***Official*** Sri Lanka in England

[JASON]

Would you mind if I quoted you in my sig?

Feel free to .

 

[JASON]

I don't feel I need to justify my posts , given they are my opinions .

But given some have taken objection to my posts yesterday stating then (as at end of Day4 )that luck had favoured England up until then and now some SL finding objections for the opposite reasons - makes it quite clear to me that my posts were pretty neutral and objective .

 

[nightprowler10]

Feel free to .

Thanks. And don't worry, it'll come down soon.

 

[JASON]

What an absolutely Brilliant Test Match though.

Having watched 99% it on TV live , I feel priviledged as a Sri Lankan to have seen this Team mature into a better Team .

Any Team that can follow on staring defeat with such a huge deficit and can pull off a draw has to be considered extra odrinary.
Even if it were at Lords on a pitch that stayed True to the end , its the first time in 80 years that 7 batsmen have scored half centuries in a Teams batting Total.

Thats unbelievable for this young Team !!

The maturity shown by Kulasekera and Maharoof along with the other batsman will be remembered for long .

I pay tribute to the entire SL Team because this Test survival is better than a win IMO , because it was such courageous performance to save a Test.

They were fortunate on the final day when Luck that had been against them up until then evened out as England dropped an uncharacteristic number of catches and obviously helped SL's cause.

The English are True Gentlemen in that even when they have let an opportunity to win slip by, they hide their disappointment and cheered the opposition on a great performance.

 

[dinu23]

What an absolutely Brilliant Test Match though.

Having watched 99% it on TV live , I feel priviledged as a Sri Lankan to have seen this Team mature into a better Team .

Any Team that can follow on staring defeat with such a huge deficit and can pull off a draw has to be considered extra odrinary.
Even if it were at Lords on a pitch that stayed True to the end , its the first time in 80 years that 7 batsmen have scored half centuries in a Teams batting Total.

Thats unbelievable for this young Team !!

The maturity shown by Kulasekera and Maharoof along with the other batsman will be remembered for long .

I pay tribute to the entire SL Team because this Test survival is better than a win IMO , because it was such courageous performance to save a Test.

They were fortunate on the final day when Luck that had been against them up until then evened out as England dropped an uncharacteristic number of catches and obviously helped SL's cause.

The English are True Gentlemen in that even when they have let an opportunity to win slip by, they hide their disappointment and cheered the opposition on a great performance.

finally a compliment to the sri lankan team from our dear old Jason.

 

[JASON]

I think we should play Vandort and Jayasuriya in the next warmup game to see how they do. Then decide who'll play in the next test instead of Mubarak. Maybe Malinga can replace Kapugedara for the next test.

my team for the tour match:
Sanath,Vandort,Sanga,Mahela,Thilan,Dilshan,Maharoof,Vaas,Kulasekara,Malinga,Murali

I would rest Vaas, Murali , Mahela +/- Sangakkara.

I would play Sanath, Tharanga, Vandort, Kapugedera, Sanga or Prasanna Jayawardene , Thilan , Dilshan,Maharoof, Nuwan Zoysa, Kulaskera , Malinga.

Because for the second Test the positions that are unsettled are

1- the second openers spot - between Sanath J or Van Dort . IMO Sanath should be picked for second Test regardless, but the next FC Match will help.

2 Kapugedera /Maharoof for number 7 . I would still pick Kapugedera over Maharoof for Edgbaston (despite Maharoofs contribution in last Test - as Maharoof's contribution with the ball is very marginal at present and Kapugedera is a better batsman despite his failure on Debut at Lords) .

3 which 2 seamers should complement Vaas - IMO it should be Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Zoysa for edgbaston. I am sorry for Kulasekera. But while I am grateful for his batting on the final day at Lords I feel Malinga should replace him automatically for Edgbaston.

4 If Maharoof is not picked to bat at 7 (which I feel is a bit risky despite his batting at Lords) , he should not get picked as a bowler , because honestly his bowling was pretty poor and Zoysa is a better option for this purpose.

The match at Hove against Sussex can help answer some of these questions if not all.

 

[marc71178]

There was no plausible scenario possible from all the play that was left in the game where declaring early benefited England.

Well seeing that they couldn't bowl them out twice in the time Flintoff left, how would batting longer have helped?

