***Official*** England in Sri Lanka 2012

[Cevno]

Wow! England collapsing to spin again.

 

[Flem274*]

It was never that good in the first place. Some of us have been pointing this out, only to be drowned out by the pollyanna crowd. England has the strongest lower order in world cricket, but the lack of genuine class players in the top and middle orders, players in the Sanga/Amla/De Villiers/Clarke bracket of effectiveness, who can score runs in all conditions, at different tempos dependent on the match situation, and against all types of bowling, is making a nonsense of the number one ranking. Not one of England's top six gets anywhere near a world Test batting XI on current form.

To the pollyanna crowd: are you now convinced that KP, Bell and the other under-performers haven't got what it takes to take the team where we want to go? Ought we to thank them for their services, wave them farewell, and look to inject fresh blood into the team? Or should we close our eyes, hope for the best and dream that they'll all of a sudden look confident and competent - having miraculously got better with intensive net sessions back in Blighty - the next time they tour the SC?

Answers on a postcard please......

Who are these World XI quality players you're bringing in?

 

[four_or_six]

Problem is we can't just sack the lot. It's a shame Patel isn't an up-and-coming youngster, because that's surely what we want at number 6?

 

[benchmark00]

Serves England right for employing Steve Harmison as overseas touring consultant.

 

[Jono]

Lolland.

Scathing

 

[four_or_six]

Who are these World XI quality players you're bringing in?

Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan... duh, honestly!

 

[smash84]

It was never that good in the first place. Some of us have been pointing this out, only to be drowned out by the pollyanna crowd. England has the strongest lower order in world cricket, but the lack of genuine class players in the top and middle orders, players in the Sanga/Amla/De Villiers/Clarke bracket of effectiveness, who can score runs in all conditions, at different tempos dependent on the match situation, and against all types of bowling, is making a nonsense of the number one ranking. Not one of England's top six gets anywhere near a world Test batting XI on current form.

To the pollyanna crowd: are you now convinced that KP, Bell and the other under-performers haven't got what it takes to take the team where we want to go? Ought we to thank them for their services, wave them farewell, and look to inject fresh blood into the team? Or should we close our eyes, hope for the best and dream that they'll all of a sudden look confident and competent - having miraculously got better with intensive net sessions back in Blighty - the next time they tour the SC?

Answers on a postcard please......

:

 

[Spikey]

Who are these World XI quality players you're bringing in?

Sam Robson to score a million runs in the upcoming county season and score a ton on debut after Strauss quits in shame after scoring 4 pairs in a row; PEWS and I to kill ourselves.

 

[benchmark00]

Phil Jaques.

 

[Xuhaib]

Is every body still pretending that England is just going through a bad phase. This is the most useless English side I have seen in sub cont since Gooch 92 side.

 

[Jono]

Serves England right for employing Steve Harmison as overseas touring consultant.

stfu and acknowledge the greatness:

 

[Burgey]

Looking at some of the strike rates, did it seem England made a conscious decision not to get bogged down against spin like their embarrassing displays inthe UAE, or was it just those blokes got some dross bowled to them and put it away?

 

[Arachnodouche]

England's successes were solely because of a **** Aus and Ind. Now SA are going to go over and humiliate them some more, only with pace this time. Serves their giddy school girl fans right.

 

[benchmark00]

stfu and acknowledge the greatness:

Nah ****. Another five years of the long haired girl getting cheapies off the half back flank.

Jess Sinclair >> Brett Deledio.

 

[Spark]

Looking at some of the strike rates, did it seem England made a conscious decision not to get bogged down against spin like their embarrassing displays inthe UAE, or was it just those blokes got some dross bowled to them and put it away?

A lot of the latter, although Broad did seem particularly aggrieved at being made to bat.

 

[Spikey]

Phil Jaques.

would be so amazing

 

[Jono]

Nah ****. Another five years of the long haired girl getting cheapies off the half back flank.

Jess Sinclair >> Brett Deledio.

Sinclair was such a DT gun.

Meanwhile Lids is playing midfield this year ya ****.

 

[benchmark00]

Looking at some of the strike rates, did it seem England made a conscious decision not to get bogged down against spin like their embarrassing displays inthe UAE, or was it just those blokes got some dross bowled to them and put it away?

They moved their feet this time.



Turns out England are **** at using their feet as well as just sweeping.

 

[Prince EWS]

Looking at some of the strike rates, did it seem England made a conscious decision not to get bogged down against spin like their embarrassing displays inthe UAE, or was it just those blokes got some dross bowled to them and put it away?

Conscious decision. There was a lot of obviously planned skipping down the track; it worked to a large extent too - they all (Trott aside..) still managed to get out lbw/bowled rooted to the crease when they stopped doing it.

Broad got some rubbish from Lakmal, but other than that Sri Lanka were pretty disciplined.

 

[Spark]

Don't think moving the front foot back a foot so it's planted on the crease really counts tbf.