*Official* England in Sri Lanka 2021

[TheJammyTurtle]

Brave decision, that.

 

[DriveClub]

Brave decision, that.

Yeah thought that wasn't conclusive at all

 

[TheJammyTurtle]

Yeah thought that wasn't conclusive at all

Yep, see them not out more often then not. Great awareness from Butler though.

 

[wpdavid]

I absolutely agree; I kinda think Bess has maybe been selected for the international game a wee bit early and we're seeing in tests the early adolescent stages of his development that would usually be in the CC.

Leach is very obviously more the finished product (the cider drinkers invariably favoured him when it was a straight choice), but with his health issues last year, Moeen's form and Rashid's reluctance Bess was kinda Hobson's choice for the 2020 summer and is now the man in possession.

Yes, and I couldn't put forward a coherent argument for an alternative when we're playing two spinners.

 

[DriveClub]

Mathews has such a simple plan batting with the tail. Try to smash boundaries first 3 balls of the over and then get a single in the next 3. No complication, a very simple plan

 

[wpdavid]

Matthews is seriously worrying me here. Shades of 2014 and all that. If Root goes cheaply, I'm not convinced we'd pass 75 on this.

 

[DriveClub]

Matthews is seriously worrying me here. Shades of 2014 and all that. If Root goes cheaply, I'm not convinced we'd pass 75 on this.

Anything under 150 shouldn't worry England too much imo

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yes, and I couldn't put forward a coherent argument for an alternative when we're playing two spinners.

If you look at the reserves we have Bess is probably more experienced than any of them and a better bat anyway. Picking him is almost like when we picked Broad and stuck by him when he wasn't really ready all those years ago.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Michelle for Leach!

Deserved it, IMHO. Toiled away for 42 overs.

 

[DriveClub]

That was a soft dismissal in the end. England should canter there imo

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Will we attempt to win it tonight?

 

[Bahnz]

Yargh, this is gonna hurt for SL. With the ball doing this much they would’ve cruised home with anything over 150 to defend. Batting like they were all drunk on day 1 has cost them an absolute gimme of a test win

 

[BoyBrumby]

Jesus.

A Clarkesque leave from Sibley.

3/1. Surely not....?

 

[wpdavid]

Will we attempt to win it tonight?

I wonder if we'll get all the overs in. And early wickets like that one won't help. I was going to suggest they'll just bat normally, but then I remembered how we normally bat against good spinners in this situation.

 

[wpdavid]

Jesus.

A Clarkesque leave from Sibley.

3/1. Surely not....?

I know I'm being lazy, but how many were we chasing against Bangladesh a few years ago?

And that sounds like a truly abysmal shot from Sibbers. At least Clarke could claim Jones' extravagant reverse swing in mitigation.

 

[Starfighter]

I know I'm being lazy, but how many were we chasing against Bangladesh a few years ago?

And that sounds like a truly abysmal shot from Sibbers. At least Clarke could claim Jones' extravagant reverse swing in mitigation.

273

And Clarke left quite a few in his career, including this:

 

[wpdavid]

273

Fair enough.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Crawley never looked comfortable out there, did he?

12/2.

If Root goes early doors this is going to be an arsenipper.

 

[OverratedSanity]

One more here could make it very nervy. Emduleniya looks really hard to play here.

 

[Spark]

oh man this could be a huge win for @OverratedSanity