Accuweather see it like this:
Rain showers early friday, then cloud with possibility of bad light. Shower around 4-ish.
Ok with sunny spells & cloud on saturday with a bit of rain late in the playing day. Also rain forecast overnight on the saturday/sunday/monday.
Very, very difficult to call as has been said
It seems to be assumed that Sidebottom plays come what may & the possibility is that Strauss misses out. That would mean:
Cook, Vaughan....then in whatever order KP, Bell & Collingwood.....Prior, Plunkett, Sidebottom, Harmison, Panesar, Anderson
Hmmm....not sure I like it tbh. I can see the likes of Collymore being better here after a decent bowl at Lords & i dont like Plunkett @ 7 at all
Cant see them dropping Monty though after wickets last week (9/1 1st Inns wkts
) but 3 seamers is a worry...unless they derop Harmy & i cant see that tbh :wasntme
Horses for courses then & I can see any of those scenarios tbh
Personally I think if theres enough play then the WIs batting could be found out here after doing well against a flat England bowling attack on a flat slow Lords wicket......Hoggard short as well remember. There'll be enough damp around to keep some interest & i can see both attacks doing ok but only England weathering it enough to get a half decent score. People will point to WIs batting well last test but this is WIs & form doesnt apply.
Its difficult to predict but if they can get 350 overs in I'll have to disagree with tricky & say no way would I want to be on the draw
Unless I change my mind overnight I'm sitting tight until in-running, but I expect England to do well here....I just keep coming back to the possibility of Plunkett @ 7 & something says 'leave it alone tosser'
England v West Indies : Cricket
they conceded 600+ against India & were reduced to 11-4 & at that point you'd have got very long odds on them not being suffering the heaviest defeat this week, yet WIs need another 154 to avoid that ignominy :wasntme
