Sri Lankan Board XI V England

[Basil]

Starts tomorrow: England's side is:

Vaughan
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Shah
Bopara
Prior
Harmison
Hoggard
Anderson
Panesar

It's a first class match apparently, so none of thereserves will get a look-in.

[JKLever]

Wonder if thats the test line up?

Nice tail

[Basil]

No Sidebottom if that's the case, and that would be a travesty.

[Growler]

No Sidebottom if that's the case, and that would be a travesty.

My gut feeling is that Sidebottom will definately make the Test XI, along with Hoggard & Panesar. I think Harmison & Anderson will be playing for the last bowling spot, and Broad will miss out.

Knowing Harmison to be a rhythm bowler I'm not sure of the wisdom in even considering him so soon - two and a bit games in which he was hit & miss doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Yes, he has experience, but so does Hoggard. The difference is we can be almost certain Hoggard won't be found wanting - the same can't be said for Harmison. I think he'd have been better playing longer in SA for consideration for NZ in the New Year.

Anderson or Broad? Broad would certainly bolster the batting at No 8 - but unlike Fletcher, Peter Moores doesn't appear to have the same hang-up about batting in depth, and is basically giving 1-6 the responsibility to score the necessary runs, and rightly so IMHO. Broad is also a steadier, more economical bowler than Anderson. On the other hand, I think Jimmy is the more dangerous bowler. On balance I'd sooner his possible 4-90 off 20 overs than say 2-52 from Broad.

[Chivalry Augustus]

I feel sorry for Stuart Broad. He has shown a lot of character to come back from his belting in the Twenty20 World Cup and become a part of a solid, reliable pack one ODI seamers.

On the other hand, Steve Harmison has shown absolutely no character whatsoever, yet is a shoo-in for the First Test now. Disgusting. I hope that he is fired from the England team forever after he inevitably fails again.

Bowling at 90mph means ****** all when you're shit.

[DJ_Smerk]

My reckoning for the Test XI

Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Peitersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Sidebottom
Harmison
Panesar
Hoggard

[LeFromage]

Sidebottom and Collingwood are inked in, so it's really a play-off between Shah and Bopara for the number six, Harmison and Anderson for the final seamer's slot.

Although if both Shah and Bopara both score runs and, say, Bell misses out, things could get interesting...

[Chivalry Augustus]

With Prior at 7 obviously. Reads like a collapse to me. 4 down all down.

[Gary 111]

Seems strange to me that they're busting a gut to give Bopara a chance at number 6.

I mean he did well last year - 960 runs at 60, but that was in Div 2.

Rashid scored 837 runs at 44.4 in Div 1 and would offer a lot more options in terms of team balance. But it seems like i'm p!ssing into the wind on this one as well, just like I am on Read. Although they eventually listened to me on Sidebottom so I live in hope.

All things being equal I think they will select this XI:
Cook, Vaughan*, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Shah, Prior, Sidebottom, Hoggard, Anderson, Panesar.

Certain tried and tested failures, e.g: Bell at 3, Sidebottom at 8 (four-man tail) and Prior at anywhere within 5 miles of a cricket ground. But there you go.

They will select Anderson because of his greater stamina and sustained effort, he seems to be held in high regard by the current management. The only way Harmison will get in is if he is seriously impressive in this match.

[Basil]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

[LeFromage]

You raise an interesting point, Gary - the way they're talking up Bopara's bowling and possibly being the tie-breaker when it comes to picking a number six, you wonder why they didn't look a lot harder at taking a genuine all-rounder on tour.

He might be young and green, but I'd be willing to bet good money that Rashid's leg-breaks would've been far handier on the dead, Sri Lankan dust-bowls than Bopara's part-time medium pies.

I suppose you could argue that he's not quite a number six yet, but Prior bats top-order for his county and could've switched places to give the kid a bit of a buffer.

I know they don't want to promote Rashid too early, lest they damage his development in some way, but if they're really looking to Bopara to be a wicket-taking option, I'd suggest they're being a little unrealistic.

And, given that Collingwood will turn his arm over to make up the fourth seamer (and Bell isn't the worst either), I don't see why Bopara's bowling should sway the balance in his favour when it comes to the final batting slot.

