Right, it’s time for me to go. That was about as emphatic as Test wins come. Eight sessions, and an innings and a heap of runs and 19 wickets in the day. England were good, West Indies were abject.
Here’s our first hit report. Vic’s one will be in there soon, as well as analysis from Andy Bull and Ali Martin, too. It’s been a remarkable game. The second Test is in six days at Headingley. Let’s all, whoever you support, hope it lasts a little longer, and is a little more competitive.
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Now time to hear from Stuart Broad. He’s very proud to overtake Ian Botham, the man who gave him his Test capo back in 2007, as England’s second highest wicket-taker. “They add up pretty quickly, don’t they?” he says. Beef’s stood next to him and he’s a bit emotional!
“It’s nice to have a pink ball in the collection,” says Broad.
Updated
The man of the match is Alastair Cook. He wins two and a half grand for his fourth double-ton in Tests, and first since giving up the captaincy. Wahoo! Well done him.
Rooteh’s turn. No, he’s not being booed. “I’m pleased with it! We won in three days and I got some runs,” he says of day-night Test cricket.
“Very remarkable day, very pleasing. We talk about being ruthless and we held a really good length.” He then waxes lyrical about Stuart Broad, and Alastair Cook.
Jason Holder is talking about all this. He looks very sad. “We’ve gotta believe. We have a few days off. We need to use them widely and formulate some plans. We will regroup and come back strongly.”
They do, of course, have two extra days off. Very clever tactics - more time for planning.
Brian Withington is owning up to being the Brian Withington.
I have already fessed up to fraternal Essex scourgery of sorts via the Twitter. In my defence the 36 no included a late 6 after opening partner John was dismissed for 216 in the penultimate over. I still swear that the scorer was guilty of confusing us throughout.
Well, I’ll stick around to deliver news of the awards and all that jazz. Not a great deal to say. West Indies were very bad, and they let England be very good. England have won three Tests on the spin for the first time in a while, and they’ll like have won five on the bounce by early to mid September. Absolutely impossible to see this being anything other than a 3-0 whitewash.
Ooh. Nice stat.
Last time England's leading wicket-takers played in same Test was also vs West Indies: Trueman (284) & Statham (245), 22-26 Aug 1963 #ENGvWI
— Liam Cromar (@LiamCromar) August 19, 2017
A damning stat.
1st Test:
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) August 19, 2017
Alastair Cook batted 583 minutes
West Indies team: 392 minutes
Have to say, that’s a very classy low catch from Stokes at the end. West Indies lost 19 in the day. Here’s the breakdown of them:
- Four for Anderson
- Five for Broad
- Four for Roland-Jones
- Three for Moeen
- One for Stokes
- Two run outs
That’s England’s third biggest victory margin over the West Indies, and it’s all done in nine sessions. Eight, really, cos of the bad weather on the second day.
England win by an innings and 209 runs!
Roland-Jones continues, and there’s a sliced drive from Joseph just shy of fourth slip. Then there’s a big swish and a miss outside off. But now he’s out! Joseph has been caught low at third slip by Stokes! They win by an innings and 209 runs!
45th over: West Indies 137-9 (Joseph 8, Cummins 0) Jimmy gets four slips and a gully to bowl to the leftie Cummins. Well defended first ball, and that’s a wicket maiden.
Wicket! Roach b Anderson 13 (West Indies 137-9)
Jimmy gets us going after drinks. Mason Crane is on the field for some reason or another. And Jimmy has ended the resistance! Roach bowled through the gate! One more.
Brian Withington has me dreaming of my mooted trip to the oub this evening. Kemar and Alzarri have been holding me up. Still no answer to whether Brian is the Brian Withington from Essex.
Sorry to disappoint Kimberley’s epicurean instincts but I’ve now moved onto a chewy Malbec to encourage delivery of a second helping of the red beef curry. Lighting is somewhat subdued here and not conducive to any movement on my part (late or otherwise). Salut!
44th over: West Indies 137-8 (Roach 12, Joseph 8) Roland-Jones continues. These two are resisting well, the stand being into its seventh over. It’s a maiden. And they are taking drinks. Get on with it!
Robert Blanchard reveals the best job in the world.
My ex-girlfriend, who teaches law at the University of the West Indies in Barbados (yes, a tough job but someone’s got to do it), told me that these days young athletes prefer to pursue a career in soccer or basketball rather than cricket, because the financial rewards are so much greater.
There is some truth in this, yep. But the cash playing T20 cricket isn’t too bad either and plenty of folk are still doing that from those parts...
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43rd over: West Indies 137-8 (Roach 12, Joseph 8) Jimmy’s return does not immediately bear fruit. Some stoic defence and a single for Joseph, who has never reached double figures in Tests. He made six earlier, and has eight now.
42nd over: West Indies 136-8 (Roach 12, Joseph 7) Toby Roland-Jones is on for Broad. Still no Jimmy in this final session, interestingly. Roach has a waft outside off, and everyone behind the stumps goes up, but the bowler isn’t interested. Root sends it upstairs, cos why not? It’s not out. Roach is looking suspiciously competent and he backfoot drives through backward point and gets four for it. That said, he plays and misses again to the last ball of the over. Jimmy will enter the attack from the other end.
Nice to see some Donald Trumps mingling happily with a bunch of Mexicans in the Hollies Stand. Lovely how cricket brings people together.
— Brian Halford (@brainhaldorf) August 19, 2017
41st over: West Indies 132-8 (Roach 8, Joseph 7) Moeen tosses it up again and Joseph drives him away for four through covers. I’ve only been on the OBO since lunch and I’ve already covered him getting out once today. They take a single each.
Kimberley Thonger is talking about Brian Withington too.
As the floodlights are on surely Brian Withington should be putting himself outside a decent rosé, possibly with a pink gin chaser to encourage late reverse swing?
Updated
40th over: West Indies 126-8 (Roach 7, Joseph 2) Jonny Bairstow can only laugh as a short seed from Broad misses the ducking Roach, then hoops miles away from his dive and trots away for four byes. No other runs from the over.
Doom and gloom from Sankaran Krishna. West Indies have lost 17 wickets today.
As an old-timer who grew up on watching the Windies routinely decimate the English at home from about the late 1970s through the mid 1990s, this is unbearably sad to watch. How can a team decline so completely to such a level? Sorry to strike a mordant note as England cut through this batting line up like a knife through a cake, but even they have to feel this is getting embarrassing.
39th over: West Indies 122-8 (Roach 7, Joseph 2) Moeen has become a damned good bowler at the tail in this country, and he’s really giving it some air here. The over costs seven: a lovely late cut of a turner from Roach, a bye from another turner, and two for Joseph behind square on the offside.
Brian Withington, are you still reading?
Curious, is it Brian Withington brother of John and latter-day fraternal scourges of the Essex League?
— john little (@FewerOwls) August 19, 2017
38th over: West Indies 115-8 (Roach 3, Joseph 0) This is the first time since 1984 that Sir Ian Botham has not been in the top two wicket-takers for England. Amazing. Jimmy has 491. Broad may get a couple more tonight. He beat Joseph outside off, and then he defends well. The last is down legside and harmless. Still, it’s a special over in the life of Stuart Broad.
Hard to disagree. Chief exec pitches required to take them into fifth or even fourth days. Could do with Windies winning a toss.
This is pretty painful @willis_macp. You wonder how the rest of the series will go after this. I could only stomach this in the Ashes!
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) August 19, 2017
Wicket! Dowrich b Broad 5 (West Indies 115-8)
Stuart Broad has overtaken Sir Ian Botham! He has 384 Test wickets, and is second only to Jimmy Anderson in English history. He gets there, with the ground looking stunning under lights, but nipping one back at Shane Dowrich, taking an inside edge and clattering into the stumps. England are two wickets from victory.
Updated
37th over: West Indies 115-7 (Dowrich 5, Roach 3) Moeen gets another. Stoneman is under siege at silly-point as Dowrich cuts two, then takes one behind square. The next one stays very low, beats the bat and beats Bairstow (who is keeping well in tough circumstances) and runs away for four byes. He takes the last ball of the over brilliantly down the legside as it absolutely rags.
John Starbuck is talking about my Ashes squad. I didn’t name a complete squad! Foakes or Buttler. Probably Foakes. But Bairstow is years ahead of anyone else right now. Love typing that - he’s worked so hard for it.
I don’t think I spotted a spare wicketkeeper in your selection, unless one of the batsmen is up to it - though you’d need to be pretty good to take over at Test level.
36th over: West Indies 108-7 (Dowrich 2, Roach 3) A thick outside edge gets Roach off strike with three through backward-point. Dowrich gets one through square-leg. Broad is not bowling fast, but he’s got that spring in his step, the high knee trot in the run-up. The last of the over is a beauty, and Roach does well to keep it out. There are 29 overs left today. Don’t think England’ll need ‘em all.
