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On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Cody powered by News Talks head B at iHeart Radio.
Hello, nice to have you join us once again on the front foot. Well, the rain effected loss for our White fun Yeah, it was nine hours as a side Blackworth Lewis Stern Cayman to to play leading West Indian
players off out of a test tour of England. It was the same likely to appear in the black Caps downtime you used to pick by some of our international players and the West Indies are in England and the Caribbean Assessment of the World T twenty all that coming up on the front foot with me Brian Model and the Jeremy Coney and Jeremy Coney, I start by asking you which captain would you much rather be in the county game that recently ended in the tie. This has
happened since our last program on the front foot. The captain who set five ninety three to win or the captain of the side who got five ninety two to tie, Who would you much rather be?
Not an easy choice, is it, really? I guess once you've got to five ninety two and you've got the whole of that last over to get one run, um, you might be a wee bit disappointed. But getting the five ninety is not a bad effort, is it really? And it wasn't a bad catch, was it. Either? The keeper had had his glove off and took it in his took it, you know, with the with the glove off and just in the hands. You know, the shemis just on up to his right. And it was a
great catch, a little fine edge too. I mean it could easily have raced away just wide of him, so very close. What a game Glamorgan was it? Glamorgan and Glouceston, Gloucestershire. Yeah.
And the keeper basically did an Olympic marathon in celebration, didn't he. I mean he did fifteen circuits of the ground. James Bracy was his name. Stunning catch. It got rid of Jamie McElroy, a well known name in the Glamorgan side. He was the last man and he was given the opportunity to win the game that had been set up. You know, when you think they got you know, pretty well six hundred to lead leave the five ninety three Sam Northeast, you know the man. We spoke about it
start of the year with the triple hundred. He got one hundred and eighty seven. They got Manus Labershane or mel Labisketny or however you want to pronounce his name, playing from Morgan, he got nineteen fift one hundred and nineteen and then you know you need five to actually get close to five ninety two, as you say, is absolutely brilliant. Mason Crane was left stranded at the nun
Strikers in unbeaten on forty two. Probably could have won, Yeah, might have made a wrong decision to get down that end, I'm not sure, but oh what a finish to a game. I think that's an outstanding game of cricket really when you look at it. Neither side got to two hundred and their first innings, well that.
I suppose allowed the time to score that big second inning for both teams didn't it. That's fantastic, obviously a good pitch and yeah, my word, that's a cracker cracker of the game.
Five ninety two. Oh we played well yeah on the last game at five ninety two and spide oh goodness, be I reckon. The White Ferns would probably like to be in that situation sadly though. They've lost another game, a traditional nine overs, a side game. I guess you have to be able to play those length of games when you're playing in T twenty competitions, because that's what happens when you come to World Championships nine overs. They weren't able to chase it down. They were beaten by
Duckworth Lewis. It's just another sad chapter in terms of the White Ferns that they are really struggling over there, and we've spoken about them. I think we'll leave them to get on with their task. Let's get some reflection anyway, from Lear to who on the game.
Yeah, look, I think it was good to get out there. I think you know, we knew there was going to be a lot of rain around. I think the ground is the fantastic job to get us out there. You know that in twenty cricket, anything can happen. We've played shortened games before, we kind of know what to expect, and you know, we change a few things around in
our team to to try and sort of counter that. Yeah, look, always happy to take some wickets and you know, try and contribute to what we're trying to do out there. You know, that's my job up top there is to try and take some wickets and get us off to a good start. So, you know, always pleasing to be able to do that. Yeah, I think from a bowling innings, I think we actually didn't bowl too badly. I think, you know, it was a tricky wicket in terms of
the ball was skidding on nicely onto the bat. The outfield was obviously skidding on as well, So from that point of view, I think we were probably thinking that ninety was about pa so but yeah, like I think with the bat it's sort of been a bit of a theme of ours. I think it's probably going away and just having a look at the decisions that we're
making as batters. And you know, I think the girls have worked incredibly hard over the winter and I think it's now just being able to put that out into the middle, sort of take that form from the nets
out into the middle. Yeah, look, everything was focused towards that teach when you World Cup, really no, betters are looking at different ways of being able to score, knowing the conditions that we're going to over there, and trying to probably open up more areas of the ground and as bowlers, I think more seemans have got one or two sort of slow balls and different variations that we've been working on again knowing that the condition is going
to be incredibly different to what we've just played on out there, and you know, we've done a similar thing to England around sort of tinkering with the team and trying to get different combinations working knowing that we've got ten games until that first T twenty World Cup match.
