England v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, The Oval, June 28

Henry wrote:Likely England-

Cook(c)
Kieswetter+
Trott
Pietersen
Morgan
Patel
Bresnan
Woakes
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Perhaps.

Dello wrote:They're not going to leave out Ian Bell again, are they? He's in the form of his life. There'll be a lynching. An uprising. A riot. Possibly terrorist atrocities.

Woakes'll be f*cked off. And rightly so.

Cook
Kieswetter+
Trott
Pietersen
Belfohl™
Morgan
Patel
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Dirtbag

That's five bowlers and some fill-in filth from Trott and Pietersen.

Brass Monkey wrote:

Dello wrote:They're not going to leave out Ian Bell again, are they? He's in the form of his life. There'll be a lynching. An uprising. A riot. Possibly terrorist atrocities.

Woakes'll be f*cked off. And rightly so.

Cook
Kieswetter+
Trott
Pietersen
Belfohl™
Morgan
Patel
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Dirtbag

That's five bowlers and some fill-in filth from Trott and Pietersen.

That's exactly what I was going to say, they'll never, ever, ever leave the 28-averaging Belfohl™ out. Insanity. Looks like this'll be the team. We'll be kneeling in prayer in front of our TV screens that wickets one and two will be Cook and Trott. I can imagine some frustrating times if the CT&B Bored Of Control have long innings.

beamer wrote:Well, Puke's still near enough to get a T20 call-up. Hopefully his performance there means he's no longer first reserve for 50 overs.

I don't think there's a consistent reliable seamer in there, and we've only ever had one of those at a time really. Late career Gough and late career Freddie are the only ones I can think of in the last decade. There isn't even anyone who can blow away the top order even if they go for runs, they're all just a bit mediocre. Bresnan's call-up shows the cupboard really is bare, there's lots of batting prospects being talked up on the county thread but very few pace bowlers of note.

Dello wrote:The team (if that is the team) has the same deficiencies that plagued it during the World Cup - too much stodge up front during the power plays, and the rest of the batting line up relying entirely on Pietersen and Morgan as no-one else has a clue how to get spinners away.

Then there's the bowling, which has nothing going for it at all on a flat deck. No wicket threat at all, with the new ball, old ball, changed ball, pink ball, orange ball, bonus ball - nadda. So the tactics will be contain, contain, contain, cross your fingers, hope for the best, we might just get away with this one, lads. Which is a completely hopeless approach once any decent batsmen get themselves in.

Optimism schmoptimism.

JKLever wrote:Didn't we beat the Lankans 3-2 last time? Anyone recall what the bowling attack was... I know Swanny was playing.

At Leeds, July 1. Sri Lanka won by eight wickets. Toss: England.

Sri Lanka completed a 5-0 whitewash, England's worst head-to-head series defeat, which left them above only Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya in the ICC rankings. In an assault of unparalleled ferocity, Tharanga and Jayasuriya piled up 286 in 32 overs, a record opening stand in one-day internationals and the third-highest for any wicket; Sri Lanka overtook a seemingly imposing 321 with an almost ludicrous 75 balls to spare. In his 362nd one-day international, equalling the record of Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam-ul-Haq, Jayasuriya plundered 152 in 99 balls, with four sixes and 20 fours. But England's 15th defeat in 19 one-day games could not be put down to a single brilliant innings. Tharanga, the sorcerer's apprentice, scored 109 in 102 balls, his now familiar cover-drives joining Jayasuriya's trademark upper-cuts and leg-side flicks. In their first three overs, England had scored one run, after Vaas began with two bewitching maidens of late swing off a good length, a feat almost unheard of in the modern one-day game; at the same stage, Jayasuriya and Tharanga had 46. Fred Trueman had died earlier in the day, his passing touchingly marked by his home crowd with both a minute's silence and another minute's applause, and it was tempting to cite his catchphrase, "I don't know what's going off out there." But Trueman would have known all too well, and said so. Strauss surprisingly delayed Harmison's entry until ten wicketless overs went for 97, beating Derek Pringle for England's most expensive one-day spell. The peculiar cruelty was that England's best batting of the series gave Sri Lanka little option but to chase at breathtaking speed. Trescothick completed England's first one-day hundred against Test opposition since his own century here against Australia 12 months earlier, though Malinga bowled impressively at the end and claimed four wickets. The early finish allowed the crowd to watch the climax of the England football team's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal on the big screen: England lost that too, on penalties.

Man of the Match: S. T. Jayasuriya.

Man of the Series: S. T. Jayasuriya.

DJ_Smerk wrote:

Sri Lanka completed a 5-0 whitewash............... England's worst head-to-head series defeat, which left them above only Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya in the ICC rankings.................. In an assault of unparalleled ferocity, Tharanga and Jayasuriya piled up 286 in 32 overs, a record opening stand in one-day internationals and the third-highest for any wicket Sri Lanka overtook a seemingly imposing 321 with an almost ludicrous 75 balls to spare............England's 15th defeat in 19 one-day games................ Fred Trueman had died earlier in the day............................. The early finish allowed the crowd to watch the climax of the England football team's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal on the big screen: England lost that too, on penalties.