[LiamTheBaggie]

A couple of years ago there was a strong rumour that Broad was on the verge of retiring to take up a commentary position with Sky. Given the extended interview/tribute with Broad after close of play tonight I'd be shocked if he's not now joining Sky. He comes across well in interviews and the media work he's done so far and it seems a natural progression for him. It's also 2.5 years to the next Ashes series so there is some logic to the timing.

He already has a deal with Sky. He covers a lot of their coverage of the hundred so I guess he will now become a permanent fixture alongside Nasser, Athers and Butch.

Also gives him some time to dedicate towards his pub.

[Baggies]

The ECB confirm we will host Zimbabwe for a one off 4 day test match in 2025, location to be confirmed (probably Lord's or the Oval as per usual). Haven't played them since 2003, Anderson's test debut. We stopped playing them due to the political situation over there, which doesn't appear to have really changed (Mugabe has died but has been replaced by one of his right hand men Mnangagwa). I guess thr ECB have realised it wasn't having much impact and they can't keep not playing the smaller nations, although I'd have been more interested in seeing Bangladesh come over here for the first time in years.

[Baggies]

World cup side named. Harry Brook and Jofra Archer only being taken as reserves, Brook maybe missing out due to Stokes coming out of retirement. Malan and Livingstone get the 2 middle order spots that were probably still up for grabs. Pleased to see the under rated David Willey get a spot in the bowling line up alongside Wood, Woakes, Rashid, Ali, Curran, Topley and new boy Gus Atkinson.

Atkinson has recently emerged and can bowl at 95mph top speed. He is in consideration for a test spot next year, which is welcome given Broad's retirement, Anderson's fading form and Archer, Mahmood and Stone's injuries.

Atkinson is also in the twenty twenty side to face New Zealand. He will be joined by the exciting Luke Wood who has looked good in the hundred, the long term replacement to David Willey, plus South African born John Turner and Josh Tongue, not to forget Rehan Ahmed.

Surprised to see Luke Wright is now the national selector.

[Fritzl Palace]

Not sure whether anyone else here follows cricket, or have been watching our pitiful defence of the One Day International trophy, but it has been an utter embarrassment.

We are currently limping along in our penultimate game against the Netherlands as we seek to avoid finishing bottom. We may well win this one as the opposition are so poor, but root (no pun intended) and branch change is needed to the One Day side after this tournament.

The likes of Sam Hain who is the best 50 over player in the world still not being selected has to end.

[Adder]

Yes it's been an abject display by England in this tournament...it's not just the losing but the failure to compete in a lot of the games. There must have been something going on in the camp. There was also the very strangely timed announcement of the next player contracts during this tournament with David Willey the only player not to get any contract.
Players have massively underperformed. It's as though they've forgotten how to think the game through and just rely on the full guns blazing approach at all times.
As for the call for major changes, maybe but they've just given contracts to the vast majority of these players so there's unlikely to be a major cull in the near future.

[LiamTheBaggie]

The contracts don’t make much sense to me because if you review this squad then how many make the next World Cup?

Bairstow, Malan, Root, Stokes, Ali, Woakes, Wood, Wiley, Rashid to name but a few will not be there.

The timing of them - during a World Cup - was pathetic. David Wiley has already commented on how angry, upset and disappointed it’s made him feel during the tournament. You will not play good cricket in those conditions.

[SmethDan]

Mildly surprised to read nothing of yesterday's win .

[lewisant]

It's been such a disappointment after the excitement of the last World Cup. It's been quite odd to watch us just suddenly unravel

[LiamTheBaggie]

The end of the James Anderson era starts today.

A slightly later start for Test Match Cricket this summer.

[Baggies]

England scored 400 in both innings for the first time in our history today. A flat pitch and a poor opposition bowling attack?

[Adder]

England scored 400 in both innings for the first time in our history today. A flat pitch and a poor opposition bowling attack?

Hadn't realised that. I guess the speed that England score runs at now makes that a more likely occurrence....and maybe we are less likely to go beyond 400 in the 1st innings because of the higher risk batting approach !

