***Official*** Sri Lanka in England and Ireland 2014

[Maximas]

PJ is good enough to make centuries! Don't count out Kule as well.

Indeed, PJ had an excellent tour last time in England and can certainly occupy the crease for a while, Kula and Herath are wildcards, but Eranga can also hold up an end better than he once could, I think the follow-on is quite safe but lots of work to do before we get close to England's score, if we get within 50 we shouldn't lose, but might have an outside chance of winning.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Nah it's common knowledge that if you want to get the max possible speedgun reading, bowl full tosses or beamers.

Yeah, thus you apply the same theory to tall vs small bowlers.

 

[Cabinet96]

Cricinfo says Plunkett is an inch taller than Anderson ftr.

Though I guess if he's bowling a shorter length the effect is amplified.

 

[Maximas]

Eranga is a better batsman than Herath btw Mikey

 

[Neil Pickup]

What i don't want is Moeen Ali and Root bowling maiden after maiden to these two.

The only way that could happen is if they fall asleep at the crease. I wouldn't back either to bowl maidens at any competent club batsman in these conditions.

 

[Maximas]

Good little 50 from Matthews - his first test knock in England, put the follow-on out of the question and has eased the pressure on Sanga when those two quick wickets fell, Sri Lanka really in a position to get 500+ and even push to 600 if these two get through till stumps

 

[viriya]

Sanga to be the first player to get 2 300s in a row.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Half the people around me are now asleep, or in the process of falling asleep.

 

[hendrix]

As much as I rate PJ, he's a pyjamas batsman. This is the last real partnership, and I strongly admire Matthews for the ways he's taken about test cricket.

I suppose it's because he's done well agains NZ, but I rate him as a player.

 

[viriya]

 

[Maximas]

There's 100 runs left in the lower order at an absolute minimum on this pitch from here IMO, PJ isn't the best but he can score runs and has done so in the past, in England too

 

[Maximas]

Great knock from Sanga, built the foundation from which we can launch from to challenge England's score

 

[viriya]

Sanga pissed off cos he missed out on an easy 200+

 

[91Jmay]

Not sure why you lot are talking like this is a result game. It's a draw. Move on.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Lovely knock from Sanga. Unless we have a late flurry of wickets tonight this is going to be a real snore draw.

 

[Maximas]

Not sure why you lot are talking like this is a result game. It's a draw. Move on.

Both these teams have had some massive final day ****-ups over the years, with two full days to go after this and probably not that much Sri Lankan batting to come (England will be batting by lunch tomorrow at the latest IMO) we just need the pitch to play a trick or two and we could have a result, or at least get close to one

 

[91Jmay]

Its Lords though, batting gets easier if anything. Neither of these bowling attacks are running through anyone either without conditions helping them (opposite conditions for both obviously).

Maybe i'll be proven wrong, but this pitch is an embarrassment frankly. If it was Columbo English journalists would be chuntering about it 'killing the game'.

 

[Viscount Tom]

If Lords keeps producing pitches like this then no way should they be getting 2 Tests a year, its just dull.

 

[Maximas]

wow, some catch that

@91Jmay: draw is indeed the most likely result, it's more the mental pressure of the second innings that I think might create a result if we get one.

 

[91Jmay]

Great catch. Maybe if we roll them for a lead of 150 we might have an outside shot at forcing a result.