***Official*** England vs Sri Lanka 21st August-10th September 2024

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

England have named their Test squad for Sri Lanka later this month: - Zak Crawley (finger), Dillon Pennington (hammy) ruled out injured - Dan Lawrence to open batting - Jordan Cox receives first Test call. Is spare bat - Olly Stone back after three years Otherwise as you were

Feel for Pennington who perhaps should have got a go against the Windies, but I’m sure he’ll get a go in the near future

 

[reyrey]

Fair enough call going with Lawrence, but I'd be more interested in seeing Stokes continue as an opener. Hopefully Stone gets a game.

 

[mackembhoy]

Fair enough call going with Lawrence, but I'd be more interested in seeing Stokes continue as an opener. Hopefully Stone gets a game.

Is it? Would I be wrong to assume your username relates to Surrey?

I don't think Lawrence ever batted above 4 for Essex. He's batted 6 for Surrey behind Pope,Smith and Foakes at 3-5.

So we're picking him to open based off one innings, where Surrey tried to chase an improbable score against Somerset. Smith was the better batsman in that opening stand too.

The only thing that makes it defendable over the Roy experiment is how we now play and the Sri Lanka bowlers not being Aussie 2019 quality. Could easily just fail as miserably though.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Fair enough call going with Lawrence, but I'd be more interested in seeing Stokes continue as an opener. Hopefully Stone gets a game.

Since Wood ain’t playing all three Tests, it would make sense to pick Stone as a like for like replacement

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Think I’d rather have seen Stokes opening too, small sample size, but he’s done well when up the order for England

 

[FBU]

I am not happy to see no 6 '5 tall bowler in the squad.
Injury picked up in the 100 after 5 balls... so how long would he have lasted in a Test

 

[reyrey]

Is it? Would I be wrong to assume your username relates to Surrey?

I don't think Lawrence ever batted above 4 for Essex. He's batted 6 for Surrey behind Pope,Smith and Foakes at 3-5.

So we're picking him to open based off one innings, where Surrey tried to chase an improbable score against Somerset. Smith was the better batsman in that opening stand too.

The only thing that makes it defendable over the Roy experiment is how we now play and the Sri Lanka bowlers not being Aussie 2019 quality. Could easily just fail as miserably though.

He was a "next cab off the rank" kinda pick which is normal and there are no openers making case for selection. He batted at 3 in his last game for Surrey, not that that changes anything. Don't think he should be opening, but if he fails then they can scrap him completely. If he succeeds then they have more options.

 

[mackembhoy]

He was a "next cab off the rank" kinda pick which is normal and there are no openers making case for selection. He batted at 3 in his last game for Surrey, not that that changes anything. Don't think he should be opening, but if he fails then they can scrap him completely. If he succeeds then they have more options.

Fair enough, yeah defs fall in that next cab off the rank pick.

I wonder if it's not a shoe in for him, with Cox having opened in the past for Kent.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Fair enough, yeah defs fall in that next cab off the rank pick.

I wonder if it's not a shoe in for him, with Cox having opened in the past for Kent.

England have confirmed that Lawrence will open apparently

 

[mackembhoy]

England have confirmed that Lawrence will open apparently

Yeah I did think this would be the case. Just the Cox pick seems a bit odd, you'd have thought Ollie Robinson was ahead in the next off the rank middle order/keeper bat. Guess Stokes already seen him first hand and not Cox.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Yeah I did think this would be the case. Just the Cox pick seems a bit odd, you'd have thought Ollie Robinson was ahead in the next off the rank middle order/keeper bat. Guess Stokes already seen him first hand and not Cox.

Don’t think he’ll get a game anyway tbf, England don’t seem to be in the mood for experimenting

 

[Hungry Llama]

perhaps Cox is cover in case lawrence is rubbish.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Cox has been in pretty decent form this season tbf.

Sam Cook still not fit for 5-dayers, or has that gone out the window since Atkinson went well?

 

[danzydab]

hope potts gets a game

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Sri Lanka squad for the Test series, seamers Rathnayake and Tharaka are uncapped so could make their debuts. In all, a much stronger batting lineup than the Windies, but not as threatening a bowling lineup, so you’d expect the matches to go deeper than the Windies matches did

 

[CartyDurham]

Old Trafford , Lords and The Oval for the games

potential for spin to play a decent part if the weather heats up before these games

I expect England to win the series but would not be surprised if it’s a 1-1 draw

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Old Trafford , Lords and The Oval for the games

potential for spin to play a decent part if the weather heats up before these games

I expect England to win the series but would not be surprised if it’s a 1-1 draw

Wickets should be harder to come by for both teams compared to the West Indies series, but I’d still be surprised if the draw comes into play, unless the weather plays tricks on us

 

[CartyDurham]

Wickets should be harder to come by for both teams compared to the West Indies series, but I’d still be surprised if the draw comes into play, unless the weather plays tricks on us

Whereabouts is Langleybury?

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Whereabouts is Langleybury?

Watford, the club Steve Finn came from

 

[CartyDurham]

Watford, the club Steve Finn came from

Cheers. School day every day for me