Nine overs are side. You can't make judgments on teams in those circumstances, can you, really?
No, not really, and so we could just put that one to one side. Really a pretty new zeven lost divine baits curves early on in those overs. Really when you're chasing well it was virtually what one hundred or ninety or something like that they were chasing, So you know you're going for ten and over. You need one of those big players to do either get out of the blocks early for the first three overs which would be the power play, and then carry on if you can.
You need one of those players to back most of the overs if you can. Way for New Zealand, it was the first the first game though was they were again the thing I think New Zealand are finding hard with the batting and scoring runs is that they are being confronted by lots of spinners. And yes, in this particular game, this first T twenty, England got one well nearly two hundred, so they were kind of going at ten runs and over, and they then had to come
out and confront four spinners. And that is fourteen overs were bowled by the English spinners and the Eccleston and Dean. The Dean the off spinner and eckleson left arm orthodox had one more inch so they could have bowled sixteen overs. I've spent and you know, with New Zealand batsmen accustomed to a lot of medium pace bowling, hitting through the line, you know, with pace on the ball. Suddenly when you're confronted by over after over of spin, you know where
you've got to assess links. You've got to watch for a bit for turn you know, they get through their overs quickly. Spinners you need a wide range of shots because you can't just smash it down the ground. You've got people in the outfield out there. I think it's much harder to slog if you've got if your spinners are any good, so good footwork needed and it's just it's just shown the New Zealanders upper burn, hasn't it.
Yeah, And they've they've struggled to hit boundaries, as you say, and those spinners are hard to head off. And we've mentioned in the past that Sophie Ecleston, I think she's an outstanding left armspin boller. She does the job. She's tall, she has a good control of line and change of pace and all those sorts of things that are very hard to get on top of when you're when you're in the sort of smashing grab mode.
Yeah, they're obviously preparing too. I think the English side for Bangladesh, where the World Cup will be, they're expecting spin spin to play a big part throwing, even in quite green conditions. There's been a lot of rain in England, you know, green conditions they're throwing the spinners and to use them and get used to the whole thing about bowling a lot in the in the shorter format. So yeah,
it's difficult for New Zealand. They play. They went, of course today for their seemers, didn't They her guest ker Row Divine to Whoho and they brought Kasperick back too, which is an interesting one once.
Yes, well she's a t twenty biler and she's probably our most effective and successful bowler, but tough on her. You know, one over went for eleven or twelve or something along those lines. You need a bit more than that just to sort of get eight that your turn lee and a chance in the remaining three games and where we'll review that series once it's completed. I think the most interesting thing this week, Jerry, though, is the New Zealand players who are playing overseas at the moment
and the announcement of the contract offers. Well, we know that Williamson's not taking a contract, we know that Bolt's not having one, we know that Jimmy Neishon doesn't have one. But the twenty contracts offered and I think they, you know, it sounds really promising for the future. Rutch and Ravendra for the first time is getting one. Yes, surprisingly BBC is getting one for the first time. Will O'Rourke is
getting one for the first time. Jacob Duffy. That's the trio that are going to replace Wagner's now the Bolt Henry et cetera. Henry of course has got one. But I think that they're good contract offers for those particular players.
Yes, I think they're the most experienced group, I think, and the ones that we've seen playing test matches recently, so well done for them. That allows them now to settle into their work throughout the next season. Don't forget we've still got other people you mentioned. Some people are away playing different kinds of games and mainly of course the white ball cricket. But Nathan Smith we've talked about on this program a few times at Worcestershire. He's played
the red ball season for them. You've got Tom Bruce the batsman of course, playing for Lancashire. You've got folks over there in the UK at the moment playing the Blast for Warwickshire. Quite a difficult assignment for him. As a bowl of war Edgeburston's are quite a flat track usually and usually for help spinners a bit more so those, I think. And you've got Will Young over there of course playing red bull cricket as well now the Blast.
So there's a group of players, particularly the bowling, you know folks Nathan Smith and Ben Lister's over there as well too, is he playing for KNOS So that they're all good signs. I think that we are starting to get players playing in red ball and white ball cricket overseas. We are. Perhaps they're getting some good coaching over there.
