Neil Pickup
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Why not Jayawardene? A bad World Cup doesn't make him a bad player!Richard said:
Not sure what's happened to Hettiarachchi, was pretty impressive last time around.
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*Official* England in Sri Lanka
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
Not sure what's happened to Hettiarachchi, was pretty impressive last time around.
LankanPrince
School Boy/Girl Captain
I am personally not looking foward to our boyz bowling to Flintoff. He seems to take a liking to smacking our less experienced seamers around. However reaching the feats which he did against Sri Lanka when he was in England in 2002 was one thing. Whether he will be able to cope with our spinners on favourable tracks especially SSC and Galle will be a big challenge. If he doesn't sort out his footwork against spin he will fail in Sri Lanka without question.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Flintoff's feats in England in 2002? What, when he got out to Charitha Buddhika Fernando for 12?
His other two dismissals were unlucky (caught short-leg off Murali when he didn't hit it and run-out by a deflection off Vaas from a Stewart drive) but he didn't smack anyone around at that time - except the third-string NZ bowlers.
Personally I'd say Flintoff's more likely to fail than succeed in the Sri Lankan Tests - Chaminda and Murali on form will be far too good for him - but nothing is set in stone.
His batting in India wasn't exactly flash.
His other two dismissals were unlucky (caught short-leg off Murali when he didn't hit it and run-out by a deflection off Vaas from a Stewart drive) but he didn't smack anyone around at that time - except the third-string NZ bowlers.
Personally I'd say Flintoff's more likely to fail than succeed in the Sri Lankan Tests - Chaminda and Murali on form will be far too good for him - but nothing is set in stone.
His batting in India wasn't exactly flash.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Possibly the same thing that happened to Rangana Herath and many other Pakistani and Sri Lankan spinners - a game or two, and not seen again. It can't just be poor selection, though.Neil Pickup said:
As for why not Jayawardene: no, a bad World Cup doesn't make him a bad player. 5 half-centuries in his last 50 innings (avg. 24) does! I never rated him as a one-day player, anyway - he wasn't a regular in ODIs until late 1999.
Legglancer
State Regular
A news Item From a Sri lanken Rag !
lucky Sri Lankans host in form England
Despite Sri Lanka starting
favourites for the one dayers, the
hosts will once again face England’s
might in the longer version of the
game. Coach John Dyson and
Captain Marvan Atapattu have
both admitted this fact
by Rex Clementine
The cricket loving public of the country
haven’t seen any cricket at all since the Bank Alfalah series that featured Sri
Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan five months ago. This eager await will end
when Sri Lanka hosts the English cricket team for a three match Test and ODI
series. Like in 2001, when Sri Lanka hosted England, this series too is sure to
create plenty of interest and competition.
While England won the Test series 2-1 last time after trailing 1-0, the Sri
Lankans made a clean sweep in the One-Dayers. England were captained by
Nasser Hussain while Sanath Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka. However, Hussain
was unavailable for the ODI series due to injury and Graham Thorpe had the
distinction of captaining England.
Unlike the last time, the ODIs will be played first followed by the Tests. The
English side that toured Sri Lanka in 2001 was full of experience. From the
side that toured in 2001 Michael Atherton, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough
have all retired while Graeme Hick, Andy Caddick and Robert Croft have
been omitted. However, speculation is rife that the English might reserve a
place for Croft aftear his recent impressive performances and also due to the
fact that the team lacks variety in the bowling department.
Although the Sri Lankan national selectors are yet to name the squad for the
Test series, expectations are that the players who formed the nucleaus of the
side in the last series are likely to get recognition. On paper, Sri Lanka looks a
formidable one and both the country’s coach John Dyson and captain Marvan
Atapattu have admitted this fact. However, the duo have maintained that the
series wouldn’t be an easy one and expect tough competition from the English
who have unearthed a few quality players in recent times.
