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

[Silver Silva]

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.

100% agree

 

[grecian]

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.

Atkinson played in the first match with Jimmeh, and Potts v Anderson is a no-brainer for me, and if you think he or Woakes will terrorize Oz, then well, I've got some magic beans to sell you.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Atkinson played in the first match with Jimmeh, and Potts v Anderson is a no-brainer for me, and if you think he or Woakes will terrorize Oz, then well, I've got some magic beans to sell you.

Oooh, I love magic beans!

How many do you have?

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

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.

We needed to move on from Jimmy at some point, clearly he was never going to go to Australia and clearly this summer we’ve been absolutely fine without him, my one slight worry is if we go to Pakistan again and the newbies are struggling and we don’t have Jimmy to turn to

 

[grecian]

Oooh, I love magic beans!

How many do you have?

It's actually an odd thing to say, as with the magic beans Jack eventually made his fortune, so maybe I should keep 'em for myself,

On the Anderson thing though, I guess if you thought it was the right decision, you still feel it is, and there's no real reason to think it's the right decision yet. Atkinson is a huge find, but he could have been found before. Stone is a replacement for Wood, they're not both going to play.

 

[grecian]

We needed to move on from Jimmy at some point, clearly he was never going to go to Australia and clearly this summer we’ve been absolutely fine without him, my one slight worry is if we go to Pakistan again and the newbies are struggling and we don’t have Jimmy to turn to

Well we have to move on from everyone at one time, you don't when they're one of the best performers, as he still was in his final Test.

 

[mackembhoy]

Serious question, what is wrong with Michael Vaughn?

He's been a complete and utter **** for a good 10+ years now.

Not sure why the BBC continued to employ him after he was racist about Moeen Ali. How he's still there 8 years later is just embarrassing.

 

[kevinw]

We needed to move on from Jimmy at some point, clearly he was never going to go to Australia and clearly this summer we’ve been absolutely fine without him, my one slight worry is if we go to Pakistan again and the newbies are struggling and we don’t have Jimmy to turn to

TBF, Bangladesh's average pace bowlers did OK.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

TBF, Bangladesh's average pace bowlers did OK.

Not half! Worrying signs for Pakistan before their games against us, although I saw the Rawalpindi pitch looked rather green (I know they are struggling in the spin department but I’d imagine they’ll try to produce some turners for us) in the second Test and they were going along rather swimmingly in the first Test before the declaration. Still, it’s another challenge for them, none of the four seamers who played at Lord’s were there for the Test series two years ago

 

[GIMH]

Hull in for Potts

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Hull in for Potts

Ideal time to look at him.

 

[Howe_zat]

I'll be happy if he doesn't get Kerrigan'd.

I saw Hull in a T20 game for Leics against Notts and he was genuinely really good, so he makes sense for an experimental white ball side on the eye test. Under that basis a dead rubber test at the tail end of the summer doesn't seem too crazy either, but it does worry me that suddenly having a whole bunch of international cricket on his plate could do him more harm than good.

 

[Chin Music]

I think Potts has largely been quite good over the last couple of games, the first innings on the first test notwithstanding. I've actually quite liked the selectors looking more at the potential of bowlers, i.e. the potential skill set they have, but Hull would appear to carry more risk as a selection. Where I have more issue is with the batting replacement. There needs to be greater heed in the future given to who is more capable of playing at the top of the order. Lawrence never really looked like a good selection at opener.

 

[FBU]

I think Potts has largely been quite good over the last couple of games, the first innings on the first test notwithstanding. I've actually quite liked the selectors looking more at the potential of bowlers, i.e. the potential skill set they have, but Hull would appear to carry more risk as a selection. Where I have more issue is with the batting replacement. There needs to be greater heed in the future given to who is more capable of playing at the top of the order. Lawrence never really looked like a good selection at opener.

They could have tried Cox opening.

Hull would create rough for Bashir.

 

[Chin Music]

They could have tried Cox opening.

Hull would create rough for Bashir.

Can't say I've seen anything of Jordan Cox to know about if he would be good for an opener. I'm guessing that as of the present, they simply haven't found anyone in the system who is a particularly good fit to be a test match opener in the way Stokes and McCullum would like.

 

[Molehill]

Can't say I've seen anything of Jordan Cox to know about if he would be good for an opener. I'm guessing that as of the present, they simply haven't found anyone in the system who is a particularly good fit to be a test match opener in the way Stokes and McCullum would like.

Assuming that they're looking for a right handed, quick scoring opener, there really isn't anyone sticking their hand up in County Cricket at the mo. It's noticeable how Crawley and Duckett are very much in the high SR's of Div 1.

 

[danzydab]

very harsh on potts

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Ideal time to look at him.

Quite surprised by this, I thought if they kept an unchanged side for the final Windies Test, they’d do the same for Sri Lanka, especially given that the most ‘vulnerable’ player in the side (Atkinson has played all 5 Tests this summer) is at home, but hey, if there is a time to try Hull, it’s now. If they are experimenting now, it’s yet another sign that England aren’t taking the WTC as seriously as they could be, but that’s not news at this stage, and we’ll be favourites to beat Sri Lanka anyway

 

[Molehill]

Quite surprised by this, I thought if they kept an unchanged side for the final Windies Test, they’d do the same for Sri Lanka, especially given that the most ‘vulnerable’ player in the side (Atkinson has played all 5 Tests this summer) is at home, but hey, if there is a time to try Hull, it’s now. If they are experimenting now, it’s yet another sign that England aren’t taking the WTC as seriously as they could be, but that’s not news at this stage, and we’ll be favourites to beat Sri Lanka anyway

It's probably Ashes related with the fact Aus have generally done quite well at home with tall, left handed seamers.

Potts is not an obvious bowler for an away Ashes.

 

[govinda indian fan]

It's probably Ashes related with the fact Aus have generally done quite well at home with tall, left handed seamers.

Potts is not an obvious bowler for an away Ashes.

Why potts is tall hit the deck bowler who can be very useful in Australia