope, Campbell and even Kraigg Braithwaite need to take a rest. Hope has been failing for years in test cricket and the selectors and captain continue to be loyal to him. Campbell simply don't seem to be up to the task and after 60 tests Kraigg Braithwaite is yet to convince me that he is a proper opening batman. Opening batsmen should should be brave and commanding. ...

The great West Indies  batmen of the past were all very good at scoring runs. The fallacy of batting time  has now been a theme in cricket. The game is about run-scoring. Hence, batting time without being able to score runs is useless.  Shai Hope scrambled around batting sixty-four balls and scored 17 runs before he got a good one and Roston Chase made nine from 36 balls. Batting in England is not easy and against four good fast bowlers it is even harder. However, if batmen do not have the capacity to put away the bad balls or they lack the confidence and courage to do it. Then, we got what we saw today.  West Indies needs to regain its identity. Somewhere along the line the selectors have gone for players who they perceive will bat time with limited run scoring ability that bowlers can easily bogged down. The West Indies selectors need to start select more attacked minded cricketers who will find a way to get the score board moving. Players like Pooran, Hetmeyer and...

With the exception of Rahkeem Cornwall, West Indies went with the same side.  West Indies have shown little faith in the reserve batsmen in the squad. Shai Hope and John Campbell were given another chance and they are under pressure to deliver. Gabriel had to leave the field early in the morning but he did return to bowl. However, he looked tired and seemed to grimace after every ball. He appeared to be experiencing some pain that he is trying to play through. While that is admirable, maybe a fresh bowler could have been given a chance. West Indies has an obsession with bowling first. Yet again, Jason Holder decided to bowl first giving England the first opportunity to bat on the pitch. Yes, it looked a bit overcast in the morning. However, the pitch is a decent batting pitch and Butler and Pope batted quite comfortably on it to leave England well placed at 258 for 4. If West Indies had batted first, it would have given their bowlers, especially Gabriel that looked laboured an extr...

West Indies only looked comfortable when they were scoring. Blackwood and Brooks showed the way. That was the only period on the fifth day that the Windies seems like they had any chance of saving the match.West Indies needs more batsmen who are free scoring stroke players because scoring runs is what put opposing teams under pressure. It forces bowlers to change their lines and compels opposition captains to adjust players in the field.  The way West Indies surrendered the second test match against England, even after an entire day was lost to rain,  is disappointing. Losing by 113 runs and none  of the top order batsmen doing anything significantly is a cause for concern. Prodding and deflecting has its pace in the game but sometimes attack is the best form of defence. Blackwood showed what playing a few shots can do. The forward short leg was removed, players went on the boundary and he was able to get easy singles. Where is Nicholas Pooran? He needs to be playing test...

Rain fell on the entire third day in  support of the West Indies. Will West Indies accept the support ? Having collapsed from 242 for 4 to 287 all out. They are now precariously placed on the final day. Can they withstand the pressure on the final day? We have seen some balls misbehaved such as the one that dismissed Jermaine Blackwood. Certainly, the batting talent is there but will  they apply themselves. It has been a while since the lower order has failed. Dorwich got a good delivery and Jason Holder prodded lazily outside his off stump and was taken in the slips. Holder should have  been looking to bat until the fifth day but the cavalier prod didn't suggest that he had the right mind set. Shai Hope again failed from a good start and will need to come good in the second innings not just to save the match but his test career. Averaging mid-twenties is way off the mark. West Indies needs to secure the Wisden trophy tomorrow if not they would both loose the match and th...

England finished the day on 207 for 3 after 82 overs. West indies bowlers displayed discipline and effort but England finished the day in a strong position. West Indies must take their catches At least two catches were dropped on the first day. Jason Holder put down a catch at a comfortable height. Was it a case where Jason Holder was tired? Jason Holder bowled 20 overs today. It is evident that Jason holder is one of the better catchers in the team. However, it may be time for him to trust someone else in that position. It is certainly not a position to go to have a rest after bowling an over.  Roach needs Wickets Kemar Roach remains wicket-less after 70 overs. This is not an admirable statistics. He has bowled some good spells on the England Tour. However, his wickets are needed so that West Indies can function at maximum effectiveness. Leaving the England tour without the seven wickets he needs to reach 200 would be disappointing. More importantly, he needs wickets to help West ...

West Indies must quickly lay aside the euphoria of winning the first test and be ready and hungry to win the second test at Old Trafford which begins on July 16. England will welcome back their captain and premier batsman  in Joe Root. There is also a strong possibility that  Stuart Broad who is 15 wickets away from 500 will return. West Indies has to remain positive and aggressive where necessary. The fast bowlers must continue to bowl with the same fervency and purpose as they did in first test.  Kemar Roach must see this test as an opportunity to contribute to the wicket taking statistics and personally get the the 7 wickets he needs to reach 200 before the tour is over.  Batsmen such as Shai Hope  must be desperate to contribute significantly with the bat. While, the others who performed at Southampton must now look to score hundreds and bat England out of the game. West Indies must brace themselves for a strong English reply. However, they must also go on t...