Obviously the attention of everyone at the moment is on the big hitting Andrew
Flintoff. The Lancastrian has become a match winner for the English and is
turning out to be a class act. In the recently concluded ODI series in
Bangladesh, Flintoff was responsible in taking the game away from the home
team with his exploits with the bat. The Sri Lankans need to figure ways and
means of stopping the big man or else he will make things difficult for them.
The bowling department, in the absence of experienced campaigners, bowlers
like James Anderson and Steve Harmison have emerged and their
performances so far have been impressive. In the batting department, openers
Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan have performed impressively in
recent matches. However, the man who could cause havoc with the bat is
left-handed Graham Thorpe who had an excellent series against the Sri
Lankans in 2001. Thorpe was the match winner in 2001 and his handling
Muralitharan came for the praise of many.
Packing the side with quite a few left-handers could be England’s strategy to
handle Muralitharan-from whom the biggest threat could come the visitors
way. However, the Sri Lankan attack doesn’t comprise only of Muralitharan.
As visiting teams have found out in recent times, giving too much of
prominence to the off-spinner could go against them. International teams have
invited trouble by focusing their entire attention on Muralitharan, which has
resulted in Chaminda Vaas causing havoc and emerging as Sri Lanka’s match
winner.
Although paceman Dilhara Fernando and Prabath Nissanka have been
sidelined due to injury, the return of medium paceman Nuwan Zoysa adds
strength to the side. England can also expect a few surprises from Sri Lankan
bowlers of whom they haven’t heard before.
For the ODIs, Sri Lanka start favourites. The return of Russell Arnold adds
muscle to the Sri Lankan middle order, which has struggled to deliver the
goods during recent times. Sri Lanka has also recalled Chamara Silva. The
middle order consists of the experienced Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar
Sangakkara, T.M. Dilshan and wicketkeeper batsman Romesh
Kaluwitharana. Although the selectors had named Lanka de Silva as a
standbye for Kaluwitharana, after he pulled his hamstring, they have deleted
his name after Kaluwitharana’s recent performances at domestic matches. In
top of the order is skipper Marvan Atapattu along with dangerous Sanath
Jayasuriya.
Like Sri Lanka, England are also experiencing a rebuilding process and have
blooded in several young players for the One Day Internationals. Sri Lanka
are rich in experience too. When you put together the experience of Marvan
Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, both have a combination of over 500 One
Day Internationals. This experience can’t be matched even by the entire
English team. Like said before, Andrew Flintoff needs to continue his supreme
form for them to do well.
However, it’ll be hard for the Sri Lankans to beat the visitors in the longer
version of the game and they need to perform at their very best to do well.
The experience of Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe and Hoggard will be available for
the Tests and England should compete better as they’ve spent quite a while
experiencing sub-continent conditions in Bangladesh this winter.
The captaincy of the Sri Lankan side will change hands from Marvan Atapattu
to Hashan Tillakarathna during the Test matches. Tillakarathna, since making a
come back to Test cricket, has played admirably. He would also be keen to
score his first Test win as the captain of the national side. Tillakarathna’s first
assignment against New Zealand here in Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw and
they lost the next series in the Caribbean island. He wasn’t picked for the Test
side when England were here last time. So the captain himself has several
things to prove. The Test series will be an entertaining one as well and the
cricket loving public will be hoping that the matches go uninterrupted by the
inclement weather.
lucky Sri Lankans host in form England
Despite Sri Lanka starting
favourites for the one dayers, the
hosts will once again face England’s
might in the longer version of the
game. Coach John Dyson and
Captain Marvan Atapattu have
both admitted this fact
by Rex Clementine
The cricket loving public of the country
haven’t seen any cricket at all since the Bank Alfalah series that featured Sri
Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan five months ago. This eager await will end
when Sri Lanka hosts the English cricket team for a three match Test and ODI
series. Like in 2001, when Sri Lanka hosted England, this series too is sure to
create plenty of interest and competition.
While England won the Test series 2-1 last time after trailing 1-0, the Sri
Lankans made a clean sweep in the One-Dayers. England were captained by
Nasser Hussain while Sanath Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka. However, Hussain
was unavailable for the ODI series due to injury and Graham Thorpe had the
distinction of captaining England.
