While the West Indies, and neutral cricket fans generally, must have delighted in the team's competitiveness in the First Test, it was disappointing to see them fold so easily at Trent Bridge. Great for England, of course, and in particular for Andrew Strauss. Two matches, two centuries, two victories. Not a bad few weeks' work. I suspect that he may do a Cook in that a barren spell is followed by a purple patch. Maybe Messrs Steyn, Philander and Morkel will prove harder to get away when South Africa provide the opposition later this summer, but England have reasserted themselves as the top dogs in Test cricket after the awful displays against Pakistan.
With the captain scoring 141 and Pietersen 80, it did not matter that nobody else made big scores. Only Jonny Bairstow failed to reach double figures, which may lead to him being 'rested' for the Third Test, which is a dead rubber as far as the series is concerned. It was the bowling unit which was more impressive. At Lord's it was Broad, here it was Anderson and Bresnan sharing fourteen of the wickets between them. Inswing and low bounce led to six LBWs in the second innings, and there were many additional close shaves before the Windies were finally dismissed for 165.
What about the Windies? Kemar Roach and burly Ravi Rampaul had their moments but some of their bowling was woeful, with Roach conceding 11 no-balls in the second innings. The two bright spots came from Marlon Samuels and skipper Darren Sammy. More than eleven years since his Test debut, Samuels has become the new Chanderpaul, holding a whole innings together with good technique and a healthy dollop of patience. He and Sammy put on 204 for the seventh wicket, each reaching three figures - for the first time in Sammy's case - but that papered over the cracks in the top order. I know Kirk Edwards was unwell near the end, but he, Barath, Bravo and Powell looked mediocre against England's swingmeisters. Even Chanderpaul played into England's hands - literally - when Broad set a leg-side trap for the hook shot which was directed straight to Trott on the fine leg boundary. If his runs are staunched, I doubt whether Samuels can maintain that one-man defiance every time.
Poor Sammy admitted on TV that he was non-plussed as to why the batsmen were failing. Cloning Samuels and Chanders might be a solution, recalling Gayle and Sarwan slightly more realistic, but they are in danger of slipping to eighth in the ICC rankings. A win at Edgbaston would boost morale but if England do rest Broad and Anderson, Finn and Onions would be hungry to show what they can do. Quite frankly, Finn's pace could blow them away.
