FIRST NPOWER TEST, LORD'S: ENGLAND v WEST INDIES

Sultan

Gentleness adorns everything
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Play starts Thursday 1100 BST.


Both England and the Windies are hoping are looking to win their respect back after a whitewash by Australia and dismal showing in the World Cup.

Sadly Cricket in Windies has been on the slide for over a decade. The dismal World Cup and the retirement of Lara has not helped in the least.
 
England delay verdict on Flintoff

Flintoff's absence would upset the balance of England's team
England will decide on Thursday if Andrew Flintoff is fit to play in the first Test against West Indies.
The Lancashire all-rounder bowled on the edge of the square at Lord's on the eve of the game to test his sore left ankle, which has been troubling him.

His county colleague, paceman James Anderson, has been called in as cover.

"He bowled two short spells. We would like to have known definitely but we don't so we are going to have to wait and see," coach Peter Moores said.

"You've got to be fair to the player and you've got to be fair to the team. You've got to take both things into consideration. It seems to be getting better but if he's not fit, he's not fit.

"Maybe the Test match might come a bit too soon, we don't really know at the moment. What we don't want to do is carry injured men into a game of cricket."

Flintoff reported discomfort following Lancashire's Championship match against Hampshire.

"We wouldn't play him if we thought it was going to get worse" Moores on Flintoff

The 29-year-old, who has twice had surgery on the ankle, missed the second half of last summer and only just finished his rehabilitation in time to lead England into the Champions Trophy and the Ashes.

Moores, who took over from Duncan Fletcher as coach following the World Cup, says they will not risk his long-term future.

"We know he's had ankle problems before. We've got a good medical team and they are doing everything they can to check. We wouldn't play him if we thought it was going to get worse," he added.

"If it's a wear and tear job then we've got to manage it as we go along.

"It would be daft of me to predict the future, we've got to plan it. But we don't take one Test match as one Test match. He's an important player for the team, a huge player.

"We don't want to give pain-killing injections to mask things."

England are already without captain Michael Vaughan for the first Test of the four-match series, with opener Andrew Strauss taking charge.

If Flintoff is ruled out, Moores said Middlesex batsman Owais Shah is likely to be handed only his second Test cap, and first in more than a year.

That means only four frontline bowlers will be played - Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Liam Plunkett and Monty Panesar or Anderson.

Anderson flew down to London from Manchester on Wednesday afternoon but could return up north on Thursday if he is not required.
 
Harmison has 'nothing to prove'

Steve Harmison says he has 'nothing to prove' in the first Test at Lord's despite enduring a tough winter when he misfired badly in the Ashes series.
He is refreshed after giving up one-day internationals, and has 24 wickets in three championship matches for Durham.

He defended his Test record overall, saying: "I've got nothing to prove to anyone. I've taken nearly 200 wickets.

"My poor form got blown out of all proportion because the first ball of the Ashes went to second slip."

Harmison, 28, took just 10 wickets in the 5-0 Ashes drubbing, and said: "You have to come back from bad times, it's what makes you stronger.

"I'm not coming back to prove a point, I'm coming back to back Andrew Strauss as captain and stick by him and whatever he wants me to do I'll do it."

Harmison has taken 40 wickets in eight Tests against West Indies, England's opponents at Lord's.

He has bowled 156 first-class overs already this season and said: "People have criticised me for not playing county cricket, but I've done that now and I've bowled my overs.

"There are quite a few reasons why I stopped playing one-day international cricket and one of the reasons was that if I'm going to play Test cricket I wanted to build up by bowling overs."

He said his early season numbers had backed up his decision: "I've consistently bowled at a lively pace in good areas and I think the statistics speak for themselves."

Harmison also claims to have regained a self-belief which was shattered in the aftermath of the Ashes and left him questioning his future in international cricket.

He admitted: "I think everyone came back from Australia slightly concerned about their England futures, but I've always backed my ability and my chances.

"I've never been big-headed or shouted my name from the roof-tops, but I do know that if I'm fit and firing I don't think there's anyone in the country who can do what I can do."

Harmison will play his 50th Test on Thursday. Skipping the World Cup allowed him to be a part-time captain for Durham during their pre-season tour of Cape Town.
 
I really can't see any young Windies batsmen able to cope with the English conditions - only rain can be their saviour.
 
Windies win toss...going to bowl.

England: A J Strauss (Capt), A N Cook, I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, O A Shah, M J Prior (Wkt), L E Plunkett, S J Harmison, M J Hoggard, M S Panesar.

West Indies: C H Gayle, D Ganga, D S Smith, R R Sarwan (Capt), S Chanderpaul, R S Morton, D J Bravo, D Ramdin (Wkt), D B Powell, C D Collymore, J E Taylor.

oh...and it's raining.
 
C H Gayle, D Ganga, D S Smith, R R Sarwan (Capt), S Chanderpaul, R S Morton, D J Bravo,

Paper-thin batting order that.
 
Cracking start for England in the conditions after losing the toss. Lunch now, Michael Vaughan being interviewed. He does my fecking head in talking in the 3rd person about how Michael Vaughan must improve his game, and nobody knows that more than Michael Vaughan... :mad:
 
Anybody found a sopcast channel btw?
I only got into it inthe world cup, and I'm still a bit too spazzy to find anything without being given a channel number...
 
With all the fuss about losing the Pavillion I expected this thread to be buzzing....nobody has even posted the scores.

Bad light stops play
 
This is why playing cricket in this country is barmy.
 
GiggsysGirl said:
Cup Final day?[/QUOTE

My uncle lives round the corner so at about 2.30 im leaving the ground to watch the match, then depending on wether we win or not, going back for half the final session. The ticket was free anyway.
Click to expand...
 
Was a frustrating days play, I really didn't think they needed to come off so often for bad light. Thought KP gave his wicket away, and in general the Windies bowling was poor. Well done to Cook, 4th century of the season already I believe. I think we'll make near 400, then a question of time allowing if we win or draw
 
Brad Cantona said:
Was a frustrating days play, I really didn't think they needed to come off so often for bad light. Thought KP gave his wicket away, and in general the Windies bowling was poor. Well done to Cook, 4th century of the season already I believe. I think we'll make near 400, then a question of time allowing if we win or draw
Click to expand...

400 is definetly on the cards ecspecially with Bell to come which makes it a pretty long batting order. Windies are reliant on Sarwan and Chanderpaul as Gayle is unpredictable.
 
Brad Cantona said:
Was a frustrating days play, I really didn't think they needed to come off so often for bad light. Thought KP gave his wicket away, and in general the Windies bowling was poor. Well done to Cook, 4th century of the season already I believe. I think we'll make near 400, then a question of time allowing if we win or draw
Click to expand...

Hopefully Cook, Colly and Bell can kick on from here and get big scores
 
I thought this was being played on a wet greentop?

I may have overestimated the West Indian bowlers.
 
Looks like Darren Powell is really asserting himself as the spearhead of the West Indian attack
 
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