Unlike the last time, the ODIs will be played first followed by the Tests. The
English side that toured Sri Lanka in 2001 was full of experience. From the
side that toured in 2001 Michael Atherton, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough
have all retired while Graeme Hick, Andy Caddick and Robert Croft have
been omitted. However, speculation is rife that the English might reserve a
place for Croft aftear his recent impressive performances and also due to the
fact that the team lacks variety in the bowling department.
Although the Sri Lankan national selectors are yet to name the squad for the
Test series, expectations are that the players who formed the nucleaus of the
side in the last series are likely to get recognition. On paper, Sri Lanka looks a
formidable one and both the country’s coach John Dyson and captain Marvan
Atapattu have admitted this fact. However, the duo have maintained that the
series wouldn’t be an easy one and expect tough competition from the English
who have unearthed a few quality players in recent times.
Obviously the attention of everyone at the moment is on the big hitting Andrew
Flintoff. The Lancastrian has become a match winner for the English and is
turning out to be a class act. In the recently concluded ODI series in
Bangladesh, Flintoff was responsible in taking the game away from the home
team with his exploits with the bat. The Sri Lankans need to figure ways and
means of stopping the big man or else he will make things difficult for them.
The bowling department, in the absence of experienced campaigners, bowlers
like James Anderson and Steve Harmison have emerged and their
performances so far have been impressive. In the batting department, openers
Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan have performed impressively in
recent matches. However, the man who could cause havoc with the bat is
left-handed Graham Thorpe who had an excellent series against the Sri
Lankans in 2001. Thorpe was the match winner in 2001 and his handling
Muralitharan came for the praise of many.
Packing the side with quite a few left-handers could be England’s strategy to
handle Muralitharan-from whom the biggest threat could come the visitors
way. However, the Sri Lankan attack doesn’t comprise only of Muralitharan.
As visiting teams have found out in recent times, giving too much of
prominence to the off-spinner could go against them. International teams have
invited trouble by focusing their entire attention on Muralitharan, which has
resulted in Chaminda Vaas causing havoc and emerging as Sri Lanka’s match
winner.
Although paceman Dilhara Fernando and Prabath Nissanka have been
sidelined due to injury, the return of medium paceman Nuwan Zoysa adds
strength to the side. England can also expect a few surprises from Sri Lankan
bowlers of whom they haven’t heard before.
For the ODIs, Sri Lanka start favourites. The return of Russell Arnold adds
muscle to the Sri Lankan middle order, which has struggled to deliver the
goods during recent times. Sri Lanka has also recalled Chamara Silva. The
middle order consists of the experienced Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar
Sangakkara, T.M. Dilshan and wicketkeeper batsman Romesh
Kaluwitharana. Although the selectors had named Lanka de Silva as a
standbye for Kaluwitharana, after he pulled his hamstring, they have deleted
his name after Kaluwitharana’s recent performances at domestic matches. In
top of the order is skipper Marvan Atapattu along with dangerous Sanath
Jayasuriya.
Like Sri Lanka, England are also experiencing a rebuilding process and have
blooded in several young players for the One Day Internationals. Sri Lanka
are rich in experience too. When you put together the experience of Marvan
Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, both have a combination of over 500 One
Day Internationals. This experience can’t be matched even by the entire
English team. Like said before, Andrew Flintoff needs to continue his supreme
form for them to do well.
However, it’ll be hard for the Sri Lankans to beat the visitors in the longer
version of the game and they need to perform at their very best to do well.
The experience of Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe and Hoggard will be available for
the Tests and England should compete better as they’ve spent quite a while
experiencing sub-continent conditions in Bangladesh this winter.
