***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[Athlai]

I was drinking a beer when the missus went out to get ice creams. Suited me just fine - though the beer did taste a bit odd afterwards!

Beer cricket and ice cream was mixed by me during India - England TBH.

Odd sickly combo, yet delicious.

 

[Richard]

Nah. If beer must be drunk, I can't abide anything remotely sweet alongside.

 

[chalky]

Very soft dismissal from Vandort Jayawardena in with Sanga so the two class players in now.

It's a bit sad Attapatu retired, even at 37, he is far in a way Sri Lanka's best opener.

 

[JBH001]

Two wickets down? I have a feeling SL may squander a good toss to win due to a combination of relief (after Australia), a desire to be over aggressive, and perhaps taking things against England just a little too easy.

 

[Richard]

Vandort wasn't particularly being over-aggressive, just totally indecisive. I'm still struggling to work-out exactly what it was he was trying to do.

 

[JBH001]

Loss of concentration, maybe?

Still, as I said, I hope SL dont take things too lightly being away from Aus and back home.

(Still, two men now at the crease who can be, I think, guaranteed not to take it too easy)

 

[haroon510]

Cus he averages like 100 as a specialist batsmen. Prassana is also a better keeper now his worked out how to keep to Murali.

well i never like the idea of playing a spacialist wicket keeper as batsman.. but in Sangakara's case it is really hard to find a batsman in sanga's calibar..

indead he averages 92 as batsman while he averages 42 as wicket keeper batsman...

what i thought was if Sanga play as wicket keeper SL can play a spacialist batsman but again like i said it is really hard to find a batsman in calibar of Sanga...

 

[Athlai]

Sanga is such a gun.

Some of my favourite cricketers (Sanga, Malinga, Bopara, Bell) are playing in this match a real shame it's not showing here.

 

[Athlai]

Sanga averages 73.91 not as keeper against Test standard teams, thats still scary good. Hussey-esque

 

[Richard]

TBH, I really wish Sangakkara had never kept wicket. His average has obviously been altered by more than just that, but I'd be fascinated as to how he might have done had he never had to keep wicket, so much as once.

Obviously, him keeping wicket is much best for SL as he's been of times the best wicketkeeper in the country, never mind the best way to balance the side. But I hate to see a career where there's regular indecision over how best to use someone. Alec Stewart was exactly the same for the first 6 years of his career.

Anyway, at 6AM I'm going for some breakfast.

 

[chalky]

Hoggy

 

[Richard]

JAYAWARDENE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fabulous delivery from Hoggard.

 

[Nishan]

This is the chance for the great man Muba to show his skills , seriously though what are the muppets thinking, you go past silva, there is two guys who average in the 20's! amazing stuff from the wise men.

 

[Prince EWS]

Love watching Hoggard bowl when it's swinging. Another great ball to get Silva.

 

[Richard]

This is the chance for the great man Muba to show his skills , seriously though what are the muppets thinking, you go past silva, there is two guys who average in the 20's! amazing stuff from the wise men.

Well the first of those two is in. Virtually an action-replay of the Jayawardene dismissal, probably an even better ball in fact.

 

[Richard]

Mubarak gone to a slower-delivery.

42-5. WoW, wouldn't have expected that.

 

[Dissector]

Amazing stuff from Hoggard. He was pretty good when he came to India and he is doing it again in the sub-continent. That is especially impressive since the conventional wisdom is that in order to succeed in the sub-continent, fast bowlers need pace in the air. Hoggard must be one of the best medium-pacers (i.e. slower than fast-medium) ever.

 

[Nishan]

Execellent stuff from Hoggard, and why the hell is prior catching everything today, give us a chance man!

 

[haroon510]

hoggy >>> gun

again sanga is the man of crisis

 

[haroon510]

i was wondering is sanga the only player with most Double centuries? i am trying to find how many times he has made double centuries but i can't