1st Day/Night Test, England v West Indies, Edgbaston, Aug 17-21 2017 2pm start

[Titanic]

England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 Tom Westley, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Dawid Malan, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Toby Roland-Jones, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kyle Hope, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Alzarri Joseph 11 Miguel Cummins

Shannon Gabriel doesn't play - "he's not quite ready after injury" - which means that Roach, Joseph and Cummins make up an all-pace front line attack alongside Holder. A debut for Kyle Hope and Roston Chase will provide spin.

 

[Uncle Buck]

So Hales for Malan and Woakes for TRJ aby the Brisbane test?

 

[Titanic]

It's a rowdy crowd at Edgbaston

Here we go...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Shut up Tufnell;

Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
Stoneman will be very nervous but he'll be thinking it's his chance and that he will grab it with both hands. I think Stoneman could be the one.

 

[Titanic]

2nd ball... wide and swinging... went to 2nd slip... blimey

 

[Titanic]

Stoneman off the mark second ball... nice full ball outside off from Roach... driven through cover for four... that will ease the nerves.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Malan is a very lucky boy to get selected. Pleased to see Stoneman get his chance too.

 

[Titanic]

Stoneman clean bowled by Roach... shaped in, Stoneman on the wrong line, hit the top of off stump... gone for 8

England 14-1 (2.1 overs)

 

[Petee]

Shut up Tufnell;

Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
Stoneman will be very nervous but he'll be thinking it's his chance and that he will grab it with both hands. I think Stoneman could be the one.

Stoneman clean bowled by Roach... shaped in, Stoneman on the wrong line, hit the top of off stump... gone for 8

England 14-1 (2.1 overs)

 

[seagullwedgee]

I've already decided. I don't like it. Hard to follow closely. Sounds funny off ground and bat.

 

[BensGrandad]

The successful long term partner to Cook has got to be out there somewhere

 

[Uncle Buck]

The successful long term partner to Cook has got to be out there somewhere

So Stoneman is not the answer after one innings?

 

[Simster]

The successful long term partner to Cook has got to be out there somewhere

Maybe we should change the rules like we did in the last era during which the West Indies used to routinely batter us (banning bouncers more than once an over, seeing as we didn't have any good fast bowlers like they did).

This time, perhaps we should change test matches so that the opening batsman has to play on his own (seeing as we've only got one good opener).

 

[Marshy]

I've already decided. I don't like it. Hard to follow closely. Sounds funny off ground and bat.

Its weird all this, I am not watching but its just a pink coloured ball... how can it be so different ?

I assume its the same leather made in exactly the same way.... maybe we have someone on here who can explain why it would sound diferent, get softer quicker and perform so differently when its just painted/coloured differently... ?

 

[Titanic]

Cook has clearly no confidence in any of them... he is trying to put a decent first innings total on the board all on his own... Joeseph goes for 4...44 and Cook moves on to 17* from 13 balls, 4 fours.

England 26-1 (4 overs)

 

[Titanic]

Its weird all this, I am not watching but its just a pink coloured ball... how can it be so different ?

I assume its the same leather made in exactly the same way.... maybe we have someone on here who can explain why it would sound diferent, get softer quicker and perform so differently when its just painted/coloured differently... ?

They had an interview with MD from Dukes on earlier... it is exactly the same core construction, the same leather dyed pink, the same thread for the seam dyed black. The only difference, and it could be significant, is the finish on the ball. The red ball has a grease applied and is polished and then lacquered. The new pink ball can't have the grease because it discolours, so once the lacquer wears off it will soften more quickly and will be very hard to shine.

 

[seagullwedgee]

They've just had the CEO of Duke Balls, the manufacturer, describing the key differences between pink and red. Essentially it's to do with laquers and fats used to condition the red leather casing cannot be used on the pink ball, because it would affect its cleanness and longevity. This means the pink ball has been done using dyes. The net effect is it will get softer much quicker. But it will swing more at twilight. But to me it clearly sounds odd off the bat, and despite a hard surface at Edgbaston is not getting up at all.

 

[Titanic]

England drifting along at RR6.5, move on to 39-1 (6 overs)

 

[BensGrandad]

So Stoneman is not the answer after one innings?

Not writing him off but not convinced at the moment. With age on his side I think that Hameed could be the answer. Stoneman is 30 so perhaps late in life to start playing test cricket.

 

[jakarta]

The successful long term partner to Cook has got to be out there somewhere

Time to give Chris Nash a go...