The captaincy of the Sri Lankan side will change hands from Marvan Atapattu
to Hashan Tillakarathna during the Test matches. Tillakarathna, since making a
come back to Test cricket, has played admirably. He would also be keen to
score his first Test win as the captain of the national side. Tillakarathna’s first
assignment against New Zealand here in Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw and
they lost the next series in the Caribbean island. He wasn’t picked for the Test
side when England were here last time. So the captain himself has several
things to prove. The Test series will be an entertaining one as well and the
cricket loving public will be hoping that the matches go uninterrupted by the
inclement weather.
Last edited:
Legglancer
State Regular
It Seems that Murali is really talking it up ! I think he is a little too overcofident !
Murali lays down an early marker
David Hopps in Colombo
Friday November 14, 2003
The Guardian
England arrived in Sri Lanka last night to threats of retribution,
but before that brings further panic-stricken calls for increases in
security it should be added that the noises came from a familiar
source - it was only Murali
talking mischievously of
wreaking havoc in the Test
and one-day series.
For those still under the
misapprehension that Sri
Lanka is in a state of
unrest (what unrest there is
remains limited to political
power struggles), it should
be underlined that England
have actually downgraded
security in comparison with
their recent tours.
There are no special enforcers from Olive Security, as there
were for this year's World Cup in South Africa and the last tour
of India, and neither are there any plans to fly in Keanu Reeves -
although the entire England squad would be beside themselves
with joy if someone merely flew in a batch of his sunglasses.
That left Muttiah Muralitharan, with calculated scampishness, to
satisfy media longings for him to predict revenge after England
won 2-1 in Sri Lanka two years ago. He churns out these
comments on cue because he knows they might get him a
greenhorn wicket or two - a Rikki Clarke or a Chris Read
perhaps - to add to the 459 victims he has claimed in his 82
Tests.
"I am playing really well at the moment," he said, "and this time
I'm prepared for anything. Last time England played well, but my
time will come again. I will do the damage."
That was unlikely to overly concern Duncan Fletcher as the
Silver Fox, a bit grey around the gills after a bout of illness in
Bangladesh, arrived with England at Katunayake airport last
night. He knows that Murali's strike rate against England has
fallen more than 60% since he became the England coach -
from 60 balls per wicket to something approaching 100.
As a Zimbabwean he also knows a proper security crisis when
he sees one and he is not about to overreact to the political
impasse in the Sri Lankan peace process. Mark Hodgson, the
England and Wales Cricket Board's media officer, was left to
hold discussions over security arrangements with his opposite
number on the Sri Lankan board, Ray Illangakoon, in advance of
England's arrival, and normal security levels will remain.
"The safety of England's players always remains paramount,"
Hodgson said, "but after preliminary chats we are satisfied that
normal arrangements are perfectly adequate. Security matters,
obviously, but it is not our most pressing priority."
That priority is more likely to be to pin down arrangements for
Tuesday's first one-day international in Dambulla. England were
taken aback to be informed only a few days ago that the town is
about to stage its first day-night international but, because the
floodlights will not be tested in match conditions until tomorrow,
that still cannot be predicted with any certainty.
England face a Sri Lanka A side in a 50-overs day match in
Moratuwa tomorrow, but Sri Lanka will be practising under the
Dambulla lights, against a Sri Lankan Invitation XI. If England are
not already pressing to switch their warm-up match toColombo,
and under lights, they should be, and it would be no surprise to
find Fletcher making the point forcibly today.
Dambulla has made quite an entrance as Sri Lanka's newest
international ground. Its logic is overwhelming - a ground in the
cultural-triangle arid zone, able to stage matches throughout the
year. The moment that its chief advocate, Thilanga Sumathipala,
was re-elected as the board's chief executive, its continued
status was assured.
England faced Sri Lanka in Dambulla's inaugural one-day
international two years ago and as Lord MacLaurin, then
chairman of the ECB, extolled the new stadium, the fact was
that the podium he stood on to practise his shoddy diplomacy
was about the safest part of the ground.
Had a stand roof collapsed half an hour later, several England
supporters could have been injured. One main staircase in the
grandstand ended 20 feet above the ground, as if it was intended
as a diving board to the puddle below. The electrics were scary,
especially when water ran from air-conditioning systems on to
the plugs. In England, the lawyers would have made a fortune.
