avcc.myfastforum.org :: England V Sri Lanka Test Series

Jeremy

Things have gone a bit quiet round here lately so I thought I'd break the silence.

England are about to embark on their first test series of the winter in Sri Lanka.

Predictions for the line-up in Kandy on saturday morning anyone? Here's mine.

Cook
Vaughan (Capt.)
Bell
Pieterson
Collingwood
Shah
Prior (W/K)
Swann
Hoggard
Anderson
Panasar

I think Shah will get in ahead of Bopara simply because England's batting looks a bit thin if Bopara comes in at six. Bopara wouldn't get picked as an all-rounder - his bowling is not Test class - so a specialist batsman makes sense. Two spinners is a fairly safe bet I would have thought. Collingwood and Bell might get a bit of work as fill-in seamers. Vaughan back as opener for the first time since before Andrew Strauss made his Test debut (2004) might seem a little strange.

Simon Hughes is apparently joining the TMS team for the series.

MikeP

9 out of 11 isn't bad! Smile

Looking at the way the pitch is behaving so far I think two spinners might have been a bloody good idea!

Jeremy

MikeP

Thank God for Ian Bell! Very Happy

Jeremy

Blame Simon Hughes. All his fault.

He said, with England on about 145 for 3:-

"England on course for a first innings lead with Pieterson look well settled"

(Or something similar).

Shortly after, the procession started Rolling Eyes

England now need some controlled agression and farming of the strike from Collingwood tomorrow and perhaps a few big slogs from Sidebottom (and Monty) in the morning. Assuming the nose bleed that Sidebottom is suffering from (altitude sickness caused from being too hugh up the batting order) doesn't cause him too much trouble,

Keith

What was going on with england on thursday 20th!! woke up to hear hightlights of Slanka inns 499-8 and wickets of england, keep going and going and going and going!!!!

Jeremy

OK,there's nothing like an England batting collapse to get a response oput of the token South African fan, is there Laughing

England had what is technically known as a 'mare. Sadly all teams have them from time to time (South Africa, 5 for 5 in the Twenty20 game the other day, and then 58 all out, anyone?? Wink

) and this was Englands. Today they batted as they should have done yesterday, and they need more rain to ensure a draw. But I think really, ideally, the rain will keep away and England will bat out the whole day to salvage a draw. That would be ideal.

Sri Lanka have again proved they are a superb team, in their own backyard, and the conditions they get there. England have again proved they find those conditions very difficult to handle. That epic series win in 2001 now seems a distant memory.