Clive Lloyd and his selection staff must see the importance for an additional fast bowler in the West Indies team against England. Jerome Taylor is bowling fine with some degree of pace, but Kemar Roach is not in the best of form and this continues to affect the team. Roach failed to put on a good showing in South Africa during the 2015 World Cup and also now against England in this Test Series.
Shannon Gabriel is pretty quick and he carries a good bounce and with this type of steady bowling he will be able to affect the English batsmen. West Indies must go with a four-prong pace attack in Roach, Taylor, Holder and Gabriel. Knowing how the selectors go about their business, their choice to replace Sulieman Benn will be the spinner from Guyana, Devendra Bishop.
West Indies Batsmen Too Defensive
West Indies opening batsman Kraig Braithwaite will have to learn to play the lifting balls and he and Devon Smith will have to rotate the strike. West Indies batsmen must be more aggressive. They allow themselves to be bogged down to bowling that was unworthy.
It is important that Darren Bravo takes control of the number three spot and he must not be too defensive. He must set the pace for making runs for the West Indies team. Devon Smith looks solid but he must be able to use his feet much more to the spinners.
Note: West Indies batsmen should carry the spinner. This tactic would damage their preparation and put West Indies in the correct rhythm to win the series especially with the last of three Tests scheduled for Kensington Oval, Barbados. Kensington Oval is known as the quickest wicket in the Caribbean and it is the time that four pacers be included for the second Test match in Grenada. All pace should be the key to this series.
Holder Displays Cricket Intelligence
Not too often West Indies batsmen exhibit top class intelligent batting, on the fifth day of the first Test match against England. West Indies all rounder Jason Holder scored 103 runs not out and hitting 15 fours. This effort saved the game for the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, in Antigua.
On day one of the first Test match, the West Indies won the toss and elected to field first. England had some early trouble at 34 for 3 but recovered well scoring 399 runs. Ian Bell and Joe Root stood up and scored 177 runs partnership for the fourth wicket, Bell scored 143, Joe Root 83 and Ben Stokes 79. Kemar Roach picked up four wickets for 94 runs, Jerome Taylor 3 for go and Jason Holder 2 for 69. Sulieman Benn went wicket less for 85 runs.
Jermaine Blackwood Scores Ton
West Indies middle order batsman Jermaine Blackwood scored his first Test century in 112 runs not out with 14 fours and 2 sixes. Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 46. For England, James Anderson got 2 for 67 and Stuart Broad also picked up two wickets for 67 runs.
England Declared At 350 Runs For 7 Wickets
A fine century for Gary Ballance 122 runs, Joe Roots 59 and Jos Buttler 59 not out boosted England to 350 for 7. For the West Indies, Jerome Taylor got 2 wickets for 42 runs and the expensive Sulieman Benn 2 for 115 runs.