This time Dambulla, one of the largest playing arenas in world
cricket, promises eight floodlight towers, but there are no official
figures on light intensity. That Clive Lloyd, the match referee,
was expected to travel from Colombo to Dambulla only on
Sunday, and not to monitor tomorrow's match, is close to an
abdication of responsibility on the part of the ICC.
When it comes to analysing Sri Lanka's safety, England have
acted as if they are afraid of the dark. In Dambulla on Tuesday
there may be ample justification
Murali lays down an early marker
David Hopps in Colombo
Friday November 14, 2003
The Guardian
England arrived in Sri Lanka last night to threats of retribution,
but before that brings further panic-stricken calls for increases in
security it should be added that the noises came from a familiar
source - it was only Murali
talking mischievously of
wreaking havoc in the Test
and one-day series.
For those still under the
misapprehension that Sri
Lanka is in a state of
unrest (what unrest there is
remains limited to political
power struggles), it should
be underlined that England
have actually downgraded
security in comparison with
their recent tours.
There are no special enforcers from Olive Security, as there
were for this year's World Cup in South Africa and the last tour
of India, and neither are there any plans to fly in Keanu Reeves -
although the entire England squad would be beside themselves
with joy if someone merely flew in a batch of his sunglasses.
That left Muttiah Muralitharan, with calculated scampishness, to
satisfy media longings for him to predict revenge after England
won 2-1 in Sri Lanka two years ago. He churns out these
comments on cue because he knows they might get him a
greenhorn wicket or two - a Rikki Clarke or a Chris Read
perhaps - to add to the 459 victims he has claimed in his 82
Tests.
"I am playing really well at the moment," he said, "and this time
I'm prepared for anything. Last time England played well, but my
time will come again. I will do the damage."
That was unlikely to overly concern Duncan Fletcher as the
Silver Fox, a bit grey around the gills after a bout of illness in
Bangladesh, arrived with England at Katunayake airport last
night. He knows that Murali's strike rate against England has
fallen more than 60% since he became the England coach -
from 60 balls per wicket to something approaching 100.
As a Zimbabwean he also knows a proper security crisis when
he sees one and he is not about to overreact to the political
impasse in the Sri Lankan peace process. Mark Hodgson, the
England and Wales Cricket Board's media officer, was left to
hold discussions over security arrangements with his opposite
number on the Sri Lankan board, Ray Illangakoon, in advance of
England's arrival, and normal security levels will remain.
"The safety of England's players always remains paramount,"
Hodgson said, "but after preliminary chats we are satisfied that
normal arrangements are perfectly adequate. Security matters,
obviously, but it is not our most pressing priority."
That priority is more likely to be to pin down arrangements for
Tuesday's first one-day international in Dambulla. England were
taken aback to be informed only a few days ago that the town is
about to stage its first day-night international but, because the
floodlights will not be tested in match conditions until tomorrow,
that still cannot be predicted with any certainty.
England face a Sri Lanka A side in a 50-overs day match in
Moratuwa tomorrow, but Sri Lanka will be practising under the
Dambulla lights, against a Sri Lankan Invitation XI. If England are
not already pressing to switch their warm-up match toColombo,
and under lights, they should be, and it would be no surprise to
find Fletcher making the point forcibly today.
Dambulla has made quite an entrance as Sri Lanka's newest
international ground. Its logic is overwhelming - a ground in the
cultural-triangle arid zone, able to stage matches throughout the
year. The moment that its chief advocate, Thilanga Sumathipala,
was re-elected as the board's chief executive, its continued
status was assured.
England faced Sri Lanka in Dambulla's inaugural one-day
international two years ago and as Lord MacLaurin, then
chairman of the ECB, extolled the new stadium, the fact was
that the podium he stood on to practise his shoddy diplomacy
was about the safest part of the ground.