 

[marc71178]

Even if it were at Lords on a pitch that stayed True to the end , its the first time in 80 years that 7 batsmen have scored half centuries in a Teams batting Total.

First time in 5 months actually - Pakistan did it this winter!

 

[Barney Rubble]

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvsl/content/story/247334.html

Tim de Lisle rips into Flintoff's captaincy, very unfairly I think. Yes, he made one or two errors in this game, but de Lisle completely ignores the simple fact that if we had held our catches, we'd have won. And if we'd have won, he wouldn't be slating anyone. Poor journalism.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Surprised I'm the only one ready to drop Kula Shaker, let's face it he bowled ****, and would've been out for 14 but for an awful drop by Cook. Whatever, I'm looking foward to seeing Malinga whoever he comes in for.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvsl/content/story/247334.html

Tim de Lisle rips into Flintoff's captaincy, very unfairly I think. Yes, he made one or two errors in this game, but de Lisle completely ignores the simple fact that if we had held our catches, we'd have won. And if we'd have won, he wouldn't be slating anyone. Poor journalism.

What a whining nongie.

 

[JASON]

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvsl/content/story/247334.html

Tim de Lisle rips into Flintoff's captaincy, very unfairly I think. Yes, he made one or two errors in this game, but de Lisle completely ignores the simple fact that if we had held our catches, we'd have won. And if we'd have won, he wouldn't be slating anyone. Poor journalism.

While I agree if the catches were held even one or two late in the day England would have won, TDL has at least a couple of valid points, IMO .
I have to say the most surprising was the under bowling of Monty Panesar and the failure to position a third man .

 

[luckyeddie]

Well seeing that they couldn't bowl them out twice in the time Flintoff left, how would batting longer have helped?

I remind you that this is is only the start of the summer - Scrabble Boy has got six more test matches and an entire World Cup to whine about.

Depressing thought, isn't it?

 

[honestbharani]

Well done, Sri Lanka and Jayawardene. Answered back quite a few critics. Sure, the pitch was reasonablty flat but the conditions and stuff made it a reasonably hard time for a batsman and full credit for Sri Lanka for doing so well. England will rue the dropped chances. I was definitely surprised by the underbowling of Panesar, esp. when Sri Lanka were 9 down. Panesar might have tempted Murali and got him out so that England could have had a dip at the target.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

While I agree if the catches were held even one or two late in the day England would have won, TDL has at least a couple of valid points, IMO .
I have to say the most surprising was the under bowling of Monty Panesar and the failure to position a third man .

Not to mention when Monty was called upon to bowl. I think it was one over left till the new ball or something when he suddenly sent Colly and Monty in with the 80-over old. Probably needed some rest, but why didn't he think of that 10 overs earlier?

 

[luckyeddie]

First time in 5 months actually - Pakistan did it this winter!

I believe the '80 years' bit was from a reference to one of the most-improved second innings performances I heard last night. It was mentioned in almost the same breath as the 7 fifties so may have got chopped or misinterpreted.

All 11 Sri Lankans scored better in the second innings than they did in the first.

 

[luckyeddie]

Not to mention when Monty was called upon to bowl. I think it was one over left till the new ball or something when he suddenly sent Colly and Monty in with the 80-over old. Probably needed some rest, but why didn't he think of that 10 overs earlier?

He made a lot of elementary mistakes through inexperience, but the biggest problem I had was the way he tried to take everything onto his broad shoulders.

I'd rather he didn't captain again - he'll kill himself at this rate.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Every over the bat was beaten by a seamer, which is why Monty was underbowled. I love watching him myself, but have no problem with the seamers being used, they looked like getting a wicket almost every over, spinners take time to build pressure and it was time we didn't have, even with the early declaration.

 

[JASON]

With Harmison expected to return and Edgbaston likely to be a seamer friendly pitch , Monty most likeliest to face the chop followed by Plunkett perhaps in favour of the Unlucky Jon Lewis ... do you reckon ..

 

[nightprowler10]

Even if it were at Lords on a pitch that stayed True to the end , its the first time in 80 years that 7 batsmen have scored half centuries in a Teams batting Total.

Pakistan just did that a few months ago against India.

Don't make me quote you again.