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

[BoyBrumby]

Nothing wrong with that from the big fella. Lovely push through the covers for 4.

 

[TopCat]

Nothing wrong with that from the big fella. Lovely push through the covers for 4.

Same again from the muscle man.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

When you think back Tremlett is actually better with the bat than some number 9's we have had over the years, Hoggard springs to mind straight away.

 

[BoyBrumby]

& again.

More than capable of dispatching the inevitable rank delivery.

 

[Cevno]

Howe_zat is on Test Match Sofa now! Everyone go abuse him

Right now?

Will go and listen.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wowch!

Prior pulling off a good length. That's the shot of a bloke who fancies it. Hopefully past his wobbles of earlier.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That was a poor ball but Prior dismissed it so well.

Prior could have 150 if he is still going at lunchtime.

 

[Spark]

Cripes. Only a single, but wow.

 

[wpdavid]

Tame end for Swann, fishing outside off.

His batting's deteriorated significantly over the last 18 months or so. When he hit 85 in SA, that was his 4th half century in not many tests. But he's not come close since then, and there's been a heck of a lot of single figure scores. It's hard to believe that some folks were saying he should bat ahead of Broad.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Prior's cut really is pretty dreamy, isn't it? Not many players with a better one in world cricket currently, I'd say.

SL need to bowl much straighter at him.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Prior is the best cutter of a ball since Robin Smith in an England shirt. Lovely shot and teams keep feeding it.

 

[Furball]

Deep point to a number 10? Really?

 

[TopCat]

Urgh, a horrible oik across the line ends up with Prior bowled.

Superb innings by the wk, really destructive.


England should declare, the end is nigh in any case. Also it's probably not what SL expect.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Bah. Tame end. The slope really brought it back in to the right hander.

Still, 126 from 131 is **** on stuff from a #7.

 

[wpdavid]

And gone. Strange innings this: at 22 for 3 we'd have settled for 300, or certainly 350 anyway. However, once Bell & Cook rescued things, every wicket's been a surprise and you feel we've missed out on a 500+ score.

I wonder whether Strauss will have the nous to open the bowling with Finn & Tremlett rather than Broad. And I tend to agree with TMS that we might as well declare and have a couple of overs at them before lunch.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well played Prior, be a good time to lose this last wicket and really give the openers a tricky 15-20 minutes before lunch.

 

[Furball]

FFS the calls for Prior in the ODI side are starting again.

Probably a case of going 'omg if he can strike at 90 in Tests, he'll be amazing in ODIs', and totally ignoring how badly Sri Lanka have bowled at him.

Even Boycott would strike at 100 if you spent all day bowling rubbish into his favoured scoring zones.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Still half an hour until luncheon tho.

With wishing to be too much of the arrogant Pom, SL's attack is the kind tailenders can happily slog a few off.

Another 20 stretches the follow-on target that bit further away.

 

[TopCat]

Well, this is doing England no good at all. Hit the ball hard ffs, who cares if you get out. Stop protecting your not out stats.

 

[TopCat]

Tremlett really can bat.