***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[Prince EWS]

To be serious, Robert Key. If your going to give Ramps another go then why not Key. While your at it give Hick another chance as well. Dad's army eat your heart out.

Yeah, Key would surely be next cab off the rank an as opener, unless they consider moving Vaughan or Bell to be a serious option.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Theres no way they will drop Strauss after giving him a central contract just a month ago. Surely? If they don't, then id like to ask what has changed in that month considering Strauss hasn't played cricket during that time.

 

[GIMH]

No way Strauss should be there though, he's a walking wicket. I'd like to see him back in the side soon but he's too much of a liability at the moment and carrying him through the rough patch doesn't seem to be working (unless your of the opinion that his whole career is one big rough patch with some exceptions). Bell to open ftr.

I'm not of that opinion, but he does seem to be in an irreversible slump.

Bell opening has only been tried once in Tests; not sure Sri Lanka is the place to try such things out...then again it was India last time...

 

[Richard]

To be serious, Robert Key. If your going to give Ramps another go then why not Key. While your at it give Hick another chance as well. Dad's army eat your heart out.

Hick has no case any more, but seriously - much as I'd be ecstatic were Ramprakash to do a Graham Gooch (although that ["it shouldn't be forgotten that Graham Gooch was pushing 40 when he finally reached international fulfillment at the start of the 1990s"] is really no accurate analogy, Gooch was a fabulous batsman for 10 years before becoming an insanely good one for another 4 in 1990) I just can't see it TBH. And his fellows are all gone now: no more Butcher, Atherton, Hussain, Stewart and Thorpe.

And even if I could see it, as Tharmi says Robert Key has overwhelmingly the strongest case if someone is to replace Strauss (which I'd not be against the idea of). It simply has to be an opener (picking Vaughan or Bell to open would be something else that would sorely tempt me to go and bash down ECB doors), and Key has been scoring runs for fun for all bar one of the last seven seasons.

 

[wpdavid]

Hick has no case any more, but seriously - much as I'd be ecstatic were Ramprakash to do a Graham Gooch (although that ["it shouldn't be forgotten that Graham Gooch was pushing 40 when he finally reached international fulfillment at the start of the 1990s"] is really no accurate analogy, Gooch was a fabulous batsman for 10 years before becoming an insanely good one for another 4 in 1990) I just can't see it TBH. And his fellows are all gone now: no more Butcher, Atherton, Hussain, Stewart and Thorpe.

And even if I could see it, as Tharmi says Robert Key has overwhelmingly the strongest case if someone is to replace Strauss (which I'd not be against the idea of). It simply has to be an opener, and Key has been scoring runs for fun for all bar one of the last seven seasons.

Agreed on most counts, and certainly on the bottom line.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Speaking of ....

Saw Selvey's original article in today's Guardian over my lunchtime pint. (Linky.) Cricinfo seem to have appropriated fairly large chunks of it...

I personally wouldn't want to see us going back to the bad old "one bad match and you're out" ethos that ruled English cricket for too long before Big Dunc took charge, but equally I don't think a test spot should ever become a sinecure. Srauss has looked in poor nick since he filled his boots against the threadbare Pakistani attack in 2006. There's a good case to be made for saying to Strauss "Go away, work on your game and get your head right. You're part of our plans, but not for tis tour".

Never sure about a recall for a 38-year-old, but Ramps's stats over the past couple of years have been literally awesome. It appeals to the romantic in me to see the old contender called back for one last shot at the big time.

 

[JASON]

Congratulations England on a fine series win.

For Sri Lanka all the glory and Hype from reaching World Cup final has almost completely gone...And whether they can lift themselves in Australia from this seems an extreme improbability especially with the extremely fine form the Aussies are in... It all points to a difficult tour to Australia coming up...and if Murali cannot deliver ...SL will end up worse than Bangers and lose by Innings in the Tests in Australia...

 

[Nishan]

Congratulations England on a fine series win.

For Sri Lanka all the glory and Hype from reaching World Cup final has almost completely gone...And whether they can lift themselves in Australia from this seems an extreme improbability especially with the extremely fine form the Aussies are in... It all points to a difficult tour to Australia coming up...and if Murali cannot deliver ...SL will end up worse than Bangers and lose by Innings in the Tests in Australia...