What an evening Brian Withington is having!
Moving into uncharted territory now - wickets tumbling in the corner, Eagles Greatest Hits streaming in background (Desperado), Thai take-away and a cheeky Sauvignon Blanc called Greywacke. I think this could catch on.
Just a #CELEB, not even a #CELEBRAPPEAL!!! https://t.co/op2L3lII1c
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) August 19, 2017
35th over: West Indies 104-7 (Dowrich 1, Roach 0) Moeen continues, and he’s bowling beautifully, with two slips, silly point and short leg. Dowrich drives into Cook’s ankle at silly point, then leaves a couple and defends a couple more. Maiden. Over to Stu...
34th over: West Indies 104-7 (Dowrich 1, Roach 0) Root’s field is magic for the hat-trick ball. Three slips, gully, short leg, silly point, silly mid-on, silly mid-off. But Roach is firmly in behind it. Broad has two Test hat-tricks, no one has ever taken three. He hasn’t got one this time, but don’t bet against it at some stage.
Wicket! Holder c Cook b Broad 0 (West Indies 104-7)
Holder gone first ball! Brilliant line, he nicks and Cook takes a fine catch diving low to his right at first slip! Seven down, Broad on a hat-trick, and level with Botham!
Updated
Wicket! Chase lbw b Broad 24 (West Indies 104-6)
Broad charging in with a sleeveless sweater on. Chase has battled hard but this one has stayed low and Broad, as he tends to, isn’t bothering to see what the umpire thinks. The umpires thinks it’s out. It stayed down, hit the back pad, and right in front... Broad has 382 Test wickets. Ian Botham took 383.
Earlier, Paul Kavanagh was considering going to the cricket tomorrow. Now, he’s emailing me with the subject line “cinema times for tomorrow”.
Not a cat in hell’s chance of them dragging this out. Looking at cinema times for tomorrow, it’s a toss up between the Dark Tower and Valerian. Thoughts?
What about The Emoji Movie?
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33rd over: West Indies 104-5 (Chase 24, Dowrich 1) It’s tossed up outside off by Moeen and tidily takes a single to get off the mark through cover. Chase hands the strike back with one to deep mid-on. Dowrich defends a couple, then tries to cut a wide one which stays low. He defends again.
32nd over: West Indies 102-5 (Chase 23, Dowrich 0) Chase has played nicely and, by record at least, is the Windies’ best player. But batting is tough right now. Broad is playing around with some cutters and the like. Lbw, bowled and the nick off are all very much in play. He’s playing across his front pad a little bit, and it’s a maiden.
Wicket! Blackwood st Bairstow b Moeen (West Indies 102-5)
31st over: West Indies 102-5 (Chase 23) More Mo, but Jimmy cannot be far away. Hundred up as Chase takes a single to deep cover, then Moeen tosses a couple up to tempt Blackwood. Stoneman wears one on the boot at silly point, then they get one to mid-off. Chase gets another single to leg, which rather excites the close fielders. That brings Blackwood on strike, and the fielders chat to the batsman a bit more. That tempts him down, he misses, and Bairstow does the rest. Moeen just chucked it wide of off stump and fooled him. Out by a mile.
Updated
30th over: West Indies 99-4 (Chase 21, Blackwood 11) More Broad. England only have two slips and a gully, and I’m moaning about it. More! Blackwood lashes through backward point for four. The last ball of the over is full, and he’s launched it over extra extra cover for four! Shot.
29th over: West Indies 91-4 (Chase 21, Blackwood 3) Moeen continues. I suppose he has just taken a wicket! Blackwood takes another rather frantic single, before one stage slightly low on Chase, but he gets bat on it and keeps it out. Well played. Well played again, as he wallops a sweep into the gap at deep-square. Four. The last is defended.
Brian Withington is praising our man on the ground. Quite right.
Crying out for a Jack Russell composition of the Eric Hollies stand with our faithful correspondent freezing gamely in the corner. Medals have been struck for less - arise Sir Ian Copestake, I say!
28th over: West Indies 86-4 (Chase 17, Blackwood 2) As expected, Broad to bowl. He’s two behind Sir Ian Botham on 381 wickets. Blackwood leaves it twice outside off, then takes a sharp single to mid-off. Later in the over, Chase edges low through the gap in the cordon and it runs away for four...
Tom v d Gucht writes:
We seem to have more young gun bowlers, like the Overtons, the Currens, Highway Coad, Helm, Porter and others too. But the batsman fridge seems less well stocked with fewer players spanking out mountains of runs in county cricket and subsequently demanding selection.
Over the last 15 years or so, the most successful batters forced the selectors’ hands with sheer weight of runs before cracking the big time of test cricket as they were ready for it: KP, Bell, Trott, Cook, Strauss, Bairstow, Root, Prior... Even some players who didn’t kick on won their shot at the big show through consistent excellence in county cricket, such as Ed Smith, Bopara and Key.
We seem to be fishing around with increasing levels of desperation for Batsmen at the moment we wouldn’t normally consider, like a lonely person hunting for love on the dance floor at ten to two in the morning, picking up players who average in the 30s and, unlike the likes of Vaughan whose average didn’t reflect his talent, don’t look like stayers in the long run.
Would say there’s plenty of talent coming through. Pick of the bunch is Joe Clarke, but Livingstone, Hameed, Gubbins and the like are all great prospects. Much to look forward to.
Updated
27th over: West Indies 81-4 (Chase 13, Blackwood 1) Moeen to finish off that uncompleted over from before the break. Cook is under the lid at silly-point now. Looks like there’s a bit of chatter out there. Blackwood off the mark second ball with a gentle over-drive. Second slip, not short leg, in for Chase. He defends twice, then slices through backward-point for four. Generous applause from Ben Stokes at slip. Mark Stoneman, the silly point, didn’t seem to enjoy it as much.
Right, the players are coming out for the final session of the match, err, I mean day. West Indies are 76 for four, and 270 behind. There are 38.4 overs remaining and we can play til 10, as well as an extra half-hour if a result is close at that stage.
More from Ian Copestake at Edgbaston:
At the urinal/trough earlier I was standing next to a man wearing a wedding dress. This seemed entirely normal.
The Windies aren’t, at least, going to lose by an innings to Alastair Cook and his 243. At 76 for four, they are one ahead of Cook, having made 168 in their first innings.
Chris Woakes out having a bowl during the Tea break - looks like Trevor Bayliss has borrowed one of the umpires' jackets to watch #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/nKUy1MgOg5
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) August 19, 2017
Right, who thinks England are going to do this today? Blackwood on his way out after tea. He was in a league of his own in the first innings, but you wouldn’t think he’ll muck about. Jimmy and Broad to return under lights, surely.
Updated
Tea! West Indies 76-4
And with that wicket, England’s sixth of the session, they will take tea! That’s what you do at 7.10pm, of course. When we resume Moeen will have four balls left in his over.
Ian Copestake, our correspondent at Edgbaston, reports:
The scene in the Eric Hollies Stand is like something out of Bruegel, if Bruegel’s apocalyptic paintings included fancy dress.
Wicket! Brathwaite lbw b Moeen 40 (West Indies 76-4)
Now, now, now. Brathwaite has gone a long way across to Moeen and he’s been struck on the pad. Has he hit it? Umpire says no. They are going upstairs! Looks a good review to me. He hasn’t hit it, and there’s three reds! He’s outta here!
26th over: West Indies 76-3 (Brathwaite 40, Chase 9) Stokes into his ninth, then. Chase is not comfortable against him. But there’s a well-timed nudge through cover that brings him two. The last gets big on him and raps his thumb. That looks no fun.
Chris Evans writes about Steven Finn.
I think we all love Finn and want it to work. However, none of us (including him) know what is best for him but I doubt traipsing round Australia as a clear 7th choice is ideal. I think they don’t need the extra quick in the squad anyway, but if so the 7th could be Plunkett (in the role Batty played in India) or take a punt on a kid like Joverton.
One advantage England have on this tour is that the Lions will be shadowing them for the first couple. So their stocks will be deep. Joverton a bit wild for me. But I’d strongly consider Tom Helm in that role. Coverton good too.
25th over: West Indies 74-3 (Brathwaite 40, Chase 7) Moeen’s first ball to Chase takes a thick and clumsy outside edge and runs away for four. Just past Stokes at slip. Then he takes a single in a similar area, and Stokes cleans up. Brathwaite then skips down and plays a classy cover drive for two, cut off by Rojo running round, and a single to deep mid-on takes him into the forties. Chase takes a single too, then Brathwaite defends.
