West Indies (from): C H Gayle (captain), L S Baker, S J Benn, S Chanderpaul, F H Edwards, A S Jaggernauth, X M Marshall, B P Nash, D B L Powell, D Ramdin, D M Richards, R R Sarwan, D S Smith, J E Taylor.

England (from): A J Strauss (captain), J M Anderson, I R Bell, S C J Broad, P D Collingwood, A N Cook, A Flintoff, S J Harmison, M S Panesar, K P Pietersen, M J Prior, A U Rashid, O A Shah, R J Sidebottom, G P Swann.

Television: Live coverage on Sky Sports

Hopefully Shah, Harmy and Monty will get the nod over Bell, Anderson and Swann. Rest of the team picks itself.

They'll stick with Bell.
You have to be injured before you lose your place in an England team these days...

Its amazing to note that England haven't lost a Test series to the Windies in 15 years, and have won 16 of the last 24 marches between the teams.

As Collingwood stated in the press "Its time for England to start winning."

The bookies having England at 8/13 favourites to win the series, with the Windies at 15/4 against. I think it will be a lot closer than that.

There is a new appeal system for disputed dismissals starting in the the first Test. Here is a synopsis of how it will work:

* A trial system of referring disputed dismissals is being used in the series, the first time England have taken part.

* The trial method, approved by the ICC, has previously allowed teams to make three unsuccessful referrals per innings but that number has been reduced to two to save time and discourage the art of trying it on.

* Either side can ask for the television umpire to review a decision. The fielding captain might think an appeal was wrongly rejected, a batsman that he has been unfairly given out.

For the Cricinfo real-time scorecard click the "Live Scores" option on the WRF menu bar or LIVE scores

Check out teletext for the connosieurs version of delayed gratification...

I can only apologise for my spelling of "connoisseur". What a strange word that is.
(Over to you Mr Dewsburian...while we wait for the Test Match to start. Is it of similar etymological origins as charabanc....?)

"Connoisseur" is fascinating, as it's English for what the French call "un connaisseur". The English word came into the language fairly early from the French verb "connoître". That word didn't transform itself into the modern "connaître" until some time in the eighteenth century.

It's a very interesting test match from an orthographical point of view. I'm fascinated by Sulieman Benn. The usual spelling of the great Ottoman sultan is Suleyman or, at a pinch, Suleiman. Perhaps they still teach "i before e, except after c" in Barbados.

Another daft shot from Pietersen in the 90's, I see.

Interesting day .... both teams have shown 'Yorkskire tendencies' ... England in the first 2 sessions when they couldn't bat against the (just) turning ball ... Gayle reminded me of too many so called 'spinners' who've took wickets against us & no one else .... then the West Indies did a Yorkshire (2008) in getting on top ... then going to sleep for a session so allowing the opposition to get back in the game

p.s. Pietersen again showed that he's just a big spoilt kid ... bats beautifully for 2 sessions then gets out slogging to get to 100 with a 6.

almost agree with your assessment of Day 1 dpressed but i think I would rather see a team of spolit kids out for 97 than see one spoilt kid and 4 others who failed miserably to deal with what should be viewed as a pretty average bowling attack.

Benn bowled well enough but he should have been no trouble for quality batsmen.

we always seem to knock a bloke out in the 90s and overlook the miserable contributions of those out for single figures

I would say it's advantage England, the slow pitch and even slower outfield add at least 30 on a normal day. It's very hard to score quickly and I'm not sure Windies (bar Chanderpaul) have the patience to build an innings. I Expect at least a 100 lead for England after the first innings.

West Indies batting collapse. We win, 7pm on Saturday UK time.
Can i just thank Dewsburian, who quite simply never disappoints..

I've just predicted similar on another thread, Steve. Worst thing is, we still won't know if we are an averagely moderate side or a poor one. We might not even know when we beat Australia next summer and might have to wait till South Africa next winter.

I think you are relying on

1 Panesar being as effective a spinner as Benn
2 Harmison finding his radar
3 Flintoff and Sidebottom not breaking down injured
4 Gayle not doing a Sehwag and completely changing the game in one session
5 Chanderpaul proving he has a weakness somewhere

I think the odds on all 5 happening together are unlikely but the odds on one or two of them are much shorter and it would only take a couple of these to happen to mean a less than convincing win.

The Windies tails must still be up after the T20 drubbing they gave us

I think England will get to 370. Gayle will hit a sparkling 30 and Shiv will stage a reargaurd action with the tail to drag them up to about 280...
My predictions are occasionally wrong.

Occasionally's an interesting word too. In relation to Steve's predictions, I believe it can also mean "never".

Sorry, that should have been "always".

That's me!
Spot on again.
Now watch Gayle get a double hundred.

So Gayle's got to thirty. Expect his wicket any ball now..?
Might be worth an over from Monty.

We're stuffed.

A disappointing performance from England, and against a mediocre opponent with an attack that would be middle of the pack in county cricket, let alone the Test arena. England has a long way to go before they can compete in the Ashes.

I know I am in the minority, but I think Rashid will play in one of the Windies Tests, and if he puts up even a modest performance, we could lose him as soon as this season.

I think we're a little better than that.
Once Gayle gets fifty he always gets a hundred.

Regarding my ''three day victory'' prediction. I'd like to revise it a little and say we might need the morning sesion of day four!

An all too familiar tale. The British press ALWAYS overrates England's cricket team. Truth be told, our national team is almost always mediocre.

