WI tour of Eng, July 3-30

[Durhamfootman]

With a notional 20 overs remaining today, this could end up being a 2 day test match

[mikesiva]

England 371 all out

Crawley 76
Smith 70
Root 68
Pope 57
Brook 50

Seales 4-77

I can't see the West Indies batsmen making England bat again.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Athanaze caught behind, 2-fer.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I don't think Anderson had a classic wicket taking combination, unlike say Warne and Healy. So there's no absent fielder to dwell on wistfully as the light fades. Prior took the most, with 68, and then Bairstow with 56 (50 as wk). Cook next on 40.

But the wickets were mainly completed with a catch- 468. 137 were bowled. 98 were leg before. No other type of dismissal.

Three keepers only took one catch off him. Smith-his most recent- Billings and Bracey

[Arthur Crabtree]

So, should be all over by lunch. Maybe starting on Wednesday meant they weren't all that likely to make it to the weekend.

[Arthur Crabtree]

A bit of a reckless shot from Stokes. Good ball from Motie. Though he bowled some filth too.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wow! Smith looks the part as a batter. Can't remember the last time I saw an England bat that was so impressively classical. Ramps?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Terrible referral by McKenzie. Reminds me of Shane Watson in his pomp.

Stokes bowled really well. Looks very fit. Obviously problems with injuries in recent times, but I think he has been underused over the years, often bowling at unpropitious times with ultra-defensive fields.

[bigfluffylemon]

Cue the usual discussion about warm up time. The world T20 finished less than 2 weeks ago, so it's hardly WI fault (although both squads were quite different...)

[sussexpob]

Cue the usual discussion about warm up time. The world T20 finished less than 2 weeks ago, so it's hardly WI fault (although both squads were quite different...)

I think some of the squad also arrived very late due to the Hurricane in the Carribbean grounding flights (I dont know how many, but did read at least some players arrived very late due to flight cancellations)....

It feels a bit generous to put credit the lack of preparations though. I would expect a team of test class batters arriving at Heathrow at 10:00 with no sleep and stepping out a taxi 5 minutes before play should still put up a better fight with the bat than this. Its been an absolute shambles... no other way to put it.

I guess I would speak for everyone, but for the best part of 2 decades I have had my fingers crossed that the West Indies would re-emerge as a good test side. They just got a result in Australia, and it felt like we might be seeing a turn around. I was excited to see them come here and make this a hard fought series, and really hoped that the result in Australia was not a fluke... instead we got a test match that was pretty much done and dusted in an hour of play.

I hope that the Windies can rally and bring some fight to the rest of the series. If at lunch in the second test they are 100/9, I wont be bothering tuning in for the rest of the series.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not quite Bob Massie, but 11 wickets- so far- on debut for Atkinson.

[sussexpob]

704 all out for Anderson....

[mikesiva]

West Indies 136 all out

Motie 31*

Atkinson 5-61
Anderson 3-32

England won by an innings and 114 runs.

Another worrisome batting performance.

[Gingerfinch]

704 all out for Anderson....

Can't see any seamer getting close to that!

[Arthur Crabtree]

No arguments over POTM.