Two Winters and One Summer of English Cricket and Continued Adventures

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 1 - First Session

Play commenced on time in a glorious setting, Strauss leading the stroll to the wicket to get proceedings under way.  After a couple of careful overs Strauss then started where he left off in Antigua, dominating the bowlers.



With only the odd ball beating the bat, neither batsmen were looking in trouble until Strauss edged one and Gayle continued his miserable catching run by dropping another at first slip  



The domination of the bowlers continued and eventually lunch was reached with no other trouble for the batsmen, the Kensington Oval was looking like another batting paradise. Will that be good for a result though.

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 1 - Second Session

After a successful first session and Strauss fifty, the enjoyment of watching England continue to pile on the runs continued.  Cook reached another fifty, will he be able to move on out of the fifties and make a big score this time.



Everyone is making the most of the rum, beer and food options available at the ground as the Ebgland openers continue to fine run"s easily. Another milestone passes by, 150 is reached and Strauss is getting close to his hundred.  He reaches it in fine style, smashing Benn for six over mid-wicket, you can see how far that one"s going by the look of the Windies players  



The form continues, and it is record breaking form at the Kensington Oval, record after record smashed, highest opening partnership, highest wicket partnership which has stood since the sixties so it"s a good effort from the boys  

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 1 - Final Session

So after a comfortable day, will the England openers push on. Strauss is nearing 150 and Cook has a great chance of a hundred.

The first few overs after tea are negotiated safely with the runs continuing to be chalked up on the scoreboard, and then out of the blue   Darren Powell sends down a virtually unplayable yorker to Strauss and cleans up his stumps, no one was expecting that !!  The Windies have something to celebrate at last.



In comes Shah who must be relishing the chance to have a bat on here.  The Windies seem to have eaten something good at tea, they"re fighting back after Strauss"s wicket and the runs have dried up, are England putting themselves under a bit of pressure.

Cook starts to give a few chances to the bowlers and eventually succumbs to Taylor, trying to pull a short one he gets a top edge straight up in the air and Ryan Hinds takes a tremendous diving catch.



Shah quickly follows caught at slip off of Benn for only 7, think he might have missed out here. So a mini collapse after the first two productive sessions and England are 259-3 and the new ball is available too !!

The Windies take the new ball and have six overs at England before the close, the new ball seems to give Pieterson and Collingwood renewed interest in run scoring, Collingwood hits a four, runs two and another four and he"s outscoring Pieterson again.  This seems to unshackle KP and he eventually gets going, scoring freely at last.  The last few balls are negotiated and England close on 301-3.



A good days work for England, but I think it"s going to be a struggle to get a result here, the wicket looks a batsmens paradise !!

[Logie66]

So many thanks to Duke for posting the update yesterday.  Day 2 update will be available in the morning, I need to download photos and get some food  

The other good result of the day, my sister has success on the clickfest for me and I"m in for Cardiff, result  

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 2 - First Session

The same journey was endured to the ground this morning but with some ominous black clouds around and as we arrived at the ground it started to rain, not looking good, time to queue for some coffee and an early morning caffeine fix.

By the time I got to my seat the rain had stopped and the covers were off, play was going to start on time.  The clouds are looming still though and we may be off for a few showers today by the looks of it !!

KP and Colly are subdued this morning and the runs are not flowing as the Windies bowlers start positively and aggressively.  Fidel Edwards who had a lot of banter with the crowd yesterday is looking dangerous, and he strikes KP right in front, that looks out and the umpire gives it.  KP is challenging the decision, must have hit it no point challenging that otherwise.



He didn"t hit that, what a waste of a challenge and selfish towards the rest of the batsmen.

Colly is joined by Ravi Bopara starting his 2nd Test Match, he shows early intent taking on the short pitch bowling from the Windies.



Colly on the other hand takes the cautious approach and has to duck and weave to avoid a few good bouncers, much to the delight of the West Indians in the crowd  



England eventually get back on top, Bopara the more dominant of the two batsmen, although another couple of chances go down from the Windies, if only they had held there catches the scoreboard might have looked completely different !!