A strange decision to drop England's most successful bowler over the last 12 months (47 wickets at under 30) in favour of bowlers averaging 57 and 43 over the same period.

well of my 5 predictions above i think there is a strong case for 3 of them to be taking place

1 Panesar being as effective a spinner as Benn - so far Monty has not looked anywhere near as threatening as Mr Benn (lets hope Mr Benn goes into the back of the shop in between innings and returns as a three foot midget with no cricketing ability...)
2 Harmison finding his radar - Ok he had an LBW ridiculously turned down by the incompetent third umpire but other than that?
3 Flintoff and Sidebottom not breaking down injured - give this one a bit more time...
4 Gayle not doing a Sehwag and completely changing the game in one session - think this one is proving correct with exception he is doing it over 2 or more sessions
5 Chanderpaul proving he has a weakness somewhere - if only we could find out!

Not very good from the bowlers yesterday and opened up quite a few questions.

If Harmison isn't going to open what is the point in putting him in the team?
Why drop a bowler who was in the top ten bowlers of world cricket after one bad game and then keep him out of the team for a year when the replacements have been nothing more than average?
If Monty carries on at the present rate Rashid will be getting in somewhere along the line on this tour.
And batting, how does Bell keep his place?

Slighty O/T but here's who went for what in the IPL auction.

Shaun Tait Rajasthan $375,000
J.P. Duminy Mumbai $950,000
Andrew Flintoff Chennai $1,550,000
Kevin Pietersen Bangalore $1,550,000
Fidel Edwards Deccan $150,000
Owais Shah Delhi $275,000
Paul Collingwood Delhi $275,000
Tyron Henderson Rajasthan $650,000
Ravi Bopara Chandigarh $450,000
Thilan Thushara Chennai $140,000
Jesse Ryder Bangalore $160,000
Kyle Mills Mumbai $150,000
Dwayne Smith Hyderabad $100,000
Mashrafe Mortaza Kolkata $600,000
George Bailey Chennai $50,000
Mohammad Ashraful Mumbai $75,000
Jerome Taylor Chandigarh $150,000
Samit Patel No Bids
Luke Wright No Bids

I'm not as down on Monty as many on here .... I think that Benn's bowling looked better than it was because England batted rather badly rather than him bowling well.

I think Monty is in danger of playing Rashid into the Test team at the moment

My only sympathy for Monty is that by the time he comes on to bowl we have used up our quota of referrals to the TV umpire on the fast bowlers - therefore some of his possible LBWs that are not given never have the chance of being referred.

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, I wonder if we really need 4 quicks on that pitch? Wonder too if we need a one trick spinner in the side? As Warne said recently, Panesar hasn't played 40 tests, he's played one test 40 times. He can't set his own field and seems bereft of any idea even slightly off the norm. Pietersen looked far more likely of getting a wicket in the few overs he bowled.

For the next match I'd have a line up of: Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Shah, Collingwood, Bell, Flintoff, Prior,Rashid, Sidebottom, Harmison. Risky of course with Flintoff's injury record and Rashid's inexperience but both Bell and Collingwood could provide a little medium pace if required as well as Pietersen's spin. Dependant on the pitch and/or bravery, could always leave out Colly or Bell for an extra bowler.
Bell should bat at six. Three seems a litte too high for him and traditionally the best batsman should bat at three.

As to Mr Benn, as was said earlier, England made him look twice as good as he is. That may be because they had never seen him before and he is a little different. If that's the case we should play him all the better in the future.

Adil Rashid to play in second Test. You heard it here first!

Monty finally gets a wicket, why can't he play on pitches that spin? Rashid may get the nod for the 2nd test especially if nothing else he strengthens the batting!

This is the team we think will beat South Africa and the Aussies in the Ashes? Not a chance.

Where's Sidebottom? He hasn't bowled yet today.

I'm really disappointed in the team's capitulation. England are better than this, and the WI are worse. We'll need a really special innings from Pietersen (200+) to save this now.

Bring on Rashid for the 2nd Test. What is there to lose?

Am I seeing things?

The record low score for England is 45, set 123 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bell must be favourite for the chop with Owais Shah replacing him.As it would be unfair to just drop one (and,of course,we haven't got a great deal of choice) I also think Panesar should go. However I think Swann will replace him,not Rashid. The most worrying aspect to me was that they didn't seem to care very much.Strauss,as captain, should not have been seen on the balcony laughing whilst the batting(?) was self-destructing out in the middle.I think some may have been dazzled by flashing dollar signs.

Worth a read

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article5683117.ece

Swann in...not Rashid. Adil will get his chance against Zimbabwe.

Swann will come in for Panesar, Shah for Bell or Collingwood and Anderson in for Siddy. Only way Rashid will play is if they go for two spinners and leave Harmison out as well.
In the long term, I can see MV being recalled as captain. It needs someone firm and focussed and who will put the team first before his personal ego, to get the England side playing again as a TEAM. Strauss is not the answer and KP, Freddy and Colly have all been useless at the job. It needs someone like MV to get Team England back on track, at the moment they are a complete shambles.

When some of the players had a duff test in NZ last winter the management were quick to make changes dropping Hoggy and Harmison. Will they be brave enough to do so again this time around?

I am not so sure - one we lack a coach in charge and secondly the skipper is new so will want to show some loyalty to those from the First Test.

You have to wonder what some people have to do to get dropped from this team and until they are, they will think they are untouchable and continue to make the same mistakes.

The hardest part for the selectors will be knowing which of the underperformers to leave out to make way for Anderson, Swann/Rashid and Shah.

Cook, Bell or Collingwood all have cases for exclusion at the expense of Shah and I hear calls for Vaughan to be restored as well - still not sure what he has done to justify a recall unlike Shah who got a ton in the warm up game and some runs in India.

Anderson could replace either of Harmison or Sidebottom (who I think will no longer be the bowler he used to be over the last couple of seasons).

And its a toss up between Swann or Rashid to replace Monty who has learnt nothing for 3 years and offers little when not bowling. I suspect Swann who did well in India to be ahead of Adil in the queue