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

[flibbertyjibber]

Decent ball that. Well on top now

 

[flibbertyjibber]

The English top order has been average, the Sri Lanka one atrocious.

West Indies one was worse. Been a summer of average batting at best at the top of the order.

 

[King Kane]

That was a jaffa from Potts, too good for Mathews, that would have been too good for most batsmen.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So win toss let them off hook then collapse on a sunny day. Not a good day and a half by Sri Lanka.

 

[King Kane]

A double wicket maiden from Potts just when Sri Lanka looked to be making a recovery.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

West Indies one was worse. Been a summer of average batting at best at the top of the order.

Not a great era for Test openers is it, Duckett and Crawley are two of the better ones right now you’d have to say

 

[Howe_zat]

Not a great era for Test openers is it, Duckett and Crawley are two of the better ones right now you’d have to say

Karunaratne is the 3rd highest scoring opener for the last 20 years and I'd expect most casual cricket fans outside SL to have never heard of him.

Opening's hard

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Don’t panic yet Sri Lanka, one of your best batters has come in

 

[slowfinger]

haven't seen someone clip one to square leg in a professional cricket match in a while.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Karunaratne is the 3rd highest scoring opener for the last 20 years and I'd expect most casual cricket fans outside SL to have never heard of him.

Opening's hard

Good player having a poor tour. It happens.

We could be batting again just after tea.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Good player having a poor tour. It happens.

We could be batting again just after tea.

Could enforce the follow-on, not as if we’ve bowled too much

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Could enforce the follow-on, not as if we’ve bowled too much

Money men won't like that. Bat again and finish it on day 4.

 

[King Kane]

Chandimal gone now, Sri Lanka might be forced to follow on the way they are going.

Karunaratne is the 3rd highest scoring opener for the last 20 years and I'd expect most casual cricket fans outside SL to have never heard of him.

Opening's hard

I used to be an opener, I know how hard it is, facing the new ball when the fast bowlers are fresh, not an easy gig like the cushy middle order batsmen.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Could enforce the follow-on, not as if we’ve bowled too much

Follow on cons: not really needed with loads of time left in the game, worse for the bowlers, probably Sri Lanka's best chance to get back into the game.

Follow on pros: potentially quickest route to the golf course.

I can see it would be a tough call for Pope!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

What a shot the last one was.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Chandimal gone now, Sri Lanka might be forced to follow on the way they are going.



I used to be an opener, I know how hard it is, facing the new ball when the fast bowlers are fresh, not an easy gig like the cushy middle order batsmen.

Ollie Pope likes this post

 

[Howe_zat]

I used to be an opener, I know how hard it is, facing the new ball when the fast bowlers are fresh, not an easy gig like the cushy middle order batsmen.

This is why someone like Zak Crawley changing his output from a bunch of low scores outside his two big tons to instead consistently getting to 40 regardless of if he got on with it was such a game changer for him.

 

[Howe_zat]

Could enforce the follow-on, not as if we’ve bowled too much

It's pretty much always a terrible decision to enforce the follow on when you don't have to due to time/weather constraints.

 

[slowfinger]

it's interesting to see a number 8 bat the same aggressive style and get the same good results as the previous game, especially with his more "capable" compatriots crumbling around. sort of makes test cricket look silly in a way

 

[GIMH]

This is why someone like Zak Crawley changing his output from a bunch of low scores outside his two big tons to instead consistently getting to 40 regardless of if he got on with it was such a game changer for him.

pretty little fifties though