Colly reaches his fifty in the last over before lunch and England are 405-4.

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 2 - Second Session

The big black clouds that have been skirting round the ground all morning are moving away, it looks like we might have a full day and no breaks for rain.

Having reached his fifty before lunch Colly seems a different man having had something to eat, taking the game to the bowlers and despatching most of them to the boundary for four.  He"s looking good for another hundred here.



Bopara gets to fifty and that"s his first in Test cricket, well played, dropped on four and had a barrage of bouncers to get through but he"s looking class now. Colly is strolling his way to a hundred as he reaches the Nineties, but then he trys to smash another four and gets a top edge to Deep Cover and Nash holds a catch at last for the Windies, 467-5.

Ambrose joins Bopara and starts cautiously, looking a bit out of sorts, a few murmurs around me, "he"s not going to last long".



Ambrose on the other hand hits a couple of fours and his confidence rises, he his now taking the game to the bowlers and attacking them with gusto, more boundaries are notched up against his name, at this rate he"ll overtake Bopara  

But Bopara is having none of it a and also keeps his score ticking along, the fifty partnership is upon us really quickly and the crowd show their appreciation. Just before tea Ambrose reaches his fifty.



Gayle decides to give a part time bowler a go just before tea and Sarwan comes on to bowl some leg breaks, over negotiated with ease and England are 553 - 5, Bopara 88 and Ambrose 59, hundred for the taking here Ravi  

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 2 - Final Session

England will be looking for quick runs in this last session so declaration can be made, this game is running very similar to the 3rd Test in Antigua now.  Bopara and Ambrose keep the scorebaord ticking and Bopara reaches his mainden test century, well played lad !!



Having reached his hundred Bopara then plays a few more shots, but is eventually caught at about the third attempt by Taylor just after reaching his hundred.  Broad runs out to join Ambrose and the pair play a few shots taking the score to 600-6, England immediately declare and will have about 24 overs to bowl at the Windies.

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 2 - Final Session (Cont)

The final session for myself will be remembered for the noise from the crowd, songs were finally being orchestrated by the Barmy Army and the atmosphere was awesome.  Song after song were being sung and even the three groups of our stand were split up into the right side, middle and left, we were in the left.



Some dancing girls were also ushered in by the West Indians to entertain the Barmy Army  



As for the cricket in the final session, Gayle was dismissed by Anderson after the decision was referred to the third upmpire much to the delight of the England team and the crowd.





So the Windies 85-1 at the close and the wicket is still looking a batsmens dream, looks like a draw but you never know in Cricket  

[Logie66]

Saturday morning and finally the blog is up to date  

Weather is looking good this morning, another hot one, and I think it will be tough for the England bowlers.  Sarwan and Smith looked comfortable last night, here"s hoping England find something to get a result and square the series.

[Chipaccrual]

Should be a great weekend here.

Cricket
6 Nations Rugby
Carling Cup Final


I would agree with your draw prediction.  Unless somehow the wicket changes dramatically.

Great blogging.  

[duke3016]

Great blogging.  

[Logie66]

With the weather looking perfect for sun bathing we had the pleasure of an easy ride into Bridgetown and the Kensington Oval.  The traffic hold ups are only a problem on workdays, so much so we were in the ground at 8.40am and I was able to queue up for a lovely coffee this morning.  This particular vendor is one of the most popular at the ground and always has a long queue, so getting to it with only a few queuing was a bonus  

We also got to see the England team go through there warm up routines, the first time we have been in the ground early enough to witness it.

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 3 = First Session

Broad opened the bowling to Sarwan and the first over was an entertaining one, some short pitched bowling from Broad that caused Sarwan to lean out of the way and let the ball through.



The over also included two cracking shots for four an indication of how the play was going to continue for the morning perhaps as Sarwan quickly raced to his fifty in the first couple of overs.

Devon Smith was slower to get going but wasn"t looking in too much trouble, he was able to leave a lot of deliveries and also dispatched a few loose ones to the boundary, getting an outside edge to bring up his fifty and the hundred partnership. 

