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

[NUFAN]

238/6 is even steven as far as I can tell.

Sri Lanka's opening bowlers take 2 wickets per match combined at an average of about 57. so England ought to play risk free cricket when Herath is bowling (no sweep's off the stumps, no shots in the air) and just look to make runs from the other bowler.

I predict that England will be ahead on first innings, provided that they can wrap up the Sri Lankan tail before lunch today.

 

[BoyBrumby]

English posters given up then? Keeping 'em to 275 a decent effort, IMHO.

 

[Spark]

A decent effort but you still get the feeling that with the pitch playing that it is, 275 might well turn out to be plenty.

Especially given the turn on that last one, just over a hundred overs into the match...

 

[wpdavid]

English posters given up then? Keeping 'em to 275 a decent effort, IMHO.

Agreed. Kudos to whoever predicted 260 - 280 yesterday when they were only four or five down.

It's been said before, but in normal circumstances we'd think we were well ahead of the game bowling them out for 275. After what we've seen in the last four tests, it just isn't easy to be too optimistic.

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah 275 is around par. The pitch is keeping low and runs aren't that easy to come by.

Tricky little session for England, they'll have to face what, 3 overs before lunch.

 

[ganeshran]

275 is less on this pitch. Par score would be 350+ here

 

[wpdavid]

A decent effort but you still get the feeling that with the pitch playing that it is, 275 might well turn out to be plenty.

Especially given the turn on that last one, just over a hundred overs into the match...

That as well. Batting 4th won't be fun.

 

[Xuhaib]

England need to bat out of their skins and score 400 atleast to win the game.

 

[Burgey]

Let's just get Herath on and get it over with please.

 

[weldone]

Good, good. The English bowling lineup has thoroughly impressed me in the recent past. I was a bit skeptical before their subcontinent tours - but Anderson, Swann and Panesar have been very good. Broad and Bresnan have been good too. This is by faaaar their best bowling lineup in the last 20 years. I think their batting too is best among what they've put up in the last 20 years, but that's not much of an achievement

 

[uvelocity]

Agreed. Kudos to whoever predicted 260 - 280 yesterday when they were only four or five down.

It's been said before, but in normal circumstances we'd think we were well ahead of the game bowling them out for 275. After what we've seen in the last four tests, it just isn't easy to be too optimistic.

cheers. 4/160 they were. bloody nanny state not letting me bet too.

I think it will be very close this game, could go either way. Could get rain too.

 

[GIMH]

great stuff, but then it always is from the bowlers isn't it?

 

[Furball]

That bounced didn't it?

 

[wpdavid]

That bounced didn't it?

cricinfo agree with you fwiw.

 

[social]

Game looks totally different with the SL spinners on

If I had been their captain, there would have been no way I'd have delayed their introduction for so long

 

[Furball]

Is that Gavaskar on commentary with Atherton?

 

[GIMH]

First 50 opening stand of the winter, tells you a lot

 

[LegionOfBrad]

@gingerfurball Its Michael de Zoysa.

 

[Spikey]

not enough sweeping imo

 

[Eds]

What a strange feeling this is.