England v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Headingley, 19-23 May, 2016

Seems weird that we're playing Sri Lanka again at home considering they last toured England as recently as 2014. Was it meant to be the Windies but the ECB decided too many of their top players would be otherwise (IPL) committed?

How about England then? The way I see it, there's an opening spot up potentially up for grabs, James Taylor's middle order spot, and the spinner's spot. I'm not sure how much of a guarantee Hales has been given about his position in the side (and frankly, after four tests and an average of 17, he should have no guarantees at all), but there's rumours that he's having a rest with the ECB's blessing and assurances.

Other candidates to partner Cook at the top of the order would be Compton (old faithful), Robson (who has started the season well), Varun Chopra (who has been around for a while but never quite prolific enough to be considered for England....a talent though), Mark Stoneman (same as Chopra), Adam Lyth (f*ck no I should hope, but he's a lovely lad, and that counts for heaps in England world), Rory Burns (If you're a Surrey supporter and yearn for a Rory in the England team), and a bit of a wildcard- Chris Dent from Gloucs (although unlikely, considering no Gloucs player has been selected for England since Jon Lewis, and that worked out well...)

Now then, if they go with Compton as opener, it would mean a middle order spot opening up. Even if they go with Hales, there's a middle order spot available. Who are those candidates? Well, there's James Vince, who has been on the 'radar' for over a year now, Ian Ronald Bell, who predictably has started the County season with runs, Gary Ballance (but he's still doing silly things like scoring 4 off 30 balls for Yorks) Jason Roy, who is in the 'set up', and is earning a reputation at Surrey as being a middle order enforcer, and a wildcard in Tom Wesley from Essex, who toured with the Lions last Winter, and has quietly been putting good scores together for the last month or so with Alastair Cook watching from the other end.

The spinner? Well Moeen is still the most likely. But it's funny how with England he's a spinner who bats, and with Worcs he's a batsman who bowls a bit. He wasn't great in the Winter, though. His bowling figures for Worcs have been poor so far this season as well. Started well with the bat, but considering he bats at eight for England, there's no point in judging him on that. Zafar Ansari is fit again and playing decently for Surrey. Perhaps he'll get a chance? But perhaps they'll think he needs more cricket first. I think Adil Rashid has been ruled out of test cricket for the time being, and it's too soon to be talking about Monty again, seeing as he can't get a game for Northants at the moment.

I'm guessing, all things considered, that they'll go down the typically safe route, and play-

Cook (c)
Hales
Compton
Root
Vince (the one new face...they'll give him a few tests, with IRB in the wings for later in the summer should things go tits-up)
Stokes
Bairstow+
Moeen
Broad
Finn
Anderson

Crikey, is this how long we have to wait for some real cricket!!??

Henry wrote:Seems weird that we're playing Sri Lanka again at home considering they last toured England as recently as 2014. Was it meant to be the Windies but the ECB decided too many of their top players would be otherwise (IPL) committed?

How about England then? The way I see it, there's an opening spot up potentially up for grabs, James Taylor's middle order spot, and the spinner's spot. I'm not sure how much of a guarantee Hales has been given about his position in the side (and frankly, after four tests and an average of 17, he should have no guarantees at all), but there's rumours that he's having a rest with the ECB's blessing and assurances.

Other candidates to partner Cook at the top of the order would be Compton (old faithful), Robson (who has started the season well), Varun Chopra (who has been around for a while but never quite prolific enough to be considered for England....a talent though), Mark Stoneman (same as Chopra), Adam Lyth (f*ck no I should hope, but he's a lovely lad, and that counts for heaps in England world), Rory Burns (If you're a Surrey supporter and yearn for a Rory in the England team), and a bit of a wildcard- Chris Dent from Gloucs (although unlikely, considering no Gloucs player has been selected for England since Jon Lewis, and that worked out well...)

Now then, if they go with Compton as opener, it would mean a middle order spot opening up. Even if they go with Hales, there's a middle order spot available. Who are those candidates? Well, there's James Vince, who has been on the 'radar' for over a year now, Ian Ronald Bell, who predictably has started the County season with runs, Gary Ballance (but he's still doing silly things like scoring 4 off 30 balls for Yorks) Jason Roy, who is in the 'set up', and is earning a reputation at Surrey as being a middle order enforcer, and a wildcard in Tom Wesley from Essex, who toured with the Lions last Winter, and has quietly been putting good scores together for the last month or so with Alastair Cook watching from the other end.