Updated
24th over: West Indies 65-3 (Brathwaite 37, Chase 1) Stokes is into his eighth over. Has conceded just six so far, and picked up Shope. He’s tight again, but Chase finally gets off the mark – and his pair – by turning him past short-leg for one! It goes through Stoneman’s hands – reckon he’s done by a lack of pace there. Just died on him. Stokes holds his glowing head in his hands, but he needn’t be too sad, that’s the only run from the over. 10 minutes until tea.
Dogs named after cricketers, not just cats!
@willis_macp Meet Lady Bumble named after David Lloyd. pic.twitter.com/JhAjRomjXH
— Mikyoung Jun Pearce (@MikyoungJPearce) August 19, 2017
23rd over: West Indies 64-3 (Brathwaite 37, Chase 0) Moeen slides through a maiden against Brathwaite, who doesn’t play a big shot this time.
Ian Stalvies, who identifies as a Berlin-based Australian (which, having spent a year living in the city, I know that there are a few of), writes usefully:
Re: hat tricks across innings, there have actually been two, in the same series back in the dark days (well, for us!) of the late 1980s: Courtney Walsh, then the magnificently moustachioed Merv Hughes - whose wickets were also across three separate overs. Details of more interesting hat-tricks here.
Very nice. I remember the Rushworth one well now. Thanks!
22nd over: West Indies 64-3 (Brathwaite 37, Chase 0) Good from Stokes, who keeps Chase honest. He can’t get off strike, or off his pair. He’s faced 11 balls now, the last of which brings a mild lbw shout.
Paul Kavanagh has a question.
I’m getting the feeling we won’t manage this today. Great news. Any idea what the ticket policy will be tomorrow? It would be great to nip down for a few overs on the cheap.
I have an answer. I suspect that England will get this done today. If they don’t ... I don’t reckon the policy tomorrow will be overly generous, because it’ll only be the fourth day. People will have already spent decent money on it. However, we would have to wait and see where the game is at: I will keep you posted. England will take these seven wickets, mind.
21st over: West Indies 64-3 (Brathwaite 37, Chase 0) More Mo, and Brathwaite begins by clothing two drives off him. Then there’s a defensive stroke. Eek, he’s gone down the ground and it just evades the deep-ish mid-on and goes for four! Again, Mo won’t mind one bit.
Updated
20th over: West Indies 60-3 (Brathwaite 33, Chase 0) Roston Chase in on a pair. He’s still on a pair at the end of the over. Wicket maiden.
Geoff Wignall has a question in my inbox.
I was just wondering which bowlers you’d favour for the Ashes? Those in this match plus Woakes I presume but which others - and for what reasons?
Hello Geoff! I would take these four, plus Woakes. Then Wood, for sure. I’d also take either Ball or Finn but I’m totally undecided on which. Probably Finn because I like him, and so desperately want it to work. The I’d also take Crane, because I think they will. And I reckon he’s the real deal. What’s that: nine? Jimmy, Broad, Woakes, Rojo, Wood, Stokes, Finn, Moeen, Crane. Probably just about space for Finn in a 17-man squad.
Wicket! S Hope c Root b Stokes 4 (West Indies 60-3)
I was just thinking to myself how England would love a couple more before tea, which is in 30 minutes. There’s one. Shope fences at Stokes and gets a thick edge, which is well snaffled at a comfy height by Rooteh at second gripper!
Updated
19th over: West Indies 60-2 (Brathwaite 33, S Hope 4) Runs are hard to come by, I said in the last over. Brathwaite’s noticed, and goes after Moeen. He slogs four to cow for four, then drives through cover for a far more elegant four. Moeen won’t mind that, you wouldn’t think. Each batsman takes a single behind square on the offside later in the over. Stoneman is in at short leg, by the way.
18th over: West Indies 50-2 (Brathwaite 24, S Hope 3) Runs have been very tough to come by of late, and Stokes has Shope under pressure. It’s another maiden.
Roger Martin has his thinking cap on. And he’s got quite an interesting idea.
On the follow on, if the fielding side doesn’t want to enforce the follow on, how about giving the batting side the option of batting again? It’s not relevant in this match as the windies are so far behind but in the last test, if the saffers had the option, they may well have chosen to bat again, given the way the pitch would deteriorate by the fifth day. It would certainly add element into the fielding captain’s calculations.
17th over: West Indies 50-2 (Brathwaite 24, S Hope 3) Moeen time! He bowled beautifully earlier at the ground that was once his home. Suspect it’ll be his home again some time soon, too. There’s one single from the over, to Hope early on.
Chris Drew writes: “Has Jofra Archer declared whether he’d play for the West Indies or England yet?” Wants to play for England, but there’s a long time (maybe four years) before he qualifies... Would get in this Windies side.
Updated
16th over: West Indies 49-2 (Brathwaite 24, S Hope 2) Stokes is just getting a tiny bit of movement away from the batsman, and Brathwaite is struggling. The fourth ball beats the bat and hammers into Bairstow’s finger. He looks sore. But it’s another maiden, the third on the spin, which will please England.
Ian Copestake writes: “Update from Edgbaston. Am frozen.” Hang on in there, buddy. There are a lot of fans on screen huddling under rugs and the like. A few have brought their beer jackets, I reckon.
15th over: West Indies 49-2 (Brathwaite 24, S Hope 2) Roland-Jones continues, and he’s bowling very full, looking for the edge. Hope is watchful, and it’s a maiden. Lights are starting to take effect, and I say that because Ben Stokes’ head has a glow about it.
Adam Roberts has picked up on my Australian selection pointers earlier.
You ‘would take Hameed and Hales to Australia’. 2 qs: 1) Has Hameed found any sort of form yet? 2) Would you take Hameed and Hales to Australia as a No. 5 (with possibility of moving up in extremis)?
I watched Hameed score a pretty composed 77, ended only by rain, at the Ageas Bowl 10 days ago. Looked good. And yep, Hales at No5. I’d probably have him in the side at No5 now. Would take Hameed as the spare opener so shouldn’t need him up top.
14th over: West Indies 49-2 (Brathwaite 24, S Hope 2) The first ball of Stokes’ new over gets Shai Hope off the mark and the deficit below 300. Was a flick to leg for one what done it. Brathwaite gets one with the same shot next ball. Hope takes another single later in the over, as some people in fancy dress do a conga.
Something to make you snort out your daiquiri at the drinks break, from Peter Salmon:
Just tuned in for the first time to see that the West Indies have only lost the one wicket today, albeit without troubling the scorers much. Still, good to see some resilience after all the dire warnings about their batting.
13th over: West Indies 46-2 (Brathwaite 23, S Hope 0) Brathwaite gets a touch lucky to Rojo here. It’s full and straight and there’s a thick inside edge that runs away for four down to fine-leg. Between his back leg and the stumps, which is never pretty. The rest are dots, but they are not all comfortable.
With tea about 55 minutes away, they are taking a drinks break...
More Boycs-based answers to the eighth over quandary, from Phil.
Further to your correspondent’s question (Stephen Brown - 8th over) I know that once (at least) Sir Geoffrey Rhubarb batted on every day of a 5 day test. Not sure though whether this is a valid answer to SB’s question. Still here in Switzerland it is time for dinner. Just ripped the cork out of a bottle of Chardonnay so will gently lay out the stuff needed in the kitchen, after turning up the volume on my laptop to maintain contact with TMS, and will get on with the victuals.
I’m bloody jealous. I’m in an office in Kings Cross and I’ve finished my San Pellegrino.
12th over: West Indies 42-2 (Brathwaite 19, S Hope 0) More Stokes. Brathwaite takes a single, and Shai Hope is looking fairly uncomfy time of it. There’s an edge that doesn’t carry to Jimmy, who is in at third slip instead of Moeen. David Gower rather kindly describes Keaton Jennings as “resting from Test cricket”. Could be a long rest...
Confirmation, by the way, that we can play until 10.30pm tonight. Wowzer. And here’s a thought...
could be first time Last Orders have been called in a Test match ground in England. They should ring the bell.
— Nicky (@somersetbagpuss) August 19, 2017
11th over: West Indies 41-2 (Brathwaite 18, S Hope 0) One Hope replaces another. Misleading, I’ll say. There are no runs from the rest of the over, which contains a couple of very curious leaves outside off-stump. If you’re leaving it, keep your bat out of the way, man! Wicket maiden.
John Starbuck is replying to Stephen Brown’s eighth over question about players being on the field for the entirety of a completed match.
Geoffrey Boycott did it at least once; he carried his bat in the first innings, fielded for all of the second, and then, I think, did it again. Sometime in the 1970s perhaps. I was much remarked at the time, but they didn’t have the stats for everything available then as they do now; I haven’t checked anyway.
Another John is of the same mind!
I’m happy to be corrected (sometimes) but I’m pretty sure for boycotts 100th 100 match at headingley he was on the pitch the whole match.
