***Official*** England vs Sri Lanka 21st August-10th September 2024

[Molehill]

Manchester cost us the Ashes last year and looks like this could be another rain affected draw. Time to ditch all Northern Test grounds, seems the only legitimate move.

 

[Silver Silva]

I was lucky enough to be at Headingley on Day 4. Matthews was obviously imperious but also Prasad wrecked our entire top order in the evening session. Great day of cricket though rough from an England fan POV!

Mathews had a phenomenal year in 2014,

1160 test runs @77.33
1244 ODI runs @62.80
Won the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka

 

[mackembhoy]

Manchester cost us the Ashes last year and looks like this could be another rain affected draw. Time to ditch all Northern Test grounds, seems the only legitimate move.

We've won all 6 test matches played at CLS. Play an entire series there IMO

In the last 14 years our worst ground for win/loss ratio are The Oval and Lords personally think we should stop playing at either of them

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Down with London I say, far too accommodating for Australia, India, South Africa and Pakistan.

 

[Molehill]

We've won all 6 test matches played at CLS. Play an entire series there IMO

In the last 14 years our worst ground for win/loss ratio are The Oval and Lords personally think we should stop playing at either of them

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Down with London I say, far too accommodating for Australia, India, South Africa and Pakistan.

I think the problem was more that Northern Cricketers don't do well in London (eg Bairstow at Lord's). Getting rid of some of them should help, but replacing Stokes with Potts was a huge opportunity missed!!

 

[Silver Silva]

I think the problem was more that Northern Cricketers don't do well in London (eg Bairstow at Lord's). Getting rid of some of them should help, but replacing Stokes with Potts was a huge opportunity missed!!

Don't you think you're being divisive for no reason?

 

[kevinw]

Manchester cost us the Ashes last year and looks like this could be another rain affected draw. Time to ditch all Northern Test grounds, seems the only legitimate move.

Needing two wickets with 60 to defend at Birmingham didn't help.

 

[Molehill]

Needing two wickets with 60 to defend at Birmingham didn't help.

Arguably, too Northern a ground to be playing an Ashes Test at......although to prevent angering our newest MOD, the issue was probably more lack of Woakes.

 

[mackembhoy]

Don't you think you're being divisive for no reason?

I mean he's not being serious and neither am I

Although I do genuinely think screw the history and stop giving London 2 tests every summer.

When they generally prepare wickets that suit the opposition so they can rake in the money.

 

[Molehill]

I mean he's not being serious and neither am I

Although I do genuinely think screw the history and stop giving London 2 tests every summer.

When they generally prepare wickets that suit the opposition so they can rake in the money.

It can sometimes be 3 if Lord's hosts two tourists and Oval gets another one. You could add in the complete lack of atmosphere at one of them too.

I used to go to Lord's 3 or 4 times a year, haven't been since the Women's World Cup Final in 2017, it's cheaper to buy a ticket elsewhere (eg TB, Edgbaston, Cardiff etc) and stay in a hotel.....plus you get a decent crowd in.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

 

[wpdavid]

I mean he's not being serious and neither am I

Although I do genuinely think screw the history and stop giving London 2 tests every summer.

When they generally prepare wickets that suit the opposition so they can rake in the money.

I was strongly of that view after the summers of 2015 and 2016. But our results in London improved thereafter tbf.

 

[Bahseph]

View attachment 41374

I'm surprised that they left Rajitha out. Good seamer.

 

[Silver Silva]

View attachment 41374

Kamindu Mendis batting at no.7 is a big flex with a FC avg of 60+ and test average of 100 +

 

[Molehill]

Kamindu Mendis batting at no.7 is a big flex with a FC avg of 60+ and test average of 100 +

Might be a bit different batting on a damp, cloudy day in Manchester.

Having looked at the forecast, I'm not sure why we've got Bashir in the team, should swap him for Cox.

 

[mackembhoy]

I was strongly of that view after the summers of 2015 and 2016. But our results in London improved thereafter tbf.

We're still bad at Lords, but yes Oval been one of our best grounds.

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

I mean we could play tests at Durham and win but since the summer of 2016, Colin Graves led ECB did his level best to kill Durham.

Now we have zero intention of ever bidding for tests matches. So 6 wins out of 6 will forever remain the record there.

 

[wpdavid]

We're still bad at Lords, but yes Oval been one of our best grounds.

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Interesting to note the decline in results at Edgbaston, which used to be one of our best grounds.

At Headingley seems to have improved lately. For a while we were either very good there or very poor, or poor but fluked it, with very little middle ground.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

We're still bad at Lords, but yes Oval been one of our best grounds.

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

I mean we could play tests at Durham and win but since the summer of 2016, Colin Graves led ECB did his level best to kill Durham.

Now we have zero intention of ever bidding for tests matches. So 6 wins out of 6 will forever remain the record there.

Between 1896 and 2009 we won one Test match at Lord’s against Australia, and we’ve hardly been racking up the wins there since!

 

[chris.hinton]

No need for all the bravado for this. As everyone knows its going to be easy for England

 

[Silver Silva]

No need for all the bravado for this. As everyone knows its going to be easy for England

We will try our best to be competitive, Test cricket in England is magical ✨️, great facilities

 

[mackembhoy]

Sri Lanka win toss and bat

TMS reckon England would have chosen to bowl