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

[ImpatientLime]

guys did you know its a little chilly in durham today? I don't know if its been mentioned yet anywhere so wanted to keep you all up to date.

weather in durham - cold.

 

[Adders]

So 20 to get for Cook.......c'mon my son!!

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Yeah surprising call.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

No idea if it is a good decision or not but Durham usually is best to bat on first so may as well go with that. Cook to hopefully knock the runs off then relax and get a big score.

 

[Compton]

I wonder if Cook didn't fancy a few hours in the field thinking about 10,000 runs.

 

[91Jmay]

If Durham doesn't sell out tomorrow and Sunday (if game is still going ok) then they shouldn't host a test match again. Their crowds are pitiful year after year.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

If Durham doesn't sell out tomorrow and Sunday (if game is still going ok) then they shouldn't host a test match again. Their crowds are pitiful year after year.

Doesn't help they only seem to get the lesser series in May when it is miserable weather (not that summer is much better up there) but the pitches they produce are usually very good and we have never lost there.

6000 today and 11000 tomorrow according to Aggers. A lot of countries would kill for crowds like that for a test match.

 

[weldone]

Lol Shanaka has been dropped and not Thiri.

 

[91Jmay]

Doesn't help they only seem to get the lesser series in May when it is miserable weather (not that summer is much better up there) but the pitches they produce are usually very good and we have never lost there.

6000 today and 11000 tomorrow according to Aggers. A lot of countries would kill for crowds like that for a test match.

Weather is always miserable there, and you get bigger series if you attend the 'lesser' ones. 15000 should be minimum for a test match on a Saturday

 

[YorksLanka]

Lol Shanaka has been dropped and not Thiri.

whilst he didn't force the scorer to retire due to cramp, thirri has been retained as he scored a few runs and Shanaka is considered as a batsman who bowls a bit tbh and he didnt..Siri is a decent batsman but just hasn't clicked recently- decent bowler tho..

 

[King Pietersen]

Cookeh

 

[Kirkut]

Rofl!!!!!!!!!!

I had a gut feeling he'll nick one. Let's hope for an England innings win, so that he can wait for the 3rd test .

 

[91Jmay]

Glad he didn't get it at a half empty ground to be honest. Sunday should be better day if he is needed.

 

[StephenZA]

That must be so frustrating for Cook...

 

[Gnske]

I wonder if Compton can survive an entire over

 

[Compton]

Yeah Cook's a much better player than that dismissal. Just felt like he was always gonna invent a way of getting out, here.

 

[Burner]

It's amazing how much an influence the mind has on cricket, Nervous nineties, nine thousands, all the same.

 

[Adders]

Glad he didn't get it at a half empty ground to be honest. Sunday should be better day if he is needed.

Bloody goody point Jmay.

I nearly chucked my beer at the telly when he went out as I was so pumped for him to get..........but **** it would be wasted in front of this village crowd.

Hopefully we can win this by an innings and he can get this huge milestone in front of a full house at Lords.

 

[91Jmay]

Compton fails here I'd drop him. 7 tests in a row doing very little is enough for an aging player.

Borthwick in at 3.

 

[Scaly piscine]

No idea if it is a good decision or not but Durham usually is best to bat on first so may as well go with that. Cook to hopefully knock the runs off then relax and get a big score.

Yes it's rare for Durham to opt to bowl first here. The toss generally has minimal impact though really. The pitch doesn't change much and the weather isn't likely to change much this match.

As for Chester-le-Street this the sixth Test and England have won all of the previous matches. The one decent match that we've had is Australia. The rest have been Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and West Indies twice. As I've said before the ECB has completely botched the schedules, no northern Tests at all one year then two early season matches back to back in Yorkshire and Durham.