Who knows how they think?

[Gary 111]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

The fear is that once the shine is off the new ball that Jimmykins, SiBo and Hoggard will all be 83mph cannon-fodder and Sri Lanka will bat for 2 days.

The theory being Harmison offers extra pace and bounce and will help be able to unsettle in the middle overs. If by some accident the 2004 version of Harmison turns up then this will be great, otherwise he will just offer extra pace and bounce a yard down the leg-side.

[Basil]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

The fear is that once the shine is off the new ball that Jimmykins, SiBo and Hoggard will all be 83mph cannon-fodder and Sri Lanka will bat for 2 days.

The theory being Harmison offers extra pace and bounce and will help be able to unsettle in the middle overs. If by some accident the 2004 version of Harmison turns up then this will be great, otherwise he will just offer extra pace and bounce a yard down the leg-side.

I don't trust Harmy to bowl anything like a decent line and length anymore. Broad can extract bounce given his height - and might occasionally find the cut portion of the square!

[Gary 111]

You raise an interesting point, Gary - the way they're talking up Bopara's bowling and possibly being the tie-breaker when it comes to picking a number six, you wonder why they didn't look a lot harder at taking a genuine all-rounder on tour.

He might be young and green, but I'd be willing to bet good money that Rashid's leg-breaks would've been far handier on the dead, Sri Lankan dust-bowls than Bopara's part-time medium pies.

I suppose you could argue that he's not quite a number six yet, but Prior bats top-order for his county and could've switched places to give the kid a bit of a buffer.

I know they don't want to promote Rashid too early, lest they damage his development in some way, but if they're really looking to Bopara to be a wicket-taking option, I'd suggest they're being a little unrealistic.

And, given that Collingwood will turn his arm over to make up the fourth seamer (and Bell isn't the worst either), I don't see why Bopara's bowling should sway the balance in his favour when it comes to the final batting slot.

Who knows how they think?

Who knows indeed.

Also a leggie would have been useful for getting the tail-enders out quickly, Vaas is a pain in the arse but thankfully Maharoof won't be there. I still reckon Murali and Malinga will somehow regularly rack up 20s and 30s (if we get that many wickets in the first place). Murali seems to like batting against us for some reason.

Bopara's bowling is nearly the same as the other two - Bell and Collingwood are genuine wicket-taking threats for their county, but look a bit sh!t in Tests. Bopara will probably turn out to be the same.

I wonder how many overs Vaughan's knees are good for, in his early twenties he was at times a serviceable second spinner for Yorkshire, but how he seems to struggle to get through more than a couple of overs. He can't put in the practice in the nets and consequently is a bit sh!t when he does bowl even then.

[LeFromage]

From a technical point of view, I always think Broad bowls far too wide of the crease.

For a guy who models his entire game on Glenn McGrath - who was always tight to the stumps in delivery - I don't think he makes batsmen play nearly enough at the moment.

Still looks a work in progress to me.

Then again, Harmison is always a work in progress. And in rehab. And in therapy.

[Gary 111]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

The fear is that once the shine is off the new ball that Jimmykins, SiBo and Hoggard will all be 83mph cannon-fodder and Sri Lanka will bat for 2 days.

The theory being Harmison offers extra pace and bounce and will help be able to unsettle in the middle overs. If by some accident the 2004 version of Harmison turns up then this will be great, otherwise he will just offer extra pace and bounce a yard down the leg-side.

I don't trust Harmy to bowl anything like a decent line and length anymore. Broad can extract bounce given his height - and might occasionally find the cut portion of the square!

Broad can hold a bat too, but unfortunately isn't going to play. I think if he was in the selectors thoughts they would have definitely picked him for the warm-up.

His only hope is if Harmy bowls his shoddyline in the warm-up and Anerson's stiff back packs up.

[Basil]

I still think it would have been a tour too early for Rashid - there's the small matter of the S/L top six before you get to their tale, and I think they would have got stuck into him.

[LeFromage]

But he would've been the fifth bowler - I think England could have managed him a bit in that capacity.