Had a stand roof collapsed half an hour later, several England
supporters could have been injured. One main staircase in the
grandstand ended 20 feet above the ground, as if it was intended
as a diving board to the puddle below. The electrics were scary,
especially when water ran from air-conditioning systems on to
the plugs. In England, the lawyers would have made a fortune.
This time Dambulla, one of the largest playing arenas in world
cricket, promises eight floodlight towers, but there are no official
figures on light intensity. That Clive Lloyd, the match referee,
was expected to travel from Colombo to Dambulla only on
Sunday, and not to monitor tomorrow's match, is close to an
abdication of responsibility on the part of the ICC.
When it comes to analysing Sri Lanka's safety, England have
acted as if they are afraid of the dark. In Dambulla on Tuesday
there may be ample justification
Last edited:
The ball was moving around all over the place but some English batsman played some dreadful shots(Trescothick and Clarke). Under the lights I wouldn;t have fancied have chasing 160 if England played anything like and yet they batted as if they needed to score more than that. A patient approach was the way to go and Collingwood had the right idea.Have to say though credit to Sri Lanka, very good bowling and brilliant fielding, Reid and Blackwell very unlucky to be caught by absolute blinders.
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
Let's say good bowling, bad batting and good fielding contributed to England's demise.
Now SL are at the crease, the converse appears to be true.
Now SL are at the crease, the converse appears to be true.
Gaijin-san
Banned
A fine performance from mighty England.
Neil Pickup
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Dammit, the whole game is entirely Flintoff's fault. Not occur to you that people don't succeed every week?Craig said:
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
I was just going to say Craig mustn't be too hasty.
This is simply a poor game for Flintoff. Not yet does it cancel-out the previous 15 games or so, but it shows what can be done.
I still say a poor tour (especially with the bat) is more likely than not, but one game doesn't make a massive difference by itself.
This Rangiri surface wasn't as bad as it was last time (didn't see BankAlfalah so I'm just guessing it was not much better than The First ODI of 3 years ago) but clearly Sri Lanka bowled far, far better than England. That tends to happen when you're defending a small score. Bowlers try to bowl differently and bowl poorly. There was nothing too bad about the surface; very few balls bounced irregularly. It was just slow and seaming; perfectly acceptible. Two equal sides will usually make a thrilling game on this type of surface; 180 plays 180 or so.
This is simply a poor game for Flintoff. Not yet does it cancel-out the previous 15 games or so, but it shows what can be done.
I still say a poor tour (especially with the bat) is more likely than not, but one game doesn't make a massive difference by itself.
This Rangiri surface wasn't as bad as it was last time (didn't see BankAlfalah so I'm just guessing it was not much better than The First ODI of 3 years ago) but clearly Sri Lanka bowled far, far better than England. That tends to happen when you're defending a small score. Bowlers try to bowl differently and bowl poorly. There was nothing too bad about the surface; very few balls bounced irregularly. It was just slow and seaming; perfectly acceptible. Two equal sides will usually make a thrilling game on this type of surface; 180 plays 180 or so.
The trouble with batting is that one ball is all it takes for a dismissal. Flintoff misjudged(or didn't pick) a well bowled slower ball and it went straight down covers throat. He hasn;t become a bad batsman overnight, to suggest he has would more than a little hasty.
Although England bowled very badly, I dont think there was any real chance of them winning. The bowlers had given up and given such a low total, the SL openers just swung away with no pressure, it was almost like a glorified net session. I maintain that if England had posted 160+ we might very well have had a game.England haven't suddenly become a very bad team overnight, but it was a bad defeat. Lets hope its the last of the series
Although England bowled very badly, I dont think there was any real chance of them winning. The bowlers had given up and given such a low total, the SL openers just swung away with no pressure, it was almost like a glorified net session. I maintain that if England had posted 160+ we might very well have had a game.England haven't suddenly become a very bad team overnight, but it was a bad defeat. Lets hope its the last of the series
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
Gilchrist's not the player he was - only got 7 today.Craig said:
Stupid statement?
About the same as yours.