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

[Migara]

Fernado is a goner on these pitches. Prefer steadier Lakmal. Prasad and Fernando are better to be used on faster pitches.

 

[Lostman]

I see nothing special about Lakmal regardless of the pitch tbh. He just sends the ball down 3 feet outside the off stump, and wastes the new ball.
Wouldn't even mind three spinners at the expense of Fernando at Galle.

 

[Migara]

Lakmal bowled well in Aiustralia series and was very good with the old ball. I would give an extended run for him.

 

[Cabinet96]

There a reason the English players have collectively suddenly decided to act like dicks?

Probably think it makes them seem more intimidating.

Sand castle crumbling, baby.

SL have to play Mendis regardless of his recent mediocrity. I don't believe the English have seen much of him at all over the years. Herath and Mendis in tandem could do some real damage (provided DRS is around for the series).

Didn't he get absolutely flogged in county cricket last year?

Yes he did. He also played one test against England and only managed to dismiss James Anderson, while Cook, Trott and Bell piled up the runs.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Swann is really starting to piss me off. He's such a motor mouth these days. Really extreme comment he made regarding the Lankan player.

 

[Jacknife]

Swann is really starting to piss me off. He's such a motor mouth these days. Really extreme comment he made regarding the Lankan player.

These days? he's never been anything but.

 

[theegyptian]

the one thing i would say towards englands aggresive attitude so far on this tour was for the pakistan tour they were obviously told to tone their aggresion down and to be less combative than normal because of the recent history between the two countries in a bid not to inflame matters. obviously that didn't work particularly well and england were for the most part pretty timid in UAE. They've obviously gone back to a more aggresive route in a bid to try and win more games imo.

or they're just struggling with the heat a bit.

finn does seem pretty ******** with all his sendoffs but off the field he seems to speak well and is pretty respectful- just loses it on the field occasionally.

 

[stumpski]

Are there any Sri Lankan supporters on here who can tell me if there are online radio stations that one can listen to the test match commentary in English

I'm not a Sri Lanka supporter, but I think you can listen to Test Match Special all over the world now, by the wonders of the interweb. Go to bbc.co.uk and follow the links.

 

[Howe_zat]

I'm not a Sri Lanka supporter, but I think you can listen to Test Match Special all over the world now, by the wonders of the interweb. Go to bbc.co.uk and follow the links.

It won't work outside the UK. License fee and all that.

Edit - but www.testmatchsofa.com will, if you, y'know, like that sort of thing

 

[stumpski]

Is that recent? Because I remember posting the link to someone in Canada during the 2009 Ashes and he was able to listen. The TMS crew have often read out letters and e-mails received from listeners around the world.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah I thought radio worked outside UK, they always get emails from all over the world. Iplayer and live tv obviously don't.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Oh yes I can imagine and even some of the England players are playing for places etc, I just meant in comparison to Test match cricket where it's so pressurized and sometimes you can't take the word of the opposition in those close 50/50 catches because there's so much on the line and obviously you have video umpires to make those calls for you. Warm up games are usually a fair bit less intense and mostly played very sportingly.

They're all competitive beasts. If a Test cricketer thinks that they're not out, they wouldn't walk in backyard cricket.

 

[vic_orthdox]

^Exactly, but it's not so much his current quality as it is about the "mystery" aspect or whatever is left of it that will prey on the English middle order. I think he's worth trying out in the opening Test if only for Herath to reap the benefits from the other end, much like Rahman in the series gone by.

But they faced him in England, and he was more than easily handled. Maybe on a bunsen he's worth a go as he can get it to go half a bat width, but he looked so pedestrian in England.

 

[Furball]

But they faced him in England, and he was more than easily handled. Maybe on a bunsen he's worth a go as he can get it to go half a bat width, but he looked so pedestrian in England.

He's not the only one. All the Asian teams have toured England in the last 2 summers; only Ajmal and Shakib have figures that are anywhere near respectable.

 

[Flametree]

Is that recent? Because I remember posting the link to someone in Canada during the 2009 Ashes and he was able to listen. The TMS crew have often read out letters and e-mails received from listeners around the world.

It's fairly random. I got a couple of days listening to the series vs Pakistan, then that was it, no more. Logging in from overseas gets you a 12 month old discussion about the tennis or something... So unless you know a way to disguise your IP address's location, you can't hear them.

Very sad, somehow goes against the spirit of the internet. I mean I was in NZ, whose rights would they have been infringing on to allow me to listen?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Swann is really starting to piss me off. He's such a motor mouth these days. Really extreme comment he made regarding the Lankan player.

Credit to Flower tho, he was pretty quick to slap him down. From The Independent:

"Is that what he said – he's a moral standard bearer, is he? Very interesting. I don't tell players to walk – I'd be a hypocrite if I did. I didn't walk.

I think you've got to be very careful about taking too high a moral stance on issues unless you are perfect yourself."

 

[Arachnodouche]

Andy Flower is so awesome.

 

[Howe_zat]

Are we allowed to pass this game off as being on a road yet?

 

[Spark]

Jonathon Trott striking at 100?

Yeah, probably.

 

[grecian]

Well, our top three look alright, and I think we can be pretty sure who the opener will be if Cook or Strauss get injured.

Bell and KP struggling again, hmmm.

The temptation to run out your partner in this situation must be massive.

Would prefer Patel to get the number 6 atm. Bres hasn't taken a wicket in yonks, so any fanciful idea, from me, that he'll play at seven in a five-man attack is over. Obviously I'd rather have Taylor or Hildreth over Bop and fat Sam, but that isn't going to happen either.