England had one chance with Sarwan who had a short pitched ball ballon in the air of his bat, but no short leg to take the catch, next ball a short leg is there, talk about bolting the door after the horse has bolted !!!



Just as it seemed it was going to be a long day, Swann goes up for leg before against Smith, the umpire gives immediately but Amith asks for a referral.  After a long delay he his given out again and England celebrate.



Ryan Hinds joins Sarwan and the pair start to build a partnership, Hinds looks to be aggressive and is keen to play some shots, always a chance we could get him out playing more shots.

As lunch approaches Swann again goes up for leg before against Hinds and the finger is up once more, Swann has taken both wickets this morning and this time we have no referral as Hinds wanders off to the pavilion  



Chanderpaul comes out to bat and the ten minutes is negotiated to lunch, Windies 163-3.  The two wickets have been a bonus this morning, another is needed and quickly after lunch if possible !

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 3 - Second Session

With a couple of wickets taken in the first session England will be hopeful they can get rid of either Chanderpaul or Sarwan quickly after lunch.  These two held up England on the last day in Antigua and probably stopped England winning the game.

Chanderpaul has other ideas though as he takes the initiative after lunch and outscores his established partner with ease, contributing 33 from the fifty partnership that they reach quickly.



Sarwan, not to be out of the limelight for long though, cruises to his hundred, he races down the ground and celebrates in front of the Sir Garfield Sobers Pavilion where the West Indies players are out applauding him with the rest of the ground.



To be honest it"s looking pretty ominous for England, this pair are looking well set and haven"t been in any trouble at all. Englands bowlers are trying hard but there is nothing in the Kensington Oval pitch for them at all.

The Windies are cruising through the session and to tea, Chanderpaul reaching another test fifty, with ten minutes to go before the tea break we hear drums moving into our stand.  A delightful Barbados welcome is being made to the Barmy Army, and Gravy is here too, the Antiguan who for years has been dancing in the stands.



The entertainment continues for 5 minutes and takes us up to tea, a very hard slog for England that one, Windies 265-5

[Logie66]

Barbados Day 3 - Final Session

With Chanderpual and Sarwan looking in such good form this last session is likely to be another tough one for the England bowlers.  Chanderpaul continues to accumulate runs and is heading for another Test hundred.



About twenty minutes into the final session and we have more entertainment in the stand, the dancing girls are back, a man dressed as a Barbados green monkey and some stilt walkers, these Bajans certainly know how to get the crowd going  







Then in the middle of all this entertainment a shout goes up on the ground, Anderson appeals for leg before against Chanderpaul, umpire Tiffen gives him out and Chanderpaul goes for a referral. Once again everyone with radios are saying the Test Match Special team are saying not out, they"ve said that for all the referrals so far and have been wrong  

Once again they are wrong as the decision is upheld and England celebrate the wicket of Chanderpaul, Windies 282-4.



All of the old school are complaining about the referral system in the stand, I remind them the Windies might be 282-0 if we didn"t have the referral system, they smile  

Nash goes on the offensive, for one who is normally scratching around and frustrating the bowlers he is notching up a few boundaries and the scoreboard is ticking over nicely once more.  We then have a referral for a bad/pad catch or is it LBW, neither in the end as the third umpire says not out, one referral left for England.

A couple of overs later they decide to use it, Anderson goes up for leg before again and umpire Tiffen says not out this time, Strauss decides to refer once more.  The radio again says not out, umpire Tiffen sticks his finger up, thats out  



Well bowled Jimmy !!

Ramdin joins Sarwan, Sarwan notches up another milestone reaching 150, this series he has looked in superb form and could be on for a very big score if he can see out to the close.



Sarwan and Ramdin see the Windies through to the close and have nearly gone past the follow-on target, 398-5. Sarwan 184 not out, a double hundred beckons tomorrow.

Well, I can"t see anything other than a draw here, outside chance of a Windies win but very very unlikely. The last two days have been fantastic, great entertainment on the ground and in the stands, just superb