Sri Lanka in England 2011

[barmyarmy]

It was always going to be an inexperienced attack. Broad hasn't shown much in recent games (even before his injury), Finn is usually expensive and Tremlett can't be expected to lead the attack after 4 tests.
I'd have preferred Onions over Finn and maybe even a 5-man attack. I guess with their low score at Cardiff we were over-confident about our bowlers.

 

[Harshshah]

Have a little faith in your team guys. So is it just a one man attack? What about Swann? Why no discussion about him?

 

[barmyarmy]

Swann bowls fine but you need pressure at both ends. I don't feel confident with this attack.

 

[Harshshah]

Is the Lords pitch always like this? Dead?

 

[angryangy]

Keep in mind, you're looking at two seam attacks with a combined Test average of 43.

 

[Harshshah]

So finally they get the break through. Actually this was Sanga's fault, last I saw him was on 12 for 12 and then 26 out from 90 deliveries? This is test I agree, but dont get bogged down, the opposition just needs that and if they get a squeeze in you know what they do.

Meanwhile Broad's mediocre bowling continuous and is made to look like a piece of ████

 

[angryangy]

Sangakkara got bogged down largely thanks to Swann the Unmentionable

 

[barmyarmy]

If we play Broad as a specialist batsman who can bowl a little then we need another specialist bowler...

 

[cricketlover172]

Lord's produces lots of high scoring draws.

 

[Harshshah]

Its good to see them attacking the Second New ball. And Broad 100 runs . If they bat out today a 100 run lead is evitable

 

[Sureshot]

Another flat session for England, there's assistance there but they aren't utilising it. Good last over from Finn.

 

[Brook]

Yay another test of two teams just pounding each other's attacks.

 

[lewissaffin]

I went to the game yesterday and, although Paranavitana spent all day in a jumper (how?!), it was baking hot and batting friendly. Cook's drop at slip would prove to be bloody costly as the day went on and, apart from some great entertainment in the morning session, Sri Lanka dominated the day.

Dilshan and Paranavitana performed a master-class in how to open an innings - 10 runs from the first 7 overs, eyes in, senses tuned, scoreboard then began to tick over to the tune of around 200. A pleasure to watch in barely-broken 25c heat.

The only negative of the day was that they closed St John's Wood tube station because they shut the Jubilee line so the authorities had the whole of Wembley and Lord's to get home on the Bakerloo line which was less than pleasant.

Shame about the rain today; I can see this one petering out in to a draw - having said that, I felt the same way last week!

 

[cricket_icon]

A typical Lords pitch....well in recent times anyway. Was at the game today. Dilshan batted well but now his gone I think the lower middle order will be in trouble. The England bowlers have balled well but in patches. The pace attack seems "samey" all tall, hit the wicket type bowlers. May be on a pitch like this someone who can ball fuller, ala Shahzad would have been better, then again even I thought Finn was the right choice. Still, I hate the rain!!

 

[Owzat]

If we play Broad as a specialist batsman who can bowl a little then we need another specialist bowler...

He averages 36 with the ball in Tests, 41 against top sides. He either needs to be another Kallis and bat 36+ and be a fourth seamer, or be dumped for someone who takes wickets.

His bowling hasn't notably improved bar one purple patch, if England play four bowlers then surely we have to include one better than him. His batting is really only good enough for number eight anyway, he's batted there and nine most of his Test career and his limited excursion to seven produced 73 runs @ 24.33 with half those in one knock of 38. Wouldn't work anyway, not with Prior in the side unless we took an almighty gamble and pushed both up the order which seems daft to me when replacing Broad with a wicket taking bowler would remedy the lack of wickets with much less risk to the side and its balance.



As for the Test, England happy with a below par total and Sri Lanka probably happy to bat and see what they can do in the last part of the Test. They could try and do what England did and get a lead before bowling us out, can't see any side capitulating on this pitch and their bowling attack ain't any better than our's