Sri Lanka v England, 2nd Test, Kandy, 14-18 November, 2018

What a gem this is from Root.

Yeah, he was due a big one...

Remember one of the wickets we’ve lost was the number 10 who opened, so we’ve effectively got one more in the bank than it looks like. We still need to set them at least 250 though.

JGK wrote:

whitburn wrote:Lead looking very very fragile with half the team gone.

Another 100 runs and England are faves.

Yup, the decent tail could just do it but Ali was unlucky to be given. Price you pay for the silly review earlier i suppose.

Anything over 250 should be enough but 300 will be extremely difficult

278 ahead with probably nothing more to come. Enough? The bookmakers think so, i just got 11 to 2 on a home win so i've chucked a tenner on that. Worth a light flutter methiniks.

One of the signs of a consistently good team - which England are still not, and have rarely been, consistency is not their middle name - is that different players contribute at different times, but there are always a couple, preferably three or four, among the eleven who make a decisive input at any one time.

For example, batting.... You could superimpose the scores of this last England innings on one from the previous Test (Second Innings vs Second Innings?), and I suppose you'd have somewhere near a contrasting interlocking set. Most of those who failed one time, made a decent or better score in the other.

It may be enough to win this Test, maybe not. It depends largely on how much spirit, grit and skill this transitional SL batting lineup can find, as well as all the other usual factors (bowling, fielding, captaincy decisions, pitch, other conditions, luck).

Sticking Stokes up the order hasn't been a conspicuous success in the first instance. Maybe they should just take turns in England;s graveyard slot. Draw straws, or something. But if that's Leach's idea of sticking around and being a nuisance to the opposition, maybe give him an exemption.

Or maybe both of them can learn to adapt. Impatience dogs cricket followers a lot.

Good to see Carpet contributing, the awkward-looking bugger. England need a decent opener, if not two.

The bottom line is that England at weak at 1,2 and 3. If there were decent top order batsmen this has the makings of a good team. The bits and pieces players in the middle order prevent it being a great team.

taipan wrote:The bottom line is that England at weak at 1,2 and 3. If there were decent top order batsmen this has the makings of a good team. The bits and pieces players in the middle order prevent it being a great team.

I think “bits and pieces” is the way the longer game is going, influenced by T20. Batting down to 9 or 10 is becoming more important than having a decent top three, given that hardly anyone does have a decent top three these days. The modern game just doesn’t produce such players. Everyone’s 100-4 more often than not, it’s just the way it’s going. You need to be able to double the score from five down.

Anyway, the current “bits and pieces” players aren’t exactly Luke Wright, Ronnie Irani and Mark Ealham. They’re players who can make match-winning contributions with bat, ball and/or gloves.

Of course, genuine pace and world class spin remain the gaps in our team, but we’ve had very successful teams without one or both of those in the past.

Is Stokes the new Watto? Burning a review in an act of pure selfishness.

DRS now redefined as Don’t Review, Stokesy...

Looks a great knock by Root.

Advantage England?

Tough one to call this now. England still marginal favourites.

whitburn wrote:278 ahead with probably nothing more to come. Enough? The bookmakers think so, i just got 11 to 2 on a home win so i've chucked a tenner on that. Worth a light flutter methiniks.

Might be another good bet. 110 needed 6 left in the cabinet (!).

Looks like going to the wire

At 5 down with 80-odd to win it was theirs for the taking, now we’re probably marginal favourites again. You never quite know what you’re going to get with our spinners though. Can we get Swanny back from the dancefloor?

Cue: Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Has anyone mentioned how grouse Test cricket is?

PeterCS wrote:Cue: Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Or the Arctic Monkeys...

I think we should squeak home now, was looking quite dicey for a while and still not yet quite in the bag.

Grouse, as they say.

But do grouse actually squeak?

Was there rain?

skully wrote:Was there rain?

Yep, should be okay tomorrow though apparently so will get a finish.

Cheers, vilks. Go England.

2 quick ones for Moeen. 9-fer and still 54 needed.

Michelle to Leach.

Congrats to England. 2-0.