The spinner? Well Moeen is still the most likely. But it's funny how with England he's a spinner who bats, and with Worcs he's a batsman who bowls a bit. He wasn't great in the Winter, though. His bowling figures for Worcs have been poor so far this season as well. Started well with the bat, but considering he bats at eight for England, there's no point in judging him on that. Zafar Ansari is fit again and playing decently for Surrey. Perhaps he'll get a chance? But perhaps they'll think he needs more cricket first. I think Adil Rashid has been ruled out of test cricket for the time being, and it's too soon to be talking about Monty again, seeing as he can't get a game for Northants at the moment.

I'm guessing, all things considered, that they'll go down the typically safe route, and play-

Cook (c)
Hales
Compton
Root
Vince (the one new face...they'll give him a few tests, with IRB in the wings for later in the summer should things go tits-up)
Stokes
Bairstow+
Moeen
Broad
Finn
Anderson

Yep, this looks like the probable side. Re. Moeen's bowling - have you any idea how cold it's been over here this week? Not spin-bowling friendly to say the leasr.

Moeen's bowling has been average to disappointing for over a year now, regardless of the cold early-season weather. He wasn't that great in the tests in the UAE or South Africa. Did ok in the shorter stuff. And why should we expect anything more? He's a good part-timer, but still not a specialist. A bowling average of around 38-40 is what we should expect, but is it good enough for your main spinner at test level?

I'm not sure Rashid is the answer either. Perhaps it's time to invest in a young, specialist spinner, and stick with them in good times and bad.

sad that Rashid does not get a go....Poms being too conservative?

horace wrote:sad that Rashid does not get a go....Poms being too conservative?

I'm actually not sure he's good enough, to be honest.

Compton seems to be in no sort of form. But they'll still probably give him a couple of tests in this series. After his extended break, Hales didn't exactly start the season like a train, either.

A few young opening batsmen (who's names I will not mention in case they get hit by a bus or something) have had very good starts to the season. Will the selectors be bold enough to pick them?

I'm so desperate for some real cricket that I propose this thread be rikkied now, just to give me hope.

Are SL any chance of causing an upset?

Without the likes of Sanga and Jaya, I doubt it.

skully wrote:Without the likes of Sanga and Jaya, I doubt it.

Nah! Methinks the pomgolians are at risk of coming a cropper. That would be fun and cheered around the world.

horace wrote:

skully wrote:Without the likes of Sanga and Jaya, I doubt it.

Nah!  Methinks the pomgolians are at risk of coming a cropper. That would be fun and cheered around the world.

I'd like to see how we deal with their decent pace attack, early doors in England. I don't think we'll do that well.

I reckon Compton is in serious trouble.

Think they might bring Vince in at three, move Bairstow to five without the gloves, and bring Buttler back in at seven.

Finn also seems to have gone back to bowling rubbish again, so Jake Ball might be in line for a test debut. It would be very un-England to make so many changes from their last test match though. I think they were hoping they'd just have to make the one change of someone in for the retired Taylor.

By the way Bell has picked up a hamstring injury and is unlikely to be fit for Lord's.

Massive sighs of relief all around the UK, I imagine.

Who did his hammy?

Chas or Merlo? If not, someone whose hatred of Malteasers was slightly less overt.

Bairstow seems to have cemented his place now anyway, so (with Stokes) the Ginger Quotient is already completely filled.

Ball and Vince in the 12

embee wrote:Ball and Vince in the 12

Foxtel showing this match?

It doesn't appear that Foxy will cover this. Qunts.

Finally some proper cricket, feels like it's been years!

Finally a ray of light amongst all the utterly forgettable shite purveyed in and by the IPL.

skully wrote:It doesn't appear that Foxy will cover this. Qunts.

You want live coverage of falling rain?

Really?? We've waited so long for some real cricket and the Gods give us rain??? FFS.