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Blowers Returns! Hooray.

Who will win the series? My money is on Enlgand, even without the injured Kevin Pietersen. If I was the West Indies national selector, I would choose this side:

1. Chris Gayle
2. Dale Richards
3. Ramneresh Sarwan
4. Dwayne Bravo
5. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
6. Denesh Ramdin
7. Keiron Pollard
8. Sulieman Benn
9. Jerome Taylor
10. Fidel Edwards
11. Lionel Baker

England should, if they are to win the series, go with this XI:

1. Strauss
2. Morgan
3. Bopara
4. Shah
5. Collingwood
6. Bell
7. Prior
8. Mascarenhas
9. Broad
10. Swann
11. Anderson

bleh .... 6 weeks of international one-day cricket ?

Sky Sports will be delighted.

Everbody going to the matches, have a good time.

Wake me up when the Test series starts.

Can't wait for next Tuesday - the return of Blowers!

At first I was a bit dissapointed at having to wait until the last one-dayer for the first stint from Blowers of the summer but actually Tuesday is better for me - I should be able to listen all day at work without any meetings or anything.

falconsforever23:

That England side cannot be right, surely. England must have realised by now that there is no point in playing 7 batsmen when that only leaves you with 4 bowlers plus 10 overs for Collingwood/Bopara, who no disrespect but they won't win you a game with the ball. I believe that Eoin Morgan deserves his chance having played well for Middlesex and Ireland so I would leave Ian Bell out, who has not been brilliant for Wawrickshire in one day games recently. I also think that Morgan is a very good player of spin, which is exactly what England need in their middle overs. Therefore, I would have this team:

1. Strauss
2. Bopara
3. Shah
4. Collingwood
5. Morgan
6. Prior
7. Mascharenhas
8. Broad
9. Swann
10. Sidebottom
11. Anderson

Can't help but agree with comment no. 3. Don't want to be churlish - any cricket is better than no cricket, I suppose - but I'm not remotely surprised that the likes of Gayle are bored with this endless grind.

I'm pleased to see, incidentally, that this year - in terms of county cricket - the 20/20 is broken up in mid-June by a few County Championship matches. Apart from meaning that I can actually get to watch a bit of live cricket, wouldn't it help the contracted players prepare for the Ashes if they were playing a bit of 4 day cricket instead of endless one-dayers?

Interesting to hear how the Blofeld/Nicko combination works out on Tuesday, BTW. Two of my favourite people - let's hope they go together like cheese and pickle.

In one-day cricket anything can happen! I firmly think that the team batting second in this format wins more often than not and, as such, has the advantage!

So, it is difficult to predict who will win the series! It is safe to assume, however, that if the weather contiues to be cold, damp and overcast, it will advantage the home team! The West Indians, as we have seen, cannot perform to the best of their abilities in sub-tropical temps.

My personal preference is certainly 'competitive' test cricket not what went on in May.

But if we're going to have a one day series why do we not organise it as a tri-nation (Eng, WI & Aussies) more competitive and marketable (with 3 strong one day sides)?

Instead we get an elongated season with a one-day money maker tagged on at the end. That last year with the Saffers felt relatively unimportant to the test series winners.

Falconsforever, nice team, but you seem to be missing a bowler...

Is there any possibility of Mr. Mountford retiring, or simply resigning his post at TMS, in light of the shameful treatment of Mike Selvey, and the sustained infiltration of TMS with both the staff, and practices, of Radio5live?

Could we please have the TMS of Peter Baxter back?

Hainba-by competitive do you mean flat pitches so that teams score 600 plus and draws aplenty?? I love watching cricket when wickets are falling regularly-thats the excitement of it. I also enjoy watching players hit big runs but not over 2 days

posted Monday afternoon: - so the action moves to Headingly, huh? Hollow laughter!

Glad Blowers is back!

I went to see his theater tour a few weeks back in my home town to meet the great man! Great man, great show!

