[MarkW]

Woakes has also always been an awful bowler away from home, baffling he still gets selected for away tours. His away bowling average is 52, he shouldn't be close to tour squads yet alone leading the attack. What did they think was going to happen?

Root shouldn't be captain if he can't deal with Anderson/Broad, as seems to be the issue. Absolute insanity to promote the worst bowler from the Ashes to our lead bowler because he's a nice guy.

I doubt it's because he's a nice guy. I think it's more likely it's because he can bat and they want protection for the shoddy top order.

Leach and Wood can survive in certain circumstances, but both are tailenders in my view. I don't know much about Overton's batting, nor Mahmood's, but Woakes can play as a legitimate bowling all rounder, and I daresay with how fragile our top order still is, that probably plays more on the minds of selectors

[Pelsall_Baggie]

Woakes has also always been an awful bowler away from home, baffling he still gets selected for away tours. His away bowling average is 52, he shouldn't be close to tour squads yet alone leading the attack. What did they think was going to happen?

Root shouldn't be captain if he can't deal with Anderson/Broad, as seems to be the issue. Absolute insanity to promote the worst bowler from the Ashes to our lead bowler because he's a nice guy.

Woakes' average on the last two tours before the Ashes was 25.71, perfectly respectable figures.

Root is able to 'deal' with Anderson & Broad, it's blindingly obvious that's not the issue.

Woakes wasn't the worst bowler in the Ashes, it was Stokes.

What makes you think he's the lead bowler? I would say Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson are the more likely.

With Anderson, Broad, Archer and Stone unavailable, it's not a difficult decision to play Woakes.

[MarkW]

Woakes' average on the last two tours before the Ashes was 25.71, perfectly respectable figures.

Root is able to 'deal' with Anderson & Broad, it's blindingly obvious that's not the issue.

Woakes wasn't the worst bowler in the Ashes, it was Stokes.

What makes you think he's the lead bowler? I would say Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson are the more likely.

With Anderson, Broad, Archer and Stone unavailable, it's not a difficult decision to play Woakes.

I'm guessing he said he's the lead bowler because he opened the bowling for us today. He took the new ball ahead of Wood

[hardtobeat]

I doubt it's because he's a nice guy. I think it's more likely it's because he can bat and they want protection for the shoddy top order.

Leach and Wood can survive in certain circumstances, but both are tailenders in my view. I don't know much about Overton's batting, nor Mahmood's, but Woakes can play as a legitimate bowling all rounder, and I daresay with how fragile our top order still is, that probably plays more on the minds of selectors

Absolutely  crucial imo. Otherwise we end up with the ludicrous situation as in the Ashes of Wood batting at No.8 It must be in selectors thinking as it is the reason they have been so reluctant to pick their best wicket keeper for so long !

[LiamTheBaggie]

There is no issue with Woakes being a third or fourth seamer on an away tour because as mentioned by both Mark and Hardtobeat, his efforts with the bat help to cover our batting problems.

That being said, I would not want Woakes as my leading seamer away from home. There is no justifiable reason for it given he's only two younger than a much fitter & better-skilled Stuart Broad.

And the fact I want Warwickshire to have a fit and firing Chris Woakes has no bearing on my decision 

[phbaggies]

There is no issue with Woakes being a third or fourth seamer on an away tour because as mentioned by both Mark and Hardtobeat, his efforts with the bat help to cover our batting problems.

That being said, I would not want Woakes as my leading seamer away from home. There is no justifiable reason for it given he's only two younger than a much fitter & better-skilled Stuart Broad.

And the fact I want Warwickshire to have a fit and firing Chris Woakes has no bearing on my decision 

I want him dropped, the fact he is a Villa fan has no bearing on my decision 

[LiamTheBaggie]

I want him dropped, the fact he is a Villa fan has no bearing on my decision 

Admittedly I have learned to somehow overlook that part across the last few years 

[Baggies]

Mark Wood wont bowl again this innings due to injury, with the second innings still to come and then another test next week.

England fast running out of bowlers. Wood joins Archer on the list of poorly manager bowlers.

[AlbionFan]

Mark Wood wont bowl again this innings due to injury, with the second innings still to come and then another test next week.

England fast running out of bowlers. Wood joins Archer on the list of poorly manager bowlers.

I know two guys ready, willing and available 

[Dan]

Mark Wood wont bowl again this innings due to injury, with the second innings still to come and then another test next week.