We don't know quite yet who they are, but the fact that they're having to play the moving ball, Tom Bruce and all those batsmen and Will Young will have to be doing that over there with the Duke's ball. So I think, you know, we've got players at the moment. Also, haven't we Over in Sri Lanka the Lanka Premier League. Seiford, Phillips and Chapman are over there. They're all doing well. Did Seiford get get a.
Contract on No, he didn't, but he got one hundred and one of the games off he did.
Yeah, that's right, he's got two hundred and eight off four matches. You've got at Colombo. You've got Glenn Phillips, he's had a seventy and a fifty and Dan Bullamark Chapman started off with a ninety. So they've done they've done that, you know pretty well over there and they're facing spin so that's that's a good thing to do over there. A lot of our gun spinners over there playing in that league, and shut Up Carns there and Shumsi's there, so you know they're playing against.
Good players most definitely. And there's also floody players playing in the American League Bolt Ferguson, Conway, Satna, Alan Braceball, Ravendra Mitchell and Henry.
So a lot of players scattered around the Northern Hemisphere, mainly wads there. But it's that time of the year for New Zealanders to make you know, if they've got the means to net a bit of cash, then they might remain playing for New Zealand.
That's about twenty one players in various places plying their trade and earning their money and you wish them well, it's great for them. There's three others of course too that are quite interesting from my point of view. They have been in India and that's Foxcroft, Robinson and Mitch Hay who is an up and coming wicket keeper. And I remember saying previously on this program that Peter Fulton believes that he is probably the next in line for
international honors. I suppose when Blundele's days are done. So they are doing the hard yards in development in Chennai in India and smart place to go if you want to learn a little bit about cricket.
Yep batting particularly. I think Foxcroft he's more of a batting all round us and he bowls a bit of offspin as well, but he'll be interested in and also well Hay as well as a wicket keeper batsman nowadays.
So I mean they basically are players and Robinson of course top order, but they will be learning things like sweeping the ball, particularly where the ball is not bouncing quite so much, where it's turning quite a lot, how to play that sweep, in the variety of sweeps that you can play, very important as an attacking unit and for manipulating the fields, getting a bowler off his line and link, so really important kind of skills to learn
and learning from. I think quite an experienced coach as well.
Yeah, at Chennai, Super King's at the moment. The interesting thing is, of course that they're all in these pretty over competition leagues. The players are going it is that a concern for the game here. Yes, you've got to take the opportunity to end money and they will be pretty lucrative contracts. I imagine all these players wrong, including those who are currently in England. Will Young is there, Tom Bruce as you mentioned previously, Ben Lister, Nathan Smith,
Zach Fuchs, all those players are there. They've got to take those opportunities. But we've got to ensure also that they're not swept up in this T twenty, that we're still able to get the players for our domestic game and use them in our domestic game as well, aren't we.
Yeah? I think that's just that's just keeping in touchesn't it, Wads. I would if I had anything to do with it, I'd be talking to those players quite a bit, just to you know, you'd try not to get lots of players because they suddenly enjoy it, or because they suddenly play well, really well, and other franchises then suddenly start looking at them, and then they start moving away from the New Zealand Test side in particular and playing their cricket and he implaying their trade here. So I look,
we can't stop this. We can't stop it at all. This is a good time of the year for them to be playing over there. At least they're playing the game. People like Conway very good for him to be playing over there. They're playing against good players. There are lots of Australians over there. There are lots of South Aft Frickens in that MLC. You don't tell me if Pat Cummins is going for four years that they're not paying a good summary over there for his family, so you know,
and they are. There are some good quality players, so they're not missing out on that. It's just a question we now want. We'd like them to come back if they can, and we'll probably lose one or two. I mean, that's just a fact of it. Nowadays players have got to make their own choices there. We want the rest to come back.
Yeah. The only players who are on the contract offers list who aren't away overseas at the moment were basically Duffy and O'Rourke and Seers are amongst that group. Ish Sody isn't overseas at the moment AJS Patel has got the contract back, I think that's brilliant as well, to add to the spinning resources that he's ill have got and the likes of Tom Latham, Kyle Jamison hopefully he's recovering from his injury issues, and Henry Nichols, I think
about the only ones who aren't overseas. So you know, we've still got the basis of what is going to be our test side around the contract offers list. When it comes to the test matches we've got because there's a few coming up against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, India and of course the home tests against England.
