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

[viriya]

My pre-series 1-0 prediction seems pretty safe.. An innings victory for Eng seems likely from here. For SL Prasad for Kula seems like a pretty boneheaded move - if anything Kula is likely to be the most consistent performer on this pitch.. Thiri is still a walking wicket but I doubt the team management has the balls to drop him for Dilruwan and take a risk right after appointing him vice captain..

 

[Maximas]

There is absolutely nothing of value that Dilruwan brings to the team in these conditions if Herath if also in the side

 

[viriya]

There is absolutely nothing of value that Dilruwan brings to the team in these conditions if Herath if also in the side

I would hope he can last more than one ball..

 

[YorksLanka]

to be fair to Thirri(despite me calling for him to be dropped myself before this game) that was a snorter of a ball from KerPlunk and he really had no chance at all...

 

[Maximas]

humble pie will taste good today if Prasad delivers the goods and SL bowls well, "I told you" pie will not taste quite so good though if England are 3/350 at the close

 

[wpdavid]

At the risk of tempting fate, Moores deserves some credit for that we've seen in the first 6 days of the series. Hundreds from Root and Ballance, a five-for from Plunkett and Jordan generally looking the part. Doubtless it won't always be plain sailing, and I may be saying something different if we're skittled today, but most of the marginal selections have been justified so far.

 

[Gnske]

Well that was quick.

 

[Adders]

FMD...........what we gonna do about Cook??

 

[wpdavid]

Poor sod can't buy a score, can he.

 

[Maximas]

FMD...........what we gonna do about Cook??

I thought he'd come back strong after the brilliance of the Aussie bowlers got the better of him in the ashes, but when the problems continue against Sri Lankan seamers you really start to wonder

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

He'd been in decent enough form for Essex as well, so hard to see that it's a form issue per se. Psychological, perhaps. Too much captaincy crap on his mind. Certainly, everyone in the cricket media seems to have an opinion on his captaincy, and that must be quite a drain.

 

[marc71178]

At the risk of tempting fate, Moores deserves some credit for that we've seen in the first 6 days of the series. Hundreds from Root and Ballance, a five-for from Plunkett and Jordan generally looking the part. Doubtless it won't always be plain sailing, and I may be saying something different if we're skittled today, but most of the marginal selections have been justified so far.

Personally I'd say only Plunkett was a marginal?

Jordan was always going to be in following his one day exploits, Ballance played the last Ashes test and with the loss of 2 of the 3 experienced middle order bats and a gap at the top, Root was likely to play really.

 

[Adders]

I thought he'd come back strong after the brilliance of the Aussie bowlers got the better of him in the ashes, but when the problems continue against Sri Lankan seamers you really start to wonder

No disrespect to your quicks Max but I reckon any seamer in the world that can land the odd ball in the right area would fancy himself against him right now. Sad to see a bloke that only a bit over a year ago was being talked about as one of the best in the world get to this point.

I've tried to stand by him but with embarrassing dismissals like that and some of the ****e comments he's been making in the press recently it's getting ****ing hard.

Edit:

By "your quicks" I was talking about the Lankans and not those Aussie ****s btw.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Cook just looks all at sea at present. Needs the win in this match to ease a bit of pressure going into the India series.

 

[wpdavid]

Personally I'd say only Plunkett was a marginal?

Jordan was always going to be in following his one day exploits, Ballance played the last Ashes test and with the loss of 2 of the 3 experienced middle order bats and a gap at the top, Root was likely to play really.

True. I suppose I was also thinking about the positions where Ballance and Root are batting.
And given the fall-out from the Ashes, it wasn't definite that Ballance and Root would stay. Fresh start and all that.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

True. I suppose I was also thinking about the positions where Ballance and Root are batting.
And given the fall-out from the Ashes, it wasn't definite that Ballance and Root would stay. Fresh start and all that.

A lot of people would have had Ballance but I doubt many would have said he should bat at 3. Early days obviously but a ton in his first test there is a bloody good start.

 

[Spark]

True. I suppose I was also thinking about the positions where Ballance and Root are batting.
And given the fall-out from the Ashes, it wasn't definite that Ballance and Root would stay. Fresh start and all that.

That last test was a total write-off though. Impossible to say anything about anyone who debuted in that.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Robson looks a different player this week. Looked a bit like a rabbit in the headlights last week but looks a lot more composed today.

 

[Gnske]

No disrespect to your quicks Max but I reckon any seamer in the world that can land the odd ball in the right area would fancy himself against him right now. Sad to see a bloke that only a bit over a year ago was being talked about as one of the best in the world get to this point.

I've tried to stand by him but with embarrassing dismissals like that and some of the ****e comments he's been making in the press recently it's getting ****ing hard.

Edit:

By "your quicks" I was talking about the Lankans and not those Aussie ****s btw.

He was averaging about 50 for his career in that India series and i can't believe how far it's dropped. Funny enough that was when people were saying the captaincy helped his batting.

 

[wpdavid]

That last test was a total write-off though. Impossible to say anything about anyone who debuted in that.

That as well.