England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Lords, June 3-7, 2011

What's happened to Liam Plunkett? Has his action completely turned to mush? Injured? I thought he was still on the radar. Or...Chris Woakes?? Has a damn fine record in England under cloudy skies. Actually I think Woakes IS injured....

And is it Finn that is really the problem? At least he takes wickets, despite the tripe he often serves up. Broad is more of a worry. He's been around a while now, yet too often he offers neither control or wickets. Bowling average of 36 after 36 tests......

Henry wrote:An england team led by Strauss, already leading the series 1-0, will make no effort to force the pace until just after lunch tomorrow, where he will probably set Sri Lanka 300 to win in 40 overs.

Cap'n Negs? You're kidding, more likely 350 in 20 overs if we can get to that score...

Henry wrote:And is it Finn that is really the problem? At least he takes wickets, despite the tripe he often serves up. Broad is more of a worry. He's been around a while now, yet too often he offers neither control or wickets. Bowling average of 36 after 36 tests......

That's it. Broad out. Simple. So we won't bat so deep he comes in at 8 anyway. I just can't abide by such continuous lack of results from him. He was fastidious in Aus at least, but not penetrative in the slightest - which was sort of all cool on those roads, like these roads, but others have seemed to manage alrightish for England of recent hence he's the weak link. So drop him.

But we won't. He's the heir hair apparent. Golden-haired, doe-eyed, Chocolate-and-Gashley-wank-fantasied, truculent, braindead f*ckwham.

Trott got out attacking!

Trott yorked himself. A stride down the pitch and that was a juicy full toss.

Brass Monkey wrote:

Henry wrote:An england team led by Strauss, already leading the series 1-0, will make no effort to force the pace until just after lunch tomorrow, where he will probably set Sri Lanka 300 to win in 40 overs.

Cap'n Negs? You're kidding, more likely 350 in 20 overs if we can get to that score...

S/L could actually get 300 off 40. There's no need to dangle the carrot. They're one nil down. Let them chase the game.

If it was 1998 and Jayasuriya was in the team then yes, they could chase 300 in 40 overs. But these days there's no way they's chase that down.

Dilshan
Sanga
Jayawardene

They could you know!

Let's assume that Dilshan wont follow up his 193 in the first innings with 150 off 100 balls in the second innings, and that England will surely bowl better second time around. Sanga and Jayawardene aren't really explosive players, and there's no field restrictions in tests. Strauss could put eight men out on the boundary, settle for seven an over, and England would still win or draw.

Good that Trott is out. Was getting annoying.

What's happened, they've switched to an Ind-WI JAMODI just as KP went for a risky single! This is ITV standards from Sky...

Oh, we're back. At least he wasn't run out while they were away!

Henry wrote:Let's assume that Dilshan wont follow up his 193 in the first innings with 150 off 100 balls in the second innings, and that England will surely bowl better second time around. Sanga and Jayawardene aren't really explosive players, and there's no field restrictions in tests. Strauss could put eight men out on the boundary, settle for seven an over, and England would still win or draw.

Can Dilshan bat above seven, seeing as how he's sitting out the England innings with a throbbin' thumb?

Henry wrote:Trott yorked himself. A stride down the pitch and that was a juicy full toss.

Got himself out twice in this match, swiping across the line.

I suppose he doesn't miss often, but the way he plays across the straight ball, he's going to be out every time he does.

Henry wrote:What's happened to Liam Plunkett? Has his action completely turned to mush? Injured? I thought he was still on the radar. Or...Chris Woakes?? Has a damn fine record in England under cloudy skies. Actually I think Woakes IS injured....

Plunkett? Give it up. Never going to amount to anything. He just hasn't progressed at all as a bowler.

Woakes is injured, but is a million miles away from being a Test bowler, IMHO. If Jon Lewis wasn't, Woakes isn't. He's a dobber.

Ok, got called darn sarf on an emergency and not seen a sh!t since Steve Finn was smashing them all over the place.

SL 479 ....... WTF?

Brass Monkey wrote:

Henry wrote:And is it Finn that is really the problem? At least he takes wickets, despite the tripe he often serves up. Broad is more of a worry. He's been around a while now, yet too often he offers neither control or wickets. Bowling average of 36 after 36 tests......