You know, I mean everybody involved in the game will hope that our players and we don't have quite so many to select from, do we, but that they we don't go the way of the West Indies where suddenly players are selecting to go for the white ball game. If you look at that side, as we will at some stage that there is a complete separation now between the West Indies T twenty side and the West Indies
Test match side. They are entirely different. Players one or two are doing both, but that's the maxim So players like Nicholas Kooran and Shay Hope Cha. I hope they just don't want to be playing Test cricket and that's their choice, I guess. So yeah, we hope that doesn't happen to New Zealand.
Let's have a look at that format then, and that issue. With the T twenties completed in the West Indies, a quick change for both sides that are starting a Test series now England and the West Indies starts this week. The listeners in the Caribbean had greater options than we did for the World T twenty. They had radio commentary up to date with the proceedings. Radio is important in
the Caribbean, Beca's not everybody can afford the television. A top commentator from Barbados, Andrew Mason and his team called the game. He joins us from Bridgetown where he's the voice of Caribbean cricket and Edward guess it all went pretty well for you on the A wives in that paddle the world?
Yeah, well, you know, I'm very big on radio. It was very difficult to actually get the rights from the ICC, but thanks to Cricket West Indies were able to secure those rights and I'll report to you that we had tremendous success in that as many as thirteen stations across the Caribbean carried the cricket. It was an our backyard. I think they were recognizing importance of the coverage, as you know that radio is ready on the back foot
now with so much television. But that's where it all started and people really appreciated the fact that we were able to do the coverage. What we did was that we did off tube and the games at Kenses. We went to Kens' novel and did the game. So in terms of the listenership, it was absolutely marvelous. When we looked at the figures, we were completely surprised by the figure.
So in the final analysis, Radio in fact came out then a lot of marks and thanks to the Cricket West Sydney's inn ICC for the Lotus to actually carry those games, we.
Might have to get you to New Zealand to do some negotiating. Forest in the success let you have there. But in terms of the overall tournament, Andrew, how successful was it? It seemed as I had had a slow start in terms of crowd numbers that it picked up as the tournament got some momentum.
Yeah, well, I think first of all, it was designed for India, where there were games a local time, you know, thirty in the evening and ten thirty in the morning, and of course ten thirty in the Caribbean is prime time in India, so that was a problem because I remember the very first game that the best Sydneys played against Papua New Guinea. That was actually a ten to thirty game. It was in Ghana, and there were very
few people who actually came to watch the game. So the times were not good for us because that actually start a T twenty match at thirty, You're going to be home by one or two o'clock and you don't really want so the timing was not good at all. So that was a problem. But as you know, India their rule of the world. We actually had the finals on June to twenty ninth at ten thirty in the morning in the boiling sun. You know, that was not good at all and it was not a full host.
People complained bitterly about it, but in the finant nasays it was a pretty good final.
Hey, good gradsy particularly from iverseas tourists from England and such like. How about West Indian fans. Did I turn up and were the happy with the why the team perform?
Well, you know, the West side East side is so unpredictable now that we thank God for, as they say, small mercies. We were in, you know, up against your side in New Zealand and against Afghanistan, and there were many people in the Caribbean who felt the West Seas were not going to get in to the Super Eights.
They actually did.
They actually defeat Afghanistan and New Zealand and they were able to make it and they had an excellent opportunity to go to the semi finals and really messed it up badly against the South Africa team. So I think when you look back at it, to Gotdanova, New Zealand and to Godanva Afghanistan was in itself an achievement for the best Indy side.
Success for the Caribbean countries. Do you think that there was a success in the United States as well? Do you should have get that feeling?
Well, first of all, the dungsighted that was they had dropping pitches and as you know, there were sixteen games scheduled there and he sees there any season and there were actually three games that were washed out, and it actually caused some serious problems as far as Pakistan were concerned, because one of the games that washed out meant that the USA were able to go through to the Super Eights,
which would not have been in the cards. In the States they had good crows only of course when India. Of course, the Indian Pakistan game are a big, big game, but generally I would say the Crows were just there there both.
So weather was a.
