Re: Sri Lankan Board XI V England

[horace]

must admit to surprise that the poms are persisting with Sherman (Bell)

[JKLever]

Bell & Bopara - a match made in heaven

[tac]

Bell at 3? That's one way of getting KP up the batting order.

[doremi]

Bell ain't bad. I'd still have played Shah.

Vaughan
Cook
Bell
KP
Shah
Colly
WK
Swann
Hoggard
Sidebottom/Anderson
Panesar


If the pitch is a slow and low turner, don't see what the third seamer will accomplish. Get Swann in from the 15th over and Panesar from the 25th. And Broad is over-rated. Can't see him playing in front of most of the other English pacers.

[Henry]

I dont think Broad is overrated but I also dont think a flat turner at Galle is the ideal place for him to make his debut. They had ample opportunity to blood him last English summer but they went with Tremlett instead and to be honest, i'm not really sure what Tremlett did wrong in Test cricket to warrant him being leap frogged by Broad for a spot.

[Eric Air Emu]

I'm tilting back towards Bell now my flu is receeding.

I fully expect that ten years from now Bell will be widely regarded as England's finest ever test batsman. After despatching Murali with utter disdain this series and monstering the Kiwis and Safrica, he'll go on to score 800 runs in the next Ashes series and this'll only be the start of things for him. He'll break the test world record in 2010 and score 12 consecutive test centuries in 2012/13 all the while captaining England in a period of utter dominance. He'll claim a record five BBC sports personality of the year awards and not only get a knighthood but be co-opted into the royal family.

Being the polymath he so obviously he is he will also write a great novel (a Ulysees like stream of consciousness called 'Bell's end'), discover a totally renewable energy source and bring peace to the Middle East with his unique theological and philosphical insights that make entire nations suddenly see the error of their feuding.

Unfortunately just as he's about to see the world into a new golden age he'll die in suspicious circumstances of a gay heroin overdose. His tragic young-ish demise will only add to his legend though. There will be a 40ft statue precariously balanced on the plinth in Trafalgar square of him naked slaying a dragon with hs firey sword. Lords will be renamed 'Bells' in his honour and a whole generation of boys and girls will be named Ian.

And boy will some people on this forum have egg on their faces.

[holcs]

Farking Bell is sh1te.

What him play in the next 5 tests and score maybe 3 30's!!!!! Useless little runt!

[JKLever]

You're blinded by his gloriousness...

[holcs]

I'm blinded by his utter abjectness, and fully fledged uselessness!!!

You got two decent players apparently playing for 1 spot, both of whom have performed adequately thus far, and the little fellacio givuing runt with his spot secured, and yet he hasn't scored a test run since playing against that poor Pakistani side last summer........

[JKLever]

I'm blinded by his utter abjectness, and fully fledged uselessness!!!

You got two decent players apparently playing for 1 spot, both of whom have performed adequately thus far, and the little fellacio givuing runt with his spot secured, and yet he hasn't scored a test run since playing against that poor Pakistani side last summer........

C'mon... he didn't do badly in Oz.

And he looked GREAT

[Brass Monkey]

Yeah Bell swank. Can't score a run against a) a good attack and b) in the 2nd dig. How he's not been dropped for ages is so beyond me it's unbelievable.

[holcs]

I'm blinded by his utter abjectness, and fully fledged uselessness!!!

You got two decent players apparently playing for 1 spot, both of whom have performed adequately thus far, and the little fellacio givuing runt with his spot secured, and yet he hasn't scored a test run since playing against that poor Pakistani side last summer........

C'mon... he didn't do badly in Oz.

And he looked GREAT

He averaged a tad over 30? Thats bleeding marvellous for your number three.

As for 2007!

7 417 109* 37.90 and four of these tests were against a club bowling attack of the Windies.

He's Farking Carp.

Looking good? If you like some sort of defiled choir boy, then go for it!

[Henry]

I didn't know Eric Air Emu was Tom.

[JKLever]

Looking good? If you like some sort of defiled choir boy, then go for it!

Not his appearance, his shotmaking!!

C'mon I know you secretly drool over Bell

[holcs]

Looking good? If you like some sort of defiled choir boy, then go for it!

Not his appearance, his shotmaking!!

C'mon I know you secretly drool over Bell

Oh I grant you, he's a very pretty player for the 20 balls he faces an innings!!!

Its impossible to drool over him, he isn't out there long enough!

[Chivalry Augustus]

Here's some more Ian Bell stats, as I'm sure everybody longs for.

Ian Bell's averages by year:

70.00
44.43
41.00
39.69

Ian Bell's averages by innings:

46.38
92.71
22.18
28.00

Ian Bell by batting position (from 3 up to 6):

35.22
44.72 (two not outs against Bangladesh)
45.50 (no hundreds)
58.16

[Henry]

I wouldnt pick him for the first Test because I dont think he's in form BUT, Bell will be back. I dont think anyone can honestly say he's not one of the best 7-8 batsmen in England.

[JKLever]

[Chivalry Augustus]

"A youngster offering a stern, placatory expression of defiance, when asked what the hell he thinks he's doing stealing an England player's kit. The imposter is due in court on the 1st December, but insists he was allowed in - on false pretences."

[Henry]

I'm so wet right now.

[Eric Air Emu]

I love the turned up collar- looks very dapper.

I reckon (to date, before he achieves aforementioned greatness) he's a bit like Hussey. OK he only averages about half he does- but still has a very decent record without playing a single innings you can really point to as evidence of even semi-greatness. That's test cricket these days...

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