Looks like both Johns are right! Boycott was last man out for 191, and England won by an innings. Here’s the scorecard.
Wicket! K Hope lbw b Roland-Jones 12 (West Indies 41-2)
Rojo was not gone for long! He’s swapped ends. And first ball he smacks Hope on the pad and the finger goes up! It’s reviewed, but there’s no bat and he’s gone. Clipping leg stump. Hope the second man to be out twice today.
Updated
10th over: West Indies 41-1 (Brathwaite 18, K Hope 12) Roland-Jones has been hooked from the attack after one over! Stokes on with the crowd in full voice. Brathwaite takes two from his first ball through midwicket, but the rest are defended or left.
Here’s what Stuie reckons. By my calculations we can play until 10.30pm tonight. Due to rain, scheduled close is 9.30. Time to make up overs runs til 10. If a result in sight, 10.30... More as I get it.
@willis_macp this will be wrapped up tonight or early tomorrow afternoon me thinks
— Stuie Neale (@MrNeale92) August 19, 2017
9th over: West Indies 39-1 (Brathwaite 16, Hope 12) Jimmy to Kraiggy with three slips and a gully. The third of those slips is Moeen, which is taking some getting used to. Like Trotty used to be, Moeen always seems to be banished to the furthest corners of the field. Kraiggy gets off strike with a legside single, and Hope is given nothing to hit. One from the over.
Darren Gough is on a balcony wearing a slightly ropey waistcoat (has he come as a waiter?) but Ashley Giles is wearing a tie and looks rather smarter.
8th over: West Indies 38-1 (Brathwaite 15, Hope 12) Roland-Jones replaces Broad. And he starts full and on the pads and is flicked through square-leg by Hope for two. The second is shorter, and brilliantly played. Hope rocks back and pulls it in front of square for four! Shot, boi! Rojo goes fuller outside off and is cover-driven for four more later in the over, before a brilliant bit of fielding at square-leg prevents runs off the last. 10 of them from the over.
Stephen Brown is in my inbox again.
So now that we’ve followed on, it seems inevitable that AN Cook will have been on the field of play for the entire match.
- First question; can the knowledgeable OBO crowd tell tall tales of other times this has happened.
- 2nd question; in the parallel universe where the windes scrap a small (100 or so) lead, would you give Sir Cook a break and let Westley open with Stoneman in order to give him a second bite at the pink cherry?
I’ll leave the first question to you lot...
The second, well, no, probably not. But it does depend on how many they are chasing and whether Cook can be arsed. If it’s a little total then I don’t imagine he would be. But I don’t think England will be too worried about these batsmen against the pink ball. They might be worried about them against any ball, mind. I watch a lot of county cricket and reckon Stoneman and Westley are the best men for the job. Not sold on Malan (but he’s a bloody good cricketer), and would take Hameed and Hales to Australia.
Updated
7th over: West Indies 28-1 (Brathwaite 15, K Hope 2) Jimmy is working Brathwaite over, but when he errs in line, he has turned away for four to fine-leg. Well played. The over ends with a tidy bit of defending from Brathwaite.
Great snap from a great snapper.
Hollies stand, Edgbaston 5.30pm #ENGvWI #cricket #barsalesextraordinary pic.twitter.com/eTVmYQdLMW
— Philip Brown (@dudleyplatypus) August 19, 2017
6th over: West Indies 24-1 (Brathwaite 11, K Hope 2) Shot. That’ll help. Mid-off is wide to the point of not actually being mid-off. Broad pitches it up and Brathwaite just leans into a straight drive and it runs away for four. Broad’s Dad and sis are watching, and there are more runs here, two of them off a thick inside edge through square leg. Wow, the Windies balcony looks a miserable place. The next ball is short and Brathwaite makes a total hash of it, getting in a tangle and a thick leading edge which loops up into the offside, but lands safe! He’s living dangerously, and guides powerfully past Stoneman who is under the lid at a backward short-leg-leg-gully spot. They run one. Seven from the over.
Updated
5th over: West Indies 17-1 (Brathwaite 4, K Hope 2) Kyle Hope is away. He turns his second ball to leg and they run one and get a second with a slightly untidy misfield at midwicket. He leaves the next two.
Feels worth saying: 60 over left in the day, and 90 minutes until tea...
Wicket! Powell c Cook b Anderson 10 (West Indies 15-1)
Jimmy’s over begins with an lbw appeal from behind the stumps against Brathwaite, but it’s nowhere near. They run one leg bye to fine leg.
This is out though! Powell is squared up a touch, it’s angled across him and nips away, and he’s well caught at first slip by Cook. Sharp take and that’s the end of a fairly grim innings from Powell.
Updated
4th over: West Indies 14-0 (Brathwaite 4, Powell 10) A situation is unfolding at Edgbaston. This being a Saturday, there are lots of people in fancy dress. One such group, possibly the Mexicans or maybe the Jesuses, has had its beach ball pinched. They are huddled by a steward trying to get it back. And they have been joined by all the different fancy dressers: the bananas, the Trumps, the brides, the Richies and the rest in lobbying the stewards. And, after some teasing from said stewards, they’ve got it back! Alastair Cook applauds.
Anyway, Broad continues. Powell is loose. He drives over cover for two, but it’s pretty grim. Broad has a word as they run, but next ball he flashes even harder, gets a thick outside edge and it runs away for four over gully! More words. Broad thinks Powell is a bit pony I reckon. Anyway, he defends the last.
3rd over: West Indies 8-0 (Brathwaite 4, Powell 4) Brathwaite is off his pair, but it ain’t pretty. He tries to send Anderson through midwicket but gets a thick leading edge wide of backward point for four. The rest are more comfortably defended.
A distracted Ross Williams emails.
Enjoying the coverage as I
fail to do any work on and just watch cricketdesperately attempt to finish a thesis. I wondered given the west indies top 5 combined for about half the runs that Blackwood scored, and he is set. Why not just let him carry on batting? He can’t do any worse than get 0.
Good question. I saw this recently when Surrey’s Rory Burns carried his bat for 200 against Hampshire at the Oval. He is an opener, mind. But he just walked back out and cracked on despite being knackered. Was joyous to watch, actually. Blackwood is putting his feet up.
2nd over: West Indies 4-0 (Brathwaite 0, Powell 4) Runs! Elegantly and uppishly driven through cover for four by Powell off Broad. The rest are dots.
A Scotsman with a fine Scotsman’s name, Allan McDonald, writes:
Hello! Longtime reader and first time emailer, loving the OBO for its informative whimsy. Greetings from a wet and driech Fort William.
I was idly musing when Broad got Joseph out. If he had followed that with a wicket on the next ball, and England had enforced the follow-on, would he still have been on a hat trick if he had taken the first over of the next innings? What if they hadn’t enforced, would he have been on a hat trick once he went to bowl again?
Please keep the up the whimsy!
Please keep emailing! Good question. I don’t think he’s on a hat-trick then. I think hat-tricks are limited to innings. Moeen Ali certainly wasn’t on a hat-trick when he started today, having wrapped the South Africa series up with two in two balls.
1st over: West Indies 0-0 (Brathwaite 0, Powell 0) Jimmy, as in the first innings, begins with a maiden. Brathwaite is still on a pair, and does not look especially comfortable or like he wants to be in Birmingham. West Indies are still 346 behind.
Fair to say England have a spring in their step as they head out for the second innings. Kraigg Brathwaite, who is on a pair, does not. Jimmy to bowl at him. Sounds grim.
Nicholas Stuart writes with the subject line “cats named after cricketers”. He attaches a picture of his cat, Katich.
Our cat, Katich, is named after the Australian batsman. Judging by his size, we should have called him Beefy.
Katich is indeed quite fat. Not quite Dawyne Leverock fat, but certainly fat. I will try to upload a picture of both him and Kumar, Miranda’s cat, but that is more tricky than it should be! I’ll try at tea.
Here’s the last wicket. Classy stuff from Westley. England are on their way out again.
WICKET! Cummins run out without scoring
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
West Indies all out for 168 #ENGvWI
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Tom Bowtell raises a very good point.
Interesting to note that Cook’s 243 gives him a first innings lead of 75 and an outside chance of an innings victory all on his own if it starts swinging around under the lights tonight...
It’s not out of the question...
Well, well, well. Efficient from England since tea. Nice innings from Blackwood that ends with him trying to pinch the strike. No room for sentiment or batting practice: on England plough. Two direct hit run outs in the innings, which is a rarity for England.
How long will it take them to bowl West Indies out again? There are still almost two hours until tea, and 65 overs in the day! The lights have just come on.
Adam Roberts has been in touch with a warning about my San Pellegrino addiction.
On a recent trip to England (home now), my son Will and I were buying pork pies in Newark, when behind us a boy shouted to his mother. “Look Mum - they’ve got the posh orange”. The sugar content in flavoured San Pellegrino is massive.
