England's Bowling Attack for Sri Lanka Test Series

Predictions in here Folks.

Hoggard
Sidebottom
Harmison
Broad/Croft (Stranger things have happened, Udal in Pakistan/India for instance)
Panesar

What other Spinners can help out Panesar and hold down another end? Giles is injured/retired, Udal retired, Rashid too young, Schofield to Carp, Pietersen/Vaughan hardly good enough as spin options. Maybe Graeme Swann if he does well in the ODI series? (Not sure what Flintoff's status is as a bowling option just yet so no comment at this time).

They'll all be taken, bar Croft. If Swann does well in the ODIs, he'll definitely be a shoe-in. Quite like the fact we're starting off with ODIs anyway, the added bonus is Swanny will play.

Id leave Harmison in England. Hasnt bowled for a couple of months, and we all know what happens when he hasnt got enough bowling under his belt. He'll be awful, and that's pretty much guaranteed. For the first test, id go with-

Hoggard
Tremlett
Flintoff(If fit...but unlikely he will be, so Sidebottom)
Panesar
Swann

Anderson goes as the reserve seamer, either Adil Rashid, James Tredwell, Gareth Batty, or Garry Keedy goes as the third spinner.

Gareth Batty can stay home aswell. We have KP as our mouth, we don't need another.

Agree that we should forget Harmison, he'll be useless. IMHO he needs to take a stack of FC wickets next season to warrant a recall.

Anyway, I'd take:

Hoggy, Tremlett, SiBo, Monty, Swann, Jimmy


Pick from that lot depending on conditions. I suppose it's worth playing Swann in place of SiBo or Tremlett on turning wickets.

Righto, pretty much made my mind up on Adil Rashid, even though the wickets have dried up of late in the championship. Think he's got to go. So if were going to take 3 spinners it would be Panesar, Rashid and Swann for me. If its just 2 then just Monty and Adil.

Basically my reasoning is that all the 2nd spinning candidates are averaging low 30s as bowlers in County Cricket, and from previous experience we've seen the Udal's and Batty's of this world with similar averages come in and be ineffectual at international level. So you would expect Swann, or Batty or Keedy - 3 of the main rivals to Adil to struggle in Sri Lanka. Basically any average under 50 in the Tests would be a bonus. I mean Giles took his wickets at 26 for Warwickshire and we all saw how he struggled for England averaging 40+. And none of these players have a FC career average close to Giles. If we're going to have someone struggling a bit i'd rather have a leg-spinner who turns it and might go for a few rather than a 'gritty' off-spinner like Batty who will not threaten to beat the bat.

So, basically as well you're looking a little at the whole package. Monty has to play, and he doesn't bat or field well. So your 2nd spinner has to offer something. Well in terms of batting and fielding then young Adil blows all the others out of the water. He's a genuine batsman averaging a shade under 40 in FC cricket - Batty and Swann are around 26. And an agile and quick fielder who may well turn out to be Collingwood's replacement at backward point.

So time to throw caution to the wind and give him a go. People say it might be too early for him. But I think a lot of other spinners - Warne, Kumble, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain, were all thrown in at a young age and they used the experience to become better players. If the coaching staff are doing their job well it should be beneficial whether he's the star player or struggles on his first tour.

Moving onto the fast men - lets not take Kirtley there this time!

Freddy isn't going to be fit, lets face it. And if he was hobbling through bowling 10-15 overs a day its not going to be good enough there where he is playing in conditions and against bowlers he has really struggled against before. So England are on the back foot straight away with their best bowler not available.

Frustrating as he is I think Jimmy Anderson is a must, as he has been the only guy of late who you can guarentee will keep running in, bowling fast without breaking down. And in such stamina sapping conditions you need someone like that you can rely on to keep bounding in for you. When we won in 2001 we had a fit Goughy (for once!) to do this.

After that it gets hard - a taller bowler is needed to offer variation so either Harmison, Tremlett or Broad. Broad offers most with the bat, and Harmison is the quickest. But I think that Harmison has been a liability of late and Broad is not ready to trouble international class batsmen. Tremlett was the best seamer against India so I think he has to go of the three.

