***Official*** England in Sri Lanka 2014

[Pothas]

I don't really think the spot is open personally. Stokes will come back into the team. They probably will and should drop him from ODI and T20 squads but tests they gotta back him and it works well for team balance.

But I agree the likes of Vince, Roy or whoever haven't really done enough to warrant selection.

Yeah huge year coming up for Vince, he is a much better player now than when he last played in Division one but he still needs to make that step up.

 

[amanuensis]

Well we don't have a spinner any better really unless Monty suddenly found form again and as for our back up pace options well no point playing an average 4th seamer who won't take wickets.

There's even less point flogging 3 seamers into the ground simply to accommodate Taylor.

 

[theegyptian]

Yeah huge year coming up for Vince, he is a much better player now than when he last played in Division one but he still needs to make that step up.

Yes. Would be great if Vince is the guy. Got a big lions tour also coming up. You look at Ballance and Taylor and they really rammed the runs away in the lions games. Vince has struggled so far (20.81 avg in 16 lo games and 8.75avg in 4 innings in fc cricket) for the lions so there has to be some temperament or technical issue (or both) that has held his game back till now. But yes agreed just a massive year for him.

 

[theegyptian]

Yup, after getting himself set it should be his job to take the pressure FROM Root, hit some boundaries and take the game on. Not keep on knocking it around until SL get back into the game.

I can't decide if he doesn't think at all or overthinks the game. Either way I think he is best at 7 where he invariably has no choice but to be aggresive. Bat him at 5 or higher and he seems to become overcautious and lack understanding of the game.

 

[viriya]

Based on what's happened in the series so far, if SL meets Eng in the WC, Eng should win relatively comfortably.

 

[YorksLanka]

Congrats to a England on a deserved victory today. Really pleased as a Yorkie to see a Root get a ton and very good innings again from Taylor - there are a lot of comments about him in tests but if the selectors don't have him as an automatic in the odi team now, they must be crazy!!
Not taking anything away from England, I have to say we were really sloppy in the field today. I don't think we assessed the wicket properly as it WAS different to yesterday as I think it was a little quicker and so didn't hold up in the wicket as much. Our fielding was poor and that's what loses matches..Ajantha mendis looked poor and personally I would rather pick someone like Priyanjan instead oh him in the absence of Herath. Again well done to England but hopefully we will come back hard on Saturday.

 

[91Jmay]

A Mendis always seems to struggle vs. England. We play him like a right arm dobber and you get plenty in County Champsionship .

 

[Viscount Tom]

Watching the highlights and Bopara didn't half make a bit of a mess at the end of the innings.

 

[Watson33]

Good composed knock from Root and good knock from Taylor too. Still bugs me that Cook is opening the batting in ODI's. In ODI's you've got to be either the glue of the innings or scoring at a quick rate. Cook is doing neither at the moment, getting to 20+ off of 50+ balls then getting out.

 

[Maximas]

Based on what's happened in the series so far, if SL meets Eng in the WC, Eng should win relatively comfortably.

?

 

[Special Ag Utah]

Good composed knock from Root and good knock from Taylor too. Still bugs me that Cook is opening the batting in ODI's. In ODI's you've got to be either the glue of the innings or scoring at a quick rate. Cook is doing neither at the moment, getting to 20+ off of 50+ balls then getting out.

I don't think Root and Cook can be in the same ODI side together personally. The move has to be made shortly.

Beautiful knock by Root, patient, busy and ran really well between the wicket, tightened up a bit at the end but got the job done.

 

[Cabinet96]

Does Woakes being England's fastest bowler these days change any narratives?

Seriously though his bowling has improved so much in the last 18 months. Deserves to go to the World Cup. WAG.

 

[viriya]

?

If we struggle to win in familiar conditions why would we do better in Aus/NZ vs the same opponents?

 

[YorksLanka]

If we struggle to win in familiar conditions why would we do better in Aus/NZ vs the same opponents?

We still lead the series? plus England played the better cricket yesterday so not much we can do about that, apart from pick up our game...

 

[Adders]

And SL beat England in England........can't possibly see how you could say Eng would beat SL comfortably in the WC.

 

[Maximas]

If we struggle to win in familiar conditions why would we do better in Aus/NZ vs the same opponents?

Yeah extrapolating and gambhiring to the max

Hey so we dropped Ajantha Mendis and Kusal Perera from the squad! What a day!

 

[viriya]

Yea and brought in Dimuth to open.. and dropped Tharanga from NZ series when he top scored in his last test innings. GJ selectors! way to fk the team over.

13 ODI hundreds and he gets ignored over someone who averages 16 in ODIs.. What's the logic?

 

[viriya]

Am I dreaming? Is Mahela about to open? OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

 

[Cabinet96]

Liking this start.

 

[viriya]

Sanga would be batting by now if Kusal was opening..