ENGLAND MUST GO FOR THE JUGULAR, SAYS JOE
THE 3,500 optimistic souls who have bought fourth-day tickets for this second Test clearly view life’s glass not only as half full but positively brimming over. It remains to be seen whether theyy will be rewarded with some Bank Holiday cricket.
The reality is that it is a question of when rather than if England win at Headingley and wrap up this Investec series with a Test to play, because West Indies just do not possess enough quality to upset the odds.
Only England’s consistent ability to be inconsistent could give West Indies any hope, but surely Joe Root’s team will not repeat the mistake they made at Trent Bridge when not kicking South Africa while they were down.
There was no sign of England taking pity on West Indies yesterday when they brought back Chris Woakes instead of giving Toby RolandJones another Test to cement his place in the Ashes squad.
The return of Woakes, their most improved player of 2016, can only make England stronger as Root attempts to seal his fifth win in his first six Tests as captain on his home ground.
‘It was a very difficult decision to make, with Toby putting in some strong performances,’ said the England captain. ‘But if Chris had been fully fit at the start of the series he would have come straight back into the team. He has been phenomenal and his record last year was outstanding. We have a lot of depth in the bowling department... they are all pushing each other for spots.’
How England could do with the same level of competition among their top-order batsmen as Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan all go into today’s Test needing a hundred to secure their seats on the plane to Perth.
‘The only message for those guys is to go out there and take this opportunity,’ said Root. ‘Of course they are under pressure but if they want to nail down those spots they have to deal with that and make it count.’
A different kind of opportunity knocks for Root himself as he attempts to equal AB de Villiers’ world record of making a halfcentury in 12 successive Tests, as well as Jimmy Anderson who needs eight wickets to reach the magical 500 mark. ‘It is vitally important that we back up last week’s strong display,’ said Root. ‘We didn’t play well at Trent Bridge earlier this season after a really good start against South Africa and we have to have that mentality of being consistent.’
All of which makes West Indies’ near impossible task even harder as they attempt to react to the stinging criticism, led by Sir Curtly Ambrose in Sportsmail, of their Edgbaston capitulation.
While coach Stuart Law hit back at Ambrose this week, captain Jason Holder yesterday played a straighter bat to the criticism than anything his batsmen managed while losing 19 wickets in a day in Birmingham.
‘I can’t change what people say or control it so I ignore it,’ said Holder. ‘We’ve taken a fair bit of criticism from English and West Indian observers, everyone to be honest, and that’s something that can either motivate someone or break them. We have to stay together as a side.’
There was a two- day Test involving West Indies at Headingley 17 years ago but that was because England’s batting was just as fragile as their opponents’. Even with Shannon Gabriel and Devendra Bishoo likely to bolster West Indies’ attack now it is impossible to see England being bowled out cheaply this time.
England will win this second Test, probably on Sunday or, if the Bank Holiday ticket-holders get lucky, on Monday.