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

[Stapel]

Agreed, he has a very good record for a lower order player but you know deep down he should have a better one. The amount of times he has gone in and had a reckless slog when we needed a sensible knock with the proper bat at the other end can not be forgotten.

To his credit: I do remember some sensible batting by Broad. The Cardiff Test (where Anderson & Panesar ended not out): just the 14 runs in an hour of batting and one of the draws in SA, where he got a duck, after spending half an hour in the middle.

 

[Adders]

77 balls for 6 runs in Auckland to draw a test we should have lost.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Which proves my point as we know he can do it if he gets his head down but he doesn't often enough.

 

[King Pietersen]

I swear Prasanna Jayawardene used to be one of the best out-and-out glovesmen in the world, up there with James Foster, but he's been absolutely dire in this innings. Has he really declined that much?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I swear Prasanna Jayawardene used to be one of the best out-and-out glovesmen in the world, up there with James Foster, but he's been absolutely dire in this innings. Has he really declined that much?

Not been at his old level for a while. Sad thing is he is still one of the best in international cricket as most are picked on their batting.

 

[Furball]

Which proves my point as we know he can do it if he gets his head down but he doesn't often enough.

See to be honest, I'm fine with blokes like Broad having a slog provided there's a batsman at the other end. All it takes is for 4 or 5 to find gaps/go over the fence and a) you start pissing off the opposition captain and b) start making him panic.

 

[King Pietersen]

Really hope The Beard pitches a Doosra outside leg to a righty, and spins it past the off-stump, and then takes a 5fer, just to shut Warne up.

 

[Adders]

Yeah, I think the point is Broad is good enough to play both roles but doesn't deliver either as often as we'd like. He's innings today was perfect for the match situation, it wouldn't have really mattered if he went out for 10 or 20, but as it was his runs and the speed he got them just killed SL.

If he's got the game to do that and got the game to do what he did in Auckland, and can deliver either reasonably consistently as the situation requires...........it would make him one of, if not the best 8 or 9 in the world.

 

[ImpatientLime]

I swear Prasanna Jayawardene used to be one of the best out-and-out glovesmen in the world, up there with James Foster, but he's been absolutely dire in this innings. Has he really declined that much?

He's off the field isn't he?

 

[Adders]

Nah came back on early in the first session.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

He's off the field isn't he?

No, came back after about 30 minutes. Those byes down legside have been poor keeping though whether he has an injury or not.

 

[King Pietersen]

500 up. I'm with Warne on this one, should be declaring. Get almost 2 sessions at them today.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That over was dire, too easy to hit most of those balls to the boundary.

 

[King Pietersen]

RR up at 4.34 now. We don't score this quickly in ODi's.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Can't understand why they are talking about a declaration. Not like we are wasting time as we are rattling along at 6 an over in this partnership and scoring the runs now is probably going to be easier than doing it in the 2nd innings when the pitch might be a bit worse and the bowlers will be fresher.

 

[Howe_zat]

The declaration conversation between Botham and Strauss is so painful. Need to hear Strauss explain modern cricket to Beefy but he's a wilting flower in the commentary box.

 

[King Pietersen]

Root gonna get to 200?

 

[social]

Can't understand why they are talking about a declaration. Not like we are wasting time as we are rattling along at 6 an over in this partnership and scoring the runs now is probably going to be easier than doing it in the 2nd innings when the pitch might be a bit worse and the bowlers will be fresher.

Lords hasn't deteriorated in years

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Lords hasn't deteriorated in years

This pitch seems a lot drier than previous years though, might get uneven bounce later in the game. Never turns anyway so no point worrying about that.

If we were fiddling along at 3 an over i'd be all for getting them in but as we are we may as well bat on.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

The declaration conversation between Botham and Strauss is so painful. Need to hear Strauss explain modern cricket to Beefy but he's a wilting flower in the commentary box.

He's still alarmingly on the fence about everything. Quite close to some in the dressing room i would think.