SA Footy

West Indies squad Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Brendan Nash, Nelon Pascal, Dale Richards, Andrew Richardson, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor

Leicestershire vs West Indians
First Class Match

MATCH DRAWN

Leicestershire 182
MAG Boyce 45
SJ Benn 4/31
AP Richardson 3/46

West Indians 6d/320
LMP Simmons 102 ret
BP Nash 78 ret
ACF Wyatt 3/42

Leicestershire 6/238
MAG Boyce 55
JJ Cobb 53
SJ Benn 2/53

Dwayne Bravo returns to West Indies' squad for the three-match one-day series against England, while Sulieman Benn has been preferred to Nikita Miller for the main spin role.

Bravo was left out of the Test party because medical advice said he hadn't recovered sufficiently from ankle surgery for the rigours of five-day cricket although he is fit enough for an extended spell at the IPL.

Benn was overlooked for the first four matches of the recent one-day series in the Caribbean, largely because Miller was considered a better fielder but when he was called up for the final game he bowled impressively.

Opening batsman Dale Richards and fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who were both called up late during the home series, retain their places.

ODI Squad Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Keiron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Dale Richards, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

Essex vs West Indians
First Class Match

MATCH DRAWN

Essex 263
N Deonarine 3/32
LS BAker 2/39
AP Richardson 2/51

West Indians 146
S Chanderpaul 66*
MA Chambers 4/62
MS Westfield 3/25

Essex 3/175
AN Cook 74*
JS Foster 48*
LS Baker 2/31

England Test squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wk), Graeme Swann

England ODI Squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson

England Lions vs West Indians
First Class Match

DAY 3

West Indians 203 (were 6/91 and 8/131)
DE Bernard 58
CR Woekes 6/43

Enlgland Lions 311
TR Ambrose 117
AU Rashid 72
NT Pascal 4/68
JE Taylor 3/54

West Indians 3/54
LMP Simmons 31*
CR Woakes 2/21

Almost Full coverage on FOX SPORTS
First Test - Day 1 - 3 & 5 full coverage
Day 4 (Sat May 9) join in progress at Lunch

Second Test - Day 1-2, 4- 5 full coverage
Day 3 (Sat May 16) join in progress after Lunch

All ODI's LIVE at this stage

England Lions vs West Indians
First Class Match

ENGLAND LIONS WON BY 10 WICKETS

West Indians 203
Enlgland Lions 311

West Indians 179
LMP Simmons 63
S Chanderpaul 50
LE Plunkett 4/30
AU Rashid 3/66

England Lions 0/72
RWT Key 33*

Chris Gayle finally arrived in England two days before the first Test at Lord's and will face huge pressure to perform with coach John Dyson clearly far from pleased about his captain's timing.

Gayle's flight landed at 6.45am and he trained with the squad during the afternoon. However, regardless of the comfort he will have flown in, and the benefit of South Africa's time difference to the UK being minimal, he has left himself facing huge criticism if he doesn't lead from the front.

Gayle, along with Fidel Edwards who arrived yesterday, were given No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the West Indies board until May 2, but Gayle was granted two further days so that he could squeeze in one more match with the Kolkata Knight Riders. It was a decision that Dyson had no say in.

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/ ... 02917.html

And the England version----(Is there a theme here??)

England's head coach, Andy Flower, believes that several key members of the squad to face West Indies in the first Test at Lord's on Wednesday are "under-prepared" having spent the early part of the season in the IPL in South Africa.

The middle-order trio of Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood did not return to England until late last week, with Collingwood having failed to play a single game during his stint with the Delhi Daredevils. And Flower told BBC Radio Five Live: "They are [under-prepared], without a doubt, with regard to first-class cricket."

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvwi2009/ ... 03001.html

Andrew Strauss has capped a memorable 12 months, which began with his recall to the Test team and culminated in his accession to the Test captaincy, by being named as England's Player of the Year for the second time in four years.

Strauss marked his return to England colours with a career-best 177 against New Zealand at Napier in March 2008, and followed up by winning the Man of the Series award in the return rubber at home two months later. In all he made 1513 runs in 17 Tests at 54.03, a tally which included seven centuries, two of which came in a single Test against India at Chennai in December.

Stats and Trivia

- England haven't won the first Test of a series for 14 series, dating back to their innings-and-261-run demolition of Bangladesh at Lord's in 2005.

- Andrew Strauss and James Anderson will be the only two players in the match who have experienced winning a Lord's Test.

- England didn't manage to take 20 wickets in any Test during the winter as they lost two and drew five matches (including the abandoned Test in Antigua).

- If Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions debut it will be the first time since 1993, at Trent Bridge against Australia, that two specialist seamers have made their England debuts in the same game. Back then it was Mark Ilott and Martin McCague. The 2009 vintage will be hoping for longer England careers

England vs West Indies
First Test

WI win the toss and elect to bowl

England 1/52 (13 overs)
AN Cook 24*
RS Bopara 9*
AJ Strauss 16
JE Taylor 1/29

Debutants - TT Bresnan and G Onions (England)

F*** Me how good was Edward's ball to Pietersen???

fair catch by Ramdin too. One of the best balls I've ever seen!!!

stumps 7/279ish

Bopara, good to see him get some runs, from memory scored around 150 in the adelaide oval nets with MAL sitting behind him helping him out with his technique...

The other thing I'll say if we can't at least draw this ASHES series we should drop out of the test playing nations list and go play ICC associate cricket.

How ordinary is that England side???

am Bays wrote:The other thing I'll say if we can't at least draw this ASHES series we should drop out of the test playing nations list and go play ICC associate cricket.

How ordinary is that England side???

They have a very long tail in this Test.

England vs West Indies
First Test

LUNCH DAY 2

England 8/377
RS Bopara 135
GP Swann 68*
MJ Prior 42
SCJ Broad 38
FH Edwards 4/92

England have recovered well from 4/109

Swann has opened the bowling for England,

What is Strauss doing..