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

[grecian]

Wow, scrub all that, England have declared, bizarre.

 

[Furball]

cricinfo's app hasn't updated since yesterday, anyone provide a score/scorers?

 

[Viscount Tom]

SLC Dev XI 431/6d & 44/1 (8.0 ov)

England XI 272/4d

GF I advise you to get the ECB app, it get updated these days.

 

[Furball]

Declaring with Bopara and Patel on 12* is just bizzare.

Good shout on the ECB app. cricinfo's is rubbish.

 

[Viscount Tom]

If they're declaring like they are then my gut feeling is they already know who they're going in with, which is a mistake imo.

That said perhaps they want more time to assess the bowlers, perhaps Broad's ankle is acting up.

 

[Jarquis]

Bopara and Panesar to play me thinks

 

[NasserFan207]

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."

Want SL to upset these guys. Would be pretty funny tbh.

 

[theegyptian]

If they're declaring like they are then my gut feeling is they already know who they're going in with, which is a mistake imo.

That said perhaps they want more time to assess the bowlers, perhaps Broad's ankle is acting up.

meh i think they're gona set up a run chase tomorrow and want broad to bowl again . I'd guess Bell and Pietersen open.

I think they knew who was gona play before this match. Bopara in for Morgan will be the only change from the last test in UAE. There's no point in playing Samit unless they think he's a better bat than Ravi given he's not going to bowl at all in an attack with Panesar and Swann- and as crap as Ravi is he is still a safer bet than Samit imo.

 

[Jacknife]

A bit strange SL batting for so long in a three day game, obviously they've gone with the attitude the longer England are in the field the more tired they will be come game time.

Good to see the Captain and Trott get some runs, KP should have tried to spend some time at the crease instead of playing in one day mode. Bell I'm not sure what's going on with him atm, even got out to a bit of medium pace today, out of everyone you'd have thought it was Bell that needed to make the most of the warmup games.

England should have batted for longer as well, giving the likes of Ravi etc at least a a few hours at the crease, instead of having the bowlers toil again in the heat.

 

[Lostman]

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

By definition if the game is played at the SSC it is a road.

 

[stumpski]

After seeing the home side bat an hour into the second day, yes Strauss should have batted on until lunch on day three. We're not going to get much of a second innings whatever happens. And I'm sure Bopara is already down to play next week.

 

[Cabinet96]

I think they want to give the bowlers a bit more of a bowl, and then they'll do a bit of declaration bowling just after lunch tomorrow to set up a run chase, where they'll try to give KP, Bell and the rest a bat.

 

[Jacknife]

Yes they're hoping the home side is going to set a chase-able target to make a game out of it, they're already 200 ahead now, so they'll maybe bat for a bit and set England 260/70 and give England a chase of around 4 rpo.

 

[Cabinet96]

Still remember Cook and Carberry's declaration bowling in Chittagong.

Tour Match: Bangladesh A v England XI at Chittagong, Mar 7-9, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's always tickled me Cook's bowling is called "right arm slow" on cricinfo. Not off-break, not leg-break, not medium; just slow.

Agree the side's looking a done deal too. Guess the only debate is whether Broad's ankle is up to being one of two seamers (well two and two-eighths counting Trott & Ravi).

Strauss*
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Bopara
Prior+
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

Finn for Broad if he's not up to snuff.

 

[Jacknife]

I don't know, calling it right arm slow is taking it a bit too far, right arm pure filth would be more in like it.

 

[Jacknife]

Still remember Cook and Carberry's declaration bowling in Chittagong.

Tour Match: Bangladesh A v England XI at Chittagong, Mar 7-9, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Nealy 200 runs in 9 overs, top declaration bowling that.

 

[Cabinet96]

Imagine being the two Bangladesh players who could claim they scored 91 off 30 balls and 66 of 16 balls against the touring England side.

 

[Furball]

Imagine being the two Bangladesh players who could claim they scored 91 off 30 balls and 66 of 16 balls against the touring England side.

That counts as Test standard bowling if you're Indian.

 

[Cabinet96]

Doubt anyone will be able to answer this, but has there been any sufficient reverse swing for the England bowlers in the tour matches?