Major concern and I know that in Florida we had some decent crowds, but overall I would say the Crows would have been just fair.
Only the Caribbean West Indian shide have been very successful in the short form game. It's a big turnaround now to put a test team together and I'll see it's a test team of about seventeen or eighteen people judging by the numbers there. They're off to play England. Totally different challenge. How do you expect them to do with they.
Well, we haven't won in England since nineteen eighty eight, so it's a big challenge for the West Indies side. The last time we went to England, we won the first tests and in the end England came from behind and one to one, but when England came to the Caribbean, we did in fact defeat England. It is going to be a serious tests. They'll be inspired by the fact that when the last went to Australia they were able to draw that sea. But the site is in experience side.
In fact, we may have a new opener in Louis McCaskey. These are names that are not really known to the cricket in the world. You've got Atenez, a Dominican who's trying to find his feet, so to speak. Mackenzie, a good little left hander from Jamaica, is also in there. Caravin Hodge has been wrong Caraban cricket for over ten years now. So it isn't it an experience side up against some top quality ball and Anderson is about to retire. The ball is going to swing in England, and I
would imagine that the best Cindys could struggle. Now they've got one or two very good cricketers. Of course, Jason Holder after injury, is going to be an important cobb in the wheel. Shamar Joseph, the man who did so very well when we meant to Australia, he's in there and now Zari Joseph the vice captain. He could be a very important player for the West Cities. The problem, however, is that we've lost Chemar Roach with all of his experience.
He had to be replaced by am Luis. So when you look at the Westiny's team on Pepper is not very strong, and to be honest with you, I expect England to do very well against the West Cindy's in that series.
When I look at the team that played in the World T twenty, there's some very good players in that side, and it seems they've chosen the short form rather the longer. For my instant people like Boran and I'm also intrigued in the left arm spinner Akil Hussein, who to my mind looks to be a quality player. They don't seem to come into contention for the West Indies Test squad.
Well, you're right, and you can certainly look at a share hawk who went to England and made two hundreds. And I thought that interested about Alara was saying he doesn't think he's interested. The gays are looking at the wait bar cricket. I mean it's pick money. In fact, when you look back at one of the best splayers we've had, Karen Pollard, never played a death natch for the West Cindysoran is not interested in playing our red
ball cricket. Russell played just a couple. In fact, I remember play Lloyd speaking to Russell and saying, look, you are talented enough to play all formats. These guys are very much involved in white ball cricket and that's the problem that most of our top players do not want to play red ball cricket. As I said, poor Ran is not interested. You've got someone like a se Hope who really is good enough to play with red ball cricket.
He's not interested at all, So that presents a big problem for the West Cindy's.
One of the more consistent players. And I was quite impressed because I haven't thought of his game as being consistent enough. Was Alzari Joseph And he's been given a sort of leadership the role, hasn't he within the short form game anyway?
Yeah, well, I think it's a good move. Given a lot more responsibility. Remember he would have come on the scene when the West Cindy's on a name team Team one back in twenty sixteen. And ever since then has been one that we've relied on. It is true that when you look at his stats, maybe not as good as you would like, but I think he's improving all the time. He sharp Scotta gets to get his Lenster
intense a little bit short. But the cricket West City's recognize the importance of given him that responsibility and he looks a much better player and I expect him to do well in England. He's got the pace, he does a bit with the ball, and you can expect a lot more from Alzari Joseph in the future.
Yeah, you've got Maty who spends the ball and the other guy that I mentioned, the kil Hussaying who to my mind, I'm quite impressed with what he can do with the ball. Nice flight, good nice.
But but again he doesn't want to play the red ball cricket at all. You know, these fellas have been asked. They prefer to play white ball cricket and that's sad Moti can play in all formats. I don't expect him to get in uh to the team because I think that the best seams are going to be very concerned. The first Test, Lauris starts on this coming Wednesday about the bat and they want to at least have about six batsmen and Jason Holder to be the Ronda, so
MultiMate and miss out. But he's a good cricketer. Of course, Kevin Sinclair who made a half century against the Australian team when we last played, they could very well get into the site. So the contract of the West seem is going to be very very interesting.
Yeah, it's quite interesting really because we've spoken about this before, haven't we, in terms of the players who aren't available for the West Indies, and you would have some quality players who would be there if they were prepared to play. But of course they've got the Major League circus in the United States which started this week, hasn't And I suppose some of those players go to that.
