Sunday 8 February 2009

West Indies win the first test: England woeful or Taylor Wonderful?

West Indies have won the first test in Jamaica by an innings and 23 runs after bowling England out in their second innings for just 51 runs.

Jerome Taylor took career-best figures of 5-11 as the tourists slumped to their third worst-ever test score.

The innings was littered with poor shot selection by England batsman as well as brilliant bowling by both Taylor and Sulieman Benn, who took four wickets.

However, this isn't the first time Sabina Park has produced a pitch that has succumbed a team batting third.

Just five years ago, England bowled out their West Indian counterparts for just 47 as Steve Harmisson took seven wickets.

But was it a case of West Indian brilliance? Or England in disarray?

If we look at the England batting line-up, we see problems arising right from the start.

Alistair Cook looks like a player low on confidence after a disappointing period in his international career.

Cook's dismissal in the second innings was of a man who hasn't made runs for some time, as he was left stuck in the crease and wafted at a pretty ordinary delivery.

His fellow opener, Andrew Strauss, has his mind set on something more demanding, his captaincy of the side.

I've always been a fan of the player, as a captain and a batsman, and his two hundreds in India reminded everyone he can perform, it's time at the crease he needs.

At number three, Ian Bell looks hapless, and surely the selectors will drop a player they have persevered with for far too long.

Owais Shah deserves his chance at three, after countless failures by the Warwickshire man.

Another issue is the role of Kevin Pietersen in the side, a role that seems pivotal to the side's success.

It's not the individual's performances that should be called into question, but those of the men around him.

Obviously, he looked to up the run rate and dominant at the crease, but once he departed, the side looked lost.

No one seems to step up to the plate, and after his dismissal yesterday, it seemed written on the face of every England player that the match was over.

As the England batting line-up takes a battering, it's the bowling that most concerns me.

It's obvious the talent is there in the batting ranks and that form will come, but with the bowling, I'm not so sure the potential is there to take 20 wickets.

Monty Panesar has been drifting in the side for around 18 months now, and without any notable contributions, his position is surely under threat.

His effort over these four days has been nothing short of dreadful, and the novelty factor of this spinner has worn off for me; he has to go.

Steve Harmisson did his best to re-capture the heroics of 2004 and previous years, but since the Ashes, hasn't that been all he's tried to do?

Stuart Broad and Andrew Flintoff bowled well as always, but they were alone in that respect.

England's inability to read the pitch must also be called into question. How they didn't see a repeat of the 2004 incident, we'll never know.

It's poor captaincy on the part of Strauss, who would have surely known what happened just five years ago.

Not picking two spinners was a mistake as well, and all in all, The West Indies out-thought the English in every department.

When we look at Taylor and the way he ripped through the England top order, we can't help but think why didn't England do the same.

The pitch did help the seamer, whatever way you look at it.

The ball kept low at regular intervals and in truth when put in the right areas it was a nightmare for the England batsman.

However, I would go as far to say that no pitch is so brilliant to bowl on that the batting side should be scoring under 100.

The West Indies got the result they wished through perseverance and a strong work ethic; it was no fluke.

As for England, drastic changes are needed to turn around what could turn out to be a long and arduous tour.

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