After this you have Hoggard, who I think has to tour even though he hasn't played much this year and the pitches won't particularly suit. Because you know he is a dogged and determined performer who will do a disciplined job. Though he is by no means a guarenteed starter. Then you have Sidebottom who will also run in and bowl manfully, although to an extent I think all our seam bowlers are likely to be blunted out there. That is why I would look to pack the team with batting and hope Collingwood could fill in an extra 5-10 overs.

Sage Gary.

Our seamers were so ineffective on the Lankan pitches last tour there, I'd be half inclined to go with 3 spinners Monty,Swann & Rashid

So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gay Tour Party to Sri Lanka

I skimmed that too quickly

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

Key? FFS

Read? FFFFFS

Nixon? FFFFFFFFS

JKLever wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gay Tour Party to Sri Lanka

I rimmed that too quickly

It's an easy mistake to make!

JKLever wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

Key? FFS

Read? FFFFFS

Nixon? FFFFFFFFS

Well, i'm never going to agree with most people on hear about Read. But i'm gonna keep putting him in there. We're going to create precious few chances in Sri Lanka without having Prior to drop a third of the chances that come his way.

Nixon, decent keeper as well, gutsy cricketer, fitness freak and in good batting form. Has never let England down.

Key. I know he's a bit shit, but Strauss has been so bad of late, we can't justify picking him any more. And you try and find any other openers out there in county cricket - we really are struggling for opening bats at the moment. Obviously i'd love to have Tresco in there, but like Flintoff it just ain't gonna happen.

We're Doomed!!!

I can't see us getting anything out of this series whoever we take, to be honest. Our bowlers will get little out of the pitches and I expect the chucker will run through our batting line-up, whether or not we pick a side where the tail starts at 6!

Perhaps the best thing is to go with players who they think will rise to the challenge and benefit from the experience, rather than those who it will have a negative effect on.

If we have something like my suggested side at least you'll have Rashid at 7 and someone like Nico/Read at 8 so we would bat a decent way down.

Seam attack would be weak, but even if we go in with three seamers rather than two i can't see them being all that threatening. And you would have someone like Tremlett or Broad at 8.

Would rather see us try to grind out 400 and apply pressure that way, and maybe hope our spinners could do the business as the game wears on.

Its usually a war of attrition in Sri Lanka, and that was definitely how we won there in 2001 with a 6-9 of Stewart, White, Giles and Croft - not too much firepower with the ball but stubborn lower order batting.

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

In spite of his awful form (11 and 7 in the current round of championship matches), I'd be amazed if the newly centrally contracted Andrew Strauss wasn't selected to tour.

Batting'll be the usual suspects: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, backed up by Bopara or Shah.

No idea who'll keep. Probably Matt Sussex.

And then it'll be a four man attack again, from Hoggard, Anderson, Harmison, Sidebottom, Panesar, plus a second spinner (Swann's a shot) and probably Tremlett.

Team for the first Test:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan* (second spinner)
Pietersen
Collingwood (fourth seamer)
Bell
Sussex +
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

You know it, and I know it. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Not sure. Possibly if Swann and Mustard do well in the ODers, there'll be no choice but to get them in. Was going to write a beast of a post, but Gary's posts have battered my head in.

The first man in is Panesar. He's England's best bowler in the last year. He was extremely unlucky not to get more wickets in the India series and has had success against SL on an SL style wicket in particular. Being a bit keen, but he could be a series winner, possibly.

What I'd say is Jimmy led the attack manfully and, for the most part, bowled with a lot of skill, pace and agressive lines. He, for the want of a better phrase, 'has the jersey'.

SiBo has been a very good seamer this season, he's been quite unlucky in a few innings not to get more wickets.

Hoggard is a damn fine Test bowler. He's been our most consistant tour bowler for a while now. He averages less abroad. He's become a master of judging conditions IMO and must get the nod.

GBH needs cricket to fire. Simple.

Trembles did well and his steep bounce could trouble the small Lankans. It's just don't think it'll be anywhere near the 'business area'.

They'll be the tour bowlers.

My team for the 1st Test:

Vaughan, Cook, Shah, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Mustard, Rashid, Hoggard, Harmison, Panesar.

