A lot of people said that before he came back into the Test side! He's got to be given the chance to prove that he can do it. Working with Allan Donald can only help, too.

Hopefully England will use the Powerplays today, there's a first time for everything!!

West Indies: 278-5 (50.0 overs)

= -13

= -09

You win .

As for Panesar g f- he would not have done any better that Yardy IMO, if yardy bats anything like.

Good run chase on the cards.

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Ern

Looks as though WI really put the foot down in the last ten overs. I can't see England chasing this to be honest. They're bad run-chasers at the best of times, and 5.5 an over is beyond them in my view. Will be happy to be proved wrong though!

__________________
Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

I was resisting the temptation for my usual rant when Monty gets left out but you've pushed me over the edge my old mate!!

Decisions are made by coaches that, even if I don't agree with them, I at least understand but I really don't get this at all. I have a lot of respect for your opinions Ern so maybe you can explain the thinking of leaving him out. If I were the West Indies who would I rather face, a guy who took a stack of wickets in the test series, or a bits and pieces county player? Seriuosly am I missing something or is my pro Monty bias taking over?

The problem is it seems (I am not watching in the office so I am hampered somewhat) that his first six were rubbish, and that his eighth was murdered mercilessly (18 runs!). He has a good county record but he must show he can do it in the international arena against batsmen who are used to carting medium-fast bowlers - just look at what happened to Matthew Hoggard in South Africa.

So what happens next game? Anderson or Sidebottom is dropped for a more deserving Plunkett and the bowling changes again. Oh, and Yardy gets sent back to learn the game of cricket. Great continuity!

37/2, the Windies pace bowlers doing the trick first up. Bell lbw to Rampaul for 2 (a poor decision according to CricInfo), though Prior has just creamed a six.

The reasoning for picking Yardy is straightforward enough: firstly, England can't just rely on Panesar all the time (and need to investigate alternatives) and secondly, they have a 20-20 jamboree coming up... and in that format Yardy might well be a first XI pick.

Working from home today!

Sidebottom didn't bowl well first up. Wasn't finding his usual line and length. Still, he bowled badly and went for six an over; I'd suggest that others wouldn't be too worried with that. He'll bowl better at Trent Bridge. Who knows what Anderson will do? He bowled THREE maidens and still went for 78!! I don't like seeing Anderson and Plunkett in the same side. Broad bowled well again. Chanderpaul batted superbly, especially towards the end.

1) Panesar is our best spinner and bowled well in the last game. He is a bowler and Yardy is a part-timer who can't be mentioned in the same breath as Panesar in any format!!!

2) Yardy can barely hit the ball off the cut strip, in Twenty20 you need fours and sixes and lots of them! He's also not clever enough a bowler to stop Jayasuria, Ponting, Gayle, Razzaq, Smith et al flaying him left, right and centre.

Yardy was picked today to replace Plunkett's batting yet still retain a spinner as someone had to accommodate him, hence why Panesar was dropped. He achieves neither and it was a bad move to change a winning side. How can a guy like Anderson be expected to always perform when he doesn't know who or what is coming from the other end? Granted he can be inconsistent but he nearly has 100 ODI wickets and is our most experienced ODI bowler.

P.S. Notts, that's alright for some! Not that I have Sky at home however...!

The Yardy selection is a strange one. I don't get it, although playing for Sussex might help!

I'm thinking that our team might soon end up as being:

Montgomerie, Prior+, Nash, Pietersen, Adams, Collingwood*, Martin-Jenkins, Yardy, Kirtley, Sidebottom, Saggers.

Moores hasn't convinced me that he's not just being favouritist here/picky reliable county chaps. How on Earth Yardy has justified selection I don't know, I just hope if he has to bat he unleashes a sudden torrent of boundaries but somehow I think it is unlikely.