Yeah, yeah, you're very very right. In fact, one he two days ago, Roddy Sarwan, the former West Indy's batsman's making the point that with the United States know in cricket, is really going to really squeeze West in cricket, and
it's through they've got the money. A lot of Indians lived there, of course, in Florida throat the United States, so you're going to find know that a lot of our players who would normally maybe play in the local competition in Barbados first class cricket, they're going to be in the United States. These fellows travel all around the world to play, So we're not going to have going forward a test team that is, I suppose is going
to challenge the United States. They've come on board, they've got the money, and I think it's going to squeeze West in this cricket even further.
Yeah, the same paralle that as of course you don't have got nine people there. I think at the American competition and our game is going the same way. Players seem to be opting out of national contracts here and they're taking the big money. You can understand it said
that that's just the way the game goes. Somebody mentioned to me that the twenty competitions should all be about franchise cricket and not international, and I think there's a valid point in that that they can have the World Cup and World Tish Championship and have the T twitties. Is franchise cricket rather than a World Tish or World T twenty Championship seems a good idea.
Yeah, yeah, I certainly agree with that. It's something that I know that cricket wet Cindy's they would love to see that. When you talk to a lot of the former cricketers, they certainly believe in that. You'll be talked to people like Andrew Robertsons, the Clave Lloyd. They're very very worried. Yes, a lot of money I made in T twenty cricket, but you know Michael Holden is not interested at all. In fact, I know think he's ever
done a T twenty match. So while on one side of the coin they're making a lot of money, it's destroying the red ball cricket and that sis cricket. They've taken a beat in and I believe this is one of the reasons why we've not done well in international cricket, let's say, in the last five to ten years.
A fair point there, my boy, Andrew, and thanks very much for joining us once again, Andrew Mason from Barbados and Jerius. What you're alluding to just previously the problems that Andrew Mason sees about where the West Indies game has gone in terms of their Test match cricket. Yes, their short form game has been reasonably effective. They've been competitive, but their Test game, and you will know that more than many people, has gone backwards from what they were.
Yes, they're having to look, Brian now at their first class players to supply their Test match players. Totally, aren't they. I mean, you and I have We would look at that squad that they've just selected to play against England and three Test matches, we would recognize Craig Brathwaite's name, and Jason Holder's name, and perhaps Joshua De Silva the wicket keeper, and then some of the bowlers. But the other batsmen, I've got to confess, haven't. I haven't followed
them at all. Alec Athanasikerk McKenzie, Mikyle Lewis and his older brother Jeremiah Lewis, Cavim Hodge, Kevin Sinclair, you know, tavim Imla. Look, I don't know those names really at all. And in fact, six of the top sort of seven batsmen that they've chosen on the tour have only played ten Tests. And so I think that together with the moving ball in England, with the Duke's ball swing and scene, that's going to be the difficulty for the West and
is Ken ten. Their batsmen, they're young batsmen and most of them are in their twenties. There are Cavim Hodges thirty one. He's a bit more experience. But can their young players get enough runs to allow their bowlers, you know, something to work with, you know, something to aim at if they can. The trouble about it is having good bowlers. And they've got you know, Alzari Joseph. We saw him in the T twenties. He had a good T twenty series,
didn't he. But they've also got of course, and he's got to be really the one who does it, I think. But they've got Shama Joseph, we know, but he's only played seven first class matches and two of those are Tests, so he hasn't played much. I don't think he can expect him to run through the English batting all the time. That Jaden Seals has been playing a bit, he's come into the side. He's been playing at Sussex and has been doing okay. Another they're all right armors and then
of course you've got Jason Holder as well. More medium pace now I think than medium fast. But Paul of course, so he gets bound. So that's the area of their squad that they look stronger at. But of course if it's moving for them, then it's going to be moving for the English bilers as well, so their batting is going to be tested so much more.
The one name I forgot to speak to Andrew about was the young Chanderpaul. He doesn't seem to be in their list at the moment, so be interesting to see what's happening to his game. Well that's where their future. No runs, yeah, that's probably right. Yeah, no runs.