It really is posh stuff, isn’t it? And this posh stuff is the reason I’ll soon have no teeth.
Wicket! West Indies all out for 168! England have enforced the follow-on
Specs of rain on the camera as Jimmy begins his new over. Men on the fence for Blackwood, and he turns down a single to deep point first ball. The third is cleverly steered wide of second slip and beats the man in the deep! Four. Then he gets two to deep-midwicket to move to 79 off 74. Fine innings, this. Field up for the fifth ball, and he’s very nearly bowled!
The last ball is nudged into the legside and they go for the single! It’s never, though! Westley swoops in from midwicket to run Cummins out for 0! Direct hit, and he’s gone by a mile. We know that, because the umpire doesn’t even send it upstairs. Great throw.
England immediately enforce the follow-on. They are 346 ahead. Blackwood is left stranded on 79.
Updated
46th over: West Indies 162-9 (Blackwood 73, Cummins 0) Cummins ain’t goin just yet. He leaves Broad outside off. 381, not 380 for Broad.
Wicket! Joseph lbw Broad 6 (West Indies 162-9)
Blackwood doesn’t bother to hit the first ball of Broad’s over for six. Instead, he pinches a single off the second and leaves four for Joseph to negotiate. The first two are fine, but the third raps him on the pad right in front and Broad celebrates. The finger goes up as he wheels away towards the slips. It was very out. I make that 381 Test wickets for Broad... Beefy two away. I hope the wicket that takes him past the big man comes with a celebrappeal.
Updated
45th over: West Indies 161-8 (Blackwood 72, Joseph 6) Joseph can’t have been delighted about the lack of single at the end of the last over. He’s got six balls of Jimmy to worry about. The first two are defended nicely, the second is ducked under, although it was a touch wild. There’s a play and a miss, another couple of defences, and the over has been survived. Well done that man.
Stephen Brown is talking about the follow-on.
Any advantage in having another bat tonight in the name of learning more about this pink ball? Normally I’m a strong supporter of enforcing follow on in most circumstances but as this match was always supposed to be a bit of a learning curve before our match down under perhaps another shot for Stoneman and Westley to try it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
I wouldn’t think Root is thinking along those lines. He’ll probably have a deficit in mind that he will enforce under, and not over. Stoneman and Westley wouldn’t complain, mind.
44th over: West Indies 161-8 (Blackwood 72, Joseph 6) Shot! Stuart Broad won’t like that. Blackwood has legside, Broad has followed him and the batsman has fired the first ball of the over high and handsome into the stands at wide long-on! Sixer. Magnificent. A couple of short balls curb his heavy hitting, and there’s no run for the rest of the over.
Mason Crane is on as a sub fielder, Ali Cook just popping off to apply some make-up.
Updated
43rd over: West Indies 155-8 (Blackwood 66, Joseph 6) Jimmy is keeping Blackwood a touch more honest, and starts with three dots. The first rears a touch. The single comes from a nudge to mid-on, and Joseph is charged with keeping two balls out. He does so with aplomb and elan, by slashing the last of the over for four through point.
Miranda Jollie’s been in touch, and she’s trumping me.
You may love Kumar Sangakkara, but have you named a pet after him? This is our cat Kumar, watching the cricket
Attached is a picture of said cat. Kumar looks a lovely chap, but he’s almost certainly asleep, which is one way of watching Test cricket I suppose.
42nd over: West Indies 150-8 (Blackwood 65, Joseph 2) Blackwood is not going to muck about, and neither should he. Broad’s first is outside off, and he drills it through cover for four off the back foot. Next, he takes a single to mid-off. That’s 150. Celebrate the small victories! Joseph misses his first outside off. And second. He middles his third, but mid-on is there to field, and does. With a man in catching at sort of short cover point, he gets in behind the last ball of the over and defends.
Just opening this San Pellegrino, FYI. Nice and cold. Aranciata Rossa.
Updated
As cricketers come out to play, John Starbuck continues the puffin chat:
Puffins are remarkable and well worth study; a kind of auk, this is a bird which can swim, dive, fly and burrow, all the while looking like something from a mad clown’s dream. They inspired reading for young people and many other inventions too.
Very true! Lovely things.
Meanwhile, Broad with ball in hand. Blackwood, on 60 off 56 with Joseph for company, on strike.
Pete Wood’s describing a rather lovely sounding holiday east of here.
Currently holidaying in Poland and the itinerary tomorrow strikes a chime with the plight facing this West Indies team. Going to Hel and back, by bike, along a long, thin spit of sand, the only thing between us and the cold waters of the Baltic Sea.
Cold waters, but warm air at this time of year, I imagine? Or maybe not. Baltic is an adjective for a reason, I spose.
About six minutes until play gets underway again. So an email from Dave Brown!
Does your love for the great Sri Lankan mean you would have him in your best world XI ahead of Adam Gilchrist as wicketkeeper?
Kumar is the best batsman I’ve seen live, I reckon. Maybe because I’ve seen a good deal more of him than Lara, Sachin etc. So I’d have him in as a specialist bat, I reckon, with Gilchrist at No7 and keeping.
Chris Drew, Mesnilman BTL on the county blog, writes with sad news. Don Shepherd, the Glamorgan legend, has died, having turned 90 this week. Remarkable cricketer with remarkable stats:
- 668 FC Matches
- 132,592 balls
- 2,218 wickets
- Best figures: 9 for 47
- Average: 21.32
And never picked by England...
From Asturias, Dave Langlois writes:
The lunch sign-off photo of the batsman driving with the stumps being splayed by the ball is fantastic. Must be like trying to photograph the puffin with its beak full of sprats. Looks so easy as a finished product but so hard in the execution.
Puffins, not a subject I expected to encounter today, but lovely looking animals.
On the other hand... I’m sure Neil Snowball at Edgbaston feels this way too. Here’s a good interview with him, by the way.
Dear Joe,
— Liam Cromar (@LiamCromar) August 19, 2017
Please do not enforce the follow-on.
Yours sincerely,
Day 4 ticket holders#ENGvWI
They certainly could Stuie! Follow on is out of fashion, and I’m not much of an advocate of it, but if they wrap these last two up promptly surely it’s a no-brainer?
@willis_macp afternoon will very easy for england here
— Stuie Neale (@MrNeale92) August 19, 2017
Could get this won tonight
Andrew Benton has been in touch, and he’s raising a very sensible point.
Always dangerous to be too gleeful about the state of England’s opponents, lest it portends bad omens for the next test series. We lost five nil last time down there, didn’t we (and I bet the Aussies are hoping to go one better this time...)
Well said. Could easily be 6-0 down under.
Oh, lordy. That wonderful Kumar Sangakkara interview by Athers is happening on Sky right now. Those brave and unwise souls who follow county cricket – live! on this website will know how I feel about Sanga. I may not actually be in a position to liveblog this session of cricket for you. Already a touch hot under the collar.
I recently saw Kumar on the Victoria line. Surrey put him up in this wonderful flat on the river and he, like me, was getting off at Vauxhall. It was in that absolutely sweltering week earlier this summer and remains the only time I’ve seen him sweat. And I’ve seen him make 15 or so tons live. Remarkable human.
Hello! Your man Will Macpherson here for the rest of the day and, the way things are going, the rest of the Test match, too. That was all pretty sorry from the Windies, wasn’t it? There are ways you can tell me how sad you are about all of this. I’m tweetable at @willis_macp. And emailable at will.macpherson.freelance@theguardian.com.
ps – on a recent OBO I discussed my love for San Pellegrino naughty drinks. Well, what I thought was a brief dalliance with them has become a full on addiction, and I’ve turned up to the office today with a blood orange one – or, were I feeling cultured, Aranciata Rossa. My favourite. Coffee first, but I’ll let you know how it goes down.
LUNCH - West Indies 145-8
41st over: West Indies 145-8 (Blackwood 60, Joseph 2). Moeen has the last over before the long break. I can’t call it lunch, it’s so ridiculous. Mind you, I’m yet to have a sandwich. But I’m wild like that. As is Blackwood, who dances Moeen! Oh, look, fair enough I guess. He’s hit him right back over his head. The best bit about that was Root having to climb over the fence and into the covers to collect the ball. Careful with those spikes, skip! Joseph has a few to see off when he gets given the strike. Men around the bat for the last ball, but he blocks it out.
Lunch it is. Seven wickets in the session will be their fill. Anderson got the party started in the first over of the day via a snorter to Kyle Hope. He then executed a direct-hit run out in the second, leaving Kieran Powell well short with a mad single. He was back in the book ten minutes later when Roston Chase couldn’t keep out a menacing off-cutter.
