West Indies improving?

[Owen]

Or has Australia lost it's way? Many people expected a whitewash by Aussies but in this test it failed to eventuate, & the first test was a bit iffy?

LMAO i'm new at the crease

[Ninjaman]

The Australians are quite clearly not what they were where their bowling is concerned.

WIth no Hayden their opening is weakened (though this is temporary) but they are just as strong in the 3 to 6 batting. In addition, with the bat, Haddin is no Gilchrist.

So a drop in performance is understandable.

The WI results have improved and their ability to sustain their performances at a higher level for longer has increased. They can now have almost a good day of cricket as opposed to only a session's worth per day.

Hpwever, let us not go overboard.

Take out Sarwan (who averages 65 vs Sri Lanka and the 2 Tests v Australia so far) and Chanderpaul (who averages 103 in his last 10 matches with 5 100s and 7 50s) and you don't have anyone else doing anything with the bat. Gayle has not scored a Test hundred since his triple vs SA in 2005.

Plus. the 5 man bowling attack only has a certainty in Taylor and Bravo (as the all rounder of the 5). Edwards has the ability to make a spot his own but is always liable to get injured and miss out for a few months again,
Powell keeps getting picked because of his ability to always be fit and stay in shape.

Let's not even go into the continuing trials and tribulations that we can call "West Indies Spinning Idol 2008". Will it be Benn, Jaggernauth, Nikita Miller or the long shot Dave "The Prophet" Mohammed?

I want to see how the team operates when Chanderpaul is scratching for form and others need to step up. It is in adversity we see the true measure of a side.

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by Ninjaman

Let's not even go into the continuing trials and tribulations that we can call "West Indies Spinning Idol 2008". Will it be Benn, Jaggernauth, Nikita Miller or the long shot Dave "The Prophet" Mohammed?

Poor old Omari Banks doesn't even get a mention! Is he ineligible these days, having signed for an English county? I guess he was never going to set the world on fire anyway, much like the much maligned Rawl Lewis.

[Milo]

Are they close to picking the youngster from Trinidad for a tour at all Ninj? He scored two centuries as a 16 year old and many have talked about him just as they did with Sarwan at the same age.

[Ninjaman]

I think Omari, along with Neil McGarrell and Rawle Lewis were involved in a previous season of West Indies Spinning Idol!!!

Actually, I'm not sure that Banks is ineligible. He is playing in England but not as an overseas or Kolpak. He has a British passport as he is from Anguilla which is still a British Overseas Territory.

[Aurelius]

I think the West Indians are imrpoving somewhat- since Dyson took over, they've won a test abroad against South Africa, drawn a home series against Sri Lanka, and are making Australia fight a lot more than anyone expected. I think Edwards is showing more consistency, and Taylor looks like he's going from strength to strength.

I think the two problems the Windies face have been succintly put by Ninjaman- no spinner, and an over-reliance on too few players. The first one can be simply sloved- just pick a spinner and play him enough to get into rythym. For the second, I don't know. I think Morton looks like a more solid player than Samuels, and I think he has more backbone than him. He just needs to get more consistent, stop getting these stupid rushes of blood. Captaincy seems to have focused Gayle somewhat, and Chattergoon's gotten off to a good start at least in ODIs, and I think he could be a reliable opener when he gets back in (he's certainly better than Devon Smith).

I think the bigger problem is the fast bowling. I don't know of any young fast bowlers setting the Carib Beer trophy on fire, and I don't think they have anyone outside the current crop of pace bowlers. Powell isn't quick enough to be a strike bowler, or accurate enough to be a stock bowler, so he'd be the one to go if anyone started showing form. Maybe Ninjaman has some ideas of who they could put in, but I hope they can coax Collymore back.