***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[Prince EWS]

I don't care if that was out or not, Collingwood deserves to leave the field after playing that shot whilst on 2 with the match situation how it is. And from the captain no less!

 

[wpdavid]

And now Collingwood's failed again. Despite the recent successes, you have to reckon that our top 6 in this form of the game is weaker than most. Possibly weaker than all except Bangladesh from the test-playing countries. Not that it's obvious what can be done about it though.

 

[pasag]

KP gone, all over unless we see a Shah ton here.

 

[grecian]

Kp, "another silly shot for a silly game".

You have to give massive kudos to our bowlers for winning this series, as our batting has been ridiculously poor.

 

[Pratters]

What a ***y ball by Vaas. Pieterson left the leg stump completely exposed pre-meditating when the situation didn't really call for some thing of this kind.

 

[Jono]

Fernando been brilliant today.

 

[wpdavid]

Y'know, if Prior and Mustard really are England's best ODI options for the wicket keeping spot and they really do insist on having the keeper open, I'd almost rather Solanki do it. And given how little I rate Solanki as a batsman, and given how he's a part-time wicket keeper, that's a sad, sad state of affairs.

The sad thing is that we're so bereft of decent oneday openers even from those who don't keep wicket that you may even be right. I heard a lot worse solutions.

 

[Prince EWS]

What a ***y ball by Vaas. Pieterson left the leg stump completely exposed pre-meditating when the situation didn't really call for some thing of this kind.

Indeed. It was a dire shot from Pietersen but for Vaas to show such perfect control changing his delivery at the spur of the moment was sensational.

Shah out now as well.

 

[pasag]

Shah gone, was really hoping to see a good score here from him. Sigh.

 

[Pratters]

6 gone. Tumbling as England can.

 

[wpdavid]

Kp, "another silly shot for a silly game".

You have to give massive kudos to our bowlers for winning this series, as our batting has been ridiculously poor.

It was a quite ludicrous dismissal, and I feel I now owe Bangladesh a formal apology for my last post but one.

 

[wpdavid]

6 gone. Tumbling as England can.

And that's the point, isn't it. We know it's a dead rubber, and we know it's tough under the lights, but they just don't seem capable of engaging brains. OK, so Shah got a decent delivery there, but the rest of them just didn't seem interested. You'd have thought that professionals would understand that winning performances are a question of habit. But then you remember that we're discussing English "professionals" here.

 

[Jono]

There's something about England, where you always have a good chance of beating them, even if defending a low total in a ODI.

 

[Pratters]

And that's the point, isn't it. We know it's a dead rubber, and we know it's tough under the lights, but they just don't seem capable of engaging brains. OK, so Shah got a decent delivery there, but the rest of them just didn't seem interested. You'd have thought that professionals would understand that winning performances are a question of habit. But then you remember that we're discussing English "professionals" here.

7.

 

[pasag]

Broad gone, Fernando 5fer, can England make 100?

 

[grecian]

This performance is so dire, you feel it undoes practically all of the good before.

Ho-hum.

 

[pasag]

6 wickets for Fernando!

 

[wpdavid]

This performance is so dire, you feel it undoes practically all of the good before.

Ho-hum.

It certainly makes sure we don't make any sort of statement leading up to the test series. Well, not a positive one, anyway.

Speaking of which, do our boys fly home for a month or so now? I've only just realised the tests aren't until December, which is all very odd.

 

[grecian]

Broad gone, Fernando 5fer, can England make 100?

No

I can't believe it, its decent bowling, but nowt more, the pitch looks decent. They're missing straight ones

 

[Prince EWS]

And that's the point, isn't it. We know it's a dead rubber, and we know it's tough under the lights, but they just don't seem capable of engaging brains. OK, so Shah got a decent delivery there, but the rest of them just didn't seem interested. You'd have thought that professionals would understand that winning performances are a question of habit. But then you remember that we're discussing English "professionals" here.

Yeah, it's one thing to just get outdone by a good bowlign performance, but Sri Lanka haven't even bowled that well. Most of the England batsmen just gifted their wickets away. Collingwood and Pietersen - supposedly England's two best ODI batsmen - have been the worst of the lot.