**Official** Sri Lanka in England / Scotland - 2011

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, the burden is on Broad to demonstrate that he is a better bowler than those career figures indicate. By 34 Tests, you can usually start taking the averages seriously. Not sure if he's a better or worse bowler than Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma (who cop an awful lot of **** on this forum) but he sure ain't a long way off those two, as it stands.

I'm not a big fan by any stretch of the imagination but his figures have definitely been on the improve. He averages 30.08 in his last 15 Tests and that includes a pretty unlucky couple of games in the Ashes series in Australia.

 

[vcs]

I'm not a big fan by any stretch of the imagination but his figures have definitely been on the improve. He averages 30.08 in his last 15 Tests and that includes a pretty unlucky couple of games in the Ashes series in Australia.

Plays his home Tests in conditions that offer more swing though..

 

[Spark]

...which doesn't really help him as he's not usually a swinger of the ball and he doesn't bowl the right length to get wickets via swing bowling anyway.

EDIT: Does anyone else think Swann's natural line to RHs is too straight? Might be why he's had a lot less success against them than he really should.

As for the Strauss catch, the infinite frustrations of 2D cameras trying to resolve these comes again, as there is no doubt in my mind that he caught it.

 

[Bun]

I'm not a big fan by any stretch of the imagination but his figures have definitely been on the improve. He averages 30.08 in his last 15 Tests and that includes a pretty unlucky couple of games in the Ashes series in Australia.

Primarily because coming up against Pakistani batsmen in extremely bowling favorable conditions last time. And we all know Pakistan aren't exactly ruling the batting cards at the moment.

He averages less than 35 against only 2 teams : Pakistan and West Indies.

 

[Spark]

He had a pretty average series vs Pakistan though. Anyone who has watched him would say this is (A) nowhere near his best and (B) not as bad as his figures make it out to be. Will bowl worse and take more by having more of those edges go to a fielder.

As for the Sree comparison, well, I'm a mod now so I won't say what I think of that

 

[Prince EWS]

EDIT: Does anyone else think Swann's natural line to RHs is too straight? Might be why he's had a lot less success against them than he really should.

Yeah I agree. I've actually always been a fan of him going around the wicket to the RHB.

 

[Prince EWS]

He had a pretty average series vs Pakistan though. Anyone who has watched him would say this is (A) nowhere near his best and (B) not as bad as his figures make it out to be. Will bowl worse and take more by having more of those edges go to a fielder.

As for the Sree comparison, well, I'm a mod now so I won't say what I think of that

Well even though I mildly defended Broad in this thread, I do think Sree's the better bowler and has a lot more bowling potential as such, which was what the original comment was hinting at. Broad's the better cricketer at this point though and is IMO far more likely to reach his potential for several reasons.

 

[Spark]

Yeah I agree. I've actually always been a fan of him going around the wicket to the RHB.

Yeah, it's weird. He says his around-the-wicket spell to Clarke is the best one he's bowled, why doesn't he do it more often then?

Actually I think he should take a leaf out of Hauritz's book and bowl a wider line, and be more prepared to be driven and cut - especially cut, because he has a better arm ball, gets more dip and turn for Hauritz so it should be even more dangerous to cut him than it is to cut Hauritz (which is one of his main weapons, actually), but instead he seems to be happy with being worked to fine leg... which is the last thing I'd want as an offie. The wicket of Dilshan is a case in point, throw out wide and a bit short so the batsman goes to cut, turn it back in and cramp him for room. Brings all kinds of dismissals in play.

 

[vcs]

He had a pretty average series vs Pakistan though. Anyone who has watched him would say this is (A) nowhere near his best and (B) not as bad as his figures make it out to be. Will bowl worse and take more by having more of those edges go to a fielder.

As for the Sree comparison, well, I'm a mod now so I won't say what I think of that

You can tell Teja.

 

[JBH001]

Yes, you want to be worked through midwicket, if anything.

 

[Bun]

He had a pretty average series vs Pakistan though. Anyone who has watched him would say this is (A) nowhere near his best and (B) not as bad as his figures make it out to be. Will bowl worse and take more by having more of those edges go to a fielder.

As for the Sree comparison, well, I'm a mod now so I won't say what I think of that

If that Pak series wasn't him at his best, what was???

 

[Spark]

Latter half of the Ashes 09 (including Headingley) and in patches in the SA tour. He definitely shouldn't be going at 4+ an over nowadays.

 

[vcs]

'Dilshan's comments on Pak insensitive' | Cricket News | Cricbuzz.com

Didn't know where to put this, but found it absolutely lolworthy that people are calling his comments "insensitive" when you look at what SL's team went through and how classily they handled the entire situation.

 

[Spark]

Insensitive? He got shot at ffs, and one of his team mates took a bullet to the leg. And people died basically next to him.

There are a few insensitive folks mentioned in that article, but Dilshan ain't one of them.

 

[Bun]

Worse than that are some comments on cricinfo, one guy was saying "man up sri lankans and tour pakistan. If afghanistanis can do it, why cant you" or something on those lines.

 

[Bun]

"Even if he does not want to come and play in Pakistan, it's fair enough. We can understand that Sri Lankan players will be reluctant to come after the incident two years back. But to portray Pakistan as a country where international players would not like to play is unfair on us," he said.

:facepalm:

 

[Jono]

Broad was disappointing early, but got better as the innings went on. Nearly broke a TV though when he kept on celebrating LBWs without appealing.

Such an annoying trait of his.

 

[TumTum]

Actually I think he should take a leaf out of Hauritz's book and bowl a wider line, and be more prepared to be driven and cut - especially cut, because he has a better arm ball, gets more dip and turn for Hauritz so it should be even more dangerous to cut him than it is to cut Hauritz (which is one of his main weapons, actually), but instead he seems to be happy with being worked to fine leg... which is the last thing I'd want as an offie. The wicket of Dilshan is a case in point, throw out wide and a bit short so the batsman goes to cut, turn it back in and cramp him for room. Brings all kinds of dismissals in play.

Although every time they work him there you could almost feel the short leg fielder has a chance. You never got that impression with Hauritz.

 

[Howe_zat]

So, England need a big day with the bat today. It's worth pointing out that while Sri Lanka have got into a good position, in the Cardiff Test in 2009 England made 425 batting first and then got Hughes out early, so it's not as though it can't be turned round.

I never really like seeing a nightwatchman come out but it does mean that England bat right the way through - Prior 8, Broad 9, Swann 10. And yes, this is a flat deck, there's just been some swing.

 

[Spark]

Although every time they work him there you could almost feel the short leg fielder has a chance. You never got that impression with Hauritz.

Disagree with both.