Anyway, he's not there, so it's a moot point.

[Gary 111]

Maybe - although Warne was pretty much a novice when he made his name in Sri Lanka. Other countries don't seem to mind throwing rookie spinners into Tests: Warne, Vettori, Kumble, Kaneria, Chawla, etc.

We seem happy enough to give seamers like Broad and Anderson a go young as its a 'learning curve', but for a spinner its seen as make or break right from the first match.

And none of those players could bat like Adil can, or field like him for that matter. I thought he was at least worth a place in the tour party for the experience.

[Basil]

And none of those players could bat like Adil can, or field like him for that matter. I thought he was at least worth a place in the tour party for the experience.

And play no cricket? as that is the liklihood. Far better for him to be with the Lions, Tigers, polecats or whatever the A team is now called!

[Gary 111]

He could join up with the A team after Xmas. If England struggle badly, and Sri Lanka score 550 / 4, like we all fear they will in the first Test then England will be desperate for a different option.

It would be much more effective than Bopara's seam-bowling. A leg spinner would be perfect. And remember Rashid is twice the batsman Swann is if we're talking spin bowling all-rounders.

[Growler]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

The fear is that once the shine is off the new ball that Jimmykins, SiBo and Hoggard will all be 83mph cannon-fodder and Sri Lanka will bat for 2 days.

The theory being Harmison offers extra pace and bounce and will help be able to unsettle in the middle overs. If by some accident the 2004 version of Harmison turns up then this will be great, otherwise he will just offer extra pace and bounce a yard down the leg-side.

I wudn't disagree with the gist of your post Gary, but as I said in my earlier post, while Anderson can be expensive - he does have the knack of bowling absolutely unplayable deliveries. He did well enough last summer and it will be harsh on him to lose his place to Harmison at this time.

My biggest worry TBH is the lack of experience in the slips - no Tres, Freddie or Strauss who were all safe hands. I can see half a dozen chances being missed - what are your thoughts on this?

[Basil]

He could join up with the A team after Xmas. If England struggle badly, and Sri Lanka score 550 / 4, like we all fear they will in the first Test then England will be desperate for a different option.

If S/L get to 550 for 4, our goose will be well and truly cooked with or without Rashid

[Gary 111]

I would not give Harmison the sweat off my brow at the moment - as much for his inane utterings in the press as his unimpressive bowling

The fear is that once the shine is off the new ball that Jimmykins, SiBo and Hoggard will all be 83mph cannon-fodder and Sri Lanka will bat for 2 days.

The theory being Harmison offers extra pace and bounce and will help be able to unsettle in the middle overs. If by some accident the 2004 version of Harmison turns up then this will be great, otherwise he will just offer extra pace and bounce a yard down the leg-side.

I wudn't disagree with the gist of your post Gary, but as I said in my earlier post, while Anderson can be expensive - he does have the knack of bowling absolutely unplayable deliveries. He did well enough last summer and it will be harsh on him to lose his place to Harmison at this time.

My biggest worry TBH is the lack of experience in the slips - no Tres, Freddie or Strauss who were all safe hands. I can see half a dozen chances being missed - what are your thoughts on this?

Anderson is at least the quickest of the three, and will run in for you all day. He won't have it hooping round for him like he did this summer though (and even then he didn't take shedloads of wickets). Its going to be bloody hard work in Sri Lanka. He should know this as the only test he did play there in 2003 Sri Lanka made 628 for 8 off 182 overs (with Atapattu injured and not being able to bat!)

The slips are the least of our worries with Matt 'the mouth' Prior being selected as keeper, because although he isn't good at catching he can at least talk at length about porsches, jelly beans and baldness.

For the new ball we'll have Collingwood's safe hands at 2nd / 3rd slip, and he'll probably be the slipper for Monty too. This probably means you've got Shah at 1st who is allegedly a good slip in FC cricket though I don't see it myself. The one advantage is that it means Shah will rarely have to field the ball anywhere else!

[Basil]

Colly's got good hands, but I can't help thinking he's wasted when he fields close to the bat - he's our best fielder saving one since Derek Randall.

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