England vs West Indies – Test Series Preview

Not so long ago, Test cricket would announce itself in early June with the FA Cup Final but a distant memory, Hicky approaching 1000 First Class runs and hayfever warnings in the air. But, in this era of income stream potentialisation and all those other ideas that brought the banks to ruin, Test cricket arrives in England in early May (fortunately just after KP and Chris Gayle), tramping down the spring grass and filling the all-important gaps between the adverts on Sky Sports.

If the Trumpet sounds unusually unenthusiastic, it’s because he is – the two teams have only just ground through the attritional series in the Carribean with the Wisden Trophy (above) deservedly returning to the Islands after nearly a decade in England. We are in this position for three reasons: the ECB’s contract to deliver seven home Tests to Sky; the West Indies Board’s tragic-comic mismanagement leaving them pursuing money so soon after their World Cup; and the withdrawal of scheduled visitors Sri Lanka due to player contracts with the IPL. Instead of Murali and Mendis, we’ll have Sulieman Benn and Brendan Nash; instead of Kumar and Mahela, we’ll have Devon Smith and er… Brendan Nash again. Let’s hope English cricket fans get to see Prasanna Jayawardene keeping to Ajantha Mendis with four men round the bat as soon as possible, as it’s a throwback to a style of cricket in danger of disappearing with a McCullum slog over the deep midwicket cheerleaders.

To the “series” itself. As in the Carribean, there is likely to be little between the teams, with the men that play the key moments better most likely to prevail. A couple of months ago, that man was Jerome Taylor sensing that it was his day and blasting out a shell-shocked England for 51 in Kingston to, as it turned out, secure the series. It should not be forgotten that England failed when their big moments came along, allowing the admirable Fidel to bat out two draws when his team were nine and eight down.

Lord’s may be as flat as the Antigua Recreation Ground, so England may go with two spinners delaying introducing the yeoman virtues of Tim Bresnan until Chester-le-Street’s Second Test. Whisper it, but there’s another Tour later this summer, and Andy Flower may be particularly keen for Monty to get a bit of success in front of the egg and tomato tie men his mauling last year at the hands of Graeme Smith and co. For the West Indies, much will depend on Fidel staying fit and firing, knocking over a few with the new ball and getting at England’s Number Six and a half (Prior) and two Number Eights (Broad and Swanny). Sarwan, Gayle and Chanderpaul will then need to bat at their best to drive home the advantage as late order blocking won’t be quite as straightforward as in the Carribean.