***Official*** Sri Lanka in England

[GIMH]

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but is it right that Collingwood can't bat any higher than 7 because he was off the field yesterday?

 

[GIMH]

Nice bowling by Panesar collecting his first 5 for.
(Though I dont know what impact he will have in Aussie - finger spinners be they left hand or right hand usually have a tough time over there. Still, he deserves to be in the squad)

Turning to the game. I fear that SL for all their gumption are about 25 runs short of a matchwinning total. However, here's hoping they make the over-rated poms sweat a bit.

Overrated on what basis exactly?

 

[Swervy]

That, I think gives Monty an average of 34.33, hopefully he can continue to aprove.

* Imropve even

ok

 

[Scaly piscine]

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but is it right that Collingwood can't bat any higher than 7 because he was off the field yesterday?

No, he was only off for ~80 minutes and he's been on the field and waiting in the pavilion that length of time, so he's fine to bat wherever.

 

[JBH001]

Overrated on what basis exactly?

Mainly in their batting.
Somewhat in their fielding.
A little bit in their bowling.

And overall, as a team, they are - on the results of this series - heavily overrated.

 

[Barney Rubble]

325 to win.

Tresco 50
Strauss 30
Cook 50
Pietersen 50
Collingwood 50
Flintoff 40
Gojo 30
Plunkett 10
Hoggard 10
Lewis 5

?

It's more than likely going to take a big 100 from someone - I'd wager Trescothick and KP are our men most likely to. Fingers crossed.

 

[wpdavid]

It's more than likely going to take a big 100 from someone - I'd wager Trescothick and KP are our men most likely to. Fingers crossed.

All those noballs in the frst SL innings look even more of a nuisance now. Plus their last 2 wickets adding 90+, of course.

 

[Gloucefan]

ok

Oh well

 

[Scaly piscine]

Slightly worrying looking at England's successful big chase (284-6) against NZ:

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2004/NZ_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/NZ_ENG_T3_10-14JUN2004.html

Openers and Flintoff failed, Geraint got an average score for him.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Strauss batting like me.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Here's Murali, usually odds on for a wicket whenever a World Class spinner comes on against our openers.

 

[GIMH]

Mainly in their batting.
Somewhat in their fielding.
A little bit in their bowling.

And overall, as a team, they are - on the results of this series - heavily overrated.

fielding overrated how? They have been criticised for it.

The bowling isn't overrated, we have the world's premier pace attack, but they haven't been united since last August.

Batting - it's not our strong point - but again, noone said it is, so how could it be overrated?

 

[andyc]

fielding overrated how? They have been criticised for it.

The bowling isn't overrated, we have the world's premier pace attack, but they haven't been united since last August.

Batting - it's not our strong point - but again, noone said it is, so how could it be overrated?

I think he's just saying that the batting isn't what one would expect it to be for a team that claims to be the second best in the world.

 

[wpdavid]

Here's Murali, usually odds on for a wicket whenever a World Class spinner comes on against our openers.

It wasn't so long ago that you'd read all sorts of people suggesting that Tresco drops down the order to accommodate all of our openers and make good use of his ability against spin. The last 12 months have rather shown up that particular theory.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Mainly in their batting.
Somewhat in their fielding.
A little bit in their bowling.

And overall, as a team, they are - on the results of this series - heavily overrated.

"On the results of this series". . A series in which we've been missing four key players including our captain, and are still in with a chance at winning it 2-0 against a side who are clearly not as bad as everyone thought.

Next time you're going to judge a team, try looking at who's actually playing in it.

 

[Scaly piscine]

It wasn't so long ago that you'd read all sorts of people suggesting that Tresco drops down the order to accommodate all of our openers and make good use of his ability against spin. The last 12 months have rather shown up that particular theory.

I think teams have generally cottoned on to the fact that if you block his slog sweep shot he struggles somewhat.

 

[UncleTheOne]

Strauss against spin. Just a walking wicket.

 

[JBH001]

I think he's just saying that the batting isn't what one would expect it to be for a team that claims to be the second best in the world.

Hold it, hold it, hold it.
I thought you guys were now claiming to be the best in the world!

But yeah, that's about the strength of it.
From the point of view of claiming to be the second best in the world, and wanting to be the best in the world (though it would be a very 'old' English thing to be content with second place ) there is a hell of a long way to go. Just think back to the start of the series, and, really, take an objective look at this Sri Lankan side. As I said, for a team claiming to be the second best in the world and aiming to beard the lion in its den this winter, England have a long way to go to prove they are worthy.

One good summer does not a decade make.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Strauss against spin. Just a walking wicket.

Don't scare me like that.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Hold it, hold it, hold it.
I thought you guys were now claiming to be the best in the world!

But yeah, that's about the strength of it.
From the point of view of claiming to be the second best in the world, and wanting to be the best in the world (though it would be a very 'old' English thing to be content with second place ) there is a hell of a long way to go. Just think back to the start of the series, and, really, take an objective look at this Sri Lankan side. As I said, for a team claiming to be the second best in the world and aiming to beard the lion in its den this winter, England have a long way to go to prove they are worthy.

One good summer does not a decade make.

Yawn, whitewashed NZ and WI twice, beat SA in SA and the only other team to do that since their reintroduction to Test cricket are Australia. Beat Australia. I don't see any other team matching those feats.