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

[grecian]

Other than him scoring at a Rootian rate, Lawrence was never going to keep his place as an opener, and he’s down the pecking order for a place in the middle order too, on a hiding to nothing really. Crawley will come back in at some point (is he on course to play in Pakistan?) and we won’t be any worse off, but I do feel for him a bit. Without wanting to get ahead of ourselves, I think Smith will go up the order in the not too distant future and will give up the gloves (we have a number of viable alternatives!). Potts is bowling much quicker than he was (he used to be Woakes pace and now he’s up around the pace of Atkinson and Stone), which will help him! I wouldn’t be opposed to him going abroad, though I hope it’s not because Stokes isn’t fit! It’s hard for Bashir against a decent batting lineup who grew up eating spin for breakfast, on pretty unhelpful surfaces. Hard to know exactly how to develop him, but I think he’s doing fine for now

Really was he?I mean I may see things from a James Hildreth Haze (good cider btw available in Taunton) but he had every chance to score a 100, against a mid attack, as he did in his previous 12 matche.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Really was he?I mean I may see things from a James Hildreth Haze (good cider btw available in Taunton) but he had every chance to score a 100, against a mid attack, as he did in his previous 12 matche.

Not saying he’s the second coming or anything, in fact you can say he’s lucky to be in the team in the first place, but tons are hard to come by at the top of the order here possibly more than anywhere. Unless he turns it around massively next week, you wouldn’t imagine he’ll have a future in the England team with the players we’ve got coming through (genuinely, his best shot is probably another injury to one of the top 3, our current next best openers are unlikely to get a look-in and there are some promising ones out there that probably won’t be ready for a few years yet) but I think it’s hard not to feel a tad sorry for him toiling away in a position he doesn’t often bat in domestically

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I don't think the belief was there.
To look at that Lords pitch and decide to bowl on day one was such a timid move, we only performed well when we were playing catch up cricket instead of forcing the issue when the game was in the balance, so England fully deserve the win.

Thought you guys could take a lot out of the Old Trafford Test, I thought with Wood out and with you having had that game to acclimatise further, you’d push us again, but yeah, I think Dhananjaya was hoping more than anything that wickets would fall into your hands and didn’t think about what you could have actively done to push the game in your favour

 

[FBU]

Drops....
Wood - Root
Atkinson - Stokes
Wood - Pope
Woakes - Stokes
Wood - Brook
Stokes - Crawley
Potts - Root
Potts - Atkinson
Woakes - Smith
Stone - Root
Atkinson - Root
Atkinson - Root
Atkinson - Lawrence

Pope
8 reviews 0 correct

 

[wpdavid]

This seems as good a place as any to suggest that the selectors might just have called it right with Anderson after all. Without that call, Atkinson doesn't play all 5 tests to date and we don't have another look at Potts at this level. And we've won five out of five, of course. Unless people genuinely think that Anderson was a viable pick for next year's Ashes, which I don't.

 

[wpdavid]

Pope
8 reviews 0 correct

Indeed. Although his use of bowlers and field settings were pretty good. Still needs to score some runs though.

 

[Howe_zat]

Indeed. Although his use of bowlers and field settings were pretty good. Still needs to score some runs though.

Yeah I think the DRS thing has only been mentioned as much as it has (eg in Pope's TMS interview) because it's been a bit of a meme.

I'm pretty sure you can find a run of two tests without a successful overturn from all four previous captains with the option, and having 3 per innings incentivises using them quite liberally anyway.

 

[Chin Music]

Thought you guys could take a lot out of the Old Trafford Test, I thought with Wood out and with you having had that game to acclimatise further, you’d push us again, but yeah, I think Dhananjaya was hoping more than anything that wickets would fall into your hands and didn’t think about what you could have actively done to push the game in your favour

I am not disagreeing that Sri Lanka should have batted, but they did have England 220odd for 6. If they had knocked over the last 4 for less than 80, i.e. around 300 they would have been at least on a reasonably even footing. It was a bit of a wasted opportunity. For all that their bowling plans to each player looked really good and proactive, they messed up near the end of day 1 and it cost them big style. The capitulation from their batting first innings was also so poor. No way was that a 200 all out pitch.

 

[Yeoman]

This seems as good a place as any to suggest that the selectors might just have called it right with Anderson after all. Without that call, Atkinson doesn't play all 5 tests to date and we don't have another look at Potts at this level. And we've won five out of five, of course. Unless people genuinely think that Anderson was a viable pick for next year's Ashes, which I don't.

