England vs West Indies, First ODI debate

So the ODI series between England and West Indies, the first of a few for England in this summer is getting underway today. After a test series that largely went according to plan for England, a greater challenge is what is awaiting them in the ODI series. To start with, West Indies are back to full strength, with their best ODI battsman, one of the best in the world in the format returning to opening the innings. Besides Chris Gayle, all-rounders Dwayne Bravo, Kiron Pollard, Andre Russell and Dwayne Smith are back for the visitors. On their day, all of them can turn a match in their favor. Denesh Ramdin might bat as low as 9, an indication of the power packed batting lineup that the West Indies have got. Their bowling unit too looks decent, Ravi Rampaul has form behind him from the test series, Darren Sammy might find the overhead conditions to his liking, Russell has got decent pace, Bravo and Pollard have a few variations going for them, Sunil Narine, despite his lowkey test debut has a pretty decent ODI record in his short career so far. Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle should be the best available parttime support bowlers in the world at the moment. Bravo and Pollard are great additions in the field as well.
As far as England are concerned, the greatest advantage going for them is that they are playing at home. They have shown in the past that their bowlers, just like the case in other formats, are going to be quite a handful for any side, even more so if the overhead conditions also favor them. Alastair Cook the captain has established his position and authority in the ODI side through his consistent performance over the last year or so. Jonathan Trott has been a run machine in the format, and Eoin Morgan not too long ago, was as good a finisher as anyone else.
England's comforts end there, and then there are a few problems. With Kevin Pietersen's rather early retirement from the format, the opening combenation has yet again become an issue. The KP Cook experiment was starting to work well, and now Ian Bell, a very different player to KP in many ways, has been ask to deliver. Alastair Cook has turned himself around as an ODI player, Bell hasn't quite taken his ODI chances as yet. Will he be able to take the challenge head on? A top 4 of Cook, Bell, Trott and Bopara? Well not the most frightening thought for bowlers around the world as of now!!.
Many call the WI favorits, I won't go to that extend, England in their backyard is a strong enough proposition not to get into anything fancy like that. I would say 50-50, WI has the firepower, England have the bowling and conditions.
All in all, should be a much more close issue than the test series was.

West Indies starts with a setback even before the first ball, Chris Gayle ruled out of the first match, and even potentially from the series due to a foot injury. What a terrible shame!.

And the good news for England is that Ian Bell is playing.

England team: Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn.
West Indies:Dwayne Smith,Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kiron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine.
Interestingly, Dwayne Smith is been prefered over Johnson Charles or Adrian Barath. Smith can hit the ball, but he's not Chris Gayle.
England a touch light with the bat I think, but the bowling is pretty strong with 4 quality seamers and Swanny.
WI won the toss and are bowling.

Rampaul with the first over. Would be interesting to see who would take the new ball at the other end.

And Rampaul strikes early, Captain Cook gone for a duck, caught Ramdin bowled Rampaul.

Will Sammy throw the ball to Narine from the other end?

Review from West Indies, Trott survives!. Saved on umpire's call there. WI lost their only review here.

Its Russell from the other end.

Good start for West Indies and Rampaul...

But Bell seems to be seeing them pretty well now

Russell under pressure...

Bell's playing really well but a bit concerned by Trott's sluggishness yet again, 19 off 41 isn't good enough really but the RR isn't too bad overall

81 - 1 after 16 overs. Good recovery.

Is it too early to say Bell has put in a fair claim to be the long term replacement for KP as an ODI opener ?

Yeah OK , I know one swallow etc ... Still it is a decent start...

Keeping an eye on the score, Bell doing well so far (sorry if I jinx him!).

166/3 after 31 , England should be on for a very big score here ...

Only problem for them is this team is a bit bowler-heavy ... Not a lot of real batting after these two.

Should still be able to get 280 - more if Bell can bat through...

99 no at drinks

Hundred

Well played...

i feel guilty for not watching the cricket- so here i am!!!

great start by england and bell in particular.

I didnt expect him to take on KP's role so quickly and so well!!

well chuffed . I will admit to being one of bells biggest doubters!

mystiroakey wrote:i feel guilty for not watching the cricket- so here i am!!!

great start by england and bell in particular.

