When it comes to the England Test Match team, predictions are a dangerous game. This ‘biosecure’ series is no different. This test series is like none before. The grounds will be empty and viewed purely on television. It is home conditions for England, but without a home crowd. The teams have tried to prepare, but intersquad games cannot replicate first class cricket. The teams are both bound to be ‘rusty’.
Under ‘normal’ circumstances, history would count against a West Indies team touring England – they have not won a series in England since 1988. However, it remains to be seen how much of a ‘home advantage’ England have without the usual crowds. Take away the home advantage, and England’s record against the West Indies is not ‘flash’, though England have probably just about had the better of things since 2000. That being said, England have not won a series in the West Indies since 2004. After England’s disgraceful performances in the first 2 games of the 2019 tour, West Indies hold the Wisden Trophy.
After England’s disgraceful performances in the first 2 games of the 2019 tour, West Indies hold the Wisden Trophy.
Talking of disgraceful performances leads on quite naturally to talking about England’s batting. Last summer, England were bowled out for 67 by Australia and 85 by Ireland. Before that they were bowled out for 77 in the first game of the awful West Indies tour of 2019. Not long ago they were bowled out by New Zealand for 58. Last winter though, Chris Silverwood and England laid out a template for test match batting. It did not quite work for them in New Zealand, but it eventually started to work in South Africa. For years, England seem to have been 20/2, but in South Africa a couple of times the team century was posted before Joe Root came out to bat at 4. Rory Burns must return from injury (sorry but I have no sympathy for football injuries) and team up again with Dom Sibley. Sibley perhaps played the most important innings of the winter for England when he scored 133 not out at Cape Town. Zak Crawley did enough to keep his place, so Joe Denly will fill Root’s shoes at number 4. Denly is the man most under pressure when Root returns for Old Trafford. With Pope top scoring in the intersquad warm up game, England have the makings of a top 6. In this series, we will find out if the South Africa success was a ‘flash in the pan’ or not – Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel will certainly be a test for the quirky techniques of Burns and Sibley.
The truly ‘mouth watering’ match up though will be between Holder and Ben Stokes – captains for the first game before Root returns for England. In 2019, Holder made a fine double hundred, and I must admit that I did not think he was capable of playing like that. He is the number 1 rated allrounder in the world, but has not fired in England. Stokes has often struggled to control his emotions against West Indies in the past – but I think we have moved on from that – particularly as Marlon Samuels is no longer around. Whoever wins this contest will be on the winning side.
Over recent years, the England and West Indies bowling attacks have seemed quite well matched. Obviously James Anderson and Stuart Broad are totally different bowlers to Roach and Gabriel, but it felt like those 4 were the key bowlers – or would have been if selected (the omission of Broad in the 2019 is as perplexing now as it was then). The problem for England in 2019 was the lack of backup – until England included Mark Wood. Wood showed that neither batting line up is confident with fast bowling. Whilst Jason Holder is a key part of the bowling unit for West Indies and Roston Chase had an unexpected role to play, England should have the stronger attack when you add Jofra Archer. Archer will bring extra spice to this series, and the West Indies have already made it clear that Archer will be no friend to them on the pitch.
All things considered, England still ought to win. They ought to have won in 2019 and they certainly ought not to have been bowled out so many times for less than 100. Ironically, England would have been forgiven loss to Sri Lanka in 2018. If England play well, they will learn a great deal – and they will learn whether Jos Buttler is worth his spot.
The West Indies are a real threat though, and England must treat them as such. I think England have been guilty of complacency in the past. In 2015 the then ECB chairman elect Colin Graves famously described West Indies as ‘mediocre’ (not quite on a par with Tony Grieg but not a sensible thing to say). In 2017 Root allowed the West Indies to win at Headingley by declaring – though the batting of Shai Hope will live long in the memory. If England take the opposition seriously, they should win. But if West Indies win, it would not be ‘an upset’, it would be a significant turning point in recent West Indies cricket history.
Cricketed 