Sri Lanka in England 2011

[MUFC1987]

I don't think you can knock Cook today from 0-100. Simply because if more of the top order bat around him, then we would have gotten a decent enough total. What I would knock him for is what happened after that. He has no game to accelerate in the last few overs, like a Jayawardene, so it makes him taking his time to get to 100 a bit pointless really, as he can't then 'catch up' so to speak.

Bell shouldn't be in this team though. I assumed he was at 6 for a batting collapse, which is what we had today, yet he played an innings that was neither long or quick, doing neither of those is criminal in ODI cricket. For me, Morgan should be at 6 with someone else at either 4 or 5.

 

[angryangy]

You need a brute or at least a very ambitious player at 5, one who can make the most of only 10 or 20 overs. Number 3 is the spot where you can most accept caution and accumulation, because he must often make the most of 50 overs, but without ever being in the carefree position of having 10 wickets in hand. If anything it should be Pietersen who drops back to 5 or 6.

 

[teamindia]

The match is very boring. They should just award the game to SL.

 

[Sureshot]

There's options for the middle order from county cricket. I think AA is right on KP, but you still need someone to give the innings some impetus at the start. I don't think Bell at 6 makes any sort of sense, he's a good player at manoeuvring the ball, you want him batting the middle overs imo not the last 15 or so, that said that was his role today and he didn't do much. The balance is all wrong, both in the batting line up and the bowling attack. We're not taking wickets and that's hindering the side. With his current form I cannot see a place in the side for Broad and I think we need to move Bresnan to 8. Who do you bring in at 7? You'd say the options are limited, Patel perhaps or Trego if you want someone who can play really quick innings. I'd also give a bit of a call for James Taylor.

We have to make changes, this just isn't working.

Cook played well for his innings, he struggled at times, but it's going to give him confidence and his S/R isn't relevant when 3 of the 5 get out for single figures. He gave us some sort of total, of course it's 50 runs short, but 50 runs short is better than a 100 runs short.

You again have to question Cook and Trott batting together.

 

[Haarithan]

Absolute drama there at the Lord's balcony.

 

[Gaurav_7]

What happened? Not able to watch the game.

 

[Haarithan]

Go through the cricinfo commentary from over 45.

SL 249/4 (48.2 ov, LD Chandimal 105*, AD Mathews 1*, JM Anderson 0/55) | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

lol Dilshan is yet to smile.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Ha ha, what was Mathews doing there. 1 from 21 balls? Wow. He even refused a single it says, ha ha.

 

[War]

Thought Hussain was making a mountain out of molehill with his criticism of Matthews.

SRI were always in control, its not like they required a run-a-ball to win. So it really was a great chance to allow young Chandimal to cross the physiological barrier of his 1st ODI century.

 

[lewissaffin]

The pisstake ending should in no way mask the fact that England were out-batted and out-bowled by a superior Sri Lankan team. Dinesh Chandimal hit a brilliant century, having overcome the early peppering from Stuart Broad. Alastair Cook showed once again why he is one of the best batsmen in the world but England just lacked the dynamism of the Sri Lankan side today.

 

[harrisb]

As somebody who was at Lords today, i think I'm allowed to say that it was a pretty poor performance, apart from Cook's ton and Swann's all-round efforts, had he not hit those 2 boundaries at the end of the innings, the match would have been over long before the Chandimal-Mathews partnership. Some of the batting was dismal, Kieswetter and Trott shouldn't be in the team, neither can deal with a bit of pace from Malinga, and Morgan/Bell were poor considering what we've become accustomed to over recent months. The bowling was pretty poor too, especially Dernbach, who the Lankan batsmen didnt have too many problems against, and they just didn't look like a set of bowlers who were likely to take 10 wickets.

The highlight of the day, truthfully, the pitch invader who outpaced the stewards until he didn't see the steward running at him from the members pavilion. Quite good fun to watch.

 

[aussie1st]

I don't know what Cook's strike rate through the game was but 83 is more than acceptable.

 

[Sureshot]

Thought Hussain was making a mountain out of molehill with his criticism of Matthews.

SRI were always in control, its not like they required a run-a-ball to win. So it really was a great chance to allow young Chandimal to cross the physiological barrier of his 1st ODI century.

I didn't see any Delorean.


His second for those of you that don't know.

Patel in for Broad and Finn in for Bresnan please. Patel can bat 7, Swann is more than good enoguh for a #8 and Dernbach, Finn and Jimmy can fight over the rest.

We need wickets.

 

[lewissaffin]

I don't know what Cook's strike rate through the game was but 83 is more than acceptable.

After 100 balls to Cook, he was on 71 - which was the exact figure (71) as his pre-series ODI strike rate, according to Andrew Miller.

 

[ferg512]

I didn't see any Delorean.


His second for those of you that don't know.

Patel in for Broad and Finn in for Bresnan please. Patel can bat 7, Swann is more than good enoguh for a #8 and Dernbach, Finn and Jimmy can fight over the rest.

We need wickets.

Why not Tremlett? I would get rid of Dernbach already tbh, doesn't offer anything really just bowls 4 slower balls an over. Maybe Rashid could be worth a go although I suppose Patel would do that role. England are certainly going to be in some trouble when India come around if they keep persisting with Broad.