***Official*** Sri Lanka in England

[marc71178]

I just don't believe England keep picking Mahmood, he completely releases any pressure every time.

There wasn't that much pressure when he came on - Flunkett saw to that.

 

[marc71178]

This is ridiculous from England. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see both Bell and Pietersen bowl a bit by the end of this innings.

Bearing in mind the tripe from Flunkett and Mahmood and the relative success of the slower bowlers, I can think of worse options...

 

[marc71178]

OK, it's predictions time. SL are currently 190 for 1 after 30, and my earlier comment about passing 350 is looking an absolute given. So how many are we looking at today? I'll go for 380.

Optimist here, I reckon about 320

 

[wpdavid]

Bearing in mind the tripe from Flunkett and Mahmood and the relative success of the slower bowlers, I can think of worse options...

... unfortunately, so can Strauss

 

[marc71178]

... unfortunately, so can Strauss

Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear though.

Thank God that Harmison didn't carry on where he left off on Saturday or we would be in serious trouble!

 

[Scaly piscine]

Here's KP... Harmison *should* be on shortly - bit of a waste him being used as a death bowler.

 

[wpdavid]

Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear though.

I know. I was still moaning about how he handled the final powerplay.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I reckon SL will make about 340 here, Jayasuriya slowing down a bit as he approaches the century, and the spinners doing a decent containing job here.

 

[wpdavid]

100 for Jayasuria. Wouldn't be surprised to see him bag a couple of wickets too. so MoM should be a formality. Well played SJ.

 

[Top_Cat]

For me, of all the openers in the last 10 years, Langer is the only one who at times came close to the greatest of them all in that all-important aspect of the game over the last 40 years - Geoff Boycott.

If you want someone to bat for your life (at the top of the innings), Langer might well be your man. If you want someone to score vast quantites of elegant runs or to bludgeon boundaries, then choose any one of the others.

Interesting to note that Langer had barely opened the batting for the entirety of his first-class career before he was picked to do so for that match at the Oval in 2001. He had always batted at 3 or lower so I guess it took him a while but he FINALLY found his position.

Ironically enough, it was only after he discovered more shots and started playing them regularly that this opportunity came by for him. It used to be the running joke in WA that the field needed for Alfie was two third-men, three gullies and four points. Only when he started blazing away through cover and straight down the ground was he considered as a potential opener. Weird.

 

[Scaly piscine]

DL predicts 350 after 40 overs.

 

[luckyeddie]

Interesting to note that Langer had barely opened the batting for the entirety of his first-class career before he was picked to do so for that match at the Oval in 2001. He had always batted at 3 or lower so I guess it took him a while but he FINALLY found his position.

You know, I never realised that - absolutely amazing.

He just looked 'born for it'. Perhaps the first decade of his career was wasted.

 

[Top_Cat]

Despondant English fan doing the scoring at Cricinfo?

Welcome to the last ten overs. Usually, this is the key part of the match, but the feeling is that on recent performances, this is already beyond England. Sri Lanka, led by Sanath Jayasuriya, have batted superbly but have been aided by some dire bowling. The crowd slumber and munch sandwiches (those that have escaped the eagle eye of the gatemen) and Andrew Miller will take you through to the close of the innings

Yeesh, keep the man away from sharp objects!

You know, I never realised that - absolutely amazing.

He just looked 'born for it'. Perhaps the first decade of his career was wasted.

I think the big problem was that for the first decade of his career, everyone was looking to make him the new Boonie. Then we he didn't live up to it, he was discarded and there have been some really harsh things said about him and lack of talent over the years. The thing is, he's one tough mofo; no-one who gets hit 40 times in his first Test (including the back of the helmet) by Curtly, Bishop, Courtney and Benjamin, manages to grind out 50 and describes it as the greatest experience of his life can be looked upon as anything other than.........totally freakin' nuts. He's very determined; I heard when he was at the academy in Adelaide, he ripped his hammie right off the bone but just to get a hit, went out for a grade side and spanked some poor team for 250.

 

[GIMH]

Thank **** for GBh today by the looks of it

I'm glad I'm in work and not watching this. We really are in dire straits.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ugh, Mahmood... first ball 4 surprise surprise. Brilliant stuff Strauss after 3 tight overs...

 

[tooextracool]

In the purest sense of the word, the specialist opener's purpose isn't to be a quality player of spin. He has one prime responsibility, and that is to make life easier for those who follow (that's why you play your 'best' batsmen at 3-4-5). He is there to play the part of a brick wall, play straight, score in the 'V' and let others who follow 'cash in' when the shine's gone.

For me, of all the openers in the last 10 years, Langer is the only one who at times came close to the greatest of them all in that all-important aspect of the game over the last 40 years - Geoff Boycott.

If you want someone to bat for your life (at the top of the innings), Langer might well be your man. If you want someone to score vast quantites of elegant runs or to bludgeon boundaries, then choose any one of the others.

i think if you're looking for a specialist opener from the last 10 years, id pick gary kirsten 10 out of 10 times over Langer. Langer maybe gutsy, but to think that hes been a 'brick wall' and batted like hes batting for his life is stretching it. The number of times hes slashed at a wide ball outside the off stump and got himself out caught at gully or at point while the new ball was still being thrown around is innumerable. The whole Langer is a defensive opener idea doesnt work for me, yes hes taken a fair few blows and come back after it, but even Langer will tell you that once he took up the openers role in 2001 hes been a far more offensive player than he ever used to be.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I'm thinking TMS must be right in saying England are testing Mahmood's ticker, because there's no other reason to bowl him.

 

[tooextracool]

Ugh, Mahmood... first ball 4 surprise surprise. Brilliant stuff Strauss after 3 tight overs...

Its surprising that you actually give a **** about this. No i think if it wasnt obvious before, the English selectors have to be some of the most dim-witted selectors in the world. The fact that Kabir Ali has been given 'another chance' despite never having a good game in his entire career, and the fact that they continue to persist with the rubbish from Plunkett & Mahmood in both forms of the game when neither of them are close to being international class says it all.

 

[Pothas]

oh dear oh dear

 

[wpdavid]

oh dear oh dear

And yet more stupidity from Strauss. Why on earth is Useless Saj bowling the last over?