I don’t disagree that the timing was probably right, it just seemed odd to give him a one-test ‘victory lap’ at the start of the summer. Perhaps would have been better to have kept him as an option throughout the summer (doubt he would have played all of the tests anyway given the schedule) and then a send off at the Oval with the series secure which would have seemed more fitting

 

[wpdavid]

I don’t disagree that the timing was probably right, it just seemed odd to give him a one-test ‘victory lap’ at the start of the summer. Perhaps would have been better to have kept him as an option throughout the summer (doubt he would have played all of the tests anyway given the schedule) and then a send off at the Oval with the series secure which would have seemed more fitting

Although we wouldn't have known in advance that the series would have been secure before the Oval test. And then they'd have to decide whether to play him if he'd been ineffectual in the earlier tests. But I appreciate that there's an element of personal preference here, and I rather liked the approach they that chose.

 

[Bahseph]

Serious question, what is wrong with Michael Vaughn?

 

[Molehill]

Serious question, what is wrong with Michael Vaughn?

He was about the only 'expert' I heard during this Match who would've enforced the follow on. The Sky boys were all in total agreement to bat again, especially Broad who brings a nice new perspective.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I am not disagreeing that Sri Lanka should have batted, but they did have England 220odd for 6. If they had knocked over the last 4 for less than 80, i.e. around 300 they would have been at least on a reasonably even footing. It was a bit of a wasted opportunity. For all that their bowling plans to each player looked really good and proactive, they messed up near the end of day 1 and it cost them big style. The capitulation from their batting first innings was also so poor. No way was that a 200 all out pitch.

England rather threw their wickets away, I think they were kind of hoping that they’d continue to do that, but Root can always take you from danger into calmer waters like he did, especially when the pitch and conditions were as good as you’ll ever see here! Sri Lanka really need another seamer, we’ve lost a bit of balance with Stokes’ injury, but at least we’ve got Woakes and Atkinson who can bat at 7 and 8, Sri Lanka could do with a player in their top 7 who can bowl seam like Mathews of yesteryear

 

[Chin Music]

England rather threw their wickets away, I think they were kind of hoping that they’d continue to do that, but Root can always take you from danger into calmer waters like he did, especially when the pitch and conditions were as good as you’ll ever see here! Sri Lanka really need another seamer, we’ve lost a bit of balance with Stokes’ injury, but at least we’ve got Woakes and Atkinson who can bat at 7 and 8, Sri Lanka could do with a player in their top 7 who can bowl seam like Mathews of yesteryear

Apart from Asitha though, I thought their first choice bowling was pretty lame. Kumara started well but seemed to not be very match fit, he faded badly towards the end of the 1st day. Rathnayake didn't really look a consistent threat. I don't know what their pool of bowlers is like apart from that, but they are essentially one strong seamer short at the very least.

 

[Bahseph]

He was about the only 'expert' I heard during this Match who would've enforced the follow on. The Sky boys were all in total agreement to bat again, especially Broad who brings a nice new perspective.

I meant more about his attacks on Pope.

 

[Molehill]

I meant more about his attacks on Pope.

I have less of an issue with this. Pope's batting has always been frenetic at the start and he's not exactly nailed down his spot to make him undroppable and therefore captaincy material. Although, there wasn't actually much fault with the way he led the team.

 

[Howe_zat]

I have less of an issue with this. Pope's batting has always been frenetic at the start and he's not exactly nailed down his spot to make him undroppable and therefore captaincy material. Although, there wasn't actually much fault with the way he led the team.

Vaughan decided to make a personal attack though, because he's a prick

 

[chris.hinton]

Would like England to make a few chances and give some fringe players a chance. Bowl more Olly Stone too

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Apart from Asitha though, I thought their first choice bowling was pretty lame. Kumara started well but seemed to not be very match fit, he faded badly towards the end of the 1st day. Rathnayake didn't really look a consistent threat. I don't know what their pool of bowlers is like apart from that, but they are essentially one strong seamer short at the very least.

If Kumara isn’t fit to bowl the amount he did, he can’t be in the team, he more than anyone needs to be part of seam quartet, but yeah, apart from Asitha Fernando, they’ve all looked a bit innocuous, especially as they tired. Rathnayake can score runs, which has proved useful this tour as none of the other frontline bowlers can, but he’s a classic number 8, it’s not as if his batting is so good that you can bat him up the order and get another bowler in (and even if you could, the bowlers available to the Test team aren’t threatening enough at the top level anyway). Seems a lot of their bowling talent gets scooped up by various franchises across the world

 

[quincywagstaff]

I don't think the belief was there.
To look at that Lords pitch and decide to bowl on day one was such a timid move, we only performed well when we were playing catch up cricket instead of forcing the issue when the game was in the balance, so England fully deserve the win.

I watched a fair bit of this match and largely agree. It just felt like Sri Lanka wanted to put in a 'respectable' performance and didn't believe they could win.

And the best way to do that is to bowl first so (with the follow-on out of favour) you'll avoid an innings defeat and as long you show some fight at stages, you'll probably get a pass from a lot of people because you were a bit better than the West Indies were.