Have to agree with you, all i hope for is the faster pitches will magically improve our batting, otherwise these could be 3 day games. well played England it has not been spectacluar but this year they won CB series and now this so this has to be one of the best years for english one day cricket(except the world cup).

 

[wpdavid]

KP's been telling it how it is regarding player burnout again. Which is all well & good - there is far too much international cricket, players are knackered, family lives are shredded and spectators are short-changed by having to watch players in said state of mind & body.

However, I wonder what his team-mates think of his observation that "certain players" need to be looked after more carefully. It does smack of "us superstars should be able to drop out of tours that don't appeal to us whilst the rest of the plebs can run themselves into the ground". Or am I being unfair to the lad?

 

[pup11]

Great series-win for England and it a special series win for them because its never easy to beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard and TBH England did it convincingly and if i am not wrong apart from Australia no other team has been able to beat Sri lanka in an Odi series in Sri lanka in the recent past.
Sri lanka

 

[Nishan]

Great series-win for England and it a special series win for them because its never easy to beat Sri Lanka in their own backyard and TBH England did it convincingly and if i am not wrong apart from Australia no other team has been able to beat Sri lanka in an Odi series in Sri lanka in the recent past.
Sri lanka

Unfortunalty no, last year SL lost to Pakistan at home so its becoming a bit of a habit, no longer a graveyard as a fan this is very disturbing trend.

 

[Richard]

KP's been telling it how it is regarding player burnout again. Which is all well & good - there is far too much international cricket, players are knackered, family lives are shredded and spectators are short-changed by having to watch players in said state of mind & body.

However, I wonder what his team-mates think of his observation that "certain players" need to be looked after more carefully. It does smack of "us superstars should be able to drop out of tours that don't appeal to us whilst the rest of the plebs can run themselves into the ground". Or am I being unfair to the lad?

Probably - no self-respecting England fan is allowed to be fair to KP really.

 

[Mermaidman]

just heard that Swann has a torn Hamstring.a feel gutted for the lad he is a good player.

 

[GIMH]

TBF, the series is won, and he should be fit for the Test series, where it seems he will be picked as second spinner, so it's not all bad

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Its only a minor one. 2 weeks and he should be back, plenty time before the tests.

 

[Shoggz]

....However, I wonder what his team-mates think of his observation that "certain players" need to be looked after more carefully. It does smack of "us superstars should be able to drop out of tours that don't appeal to us whilst the rest of the plebs can run themselves into the ground". Or am I being unfair to the lad?

I'm going to be fair to him and assume he's talking about the players who are in both the test and one day teams as opposed to 'superstars'

 

[Perm]

Monty getting his first game of the series, coming in for the injured Graeme Swann. I'd like to see him do well, even though he appears to be a useless ODI bowler.

Upul Tharanga has been dropped from the Sri Lankan side, so that means Dilruwan Perera get's a debut. Not sure where he will bat, usually in the top order for Sri Lanka A but I don't think he's international standard. We could see Sangakarra or Mubarak opening the batting while Perera down the order.

I'd desperately like to see Phil Mustard actually make some real runs, as opposed to quickfire twenties. Would also like to see the rest of England's ODI batting stand up, Bell had superb summer but has been woeful on this tour while Pietersen has been nowhere close to his usual standard. Also, I'm hoping Ravi Bopara plays a bigger role in this game and might get to send down a few overs.

 

[Perm]

Looks like Sri Lanka don't mind sending Perera out early, he's opening with Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka have been quite poor this series, Dilshan has been the only one to perform consistently with the bat while Vaas and Malinga, two of the supposed superstars, have gone missing on the bowling front.

 

[Nishan]

I dont understand why Dimithiri hasnt got a game here at his "home" country maybe he enjoyed himslef too much bit dissapointed for him.

 

[Perm]

Yeah, I would've thought that the Sri Lankan pitches would have suited his kind of bowling. Shame really, because he has been good so far in his ODI career.