No point pissing around really. We'll need to bat a long way down if we're to stand a chance, and we may as well play two spinners because the rest of the seamers won't do much. Harmison mightn't be that good at the minute, but Tremlett's shite. He bowls one length, and it'll be useless in Sri Lanka.

Dello wrote:Team for the first Test:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan* (second spinner)
Pietersen
Collingwood (fourth seamer)
Bell
Sussex +
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

You know it, and I know it. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Oh, but playing pretend is so much more fun. The reality will be quite grim and utterly predictable.

Harmison will open the bowling and go at 6 an over and take one tail end wicket. Hoggy and SiBo will huff and puff and get a couple each, Monty will get a Pfeiffer but go for over 130. SL 550+ all out, England 270/240 all out, Chuck 14-90.

Bah! Why bother watching.

Sri Lankans aren't nearly as good as us against quality spin. Monty won't go for many.

Dello wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

In spite of his awful form (11 and 7 in the current round of championship matches), I'd be amazed if the newly centrally contracted Andrew Strauss wasn't selected to tour.

Batting'll be the usual suspects: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, backed up by Bopara or Shah.

No idea who'll keep. Probably Matt Sussex.

And then it'll be a four man attack again, from Hoggard, Anderson, Harmison, Sidebottom, Panesar, plus a second spinner (Swann's a shot) and probably Tremlett.

Team for the first Test:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan* (second spinner)
Pietersen
Collingwood (fourth seamer)
Bell
Sussex +
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

You know it, and I know it. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Anderson must be a shoo-in for the first test, I would suggest at Sibo's expense. The reason? - the rough outside the righthanders offstump, which he would create for Murali to exploit.

Basil wrote:

Dello wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

In spite of his awful form (11 and 7 in the current round of championship matches), I'd be amazed if the newly centrally contracted Andrew Strauss wasn't selected to tour.

Batting'll be the usual suspects: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, backed up by Bopara or Shah.

No idea who'll keep. Probably Matt Sussex.

And then it'll be a four man attack again, from Hoggard, Anderson, Harmison, Sidebottom, Panesar, plus a second spinner (Swann's a shot) and probably Tremlett.

Team for the first Test:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan* (second spinner)
Pietersen
Collingwood (fourth seamer)
Bell
Sussex +
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

You know it, and I know it. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Anderson must be a shoo-in for the first test, I would suggest at Sibo's expense. The reason? - the rough outside the righthanders offstump, which he would create for Murali to exploit.

Harmison will tour?

Might as well pick Treschothic

taipan wrote:

Basil wrote:

Dello wrote:

Gary 111 wrote:So, to sumarise all this garbling!

The Gary Tour Party to Sri Lanka:

Vaughan (c), Collingwood, Cook, Key, Bell, Pietersen, Shah, Read, Nixon, Rashid, Panesar, Anderson, Tremlett, Hoggard, Sidebottom

In spite of his awful form (11 and 7 in the current round of championship matches), I'd be amazed if the newly centrally contracted Andrew Strauss wasn't selected to tour.

Batting'll be the usual suspects: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, backed up by Bopara or Shah.

No idea who'll keep. Probably Matt Sussex.

And then it'll be a four man attack again, from Hoggard, Anderson, Harmison, Sidebottom, Panesar, plus a second spinner (Swann's a shot) and probably Tremlett.

Team for the first Test:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan* (second spinner)
Pietersen
Collingwood (fourth seamer)
Bell
Sussex +
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

You know it, and I know it. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Anderson must be a shoo-in for the first test, I would suggest at Sibo's expense. The reason? - the rough outside the righthanders offstump, which he would create for Murali to exploit.

Harmison will tour?

I'd put money on it (subject to him being recovered from his back injury)

Basil wrote:

Anderson must be a shoo-in for the first test, I would suggest at Sibo's expense. The reason? - the rough outside the righthanders offstump, which he would create for Murali to exploit.

If we start thinking like that though it leads to problems. And Sri Lanka will have Vaas creating footholes as well as three of their best batsmen (and another really annoying one) being left handers so we might have to come round the wicket quite a bit.

If Hoggard is fit we might not want another swinger in Sidebottom anyway though...

Hopefully we'll win at least 2/3 tosses and be batting first anyway. Fingers crossed.