I didnt expect him to take on KP's role so quickly and so well!!

well chuffed . I will admit to being one of bells biggest doubters!

Hey fair enough Roakey , the rugby was rather engrossing ... I did enough channel surfing earlier on ... Had to feel a bit sorry for Wales !

So you have now arrived in time to see England self destruct at the sight of a batting power play

Brilliant hundred from Bell, shame to get out the way he just did though! I really don't like Kieswetter down the order (or in the side at all for that matter). Is Bairstow injured or dropped ? I'd much rather have him there.

yeah lol.. PP time

Afternoon peeps.

Stuttering performance from eng here then.

What is a good score on here? I've seen a few low scoring t20 matches here.

i think bairstow should be gettig as much england time as possible if we play him in the tests v SA. if we aree considering mogs again then fair enough

I just don't understand the logic - if we're playing a keeper at 6 then surely Bairstow has proved he is better in that position than Kieswetter? Maybe they don't like his keeping enough but it's not like Kies is amazing behind the stumps is it?

trebellbobaggins wrote:Afternoon peeps.

Stuttering performance from eng here then.

What is a good score on here? I've seen a few low scoring t20 matches here.

Afternoon trebell

Assuming they can get to 280 it should be plenty ... The side is loaded with bowlers today. Will want these two and Swann to hit a few boundaries yet though - would be an awful waste of Bell's innings to settle for 260 odd...

It was another classic. I turn on and wickets tumbled so I had to turn off.

There really is no point me having sky these days lol.

Hi Alfie.

Indeed. As Alec Stewart says, that 30 over score would have seen them up near 300.

Now that is very high for this ground it it ignors that when wickets falls it tends to slow down rapidly here. But yes less than 280 is squandering a chance to have a very high score here. Shame.

Nice big six Stuart Broad

280 looks well on now ...maybe a few more

So : 288

Good finishing SB and Kies

Should be plenty

Surley we cant mess this up from here!!

Impressive end, nearly 290 is very high at this ground and they didn't squander the chance their first 30 overs gave them, ok could have been ten more but still good,

Of course windies have lots of batting. Tino will probably do it on his own,

288. Fantastic innings by Bell, good support by Trott and good quick-hitting by Kieswetter, Broad and Bresnan. Don't see WI getting 289 without Gayle and facing Anderson, Broad, Finn, Bresnan and Swann.

Stewart not happy they got less than 300. Seems ok to me.

Ok to you- whats your game pal?

Sorry?

Come on Trebbs dont let the side down.

Ok i will take over.

Rubbish performance from england- teams would get more than that playing t20.

Oh poop. Bad nights sleep, serious back pain.. Forgot myself for a minute.

Sorry won't happen agan.

What a load of rubbish.. God. England ladies could have doubled that shambles of a score.

Windies will get this in ten overs.

Anderson a bit too straight this over and going for a few ...

...until

25/1

Ramdin in at three ...Mike Atherton wondering if he has a note in his pocket

And Smith takes a liking to Finn's bowling ...4 6 . 4

ermm - he is whacking finn up!!

get swanny on!

Close for the run out ! Bat might actually not have tossed the line , but fair enough , the batsman gets the benefit of any doubt.

Decent old start from West Indies ... But Smith must be near his limit at 36 ...

I think it was run out myself. It was on the line.

Hmm. Smith rather carving up the attack at the moment...

Keep going like this they'll run this down with overs to spare. England will have a problem if Swann is unable to bowl.

Windies making this look easy atm, we need Gareth Batty to sort this out.

Aha ...Swann is OK , and on to bowl ...

Wickets soon

Carrotdude wrote:Windies making this look easy atm, we need Gareth Batty to sort this out.

Maybe England should be looking at bowling attack for ODIs and T20 of Batty, Ansari, Spriegel, Hamilton Brown

Carrotdude wrote:Windies making this look easy atm, we need Gareth Batty to sort this out.

So much for our so-called World class test match bowling attack. It is nothing more than mediocre at best when batsmen have the ability to attack the bowlers.

Smith gone but windies well ahead at the mo.

Double breakthrough by Bresnan ... Two new batsmen in now , and I think this partnership will be very much the key to this game.

If England can grab one of these cheapish they'll be back on track.

gbboycott good one- your the new trebbs