England in Sri Lanka March-April 2011/12

[swacker]

Ooooh! Cook out for a duck.

 

[barmyarmy]

Who else can see KP and Bell getting caught in the deep today?

 

[puddleduck]

Oh dear.

 

[puddleduck]

Who else can see KP and Bell getting caught in the deep today?

Hopefully he's on 180 when it happens haha

Big innings for Bell this and hopefully Samit can provide the Sama role. Providing he's fit enough to bat in this heat

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Or he could get out as expected

 

[barmyarmy]

The team's batting confidence is just shot isn't it? We're making an ordinary bowling attack look good and a flat pitch look like a burner.
I hope Broad still tries to play proper cricket and not starts slogging.

 

[puddleduck]

I want to say that Samit was clearly a poor selection... but then it's not like any of the other batsman are particular good selections at this rate heh

Personally I think Strauss's time is up. I don't really back him to make 50 anymore unless he only faces seamers. Oh, and he's still too defensive as a captain. Captaining is easy when your seamers take wickets for fun, what's he demonstrated in terms of runs? He's the opening bat and either puts the 3 under pressure or fails to go on at the moment. When do you ever feel he's been particularly canny in the field? Pretty by the numbers, and with Cook now ODI captain, I think he must know his shelf life shortened dramatically.

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Time for a tail counterattack. Too often our top order has been relying on them and Cook. Cook gets out, nil points.

Yet again Broad showing that it really isn't very difficult out there.

Had Monty not been so cack-handed (or actually shown some kind of craft when bowling ha) then this wouldn't quite be as bad as it is and we'd be within a 100-110 already.

 

[swacker]

I'm looking forward to Randiv coming on a little later. Different altogether to Herath. And the sun will beat down and really test the batsman's concentraton

I was thinking the same at this point of the SL innings. Up to Bell. Though the more positively he plays will keep SL interested.

 

[barmyarmy]

You might be right about Strauss as a captain but Cook isn't ready yet.

 

[puddleduck]

I dunno, neither was Graham Smith. He can learn on the job, I do think he's still quite generic in ODIs and agree with you that he's not exactly shown in them that he's ready yet, but I think it may be time to just bite the bullet. If Strauss was a tactical mastermind, then fair enough, but it's almost like it's difficult for him to motivate them considering he's as out of form for as long (or longer) than anyone.

You've got a young bowling attack ready to burst through with some experienced wiser heads as well throughout the team. Cook has played a lot of international cricket now and is clearly England's next captain, I'm starting to feel it's time to make him take the responsibility.

 

[barmyarmy]

More lbws to spinners. There's no turn and Herath somehow has 5 wickets.

 

[puddleduck]

Pitch isn't turning which means if you play with a straight bat there's very little chance of getting out, just poor poor batting.

Absolute joke with the reviewing as well. Doesn't seem like a team at all at the moment.

 

[barmyarmy]

There's a quote buried in this thread somewhere where I say keep picking Belly, he's a class player and far more likely to score big runs than Patel or Bopara.
I like being proved right.

 

[puddleduck]

He's a much better batsman than Patel and Ravi. It's not even close.

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Good lord Swanny. Where is your head?

 

[sifter132]

Pitch isn't turning which means if you play with a straight bat there's very little chance of getting out, just poor poor batting.

Absolute joke with the reviewing as well. Doesn't seem like a team at all at the moment.

Good to see Broad use up his customary review

The more I see the review system, the more I think there should only be one. That would make teams only use it when they are SURE the umpires have stuffed up. At the moment teams are just taking calculated gambles.

Anyway...Swann's out now. England still around 150 behind.

 

[Addy]

this team has some serious problem against spin.