Congratulations Brian Lara.

[Seagull over NZ]

I disagree - I think that on that pitch the only way the WI were going to win was to be able to only bat once. If they had declared on 600 say I think england would have got closer to the score therefore the game being dead instantly.

I think the pitch being too good is the reason why no result is likely. Everyone calls the pitch a belter but I don't think its any good for test cricket - who wants to see flat pitches with no real chance for the bowlers. Give me the other bouncy wickets any day I reckon.

 

[Peter Smith (crazy legs)]

Crap captaincy from Lara it appears. He should have declared ages before he did. It's a bit Geoff Boycottish to stay out there for selfish reasons. The records will show he has two of the 3 biggest test scores, but unlike Mathew Hayden, Lara won't have been on the winning side in either instance. To make matters worse, he then dropped a simple catch offered by Trescothick yesterday afternoon when he was yet to get off the mark. Trescothick went on to make 88 and England are now 231/1 (Vaughan 114no) and from this position they really ought to avoid defeat.
I can never understand teams racking up over 700 runs - the fact that the WI had wickets in hand should have meant a slog fest at the end of day 2, a score of over 600 and 3 days to bowl England out twice, with enough time for a possible small run chase for victory. This Windies team is simply not good enough to bowl England out twice in 2.5 days.

Well said. Sussex weren't afraid to be daring in their declarations last year, and look what they achieved! A draw is useless to the Windies.

(But well done Lara though - a great albeit slightly selfish achievement).