Savage Henry

Gene Clark - Dark Of My Moon; heartbreaking stuff.

If somebody got a singles victory, that'll be, I think, the first victory by anyone not named Rusedski, Henman or Murray since 1997. Somebody mentioned that stat on Five Live earlier today, I didn't think it could possibly be true...

Hopefully they'll give some of the rights back to C4. English Cricket took a massive kick in the teeth from that. Actually, it's the Barmy Army who I, for once, feel sorry for. I'm already saving up to go on the next tour of the West Indies and I'd be furious with the standard of cricket being put on.

The pitches have been nothing short of a disgrace. And to be fair to England, only one team has been playing to win. It would be justice if England managed to win this test.

See what happens when you get a decent wicket? Australia lost their last five wickets for four runs as well.

I don't know what planet he's on. Nice guy, entertaining batsman, but shocking captain. The West Indies have used six bowlers already.

Well, another nothing wicket. It's going to be a case of the English spinners trying to outfox the West Indian batsmen. The ICC are going to have to haul the West Indian board over the coals or whatever that phrase is. Of the five tests, one and possibly two, was appropriate for test cricket.

Is Kahn a worse batsman than Panesar?

San Jose got Travis Moen and Kent Huskins from Anaheim in return for two no-mark prospects. I've never heard of either. Edited to add; I should really have looked a few posts up. Welcome to San Jose, Travis!

It is, but in this case, and in the 10 ball test, the pitches were not up to standard for international cricket. If there's anything in the next pitch at all, Harmison will get recalled and probably do a decent job.

I can quite see them being bowled out tomorrow. I really can. Either way, this tour is turning out to be a bit of a farce.

What does everybody think of the referral system? I tend to like it, and would suggest today's Windies scorecard is a bit of a fluke - everybody out LBW for the five wickets that have fallen. The West Indies backroom staff are not best pleased.

Again I find myself oddly agreeing with Boycott. England should have had faith in having five batsman, a wicket keeper and a couple of semi-useful bowlers who can bat to get the runs on that flat track, and included an extra bowler, probably a spinner, in the side. Yet again they go for the conservative option. This game could play out just like the last test. If Ambrose happens to make a few runs, Prior could be out of the side for a while, and he only has himself to blame. Edited to change the name of the wicket keeper to something slightly less delicious.

England clearly have the wrong team. They needed two spinners, they won't get twenty wickets and you can pretty much write this test off as a draw now.

Steve Harmison's last year in test cricket - Played, dropped, played, dropped, played, dropped, played, dropped.

Problem is, England don't have another all rounder. They could have pushed Prior up to six and brought in a bowler, but now, I think they should keep 8,9,10 and 11 as was and go with Bopara at 6 in the hope that he takes a wicket or two. Unless KP feels like getting through 20 overs an innings, in which case they ought to bring back Bell at 6.

The Ting Tings are really, really annoying me right now. I don't know why, but that "Shut Up and Let Me Go" song is going round and round in my head.

Apparently the Rangers have fired their coach.

Finally got around to watching Slumdog on tinternet there. Certainly not the "feel good smash hit of the Winter" as the buses in London would have you think. Pretty bleak at times, still a never less than riveting parable. All things considered, despite the superfluous montage at the end and one or two iffy lines, I enjoyed it very much. 6/10

I think he does. Ambrose is a number 8 batsman at test level. There's every chance he might have to bat at 6 in order to accommodate five bowlers. The England tail with Ambrose is lengthy to say the least.

I really, really liked that movie. It quietly passed under the radar, but it was pretty compelling.

I'm getting annoyed with musical pedants who demand you leave off the word 'The' in bands' names. So, for example, they refer to 'Guillemots' rather than the far better sounding "The Guillemots". I know what is written on the record sleeve, but I'll refer to them any goddamn way I please.

The Saw series of movies are most certainly not intended to "make you think". Unless you have the mind of a shrew and think somehow torture porn is a damning indictment on society these days, or somesuch nonsense.

I'd imagine Bopara at 6 and otherwise as you were.

Just finished watching Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, part of BBC 4's excellent but far too short Motown night. It's basically the story of the Funk Brothers, a band who played on virtually all the great motown tracks yet are barely recognisable by name. Hopefully this excellent documentary, a few years old now, got them some belated recognition. Fascinating stuff, and of course, wonderful music. 7/10