West Indies v England
Play starts at 1500 GMT
England captain Andrew Strauss has won the toss and will bat first in the opening Test match against the West Indies at Jamaica's Sabina Park.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been passed fit to take his place in the starting XI, despite suffering from a side strain.
Left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom makes his first England appearance since the summer after recovering from injury.
Ian Bell maintains his place at three, despite competition Owais Shah.
|
By Tom Fordyce
|
 |
606: DEBATE
|
Play starts at 1500 GMT
1440: Some consternation on the emails about the inclusion of Ian Bell at the expense of 'Midnight at the' Owais Shah. Understandable, I'd say - the incumbent needs a good knock later on. As does Colly, to be fair.
From Mick in TMS inbox: "Ahhh - Test Match cricket. You are back! And in the Caribbean too. Once I have finished work I shall lock myself in a room where I cannot see the snow, turn the heating up, pour myself a rum and coke and listen to the sounds of the Windies. Either that or the sounds of England taking 2 days to try and get Chanderpaul out."
1429: And now for the toss - Skipper Strauss calls it correctly, and he opts for a joust with the bat. Big news for England, that - the pitch looks a beauty. "Good toss to win, I think," says a smiling Strauss. "The guys are chomping to get out here," he adds, possibly referring to a pre-match snack the rest of team are enjoying in the dressing-room.
1428: Other team news for you - Ryan Sidebottom is in, as in Monty and Stuart Broad.
1425: Breaking team news for you - Freddie is fit and plays. Repeat - Freddie is fit and plays.
1415: Good day all. Three feet of snow? A face-ripping Arctic wind? Ice underfoot as treacherous as Guy Fawkes? Not in Jamaica. Oh no. It's a freckle-inducing 28 degrees, the sky overhead is a watercolour blue and we're set for a mouth-watering afternoon of Test match magic. C'est superbe.
No comments:
Post a Comment