That's it. Broad out. Simple. So we won't bat so deep he comes in at 8 anyway. I just can't abide by such continuous lack of results from him. He was fastidious in Aus at least, but not penetrative in the slightest - which was sort of all cool on those roads, like these roads, but others have seemed to manage alrightish for England of recent hence he's the weak link. So drop him.

But we won't. He's the heir hair apparent. Golden-haired, doe-eyed, Chocolate-and-Gashley-wank-fantasied, truculent, braindead f*ckwham.

Best thing that happened to England in the Ashes was Broad getting injured. I don't think they'd have won the series otherwise.

If Jimmeh really is fit and available for the Rose Bowl, as he reckons, it should be an interesting decision the selectors have to make.

Personally, I'd drop both Broad and Finn as neither are good enough at this stage in their careers to play Tests. Finn's faltering action is Liam Plunkett all over again. You can't have guys trying to work it out in the middle of a Test.

Gut feeling is they'll bin Tremlett. Just get the impression he's not as fashionable and in with the rest of the squad.

We'll see.

JKLever wrote:Ok, got called darn sarf on an emergency and not seen a sh!t since Steve Finn was smashing them all over the place.

SL 479 ....... WTF?

Flat pitch. Excellent from Dilshan. Appalling bowling from England. All three seamers couldn't locate a regular line or length. Finn the worst - every other over featured one miles down the leg-side. Think Prior ended up with 25 byes against his name. And frankly, he did heroically to keep it under 50.

Was embarrassingly amateurish. Even the bowling coach didn't pull his punches in his assessment.

Dello wrote:
Gut feeling is they'll bin Tremlett. Just get the impression he's not as fashionable and in with the rest of the squad.

.

WTF again.... all those wickets in the Ashes and rampaging through SL in Cardiff? Drop Tremlett? Crazy talk

Anyway: game situation.

England to get on with it in the morning session - 260-270 ahead at lunch? Quick thrash after the break and set Sri Lanka 300 or so in 60 overs?

Any takers?

JKLever wrote:

Dello wrote:
Gut feeling is they'll bin Tremlett. Just get the impression he's not as fashionable and in with the rest of the squad.

.

WTF again.... all those wickets in the Ashes and rampaging through SL in Cardiff? Drop Tremlett? Crazy talk

Just a gut feeling. Might be gas.

Dello wrote:

JKLever wrote:Ok, got called darn sarf on an emergency and not seen a sh!t since Steve Finn was smashing them all over the place.

SL 479 ....... WTF?

Flat pitch. Excellent from Dilshan. Appalling bowling from England. All three seamers couldn't locate a regular line or length. Finn the worst - every other over featured one miles down the leg-side. Think Prior ended up with 25 byes against his name. And frankly, he did heroically to keep it under 50.

Was embarrassingly amateurish. Even the bowling coach didn't pull his punches in his assessment.

Hmmm, doesn't sound good after bowling so consistently 2nd inns in Cardiff. Sounds like Finny still serving up pump and being expensive.

50 wickets quicker than Botham though!

Poor old Broady, i'm his biggest fan but he's got to start pulling his weight with the ball. I'd keep him for the Rose Bowl - may suit him there more than on what seems an utter road at Lords.

Dello wrote:Anyway: game situation.

England to get on with it in the morning session - 260-270 ahead at lunch? Quick thrash after the break and set Sri Lanka 300 or so in 60 overs?

Any takers?

Yeah right. That would mean captain conservative giving Sri Lanka a sniff. No way.

Dello wrote:Anyway: game situation.

England to get on with it in the morning session - 260-270 ahead at lunch? Quick thrash after the break and set Sri Lanka 300 or so in 60 overs?

Any takers?

Well i'm sure Strauss won't be one of them.

England's only chance of winning is being bowled all out. Strauss won't give them more than a session to bat if he can help it.

JKLever wrote:
Poor old Broady, i'm his biggest fan but he's got to start pulling his weight with the ball. I'd keep him for the Rose Bowl - may suit him there more than on what seems an utter road at Lords.

Wickets 104 wickets @ 36, s/r 68 - and climbing.

He's heading towards Ashley Giles territory. 143 wicket @ 40, s/r 85

Not good.