England fast running out of bowlers. Wood joins Archer on the list of poorly manager bowlers.

Wood clearly does not have the body to be a test bowler, should just retire to limited over games.

If it wasn't too much of a climbdown, after this they should be begging Anderson to fly out and admit they've got it wrong.

[Baggies]

I equally feel really sorry for the way Jack Leach has been messed around and also that he is becoming a waste of a spot now. His economy is decent today but he isn't getting wickets. We have invested a few years in him now, is he really the best we can do?

[phbaggies]

Their opening bowlers are all over us here, lucky to be only one down at the moment!

[LiamTheBaggie]

Looks like we’ll be heading for another draw on a road in Barbados. We won’t be taking 20 wickets on this pitch with our bowling line up.

Gutted for Dan Lawrence who was out for 91 with two balls remaining in the day. After already hitting two fours in the over it was extremely naive to try it again. See the last two deliveries out, come back tomorrow and get your remaining runs.  He won’t have a better opportunity of getting a ton on that pitch

[AlbionFan]

Their opening bowlers are all over us here, lucky to be only one down at the moment!

Yet strangely, in the overs leading up to Crawley's dismissal, including the ball that he was out to, not one ball was going to hit the stumps, they were either wide or high, according to, I think it was David Gower who asked someone to check "Hawkeye" playbacks.

And they did little better after that from what I saw.

Both their openers were quick, but erratic   

[hardtobeat]

The two pitches so far in this series have been awful ! Interesting to hear Curtley Ambrose saying how he has been on at the board of control to do something about them.

[Mikkyk]

Looks like we’ll be heading for another draw on a road in Barbados. We won’t be taking 20 wickets on this pitch with our bowling line up.

Gutted for Dan Lawrence who was out for 91 with two balls remaining in the day. After already hitting two fours in the over it was extremely naive to try it again. See the last two deliveries out, come back tomorrow and get your remaining runs.  He won’t have a better opportunity of getting a ton on that pitch

The way to do it would be to put a mammoth total on, i'm talking 500+, and hope their batting lineup crumbles with scoreboard pressure.

[AlbionFan]

First wicket of the day on a turning pitch, Brooks c Woakes b Leach 39 (83-2)

[LiamTheBaggie]

This pitch is rubbish.

[Dan]

Doesn't help that our plan of attack is a bunch of identikit low-mid 80s right arm bowlers.

[Fritzl Palace]

I don’t think it would matter what attack we selected on this wicket.

There are some awful pitches being prepared across the world of late. That Pakistan v Australia pitch was case in point, another utter road offering nothing to the bowler

[Adder]

On the other hand the occasional road always used to be part and parcel of test cricket. Lately we've become used to 16 wickets falling in the day and 3 or 4 day finishes (especially watching England).
 
Ideally we want the balance between bat and ball to be correct. Wickets with pace and bounce and which provide help for the spinners as the game goes on produce the best cricket but yes they are becoming a rare thing. It's important for the future of test cricket that wickets are improved for an even contest between bat and ball.

[Baggies]

I'm starting to think we actually prepare the best pitches in world cricket. Not just pitches that allow a part time spinner to get 5/8 against the best batting line up in the world or pitches that don't produce a result in 4 test matches. Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have also produced decent pitches of late but for the rest, the balance seems to be completely lost. Maybe its the lack of test cricket these last few years that have made it difficult for groundsmen?

Anyway, this one will be a draw, unless there is a miracle today. We need to find a way to bowl them out inside the first session and then put on a quick fire 250 somehow and hope the 5th day pitch is more friendly to spin.

It hasn't helped that this bowling line up is in effect England 'A'. At it's strongest the attack is probably 3 or 4 of Anderson, Archer, Broad, Robinson, Stone, Wood - none of which are available. Mahmood, Woakes, Overton, Fisher and all rounder Stokes might work on an English pitch but none of them have the pace to do it on these sort of pitches.

Atleast our batsmen are getting some confidence runs in - if you were Rory Burns or Ollie Pope you would be gutted right now.

[AlbionFan]

Not a great day for our batters, with at least our lower order putting up some resistance.

But the Barmy Army humour saves the day with flags requesting 'Justice for Broad' and 'Bring back Jimmy' 😂

[AlbionFan]

Close of play England 200 for 9

Leech and Mahmoud 👏👏👏👏

[mikehy]

Close of play England 200 for 9

Leech and Mahmoud 👏👏👏👏

? 204 all out