Roland-Jones didn’t take long to join in, through Shai Hope’s gate, his off-cutter too good for Dowrich as well. Jason Holder never stood a chance against Moeen, who had him sorted out from the get go and won his edge within two overs. Broad joined in on the cusp of lunch, through Roach with a beauty.
Lunch, sort of, it is. Grab a bite. Or a drink. Chuck on the football and grab some scores. I’ll leave you with Will Macpherson.
Updated
40th over: West Indies 136-8 (Blackwood 53, Joseph 2). One to see off, new man Joseph grabs a couple off what looks to be an inside edge. TV tells me it needs to be nine down for the extra half an hour. I thought it was umpire’s discretion. But let’s go with Nasser on his, he did captain his country.
WICKET! Roach b Broad 5 (West Indies 134-8)
Broad is back and immediately, belatedly, into the book. Roach no chance to keep that out, it’s a beauty. Classic Broad, wide of the crease, hitting the same and coming back a mile. Ultimately through the gate and into his off-stump. Classy way to grab wicket 380. He won’t get Botham in this innings, but still could by the time England wrap this up later tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Extra half-hour probably coming here too, in order to let them finish it off. Three minutes to the interval, in theory.
WICKET! @StuartBroad8 knocks Roach’s off stump out of the ground!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 134/8 #ENGvWI
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39th over: West Indies 134-7 (Blackwood 51, Roach 5). Right, the next discussion is the follow-on. England won’t hesitate in enforcing it. Nothing at all to be gained batting again into the night when they’ve barely broken a sweat this afternoon. West Indies still require 181 to avoid it. Roach is off the mark, though, with a lavish drive first ball. Past point.
John Starbuck on West Indian woes, with historical context: “Some of us go further back, when (unchanged) Hall and Griffiths, along with the elegant Sobers, were terrorising the feeble England batting lineup. After Cowdrey did his best with a broken arm, there was a lot of fuss about the ancient people who were brought back in, like Brian Close, who disdained most protective gear. In a later tour, Clive Lloyd’s fast quartet led to the development of the batsman’s helmet. Brearley demonstrated one which was a basic full skullcap, worn under a cap. Thus, the West Indies have contributed to the development of the game in so many important ways, their current make-up leads us to search for the pluses.”
Geoff Wignall has a question - same sorry theme: “Can any OBOers or indeed your good self Adam, provide information on the current popularity of playing cricket in the Caribbean - relative both to the Windies heyday and to other (American?) sports? Is it still a major participant sport there?”
I reckon there is data on this somewhere. I’ll back someone in the OBO community to know where to find it.
“Should England follow on here, or spend some time inflating some batting averages?” asks Tom V d Gucht.
Sometimes there is just no question about it. This is one of those days.
Updated
WICKET! Holder c Bairstow b Moeen 11 (West Indies 129-7)
After playing and missing Moeen throughout his first set, it was only right that the off-spinner dismissed him in this fashion. Technology confirmed that there was a little nick, a good review from Bairstow and Stokes behind the stumps, convincing Root to go up for a look. So, six wickets in the session with ten minutes to go before lunch. And we’re into the bowlers.
Updated
HAS MOEEN WON HOLDER’S EDGE? We’re going upstairs to find out, as Stokes thinks so at slip.
38th over: West Indies 128-6 (Blackwood 50, Holder 11). Well batted Jermaine Blackwood, with a push to midwicket bringing up his half-century in 49 balls. Can’t fault his intent nor his strokeplay. Fun to watch. Now, double it.
“We’re not going to count Christopher Henry Gayle?” asks Richard Hands, in looking at Windies greats a couple overs ago. He probably does. Complicated with him though, isn’t it?
Updated
37th over: West Indies 127-6 (Blackwood 49, Holder 11). Time for spin, via Moeen. Holder hasn’t a clue out there today, plays the misses not once, twice but thrice. The final of the three trying to put the offie onto the moon for reasons best explained by the West Indies leader. Hot take: he’s not a very good captain. I argued at the time he was ready to replace Ramdin. I was wrong. Not just because of how he is batting over the last half hour. Just the whole vibe of the thing. Doesn’t look the sort to turn this around. Not saying there is a better option.
36th over: West Indies 127-6 (Blackwood 49, Holder 11). They persist with the short ball to Blackwood, which is sound based on the way he plays another on-point Stokes bumper. Gets two for his swat, somehow. Far more comfortable when it is full, he strokes a couple past cover. Nice shot. One short of a half-century.
35th over: West Indies 122-6 (Blackwood 45, Holder 10). Jermaine Blackwood is having a party. TRJ overpitches with his final delivery so he decides to smash him straight back over his head. Didn’t make full contact, otherwise it’ll be in the car park. Quite a swing. Enough to reach the rope comfortably. His 45 from 41 balls. One way to get out of strife. Holder a boundary to begin, but so close to being curtains for him, an inside edge again the difference. He’s a much better player than this. But then again, I feel I say that a lot when it comes to this team. A bit Fox Mulder-ish: I want to believe.
“I was trying to get my old brain thinking who was the last world class batsman the Windies had apart from theredoubtable Chanderpaul?” asks Dave Brown. “There must have been someone after Lara surely?” There hasn’t. Chase was out for nothing today, but he’s the guy. In theory.
34th over: West Indies 113-6 (Blackwood 41, Holder 5). Blackwell lucky not to be the second West Indian to cop one in the head this session, awkwardly avoiding a Stokes bouncer that followed him. An inside edge earlier in the over was needed to prevent him being bowled. All action when he’s at the business end. Holder retains the strike with another tickle to long leg.
Simon McMahon is back. “Sorry to have given you some unintentional grief,” he says. It’s okay, man. I’ve a thick skin. “Saw The Who earlier this year in Glasgow and, like Anderson and Broad, Daltrey and Townsend have still got it. Pity we can’t say the same about the West Indies. They’re like a poor Who tribute Act - The Why?”
33rd over: West Indies 111-6 (Blackwood 40, Holder 4). Despite Blackwood’s efforts, West Indies still trail by 404, which may as well be a million. He takes one to square leg. TRJ’s best ball is the last one, a yorker, kept out by Holder.
“Does the current state of the Windies suggest a two-tier test system would be in order, similar to the county system?” asks Andrew Benton. “Would enable other aspiring test sides to compete at the highest level, and keep those who were falling behind on their toes.”
I don’t like it that much. For mine, it’s a Test or it isn’t. But I do worry that the West Indies will give this form of the game away at some point. Without wanting to be overly dramatic about it. What a mess. Received a text from a mate in Melbourne before (the Attorney-General as it happens, without wanting to name drop). “I grew up in the era when they were - dominant is not the word - frighteningly good. Thought it would go on forever.” I think they did, too.
@collinsadam seems the West Indies aren't too keen on day/night cricket. Like vampires in reverse, getting out before the sun sets.
— phil withall (@phil_withall) August 19, 2017
32nd over: West Indies 110-6 (Blackwood 39, Holder 4). The board no handbrake on Blackwood, flicking Stokes away early in the over for his sixth boundary. When Holder gets his chance, he is immediately beaten, playing at a ball he surely has to be leaving alone. Another four behind point gets him off the mark, almost identical to how Dowrich did the same in the previous over before getting out. Ominous? Well, his edge was beaten next ball. That’s twice already. Not the most convincing start by the skipper. Nine from it, not that runs matter an awful lot right now.
Toby’s two, or your enjoyment.
WICKET! Shai Hope gone for 15 as @tobyrj21 gets in on the act!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 89/5 #ENGvWI
Match centre: https://t.co/rxDAQ4457N pic.twitter.com/zNd6nGcEnZ
WICKET! Now @tobyrj21 traps Dowrich lbw! 🙌
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 101/6 #ENGvWI
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WICKET! Dowrich lbw Roland-Jones 4 (West Indies 101-6)
Oh yes, that’s very out. Dowrich was off the mark in relatively flashy fashion with a drive behind point off the edge, but didn’t survive one coming back sharply off the seam, TRJ hitting the pad and Umpire Erasmus having no hesitation. That he was playing across the line only made it look worse. So, five in the session. 45 minutes to lunch. Will they be all out by then?
31st over: West Indies 101-6 (Blackwood 33, Holder 0).
Updated
30th over: West Indies 96-5 (Blackwood 33, Dowrich 0). Oh that’s unpleasant! Blackwood turns his head on a Stokes bouncer, into the helmet it goes. No one likes that, the bowler immediately checking on the batsman. The doctor comes out for a look but he’s alright. Oh, better than alright! Blackwood launches into the next delivery after the brief delay, on the top of his feet past point. He has plenty of the old Caribbean flair about him, the West Indies no. 6. Into the 30s he goes.
A few of you are pretty agitated that I wasn’t across Pinball Wizard. I am sorry. Robert Wilson, though, has my back. “Excellent generational Pinball Wizard overhead whoosh there People keep forgetting you’re a whippersnapper.” Well, I don’t quite qualify for that now. But in this context, you’re right.
