Wonderful spell by Graham Onions today. He left West Indies’ batsmen looking clueless and cold: they hate May in England, as most touring sides do, in spite of our unseasonally good weather. Onions aside, there were two baffling pieces of idiocy by England today.
The first was the decision by Bopara and Swann to take the “bad light”. This is an evil disease of cricket, and although it’s easy to blame the players, the real fault lies with the ICC and umpires for removing all common sense from the equation. The light was fine to play cricket. Nobody would have died. These are trained sportsmen who are used to facing bowling of all types, in all conditions. The umpires will have taken a reading when the sun was out and, consequently when it became gloomy (and the sun was in), the difference in the two readings seemed to prompt an automatic offer of the light to the batsmen. This is absurd. How can umpires become so rigidly tied to laws and regulations yet forsake common sense? These batsmen have enough protection to go on the front line in Helmand Province, and yet the pair took the silly risk of possibly throwing away the momentum (England had raced along until this point). It was a stupid mistake which, fortunately, didn’t cost them. But it so easily could have, and cricket as a whole – especially Test cricket, in these changing times – desperately needs a dose of common sense.
The second incident was Andrew Strauss’s decision (or was it Andy Flower’s?) to open with Graeme Swann. Yes, Swann had a day to remember, but he is no Shane Warne. Why would you leave out your best bowler, James Anderson, and toss the new ball to a spinner? This too didn’t cost England, who later savaged West Indies’ lineup with a fine allround performance, but it again smacked of fuddled thinking – trying to be too clever.
England ought to wrap this up tomorrow, bar a miracle from Chanderpaul and someone else, and the performances of Onions, Swann and Bopara will swell the pride of selectors and fans. Let’s not get carried away, though, and remember that West Indians aren’t crash hot on a Lord’s greentop in May. But let’s also remember that perhaps for the first time in decades, England have a more dangerous spinner (and possibly spin attack) than Australia.
He bats and catches, too. Our new Gilo has been found.
Aussie batsmen licking their lips at the thought of Onion Bhaji. Terms like spring and raw come to mind at the thought of Onions. Philip Hughes could slice,batter and deep fry him.
Early days yet but Bopara perhaps can cancel Ricky Ponting and Pietersen could shade Clarke. Johnson and Siddle will hit the deck harder than anything England have presently. Flintoff if fit will trouble all the Aussie batters. The ball coming in at pace and hip high (think Ambrose,Chris Martin and Ishant Sharma) is the one delivery England lacked yesterday.Broad has it but uses it infrequently.
There is time yet for England to get Freddie right and England need his bowling more than the batting.
Less said about the umpires the better. Where is Simon Taufel?
I’m sure Onions will have a few batsmen chopping him onto their stumps though.
Seriously, although I think Australia will win, the English attack based around swing could casue our batsmen a few problems, especially Ricky Ponting who I think has been found out a bit in recent years. Anderson, Broad, Onions and Flintoff as an attack could be a handful in English conditions.
From an English point of view, it’s very encouraging to see Broad add five miles to his armoury.
By the way, I think saying Swann is the new Gilo is a little uncharitable to Swann, and not that accurate. I don’t have anythnig against Giles, but I’ve never seen him bowl nearly as aggressively as Swann has.
Giles with his sunnies was like Greg mathews with his cap. More style than substance. Swann is a fine offspinner and unlike Botha ,Bhaji and Murali does not suffer from “bendy” This is an affectionate term given to the ICC’s generous 15 degrees .
You dont need a doosra when you have a straight one like the one that bowled Devon S.
He also had appreciable drift and drop. Far better proposition than Monty. Collingwood was superb at slip and the two have a good partnership going.
Swann to open against Katich and Hughes? I think not.
Good to see the Poms looking confident ahead of the Ashes, I think they should be aswell, they have a good advantage by playing their current test series, by the time the first Ashes test rolls around Australia will have had a substantial gap between matches with the red ball (tour mathes aside).
Disappointed that the first test won’t be at Lords (or in England at least), I know traditionally it was always the second test of the series, however I thought it provided a great opening for the series in 2005.
I’m in the camp that thinks it was a good idea to give Swann the new ball. He’s England’s leading wicket-taker in 2009, and according to him the brand new ball was not swinging much until it had a little wear and tear. So it makes sense to give the ball to Jimmy A. when it’s swinging the most.
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