England in Sri Lanka

[Sureshot]

Well, Swann only bowled as bad as anyone else in the warmups. I guess no body really performing makes it a tough job.

If the ball isn't swinging, why would you want both Sidebottom and Hoggard in the side? I'd rather have someone more aggressive or different for the dead pitches.

Both have proven that they can bowl well without swing. Both accurate bowlers, who know their game. Sidebottom is quite aggressive, as is Hoggy. Unless you mean aggressive in the sense of Harmison aggression, but then his bowling has been atrocious, he can't be picked.

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End of match, drawn, unsurprisingly.

Good knocks for most of the batsmen, KP went early, not too fussed about him. I'd have liked to have seen Prior have a bit longer in the middle. Our next tour game starts Sunday iirc.

 

[irottev]

I hope Sri Lanka are joking about this:

Fernando will play, says Jayawardene

Dilhara Fernando, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, will play the upcoming three-Test series against England despite an ankle injury.

He's one of the worst bowlers in international cricket at the moment. I'd take any excuse to drop him.

 

[nuffa]

Tharanga and Fernando in the 14 man squad.. Dilshan and Samaraweera dropped.. they shoud have played Dilshan

http://content.cricinfo.com/slveng/content/current/story/321756.html

 

[Sureshot]

I so hope the bowl with the same penetration as they did in Australia, doubt that will happen though. Going to be a tight series I think, depends on the Murali factor, doesn't it?

 

[dikon]

I hope Sri Lanka are joking about this:






He's one of the worst bowlers in international cricket at the moment. I'd take any excuse to drop him.

I used to think the same but after his brilliant series against England and his twenty20 World cup bowlingi changed my mind.

 

[.Mob]

Let's not say something stupid here people, Hoggy > Sidebottom any day of the week.

 

[Sureshot]

Really? I'd say it's quite even. Sidebottom has been brilliant in an England shirt (excluding debut), he's put no foot wrong, and was excellent in Sri Lanka in the ODi series, clinical infact.

 

[.Mob]

Well let's see how he does against the Aussies first, the best batting line up in the world. Hoggard has ran riot against them before, and I class him very high.

 

[dikon]

He did very well against India who i class as the second best batting line up in the World.He aslo had Tendulkar in nots for most of the Summer.

 

[wolf]

Team for second warm-up. England XI 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Michael Vaughan (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Owais Shah, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Steve Harmison, 9 Matthew Hoggard, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar

Good team selection there I think, although I wouldn't have played Harmision, as I don't think he merits a place in the tests. Would have gone for Broad or Swann instead. I can see the sense in leaving out Collingwood and Sidebottom, as I don't think they really need the practice, and it gives a chance to look at a couple of others, namely which one of Shah and Bopara should play in the tests.

 

[dikon]

Team for second warm-up. England XI 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Michael Vaughan (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Owais Shah, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Steve Harmison, 9 Matthew Hoggard, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar

Good team selection there I think, although I wouldn't have played Harmision, as I don't think he merits a place in the tests. Would have gone for Broad or Swann instead. I can see the sense in leaving out Collingwood and Sidebottom, as I don't think they really need the practice, and it gives a chance to look at a couple of others, namely which one of Shah and Bopara should play in the tests.

Good choice on Harmy.If he can hit his straps in this warm up game then we have a proven match winner if he doesn't then we can play one of the others.Agree about Sidebottom he knows his game by now and he doesn't need to practice in the middle as much as the others.Should be an interesting battle between Bopara and Shah both did well in the warm up and the number 6 spot is still up for grabs.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I see Harmys apparently limped off, that narrows the choices down a lot and with Hoggy bowling well it looks to me like a choice between Jimmy and Broad for the other spot and from what Peter Moores was saying it looks like it will be Jimmy

 

[wolf]

So you wouldn't play Swann then Joe?

Sri Lankan Cricket Board on 298-9 at the close, they collapsed from 287-5 late on. Hoggard and Panesar got 3 wickets each, Harmision got 1 wicket before going off with a back spasm, Anderson got 1 wicket and Bopara who bowled a few got 1 wicket. Vaughan and Pietersen got 5 overs between them as well, will be interesting to see if the selectors think these two could become a second spin option instead of Swann. Personally I would opt for Swann. Tharanga got 86 to continue to press his claim for a test place, Dilshan (68) and Silva (53) frustrated England with a 100 partneship.

 

[evertonfan]

Harmison's injury is a blessing in disguise. Less of a bowling selection dilemma now.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I wouldn't play Swann in the first test, thik we might as well go with what we know we're good at which is pace and Monty. If the pitch is a complete dustbowl then maybe I'd give Swann a go though. Apparently Monty was bowling really well today, had loads of appels turned down and him in form would give us a real chance. Just need Kp to get some time at the crease tomorrow and it's all good. This is what happens when you play XI not the whole squad.