***Official*** Sri Lanka in England and Ireland 2014

[Maximas]

This tour will be starting very soon with the Ireland ODIs starting in about a week. A big tour for Sri Lanka, a chance for them to take advantage of what could be a rather weak English side with Sangakarra in the form of his life and the fast bowlers showing a bit of promise earlier in the year. However, in early season English conditions the English bowlers will be a large threat to the success of the Sri Lankans while their spin bowling trump card in Herath will be nullified to an extent.

Simply being able to win a test match in this series will be like a win for the Sri Lankans, while the English will probably be looking for a strong 2-0 result to get themselves back into gear before India arrive for 5 tests. Of course the ODIs don't lack relevance either, Sri Lanka will be looking to fine-tune their combinations after steady planning over the last 2 years for the WC early next year, England will be looking to find some ODI form as well. And Ireland will hope to win another ODI against a test nation, particularly a high ranked side like Sri Lanka.

Fixtures

May
6 1st ODI: Ireland v Sri Lanka, Dublin (10:45 BST)
8 2nd ODI: Ireland v Sri Lanka, Dublin (10:45 BST)
9 ODI: Scotland v England, Mannofield (10:45 BST)
13 v Essex, Chelmsford (50 overs, d/n) (14:00 BST)
16 v Kent, Canterbury (50 overs, d/n) (14:00 BST)
18 v Sussex, Hove (T20) (14:30 BST)
20 Twenty20 international, The Oval (d/n) (18:00 BST)
22 1st ODI, The Oval (d/n) (14:00 BST)
25 2nd ODI, Chester-le-Street (10:45 BST)
28 3rd ODI, Old Trafford (d/n) (14:00 BST)
31 4th ODI, Lord's (10:45 BST)
June
3 5th ODI, Edgbaston (d/n) (14:00 BST)
5-8 v Northants, Northampton (11:00 BST)
12-16 1st Test, Lord's (11:00 BST)
20-24 2nd Test, Headingley (11:00 BST)

 

[YorksLanka]

thanks for the thread and the info Maximas, great work as usual..looking forward to the series and i will be at the 2nd & 3rd odi's against England so hopefully by the end of the third,we will have the series..

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Hopefully Essex can get up for this. And hopefully the counties put out reasonable teams for these matches.

 

[brockley]

Mays well put the A tour up as well in this thread.

 

[Maximas]

I would, but it involves a tri-series with NZ A, I figure the kiwis here will probably get up for that one and post their own thread where they can **** all over Anton Devcich all day or whatever they do in those threads. I can't find a schedule for it either.

 

[brockley]

cricket archive.

 

[brockley]

Averages by [Team]
18 Jul 2014 Unicorns v Sri Lanka A Roseworth Terrace, Gosforth misc
20 Jul 2014 Durham v Sri Lanka A Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground, Chester-le-Street ListA
23 Jul 2014 Ireland v Sri Lanka A Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast ListA
25 Jul 2014 Ireland v Sri Lanka A Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast ListA
27 Jul 2014 Ireland v Sri Lanka A Lodge Road, Coleraine ListA
31 Jul 2014 Yorkshire v Sri Lanka A Headingley, Leeds ListA
02 Aug 2014 Glamorgan v Sri Lanka A The SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff ListA
05 Aug 2014 New Zealand A v Sri Lanka A County Ground, Taunton ListA
06 Aug 2014 England Lions v Sri Lanka A County Ground, Taunton ListA
09 Aug 2014 New Zealand A v Sri Lanka A County Ground, Bristol ListA
11 Aug 2014 England Lions v Sri Lanka A County Ground, New Road, Worcester ListA
14 Aug 2014 Hampshire v Sri Lanka A

 

[Furball]

9 ODI: Scotland v England, Mannofield (10:45 BST)

That'll be Aberdeen then.

 

[Migara]

Series will depend on what Eranga and Lakmal can do.

 

[hendrix]

Headingley's not the big turning pitch in England, is it?

A fascinating series in terms of who the **** England will select and whether they'll be any good.

 

[Maximas]

Headingley's not the big turning pitch in England, is it?

Nah, generally a seamer from what I've heard and seen, Lords is a bit of a spinners graveyard too

 

[hendrix]

Nah, generally a seamer from what I've heard and seen, Lords is a bit of a spinners graveyard too

as far as Western hemisphere pitches, none of the English ones are really that bad. I can't remember what the turning wicket in England is but most of them are at least ok for spinners.

 

[grecian]

Yeah, this idea that England have seaming pitches really is silly. First Test-Match midway though June, will probably help swing. Yet Lords can give some spin, like last year, so can Headingley. Oval and OT best for spinners generally though.

England in general, so much better for spin than it used to be, unless the weather is horrible.

 

[Maximas]

From what I've seen of non-doctored English pitches they are somewhere between Brisbane and Sydney as far as turn goes IMO, I would say the fact that 2 SC teams are touring this year might reduce the chances of early season pitches turning too much this season, any indication from the county matches of any trends or is it just a normal English summer so far?

 

[Adders]

When it comes to swing in England you look up not down.........little to do with the wicket and all about atmospherics.

And the Oval is traditionally a wicket that offers most to spinners but as grecian says, that is very much dependent on weather.

 

[Adders]

From what I've seen of non-doctored English pitches

Max, you know I love you mate but I really do ****ing hate that term and the insinuation that goes with it.

 

[grecian]

From what I've seen of non-doctored English pitches they are somewhere between Brisbane and Sydney as far as turn goes IMO, I would say the fact that 2 SC teams are touring this year might reduce the chances of early season pitches turning too much this season, any indication from the county matches of any trends or is it just a normal English summer so far?

I don't know about doctoring at all. The fact is we're always dependant on the weather, So no Test ground try to make a seam-bowlers paradise, because if it rains a lot in the run-up, matches could be over in 3 days, losing revenue. So it's not a sporting decision not to try to make our pitches more lasting, and in the end spin-friendly, it's financial.

Hardly any wickets are being taking by spin ATM, but that's not a surprise, and many County pitches won't resemble anything like Lords or Headingley. Middlesex currently 360-3 at lunch on the final day at Lords, against a decent pace-attack.

Swann took a lot of wickets in the last Tests at both these grounds. Mind you we've got no-one like the quality of him in the side. Yet conversely, at Lords against the Kiwis with a lot of rain the other year, it was seam dominated, but that was earlier in the year.

Weather is everything.

 

[Maximas]

used the term 'doctored' in jest btw

 

[Maximas]

funny thing with all this talk about weather is that I get the feeling the weather seems to affect the fast bowlers - but not necessarily the spinners?

 

[Adders]

I can see how hot and dry would be conducive to wickets that spin, but conversely, if you want a greener wicket you either let the rain on on it or if there is no rain you turn on the sprinklers??