He told me he is dont 3 of the Ashes Tests, sadly i cant remember which ones it is! I think 1,3 & 4, but maybe wrong. (Sorry guys)

Hey Adam, can you tell us which Ashes Tests Blowers is doing please!

Not a great deal of "one-day action" today, I think.

Can I be the first to award all the England players nought out of ten for their performances?

In response to post one re. the return of 'Blowers' whatever the total opposite of 'hooray!' is please put me down for that. When is this man due to retire please??

PYATTL01 by competitive I mean England playing a team that wants to be there playing an appropriate format of the game. In the case of the WI's two test matches were a waste of time. England wanted test practice the WI's (not their fault just their Board & the ECB)were just killing time before the one dayers & 20/20.

thank goodness mr mountford is bringing blowers back-the summer will start on tuesday!!--what chance mike selvey please-oldies are goldies

this current series v west indies is pathetic, cricket now is really getting a joke,nobody seems interested, aggers gets excited as if its a world cup final,and the crowds are shocking,and the slightest excuse for bad light they all troop off.I use to love cricket but you never see any games being played locally(essex area) nobody seems interested in the game, and theres nothing on the box, its a real shambles for such a great game.

Why cant we have Mike Selvey back. why?

Enjoyed the FP Trophy coverage on Saturday but I was surprised that neither Kevin Howells or Alison Mitchell were used.

Perhaps they will be used today for the start of the Twenty 20 coverage.

Also great to hear Jonny Saunders reporting for Five Live from the England match yesterday, I've not heard Jonny covering cricket for about a year now.

To the powers that be:

Please put an end to this WWE nonsense called Twenty20! If allowed to worm its way through the fabric of the sport, unchecked, it will eventually spell the end of cricket as we know it!

It was a colossal mistake to introduce it in the first place and, like an insiduous cancer, it will eventually knaw away at the very life-blood of the Game! Admit your miscalculation and stop it, now!

What a tragedy!

I can't help feeling the 2005 ashes series has been a curse.
Firstly audience figures rose dramatically and consequently the ECB auctioned off the TV rights at the ultimate peak. Not bad you might think however in order for the broadcasters to get their best bang for their buck, they now have started to use their influence on the scheduling.
Between the ECB and the broadcasters we are now subjected to Tests in early May followed by a meaningless parade of one day internationals, that frankly no one really cares about.
It seems that 20/20 has gained momentum and the chief casualty is the 40 or 50 over format.
So what happens, we get mini test series of two test matches , one at Lords (which nicely does away with any need for an ashes test ) followed by Durham in mid May!! The Windies look as excited as a group of undertakers and who could blame them? maybe we should have given them a warm up match in the Outer Hebrides?
Then still in May we kick off the ever so exciting one day trawl of internationals at that famous sunny paradise that is.......... er Headingly.

Why are we demeaning the only decent sell out fixture in world cricket?Namley the Ashes.
Gone are the days we invited the Aussies over in May to play a village cricket level 3rd string county side. Now we are allowing them (the Aussies) to stay in tropical Queensland bonding together while our team is subjected to dull meaningless matches. By the time we are already for the main event, The Aussies will be fresh and rested and we will be knackered , injury prone and out of sorts due to the insistence of the ECB and the Broadcaster to get their piece of the meat.

Is it a contractual obligation to mention this "exciting summer of cricket"? So far, I'm afraid, I've seen more action in a tramp's vest.

Mind you, Blofeld calling Paul Nixon "Knickers" was priceless - though I can't see it catching on at Grace Road.

Agree with no. 23 about the Aussies' tour schedule. In May they ought be playing the Duchess of Arundel's XI, not in a Queensland bootcamp (and no doubt the more sensible amongst them would second that sentiment).

I realise I'm talking to myself here, but - in the interests of historical accuracy - I think what I meant was Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk's XI. But perhaps they're too busy competing in the IPL?

what a shame england lost the T20. being a England fan I cannot belive it. send them for some training