England in Sri Lanka March-April 2011/12

barmyarmy

Retired Administrator
Joined
Mar 12, 2003
Location
Edinburgh
Bopara will be unable to bowl in the test series. Think we have to play 5 bowlers now. 4 only works if you can bowl the opposition out for 300ish. On these pitches that's unlikely.
Who to play though? Bopara or Bell? I'd play Bell ;)
 

Sureshot

Executive member
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Location
England
Online Cricket Games Owned
Does Bell even get a chance? If the heat is this bad, Patel as a 3rd spinner? Every batsman barring Bell has got runs...
 

Highlander999

ICC President
Joined
Apr 15, 2006
Location
London
Gotta be this XI now for the first test

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bopara
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

I know they'll go for Bell though over Bopara. I would like to see Finn in the side but I reckon you need Bresnan's batting at 7, as a safety net so our tail doesn't get too long. Unlucky for Patel as well as I really want to see him in the side as well.
 

Sureshot

Executive member
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Location
England
Online Cricket Games Owned
They won't be going 5 bowlers after UAE.

It'll probably be

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Patel
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

With Patel bowling 10-15 in a day.

Though I'd stick both Bopara and Patel in with Bell missing out.
 

barmyarmy

Retired Administrator
Joined
Mar 12, 2003
Location
Edinburgh
Gotta be this XI now for the first test

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bopara
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

I know they'll go for Bell though over Bopara. I would like to see Finn in the side but I reckon you need Bresnan's batting at 7, as a safety net so our tail doesn't get too long. Unlucky for Patel as well as I really want to see him in the side as well.

My drunken friend is once again correct. That is the best team for these conditions. Hard luck on Bopara but you just can't see him scoring a big 100 and you know Bell can.
 

Owzat

International Coach
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Online Cricket Games Owned
They won't be going 5 bowlers after UAE.

It'll probably be

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Patel
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

With Patel bowling 10-15 in a day.

Though I'd stick both Bopara and Patel in with Bell missing out.



I agree they won't go five bowlers, not after the batting frequently failed against spin, and rightly so in my view.

I would not play Prior as a six and Bresnan isn't a seven, an order like the one highlander suggested is too long a 'tail', I suspect four bowlers may have to work a lot but I think five would too for little extra advantage other than the comfort blanket of having three seamers. Don't Sri Lanka normally just bowl 6-10 overs of seam then switch to spinners?

Five bowlers is a poor use of resources, if conditions are good enough to bowl sides out cheaply then it is wasteful, if they are good batting tracks it's just an extra bowler who has to toil and one less batsman. IF I were going to include a fifth bowler it wouldn't be in the 1st Test, we need to avoid defeat not go chasing victory, get all used to the conditions. I do wonder if some on here have forgotten already we lost to Pakistan THREE-NIL last series.

Bresnan has a healthy batting average, but over only a handful of innings and NONE in Sri Lanka, Pakistan or India. He has scored 91 in Bangladesh but that doesn't count for much. He also got only one chance to bat and scored 14, so there's little indication of his ability to play in these conditions.



Bell was a typical ECB selection, lacking imagination and sticking with the 'in crowd' regardless of form. As they stick with it regardless of dead rubbers etc that means there's little experience in reserve so when the crux comes they have few alternatives because they didn't try them when the time was right. So we have the same concerns we had last series, KP is capable but also capable of getting himself out, the last batsman is a worry and if the openers don't get runs then the whole side could be in trouble.
 

Sedition

Panel of Selectors
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Location
Country NSW
Online Cricket Games Owned
The fantasy cricket game for the 1st test has been created.

Register here. All you need is a planet cricket account to take part for a chance to win some vcash and bragging rights. Good luck :thumbs
 

puddleduck

Chairman of Selectors
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Location
Uk
Online Cricket Games Owned
England's success has been almost entirely built on Cook getting in and getting us well set. Funny how Bell hit I think one (maybe two) hundreds where we were under pressure, and that was enough to shift the tag he had built up of someone who only scores runs when everyone else does.

I do really like Bell, but there is certainly an element of lacking the bottle for a genuine fight. Basically, he really doesn't seem to adapt when he's out his comfort zone. Could be a really big tour for him.
 

War

Chairman of Selectors
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Online Cricket Games Owned
Australia's tour to Sri Lanka last july-august wasn't that hot, but their 2004 tour during the months of February-march certainly was.

I remember during drinks breaks AUS would have umbrella's and cold towels wrapped around them and stuff, so i reckon Pietersen is on point in suggesting the heat will be ENG's biggest obstacle in this series.
 

StinkyBoHoon

National Board President
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
England's success has been almost entirely built on Cook getting in and getting us well set. Funny how Bell hit I think one (maybe two) hundreds where we were under pressure, and that was enough to shift the tag he had built up of someone who only scores runs when everyone else does.

I do really like Bell, but there is certainly an element of lacking the bottle for a genuine fight. Basically, he really doesn't seem to adapt when he's out his comfort zone. Could be a really big tour for him.

the pak v england has been lost apperently but yes, he's pretty when he's going, but he has had lots of absolutely horrendous series', way more than a lot of batsmen would have got away with. he's always been someone that press coverage and opinion has been overly kind to.
 

puddleduck

Chairman of Selectors
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Location
Uk
Online Cricket Games Owned
the pak v england has been lost apperently but yes, he's pretty when he's going, but he has had lots of absolutely horrendous series', way more than a lot of batsmen would have got away with. he's always been someone that press coverage and opinion has been overly kind to.

I don't know who or what you're talking about. Can you clarify please? :)

Ok, it's Bell (the pretty when he's going). But your first bit, I don't know what you mean?
 

StinkyBoHoon

National Board President
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
yeah, that's because I was out drinking tonight. this isn't going to make that much sense, but in that pak v england thread I did a thing where I pulled up that in 20 series bell has played against the top 8 nations he'd averaged under 25 in 6 of them. which is really bad if you compare it to most other batsmen. most batsmen make some sort of contribution, but bell throughout his career has been amazing for a few matches and then just rubbish for ages.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top