“Thus, you’re probably mystified by all the weeping and lamention clogging up your inbox. There’s never been a greater difference between younger and older men (and women). And it’s all about West Indies cricket. I’m tired of the younglings asking where grandpa is only to hear ‘He’s huddled in the floor of the Ladies’ toilets whimpering about Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge again.’ The pain never ends. You see, they used to be incredibly good.”
WICKET! S Hope b Roland-Jones 15 (West Indies 89-5)
Perhaps it had to come undone. Hope went for one too many drives, misreading the length. A fat inside edge back onto his timber. That’s his day done. Just when it looked like they were to put in some sort of shift, it is now four in an hour to begin the third day as they take a drink. Roland-Jones into the book.
29th over: West Indies 89-5 (Blackwood 26, Dowrich 0).
Updated
28th over: West Indies 88-4 (S Hope 15, Blackwood 25). Seven boundaries between these two now. That might be Blackwood’s best, in what is emerging into a tidy little highlights reel of the session, smashing past point. Nine from it.
27th over: West Indies 79-4 (S Hope 15, Blackwood 16). More runs for Hope behind point, more convincing this time around off TRJ, hits it well to the rope. He’s looking alright here, the older Hope. Who I called Chicago Hope on radio commentary once. It just kind of spilled out of my head. There was no link to the 90s TV show, however hard I tried to find one.
Gordon Henderson chips in to add to Simon McMahon’s bit from before. I should probably have known this. The Who still a blackspot of mine. Judge away.
26th over: West Indies 75-4 (S Hope 11, Blackwood 16). Well, they’re having a pop, these two. Hope’s turn, hammering the new bowler Stokes beyond point and into the advertising boards. He takes three more to end the over, keep the strike and move into double figures with a prod past backward point. Nicely timed.
“Interesting commentary by Mike Atherton on the changing characteristics of Caribbean pitches in general and Sabina Park in particular - loss of pace and bounce and tending towards sub-continent surfaces.” I heard that too, Brian Withington. It was quite interesting saying that he self the West Indies was closer to playing in the sub-continent these days. Certainly so in places like Dominica. Could be Dhaka.
“Over here it’s noticeable that the Oval is no longer quite as pace friendly. Apparently pitches can get “tired” after a few decades (I know the feeling) and may need to be relaid where funds permit (no comment). What have they done to keep Perth relatively frisky?”
Sadly, they haven’t. That won’t preclude me writing my annual “let’s hope it’s quick at Perth!” piece. And South Africa’s seamers put on a clinic there last year. But it isn’t the same WACA of old. Largely due to the soil composition. There’s a good ABC radio interview with the curator you’ll be able to google from the November 2015 Test Match there. The most dangerous strips at Perth are in the nets, so the players say.
25th over: West Indies 68-4 (S Hope 4, Blackwood 16). Tobias for his first little jam roll of the fixture. And what a welcome: Blackwell driving the first delivery with full Caribbean flair down to long-on for the shot of the day to date. Nearly brings an inside edge onto his timber mid-over, but it is bat on top here with another dazzling drive down the ground to end the set. No backswing there, all timing. Well, I’ve given Blackwood a little slap to begin here, and so far he’s looking really good. Fair play to him. Better go on with it, though.
“Oh Jimmy Jimmy,” chants Simon McMahon. “I think I knew that ever since he was a young boy, Mr Anderson would be a pink ball wizard. Sorry, I’ll get my own coat.” I don’t get it? But you lot probably do. So I’ll leave it there.
Guy Hornsby also sliding into my inbox. “Afternoon Adam,” Yo. “While we’re on Aussies (and for what it’s worth, I’d be amazed if Robson gets another chance, mostly because we never seem to back track on selection) I still haven’t read a better cricket book Gideon Haigh’s “On Warne”. However much of a monumental plank Shane may be, it’s as close as anyone’s got to the essence of his godlike talent & cricket brain. His prose is so rewarding. Worth a pre-Ashes refresher.”
The best bit: it’s basically just four Gideon long essays. Have a look at his personal take on a season of park/club cricket too: The Vincibles. One most of us can identify with, I think.
24th over: West Indies 57-4 (S Hope 4, Blackwood 6). Shai Hope leaves a couple then gets off the mark with a steer behind point. Will pay that. Keeps out a full one, defends solidly down the ground. Could be okay. Let’s hope so, for those who like Tests going into, you know, a fourth day. “Is it fair to say that the Windies have three Hopes in this match!” quips Matthew Doherty. I’ll pay that too.
23rd over: West Indies 53-4 (S Hope 0, Blackwood 6). Nice shot from Blackwell to end the Anderson over there, high in the crease and punching a bit like Joe Root actually. Makes great contact in front of point, along the carpet. Got a couple in a similar direction earlier in the over to get off the mark. More, please, Jermaine. No madness today. No excuse for it. The West Indies 50 up in the process.
Johnny Starbuck, the best name in blogging, has joined the conversation. Remember, you can to, in all the usual places.
“You might be exhibiting unconscious electoral bias in preferring Sam Robson as a potential Cook partner.”
Possibly. I know he’s a bit ugly on the eye. But all the smart people at home think he was going to play for Australia. Not for nothing?
“Apart from Miguel Cummins, every man in both teams has at least one O in his name if you include middle names too. Woakes and Bishoo as those waiting to come back in the next Test emphasis this. Yes, this view is a conspiracy theory seeking propagation.”
It’s a shame, then, that Mahendra Nagamootoo has given his legbreaks away. Debuted against England in that manic 2000 series before getting thrashed around Australia that winter. Still, we liked him.
Updated
22nd over: West Indies 47-4 (S Hope 0, Blackwood 0). For all the action, Broad is yet to get into the book. He’ll want to set that straight, and nearly does when Hope has a swing and a miss at a wide one. Probably leave that alone when you’re 267 behind the follow-on. He survives. Another maiden.
Brian Withington picks up our conversation from Old Trafford last week. “Nervous though I am of Ian Copestake’s admonition of book reading during cricket, I’ve now finished the superb Mystery Spinner by the mighty Gideon, so am in the market for another book recommendation. Any advance on Golden Boy by Chris Ryan (a Rob Smyth special)?”
Well, Golden Boy is a work of art. So yes, read that. Immediately. I have packed in my bag for Australia’s tour of Bangladesh the new Chris Ryan book actually. About Patrick Eagar’s photos in 1975. Cannot wait.
“PS Excellent prompt re The Americans, too. I had inexplicably lost touch with it after the first series.”
You mean the best show on telly? The Rezidentura podcast one of my other little play-things. Recaps from season four onwards. That’s a shameless plug. But subscribe.
21st over: West Indies 47-4 (S Hope 0, Blackwood 0). Jermaine Blackwood is next. Watched him make a ton against England a couple of years ago, but he’s seldom looked a Test player since. No discipline to speak of. Not the guy you want coming out right now. He leaves the only ball he has to negotiate before the end of the successful Anderson set.
WICKET! @jimmy9 is on fire – he bowls Chase for a duck!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 47/4 #ENGvWI
Follow: https://t.co/rxDAQ4457N pic.twitter.com/C1uuYcXtFd
WICKET! Chase b Anderson 0 (West Indies 47-4)
Uh ohhhh. Jimmy gets his third, straight through chase for an 11-ball globe. Anderson has been moving his stock delivery away from the right-hander, but moved this back with the seam like the gem that he is. An inside edge collected, the stumps disturbed, the young-gun walking back. Whisper it: this could be over today.
Updated
20th over: West Indies 47-3 (S Hope 0. Chase 0). Another maiden, this time Broad to Hope. He cops a beaut, not too dissimilar to the one that got his brother a couple overs back from the other end. Tough, tough going out there. I’m a bit of a fan of Hope, though. His numbers are dire, but I think he’ll make it. Mostly because he took on the Australians for about half an hour a couple of years ago when no one else would. Ton against Derby last week in the warm-up as well.
Better show you the earlier wickets.
WICKET! @jimmy9 with a beauty to get Kyle Hope caught by @benstokes38!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 45/2 #ENGvWI
Follow: https://t.co/rxDAQ4457N pic.twitter.com/dB4JLMxfJo
And:
WICKET! Powell run out by @jimmy9 for 20!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2017
WI 47/3 #ENGvWI
Match centre: https://t.co/rxDAQ4457N pic.twitter.com/we8qcw8kr8
19th over: West Indies 47-3 (S Hope 0. Chase 0). Chase is a pretty good player. He’s big, gives it wallop, can bat patiently in what too often turns out to be a disaster for his team. He’ll need to do all those things today. Hard when Jimmy is hooping them around with the pink ball though. Two fat inside edges save him from an early departure. The first would have hit his stumps, while the second would probably have been given leg before without the timely tickle. Ian Ward on the TV believes both Anderson and Broad a fraction fuller so far today than they were last night.