When Blackwood got treatment for his eyes twice during the match, it was as if  he had gotten new vision. He was batting positively and maturely. He had put behind him the disappointment of getting caught at mid-off for 12 in the first innings.  Blackwood innings was crucial in the middle-order. It wasn't just the 95 runs he made but the manner in which he played. He was always looking to score while resolute in defence. West Indies needs a batsman like Jermaine Blackwood constantly in the the middle order, a batsman that is not just going to deflect and play tentatively but make bowlers feel uncomfortable by hitting them off their lines.  West Indies has enough batsmen with similar temperament, variety makes the difference. In Blackwood, West Indies has a player that is naturally aggressive and will play with freedom in all circumstances. Playing  positively and  with liberty  is essential in a chase. Blackwood was the ideal man to do the job and he delive...

Shannon Gabriel has the six highest bowl percentage in the history of cricket. This speaks to how straight he bowls and how successful he is at disturbing the stumps of his opponents. He is a bowler that is very direct. He will concede runs because he constantly attacks the stumps. His figures of 4 for 62 in the first  test match with three dismissals  bowl and one L.B.W speaks to the directness of Gabriel. He troubled the English Top order and got the first three wickets to fall. Considering that he was not in the original 15 member squad and he was struggling for fitness, his performance  has been admirable.  His pace continues to be quick and Denly, Sibley, Burns and Anderson were dismissed by speedy deliveries that were just too good for them to negotiate. 

A reporter asked Jason holder  a few days before the start of the first test why  he wasn't  spoken about as much as Ben Stokes and he Jason is the  number one all-rounder in the world.  The cricketing world has gotten another reminder why there should be more conversations about Holder's efficacy. His skills were clearly on display today. He bemused the English batsmen by moving the ball both ways and ended the day with 6 for 42. When Shamar Brooks dropped Ben Stokes at extra cover after Stokes expansive drive, Jason walked up to the stumps from his position in the slips and encouraged his team to push on. Only a few deliveries after, he had Ben Stokes caught behind. Ben stokes, who is the England captain for this test match, was beginning to settle. He had walked down the wicket to Roach and played some delightful shots. However, Captain Holder was having none of it. Stokes tried it again and was turned inside out by a beauty that pitched and left him. Holder ...

After 117 days without international cricket, Roach ran up after a lengthy rain delay. He delivered his first ball with a grunt at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. It was Gabriel who had the first wicket in the second over when he removed Sibley's bails. The restart lasted three overs before another interruption happened. Before the first ball, both teams knelt in support of the B.L.M movement. West Indies players wore black gloves on their right hands and pointed their fists in the air. West Indies picked a conservative batting line up, with both Blackwood and Brooks. While, England was adventurous in their bowling selection, including the quick duo of Wood and Archer. Broad and Woakes were surprise omissions.  The day ended with England at 37 for the loss of one wicket. Wet weather and frequent interruptions dominated the proceedings. Cricket fans across the world will still have to wait for a full day of cricket.  Correspondent C.W . Forrest

Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are two of the quickest bowlers in world cricket. Even though they both have emerging careers,  recent spells  that they have bowled suggest that they are becoming extremely effective and devastating if the they find the right rhythm.  Will England play both together? This is highly unlikely with Woakes, Anderson and Broad to choose from. Good pace troubles any batman and maybe England should try this combination. Wood has improved and has displayed better control than previously and is falling over less at the bowling crease.  Jofra in his young career has shown immaculate control and composure.He has been given great responsibility as a junior member of the side. He was the man that was trusted with the super over at the World Cup. Jofra might even have a point to prove to his fellow Bajans such as Braithwaite, Chase, Hope,Dorwich and Holder. If he does prove the point, West Indies will have some problems. West Indies need to plan properl...

If Joe Root is absent for the first test as reported to witness the birth of his child,  West Indies will have the edge.  Both teams have a suspect top order. However, England top order will become even weaker without their best batsman. The likes of Rory Burns ,Joe Denly and Ollie Pope are good batsmen but are trying to  establish themselves in the team. The likes of Roach and company will relish the opportunity to bowl at them.West Indies has the established Braithwaite and the exciting John Campbell with Hope and Chase to follow. West Indies may be ahead at the top.  The lower middle order are strong for both teams. England has Stokes, Butler, Woakes and Curran while West Indies has Blackwood , Dorwich, Holder,  and Cornwall . Who has the stronger lower middle order? Too often, West Indies allow the opposition lower middle  order to build big partnerships because they loose composure and become impatient. West Indies cannot afford that in this series....