***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[JASON]

My sympathies are with the 4 English Fans who were injured by the falling sheets...I hope they claim damages from the Ground Administrators...Its pretty careless of the Grounds Administrators to erect structures that were going to come off on the last day and injure fans...

England apparently got some help from a local Dog...who tried to delay the game...I hope he is deported to England as a Traitor to his country....

 

[Steulen]

My sympathies are with the 4 English Fans who were injured by the falling sheets...I hope they claim damages from the Ground Administrators...Its pretty careless of the Grounds Administrators to erect structures that were going to come off on the last day and injure fans...

England apparently got some help from a local Dog...who tried to delay the game...I hope he is deported to England as a Traitor to his country....

No can do. Dogs are not allowed into the UK if they're bloody ferriners. They might carry nasty diseases like rabies or, even worse, crickettalentitis.

 

[JASON]

AS far as SL Team for the second Test at SSC...I hope and pray that Mubarak gets the chop and Kapugedera gets his opportunity...

I would go with

Vandort
Tharanga
Sangakkara
Mahela
Chamara Silva
Kapugedera
Prasanna Jayawardene
Vaas
Sujeewa De Silva
Malinga
Murali

 

[JASON]

No can do. Dogs are not allowed into the UK if they're bloody ferriners. They might carry nasty diseases like rabies or, even worse, crickettalentitis.

Not to mention Dog STDs like Dog Syphilis etc...

 

[archie mac]

How many Tests are they playing? Loving the live coverage here in OZ, except for the lack of Hot spot and Hawkeye

 

[JBH001]

AS far as SL Team for the second Test at SSC...I hope and pray that Mubarak gets the chop and Kapugedera gets his opportunity...

I would go with

Vandort
Tharanga
Sangakkara
Mahela
Chamara Silva
Kapugedera
Prasanna Jayawardene
Vaas
Sujeewa De Silva
Malinga
Murali

A good team. And yes, it would be good if Mubarak finally gets his marching orders.

I dont know much about Sujeewa De Silva, has he got some potential, has he?

 

[BoyBrumby]

How many Tests are they playing? Loving the live coverage here in OZ, except for the lack of Hot spot and Hawkeye

Three. All be over before Xmas too.

 

[Richard]

I dont know much about Sujeewa De Silva, has he got some potential, has he?

Maybe, maybe not, but he can't do that much worse than Dilhara Fernando. Hope he gets picked.

 

[Richard]

Bell is a real classs act and he is one of the few Cricketers who seem to bring their best to the Subcontinent ...He has IIRC batted brilliantly in India and Pakistan...

Pakistan, batted pretty well (though he was, it almost goes without saying being Pakistan, dropped a few times). Didn't go so well in India, though, which was disappointing - though he found himself opening in the last Test after Cook was taken ill.

What's odd is that he's gone poorly against India in England, and well against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the subcontinent. A little strange.

 

[Richard]

Bouquets to Bell & Prior for their efforts, but I couldn''t help but be disappointed by the way Prior was bowled (didn't see Bell's - fell asleep on the lounge), likewise Collingwod in the 1st dig. Full credit to Murali for a good ball on each occasion, but I just felt the batsmen were caught betwixt and between. Especially felt for Prior, who had batted so doggedly on the last day.

Hmm, not too sure TBH. Prior failed to pick the Wrong-'Un, and anyone who picks it deserves a medal for mine. Just superb bowling.

Bell and Collingwood fell victim to Off-Breaks turning less than they thought they would. Again, that's just luck - good or bad - of the draw, really. They did damn well to hang-on for as long as they did. If he'd hit one to mid-wicket after that innings I'd be crucifying him, but I don't think we can be too harsh when someone gets genuinely gotten-out by Murali. It can happen any time.

I dunno, it just smacks of expecting The World from batsmen to criticise them for getting out like that to me.

 

[Richard]

Team should be

Vaughan
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Shah
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Broad
Panesar

Broad in for the next test in light of Hoggard being shot. Vaughan to #1 because Cook can't, Shah should have played the last test and Swann in because Anderson isn't really all that dangerous.

Nah, Vaughan is even worse at #1ing than Cook.

 

[Matteh]

Vaughan's never been #1 in a test, which is the situation Cook was in and it seemed to faze him.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Think we'll go with two spinners myself, which probably means Bopara will get another go to use with Colly as the 3rd seam options.

Harmy in for the (presumably crocked) Hoggard & Swann for Anderson is my guess.

 

[Richard]

Vaughan's never been #1 in a test, which is the situation Cook was in and it seemed to faze him.

Vaughan's never batted at one in his life in any game of cricket, he has a vehement hate of doing so. Cook merely prefers not to (has more of a preference than Strauss, who prefers the same).

 

[Richard]

Think we'll go with two spinners myself, which probably means Bopara will get another go to use with Colly as the 3rd seam options.

Harmy in for the (presumably crocked) Hoggard & Swann for Anderson is my guess.

Depending on how the surface plays - indications seem to be that it'll turn a bit more than usual - it's either going to be hugely important or almost completely irrelevant.

Typical SSC surfaces usually tend to render bowlers of all types (unless they're Murali) totally innocuous. But several of the Lankan posters seem to have suggested it's going to be prepared to turn, which would be a sensible move if Sri Lanka are interested in victory in the match.

Hoggard, I hope we find-out ASAP whether he'll be fit or not (though obviously there's only 2 days left until we do). If so, think it's a no-brainer that Harmison will replace him, though as ever I don't see him getting much out of the SSC surface.

As regards Bopara, would be very poor indeed to pick him then drop him after 1 game. Disagreed with the selection of him ahead of Shah but now you've done it you're just making it worse still to reverse it after 1 game.

Anderson I don't foresee doing anything of note over here. Swann, well, I've never really been sure one way or the other about him. Would be interesting to see him on a turner, though.

 

[Woodster]

Think we'll go with two spinners myself, which probably means Bopara will get another go to use with Colly as the 3rd seam options.

Harmy in for the (presumably crocked) Hoggard & Swann for Anderson is my guess.

Fully agree, didn't think Anderson was threatening in the first Test, (that is not to say the others were) and I think Harmy may unsettle the Sri Lankans a little more although it will not be a fast bowlers paradise!

Swann and Panesar for me with, as you say, Bopara and Colly combining as the third seam option. Sounds good to me.

 

[Perm]

How did Matthew Prior play? I'm not a big fan, but I felt some of the criticism he was receving was overly harsh. Got a good score in the second innings, but how was his keeping?

 

[Prince EWS]

How did Matthew Prior play? I'm not a big fan, but I felt some of the criticism he was receving was overly harsh. Got a good score in the second innings, but how was his keeping?

Kept very well. The best I've ever seen him keep by some distance.

 

[Stapel]

Nah, Harmison or Broad aren't going to get anything out of a typical SSC wicket, no chance. Sidebottom and Anderson obviously aren't going to either, but there's at least the chance of them getting something through the air - there's no such chance with Harmison or Broad, their actions are too poor and their typical length too short.

Well, that might be a logical and sensible way to look at things. But, on the other hand, it might be wise to look for good bowlers, rather than poor bowlers that fit the occasion. I'd give Sidebottom some benefit of the doubt, but Anderson should, imho, leave the England team, to never ever return again.

 

[Stapel]

How did Matthew Prior play? I'm not a big fan, but I felt some of the criticism he was receving was overly harsh. Got a good score in the second innings, but how was his keeping?

From what I've red (I've hardly seen a thing), it was pretty good. He seems to have his place in the team secured.

I agree with you on the criticism. To me, it sometimes appears the England media want a top-class glovesman, who would make it to the team on his batting performance alone.