27th Match - England v Sri Lanka

[Zinzan]

why would they worry about the possibility of needing to dig in?

Obvious innit? They're not always going to get the 350+ roads that they bat so well on.

Still massive favourites to take the tournament, in my view.

I said it pre-tournament, and I'll say it again, India are a better all-round side.

Besides, even if you do think they're favourites, "massive" is stretching things isn't it?

 

[GIMH]

Fmd if immigration gives you all these blokes over the years who otherwise wouldn’t have got a game, it’s awesome isn’t it?

Do you want to see Devon Malcolm take 9 fer at the Oval or have him playing for the Leeward Islands and never playing a test? Do you want Tony Greig exiled and never heard of, or see him take a ton off Lillee and Thomson at the Gabba?

Come on mate, this **** is wonderful. It wants embracing not lambasting

As I said for years, bag their terrible hygiene and the fact the climate renders them effeminate and physically inferior, not the fact England has embraced its multicultural population. I’ve been out with Corrin on the piss and can confirm the English are swine, but they’re good at heart at times. Give them that.

Fmd what a night. Absolute ball tearer. Cost me over a grand in lap dances. WAC he is.

What a night that was

 

[Cruxdude]

Jadeja the ODI batsman. I agree he's gun in Tests.

I recall him and Ashwin tying a match in NZ where they had no business doing so

 

[stephen]

Well that was unexpected.

England may actually be saved this world cup by the format itself. Only having two knockout games might mean that they squeak through to the finals and fluke a couple of wins. But certainly the other top 3 are all appearing more confident in their own games, almost as if they've gotten to the finals stages frequently before.

India have to be tournament favourites from here even with Dhawan out.

 

[Athlai]

Sri Lanka WAG.

I did mention the other day that England’s batting looked a little more vulnerable than it did a few months ago. Would’ve still expected them to win this at a canter. No more easy games left for England now, if they don’t sort out their **** they’re gonna be out of the tournament and SL or Bangers will take their spot in the semis.

 

[NUFAN]

I dont really get Woakes not coming back for a second spell. congrats Sri Lanka! Chin up though England a win and a washout should be enough from their final 3 games to progress.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

this game definitely shifts the favourties tag to india. england not showing the ability to adapt in low scoring grinders is a big minus.

 

[mr_mister]

Good from a SL perspective too that they had such a big win without their two form batsmen contributing

 

[Flem274*]

india were always my favourites to win because they can seriously bowl to go with the batting and despite batting being by far englands strongest suit, they have a whiff of the jammy biffers about them. unless it's a motorway they're always a solid risk of a cheeky collapse. they're another root type player shy of being trustworthy imo.

granted, i never would have picked the collapse for this game.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

What a game, what a result. Sensational from Sri Lanka

Don't understand why Jeevan Mendis is still a thing though?

 

[morgieb]

Went to bed at England being 3/80, thinking they'd chase this down comfortably. But wow. England might yet be vulnerable in this World Cup and it's all because they refuse to dig in on a tricky surface despite the chase being a small one.

 

[Maximas]

Don't understand why Jeevan Mendis is still a thing though?

For the same reason that Thirimanne and Siriwardana are apparently things (and Dickwella supposedly isn't), they all did well in this contrived provincial List A competition that SLC held before the WC as a sort of audition for the squad.

Jeevan wasn't even relevant back in the 2015 WC, let alone this one

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Okay thanks. Still a bizarre selection though, a bits and pieces man who has never really done anything at international level. You really can't afford to be carrying someone who bats 7 or 8 and hardly even bowls in ODI cricket

 

[Jarquis]

I don’t get this whole ‘they refuse to dig in and continue to play the same way’ talk - we started behind the run rate and finished up behind the run rate? It’s not like we happy hacked to 180ao off 32

 

[the big bambino]

Andrew Symonds said England’s style might not be conducive to WC pressure. I don’t know what the pitch conditions were like in this game but the fact both sides struggled suggests it was tough. England is likely to struggle as anyone on difficult pitches but I can’t see that type of wicket for the semifinals. Assuming the still very likely event England will make it I think their batting is still the best to maximise run scoring from true pitches. Well at least equal with india’s.

 

[the big bambino]

I don’t get this whole ‘they refuse to dig in and continue to play the same way’ talk - we started behind the run rate and finished up behind the run rate? It’s not like we happy hacked to 180ao off 32

It does suggest they find it hard to adapt when the crash wallop doesn’t work.

 

[Dan]

England's method is incredibly good at winning bilateral ODI series. Even if you have one of these days, whatever, you racked up 350 the other four times and have the series 4-1. That method doesn't translate quite as well to WCs on the basis that having that off day at the wrong time knocks you out entirely, and you've gotta rack up your 350 the other four times against full-strength attacks. But it doesn't somehow mean England is no longer a great ODI team.

 

[Niall]

. But it doesn't somehow mean England is no longer a great ODI team.

Can you be a cricket team who has not won any ICC event? They choked in the champs trophy final in 2015,the semi in 2017 and were abysmal in the 2015 world cup.

 

[h_hurricane]

With NZ,India and Aus to follow, England could be in a tricky situation here. Would be knocked out if they end up losing against all 3 who barely got a foot wrong in this WC.

SL and BD still in reckoning. Loving this race.

 

[Maximas]

pradeep is horrible at the death, this is gonna be over soon

Worth giving DDS another go?

Better option than pradeep

Lets remember how well (and quickly!) this sentiment aged btw