Got thirty thirty runs when he played in the Australian series, which was a bit unfortunate. Then he's had a bit of a lean time in the first class and over in the Western is But looking at those pictures, Wedds, I don't know what you thought, but criikee, you could understand a lean time for an opener, couldn't you? And I would have thought you might have stuck with him.
They're probably going to open with the chap who hasn't played a tests so far, Mikayl Lewis, who got a few run six hundred and eighty runs at forty eight, but he's twenty three, hasn't played at all it's an interesting selection. The other one was Keemar Roach because he's he's been over playing, you know, at Surrey for about five or six seasons now at least, and he knows English conditions and at his worst he can hold a holding job for his team. But if it moves as well,
then he's very much in the game. So they won't have him with them at all. I think he's got a bit of an injury as well.
Yeah, he's gone home from his Surrey contract and he would be important in terms of experience within that West Indian Yeah, what's England going to look like without Broad and Anderson? Jimmy Anderson's been named in the Test eleven four, the first Test, but there's no Broad of course, he retired last season. But there is Gus Atkinson. He is the new paceman. They've got Chris Wokes experience and Bash.
There's an element of, you know, lack of experience in some of their bowling to some extent, isn't it.
Yeah, Well, it's a little bit like you know, the Bolt Saudi situation, isn't it. As soon as they go there is a period of transition and you've got to make decent selections and hope that things go well. Yeah Atkinson Surrey again a slightly quicker bowler. Ollie Robinson no place for him, he's out now. And Chris Wokes you mentioned, well he's good in England, isn't he. He's also a very handy number eight. He's got a test hundred at Lord's and Jimmy Anderson, well, of course it'll you know,
Lords will be a wash with tears. They're very emotional. They're very emotional over there, but they're going to go in with three and one. I would have sought Wokes, Atkinson and Jimmy Anderson and the one being showed Basha the tall right arm off spinner gets a bit of bounce, yeah, and Ben Stokes to come in as well. That's right, So that will be their bowling attack, I would think. And you've got Jamie Smith taking the gloves from folks,
which you and I discussed last week. We thought that was a bit a bit tough, mainly mainly because I think you and I feel a keeper is so important and you know, if you're a bowler, you want your you want your mix to be held, don't you, And your first slip can go a bit wider because he said, no, no,
I can cover that. I've got that, And so you cover more area and perhaps your third slip takes a catch because your first you know, your first is a bit wider, so you cover more territory because the keeper can. So yeah, Jimmy Anderson's last test. Look, I longevity is the thing, isn't it.
On?
It's really forty one? Yeah, yeah, staying fit. He hasn't been an out and out genuine fast bowler for a long time now. He's a seaman swing bowler, was quick early on. But it's just that control, isn't it. And that's what Hadley had headles just they both have that absolute precision of length. Control of length. It's always awkward. Shall I go forward? Shall I go back? Then it moves from where it pictures. So yeah, a terrific player. I wonder whether people will look at him and say, look,
maybe I'll play a but longer. Well, Soudi does. I'm sure he keeps on. He keeps on quoting him looking old Jimmy over there. So so, but it's a little bit like us in New Zealand too, isn't it? With no bolt now and Saudi dropping a wee bit and pace and wickets. You know, we are going to have to confront this as well, and that's why you've brought up the contracts. You know, we recognize it and we've got to move on.
Yeah, well we'll be able to assess that on our program next week because that Test match is right on the doorstep now and ready to play, and we'll be watching very closely, particularly the England players because I said they're going to be out here playing very shortly. So hopefully jac will get a chance to watch this series on television. I've been searching to find a television outlet that's going to be playing it, and they normally do,
but I can't find. I don't know whether you know any more about it than me.
No, I always ring you watch, don't I?
So yeah, we'll have to do some.
I hope it's on TV and Z Plus. Actually, I've been interested in the football. I've been interested watching football Stain one this morning against France, which I was quite pleased about, and so that that's good. They're through to the finals, which I like. And of course I can see Lulu, our Lulu from Tian now. Uh she she didn't get through, but she my word, what a good run for her.
Oh thank god for public broadcasting.
Yeah, that's right, that's right.
I love it. I'll go. Yeah, I'll see if we can get the Test cricket for you. Never mind, join us next week. We'll be able to discuss from any viewpoint what has happened in the first Test between the West Indies and England. Stunts at Lord's look forward to Thanks to you, kid, it is what's the waderful some do?
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