**Official** Sri Lanka in England / Scotland - 2011

[four_or_six]

A Fantasy Cricket comp has been created for the Test series if anyone is interested in playing

Not if you're just going to thrash us all again.

 

[Migara]

Local website has done an interview with Dinesh Chandimal. He will go hard at Swann, if he is set. PJ and Chandimal against Swann will be fun to watch.

 

[Bun]

Sri Lanka Test series failing to attract big crowds as public fail to warm to early summer matches - Telegraph

 

[Howe_zat]

Middlesex game is underway, Strauss batting aws. Good side put out by Middlesex but they've decided to rest their first-choice pace attack - No Finn, Collymore or Murtagh.

The Sri Lankan side has a bit of a cobbled-together look to it with two spinners and Maharoof set to come in at #7. Wonder why Kasual Silva was called up if he's the third choice keeper and he's not playing today.

 

[Migara]

Middlesex game is underway, Strauss batting aws. Good side put out by Middlesex but they've decided to rest their first-choice pace attack - No Finn, Collymore or Murtagh.

The Sri Lankan side has a bit of a cobbled-together look to it with two spinners and Maharoof set to come in at #7. Wonder why Kasual Silva was called up if he's the third choice keeper and he's not playing today.

Something smells fishy here.

 

[Howe_zat]

Why?

 

[Howe_zat]

50 up for His Reasonableness. Poor morning for the tourists, especially for Mendis.

Dilshan thinking on the weird side - brings on Thirimanne, who has never taken a first class wicket, before Herath.

 

[Migara]

Why?

100 from him will have PJ's days counting. And Duleep Mendis loves PJ.

 

[Spark]

50 up for His Reasonableness. Poor morning for the tourists, especially for Mendis.

Dilshan thinking on the weird side - brings on Thirimanne, who has never taken a first class wicket, before Herath.

Wow.

Seven bowlers before lunch on the first day?

 

[NasserFan207]

SL bowling looks BAD. I am scared for them tbh.

 

[Spark]

50 up for His Reasonableness. Poor morning for the tourists, especially for Mendis.

Dilshan thinking on the weird side - brings on Thirimanne, who has never taken a first class wicket, before Herath.

Cricinfo oddity, that would seem to have been. Much more believable now.

 

[Prince EWS]

SL bowling looks BAD. I am scared for them tbh.

Indeed.

Ton for Strauss which obviously is no disgrace to the bowlers as such but Housego is pretty crap at this stage of his career and he's not only made his way to 87* but he's struck above 65 on the first morning.

Obviously you can't read too much into tour matches though.

 

[Spark]

Strauss is less of a grinder these days tbf, he can play a fluent innings when he wants to.

 

[Prince EWS]

Strauss is less of a grinder these days tbf, he can play a fluent innings when he wants to.

Was talking about Housego tbh. Strauss scoring runs against them in a tour match isn't too big a concern, as I said, but prank-batsmen/kids rollocking on against them on the first morning is a bit of a worry.

The bowling just looks flat out crap on paper regardless though. I know Kula has his detractors but he's performed bloody well at times during his Test career and played on his fair share of roads to boot and still has a passable Test record. Him being left out of the touring party is needlessly harsh IMO.

 

[Spark]

Ah misread your post.

 

[Howe_zat]

Strauss departs for 151 but a ton up for Housego.

Lankans will need to pile on the runs in response if they want to save face.

 

[Migara]

SL bowling looks BAD. I am scared for them tbh.

Yes. Has been saying for ages. The core bowlers would have been Thushara, Fernando, Kulasekara, Herath, Mendis and Randiv. But Thushara is badly injured, and Kule and Mendis are out of from. Herath never turns it on a plumb wicket.

The best core would have been Fernando, Lakmal, Perera, Randiv and Senanayake. Some of them will join in except for the last one. If F'do doen't properly lead the attack, there would be some serious ass whipping.

 

[Migara]

Was talking about Housego tbh. Strauss scoring runs against them in a tour match isn't too big a concern, as I said, but prank-batsmen/kids rollocking on against them on the first morning is a bit of a worry.

The bowling just looks flat out crap on paper regardless though. I know Kula has his detractors but he's performed bloody well at times during his Test career and played on his fair share of roads to boot and still has a passable Test record. Him being left out of the touring party is needlessly harsh IMO.

He's woefully out of form. If there's anyone to bring back, that would be Vaas.

 

[Prince EWS]

I knew Vaas was still available for ODIs at the World Cup but I thought he had retired from Tests.

 

[Lostman]

Going just as expected.

Only chance we have is to win the toss and bat regardless of wicket. 500+ and scoreboard pressure is the only chance (if minor) this side can take 20 wickets.

Miagara, whats the news on Mathews? Is he going to fit to be added to the test side?