[LiamTheBaggie]

England scored 400 in both innings for the first time in our history today. A flat pitch and a poor opposition bowling attack?

I'm not sure that the West Indies attack is poor - Australia couldn't score above 300 against them yet they creamed themselves against our attack in the recent Ashes down under. Worth remembering that in the one spell of our second innings they had 7 wickets for 96 runs.

It was a flat pitch which offered very little to the bowlers (this is now the Stokes requirements), however, I think it's more a reflection of England's approach to batting which really remove any element of control from the opposition. Australia with their array of bowling talent really struggled in the Ashes last year.

I thought it was a great test match even though the West Indies did suffer that collapse yesterday evening.

[Adder]

Glamorgan's Ben Kellaway took 2 Surrey wickets yesterday - one bowling his usual right arm spin and the other left arm. It's the first time anyone has done that since Charles Rowe in the 1980's.

[Baggies]

Looks like the ECB are in effect selling the Hundred to the IPL, part of the continued IPL blob taking over Cricket.

It is expected that the Mumbai Indians are to buy the London Spirit, also part owned by the MCC, renaming them the "Mumbai Indians (MI) London" - a move they have replicated all over the franchise cricket world. Oval Invincibles will be bought by another IPL side, possibly becoming the Oval Super Kings or Oval Knight Riders, while the Rajasthan Royals will buy the Northern Superchargers as part of the takeover of Yorkshire CCC. Birmingham are likely to avoid IPL ownership - instead getting interest from Blues owner Knighthead Capital/Tom Brady. Welsh Fire are being looked at by the Hollywood collective at Wrexham.

With the IPL owners buying so much influence in world cricket and now English and Welsh Cricket, its hard to see us keeping a two home test series summer for much longer.

The continuing trend of all of English sport being bought by Foreign interests.

[KYA]

Looks like the ECB are in effect selling the Hundred to the IPL, part of the continued IPL blob taking over Cricket.

It is expected that the Mumbai Indians are to buy the London Spirit, also part owned by the MCC, renaming them the "Mumbai Indians (MI) London" - a move they have replicated all over the franchise cricket world. Oval Invincibles will be bought by another IPL side, possibly becoming the Oval Super Kings or Oval Knight Riders, while the Rajasthan Royals will buy the Northern Superchargers as part of the takeover of Yorkshire CCC. Birmingham are likely to avoid IPL ownership - instead getting interest from Blues owner Knighthead Capital/Tom Brady. Welsh Fire are being looked at by the Hollywood collective at Wrexham.

With the IPL owners buying so much influence in world cricket and now English and Welsh Cricket, its hard to see us keeping a two home test series summer for much longer.

The continuing trend of all of English sport being bought by Foreign interests.

The times they are a changing and not for the better.

[lewisant]

Guys are we not discussing 823 declared, Brook triple century, Root runs record for England. Been an amazing test match to watch (well, the highlights anyways!)

[beechyboy90]

Outrageous numbers! Few wickets as well to end the day. Barely watched by anybody in the ground or perhaps even the TV that's the really sad thing.

[LiamTheBaggie]

It’s taken some perseverance to watch after Pakistan mounted 550 plus.

What followed since has been breathtaking.

This will be Englands greatest away win if we can get over the line.

[LiamTheBaggie]

And just as I type, there it is…

Englands greatest away win.

[Adder]

This one is a real triumph for the positivity of the 'bazball' approach. In years gone by teams wouldn't have even thought about trying to win the game following Pakistan's 556 on a flat pitch.

[MarkW]

England look set to win the first test against a sloppy NZ. What was it, eight catches they out down? You'd never think they just won a test series in India.

Good to see Pope contribute with the bat. Don't think he's a no. 3 but is certainly talented, and a useful 3rd or 4th choice wicket keeper.

[Fritzl Palace]

Brilliant win. Hopefully this time we kick on in the series unlike the Pakistan series where we tossed it off after a great start. Not ‘resting’ Woakes this time would be handy.

Would love to know what dossier Crawley has on the upper echelon of the ECB to keep being selected