**Official** Sri Lanka in England and Ireland 2016

[weldone]

My prediction: England will score around 350, SL will definitely avoid follow-on after that. Avoiding follow-on is the key, as after that rain will make sure this game ends in a draw.

 

[wpdavid]

I think one or two of us are over-stating England's position because these two are going so well, and forgetting that there isn't a huge amount to come as and when one of them departs.
Obviously we could get to 350, but batting again tonight won't be easy if they do get back out there and we could just as easily lose a couple of wickets for not very much.

 

[Groundking]

Considering we were 83 for 5, it seems like there's going to be perpetual cloud cover for the full 5 days, and it's a bit green AND we've just had rain, I'd be happy for us to break past 250/260 with Hales managing to get to 100, anything more than that is a bonus IMO.

Having said that Bairstow has looked excellent, and this has been Hales' best innings so far, so I think we should be able to get to 300+, but it'll be tough.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

These are the sort of conditions that Broad comes out with a trolling 30 and helps us to a total we didn't expect. One of them tomorrow would be useful as it looks unlikely they will get back on today.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah done for the day I think. Will be surprised if there is a positive result in this test. If we'd have collapsed to 120 all out maybe it could have been on but if forecasts are as bad as they suggest (could lose 2.5-3 days) hard to see a result.

 

[Kirkut]

The day in favour of England, get past 300 and all's fine. I don't see SL batsmen lasting long against Broadanderson.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Yeah done for the day I think. Will be surprised if there is a positive result in this test. If we'd have collapsed to 120 all out maybe it could have been on but if forecasts are as bad as they suggest (could lose 2.5-3 days) hard to see a result.

BBC forecast has only occasional light rain across the other 4 days. That doesn't suggest many more overs will be lost, particularly given some will be clawed back.

 

[Howe_zat]

Hales and Bairstow fifties in bowling conditions is kind of nice

 

[JRC67]

Yeah, I am more than happy to keep JFB at 7 and build a top 5 that actually does it's job. Stokes at 6 is ok whilst Moeen is at 8, gives us that insurance policy. He batted like an idiot today (he is an idiot to be fair) but he will also win us games from 6.

Compton will be massively close to the guillotine, Vince I am not convinced about but he deserves a run now picked. Hales hopefully getting a big hundred here should keep him in for Pakistan series.

Good partnership. Bairstow fast becoming one of our most important players.

Until we can get 4 of the top 6 working on a reasonably reliable basis I don't see any justification for moving Bairstow and trying him higher up the order again. He has a pretty awful record at 5 and I don't think the flaws in his batting that have been exploited by bowlers when he batted there have been eliminated. He's a pretty good 7 and Gilchrist showed it can be a game defining position. He may also have the type of mindset which means he is better having 2 roles in the team so he doesn't get too intense about his batting.

 

[Pothas]

Totally agree on Bairstow staying where he is, it is a huge strength of the side right now, no need to mess with it.

Did not see a ball today but was stupidly nervous for for Vince.

 

[Gnske]

Hales showed that the old-fashioned attributes by which Test openers used to be judged - crease occupation, shot selection and patience - still have value in the modern game.

George "I enjoy life but can't express it" Dobell's description of an innings that contained multiple pointless back-foot thrashes into air, an edge through the cordon and a disgusting mow across the line after belting Herath for four.

Did well to survive on the front foot with his his leaving game I thought (apart from once) and then fed well off Bairstow's belligerence, otherwise not an indication of the wheel being broken.

 

[vogue]

Looking quite overcast and showery as I pass through Headingly now..as last nights forecast said

 

[91Jmay]

George "I enjoy life but can't express it" Dobell's description of an innings that contained multiple pointless back-foot thrashes into air, an edge through the cordon and a disgusting mow across the line after belting Herath for four.

Did well to survive on the front foot with his his leaving game I thought (apart from once) and then fed well off Bairstow's belligerence, otherwise not an indication of the wheel being broken.

Reckon you are being a bit harsh. Most openers are going to need to survive a nick through the cordon especially in those conditions and apart from that there wasn't much worry. I still don't rate him as a long term prospect but got to give him credit for sticking there.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

His best knock in a test. Not sure he is going to be a success long term but he has done well here. If he has an acceptable record this summer he could be a dangerous player in Bangladesh and India in the winter on pitches that will offer very little movement for the pace bowlers and not much for a spinner for the opening day or so.

 

[91Jmay]

You not reckon India are going to have those bunsen burners again from ball 1? Mauled SA with them, can see them amping it up even more for us.

 

[OverratedSanity]

You not reckon India are going to have those bunsen burners again from ball 1? Mauled SA with them, can see them amping it up even more for us.

Really hope not. Don't fancy our lineup against Moeen on that kind of surface at all.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

You not reckon India are going to have those bunsen burners again from ball 1? Mauled SA with them, can see them amping it up even more for us.

Think he has major problems to pace men outside off when they move it a touch, we haven't seen him against spin yet so have no idea what will happen. He could tee off and come off in a game and turn it our way for all we know.

With us having won out there last time I have no idea what they will do pitch wise anyway.

 

[Gnske]

Reckon you are being a bit harsh. Most openers are going to need to survive a nick through the cordon especially in those conditions and apart from that there wasn't much worry. I still don't rate him as a long term prospect but got to give him credit for sticking there.

Yeah a bit harsh, I was going to give him a break in that little spew based on how much better his front foot judgement was but I figured he'd probably end up out two balls into the first session the next morning if I did, no doubt to a shocker shot on the front foot.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah I'm not saying he looked good, he barely timed a ball but he fought it out which is half the battle as an opener.

Borthwick at 3 in India makes even more sense when you think about the potential pitches. Means we get a 3rd spinner in without having to change the batting line up.

 

[Compton]

It can't be often someone batting outside the top 6 gets to a ton before the opener.