18th over: West Indies 47-3 (S Hope 0. Chase 0). Chase keeps out the first one. The replays of the run out look worse with each viewing. Instead of going on about that, I’m going to share with you an email from our man in Paris, Robert Wilson.
“Addy baby.” Hi Bob. “Though I’m a long-time fan of classic rain-break high jinks, is it not the case that, in this current era of political horror and societal dismay, cricket (with its unique power to soothe and comfort) has a moral obligation to play on under whatever weather conditions? How else can we suck our thumbs and forget the prevailing truth? Though given the trajectory of the Trump administration, this may well end up in long rearguard sessions in the snow. Do you think the pink ball would cut it in an actual blizzard?”
As a player though, there is nothing better than not playing. Getting a Hawaiian shirt on and dancing on the bar. Lying to your family/partner about your whereabouts, pretending that play might be a chance later in the day. I miss playing, but as you can probably tell, I mostly miss not playing.
WICKET! Powell run out Anderson 20 (West Indies 47-3)
What can you say? Nice stroke down the ground, but taking on Anderson for a quick single? Not wise. He has three stumps to aim at, hits the middle of those, and the third umpire confirms that the opener is at least a foot and a half short of his ground. An unconvincing stay ends up shambolic circumstances. Ladies and gents: the West Indies.
Updated
OH DEAR ME! Is Powell RUN OUT at the non-striker’s end? Direct hit... Looks very out. We’ll see.
NOT OUT! Decision confirmed, review burned. But tell you what, must be 49% of the ball hitting leg-stump there. Was around the wicket to the left-hander, so the angle was always going to work around him. Root head in hands, but probably won’t be long before another chance comes. They’re up and about.
HAS BROAD GOT ONE FIRST BALL? Powell given not out, but Root is confident, going upstairs for LBW. Stand by...
WICKET! Kyle Hope c Stokes b Anderson 25 (West Indies 45-2)
Snorter! Jimmy spits his sixth ball of the morning at the throat of the man on debut, who looked quite good last night, but can’t keep this down. Stokes grassed a catch off Powell before play was stopped last night, but they don’t come much easier than this, lobbing to him in the gully. England away.
17th over: West Indies 45-2 (Powell 18, S Hope 0)
Updated
Okay. We’re back. Again. Looks pretty clear now. Jimmy give balls remaining in the truncated opening over of the day. For real this time: PLAY.
We have a formal re-start time. 2pm. Well, I say formal - I read it on twitter. But let’s go with it. Good news.
YJB and Moeen. In a Sky pre-recorded thing, involved in a penalty shoot-out. One of the best bits about being in the press box following England around is watching these two play football in their morning warm-ups. Both utter class. Then there is Broad, who has a ping pretty much every time he gets it.
Oh, Gower again! He’s just done a... Richie Benaud impression? I’m not entirely sure, had my eyes on this screen not the TV. Did anyone catch it? I need to know.
Ian Copestake is in. Having a watch at the ground today. “Next to my friend who is now reading a book thanks to the weather. Down with this sort of thing.” It rained for four days consecutively at the SCG when Australia were playing the Windies a couple of summers back, so OBO colleague Geoff Lemon and I decided to entertain ourselves.
Good news to report, though. They believe the covers will be coming off soon. Can’t see any evidence of that in through the glass behind them as they chat on the telly. But let’s hope.
David Gower taking the piss supreme. “There are all sorts of ideas about making Test cricket more attractive. The pink ball is certainly one. Playing in summer... another.” Keep it droll, DIG. Now he’s talking about his preference for the 20 minute interval to be called a “cocktail break” instead of tea. My instinct is we should do whatever he tells us. Here’s a nice collation of the great man’s best moments from an interview earlier this year.
This is made for the OBO. A rain delay after one ball - has this happened before? The challenge: to find out and tell me.
Rain delay after one ball...
Oh goodness me, forget what I said in the preamble: it’s bloody raining. Within a ball of Jimmy getting back into it the umbrellas are up. And here come the covers.
Jerusalem time. One and all the England players decked out in their Proper Cricket Jumpers. By contrast to the Caribbean pair, Hope and Pollard, in just the shirt. Riveting analyis there, I know. Thankfully, then, we’re ready to play. Jimmy has it in his hands, with a big smile on his face. Can he cash in? Let’s find out. PLAY!
Stuart Broad on Sky. Saying vaguely nice things about the pink ball, especially visibility. After saying it doesn’t shine as well. But on the whole, he’s open minded to how the rhythm of the game changes as a result. A measured tick, I’d call that.
He’s on 379 Test wickets, Stuart. That’s four behind Sir Beef, the Sky lads quickly point out. Got to be some chance to reach/pass that mark today. Would make for nice Sunday paper headlines.
Looking for something to pop on before we begin?
This was really good on TMS yesterday. Aggers joined by Simon Hughes who has done some work digging around the cricket ball factories. A lot of myths/truisms about the pink ball despite only being five Tests in. Worth a listen.
Have a note in from Jonathan Gresty to open the inbox for the afternoon. On, what he describes as COP (Cook Opening Partner) Sydnrome.
“Thinking about all the men who have unsuccessfully opened the batting for England with Alastair Cook since Strauss retired, I wonder if they may be suffering from a collective sense of inferiority at having to play alongside such a great batsman.”
Okay. I can identify with this for lots of reasons. Please go on.
“You know how when you think you’re good at something and then you meet someone who is reallygood at it, you get so overawed you can’t even perform to your normal level. I get it when I have to play the guitar in public after I’ve heard someone genuinely competent playing - suddenly I can’t even manage ‘Yellow Submarine’ never mind ‘Stairway to Heaven’.”
I would juggle the order and send someone out with Cook who has already established themselves in the team and break in any potential up-and-coming opener lower down in the order and that way save them from having to suffer the COP syndrome. Once they’ve got a few big innings under their belt then they can have the honour of walking out with the great man.”
Well, I’ve heard worse. I’m actually on the Sam Robson bandwagon at the moment. Yeah, I know, there are reasons not to be. But he grew up with the Australian gun-slingers, running around in the same rep teams as them. Went back last winter and dominated Sydney grade cricket - and don’t think that’s for nothing. He gets the conditions. And will savour another crack.
Wecome to day-night three from Edgbaston!
In another break in convention this week, I’m pleased to report we’re starting half an hour early today. Normally, the 11am start is sacrosanct for a Test in England. But seeing as that has been done away with , good to see them getting with the program. With slow overs rates as they are, much better this way.
That early whinge out of the way, hello there! Adam Collins with you to open the OBO batting today. I have Will Macpherson replacing me later on. You were spoiled with a Smyth/De Lisle masterclass yesterday, but we pledge to play all our shots.
The aforementioned early start is a result of rain that ruined the night session just before the fun bit. I’ve now attended four of the five day-night Tests and have been telling anyone who’ll listen that they are all worth it for the final hour. That plainly wasn’t the case on the dreary opening day. Was looking forward to Jimmy and co livin’ la vida loca yesterday, but it wasn’t to be.
Third time lucky later on, perhaps. I’ve had a look at the forecast and no rain is on the radar, so that is encouraging. You’ll get an extra half hour later as well, extending the witching hour when artificial light dominates. Hopefully by then the boozey crowd have found an alternative to rounds of Don’t Take Me Home. You’re good at music, Birmingham, so mix it up a bit.
On the field, the West Indies resume 470 behind on the first innings with nine wickets in hand. They did well either side of late lunch (daft name) yesterday to scrap together five wickets in an hour. When trapping former-captain Cook lbw for 243 after nearly ten hours and over 400 balls, they had enough. Was a bit shirty he didn’t get a triple after that kind of shift. Oh well.
Righto. I look forward to your company throughout. Reach me in the ways, adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com on the boring old email, @collinsadam on the stupid old twitter. Want me number? I’ll give you that too.
For another day of Pink Pills, I’ll kick off by giving you a track from The Mavis’s album of the same name. Still reckon this is the best Australian song of the 90s.
Adam will be here shortly. Alastair Cook impressed plenty of people with his 243 yesterday, not least Dawid Malan, watching on from the other end:
Cook gave me a masterclass – it was the best seat in the house. To score 243, whether it’s a good wicket or not, is a fantastic achievement. It just showed how disciplined [you need to be].
He didn’t look like he strayed from the first over to the one he got out in and for a younger player, by international standards, to watch how a master goes about his work and compile his runs shows what you need to be at this level.
He’s quite chatty, I’ve got a few habits I like to do in the middle and he was happy to go along with them to make me feel comfortable. He’s a fantastic player and a great bloke as well.
