Sri Lanka in England/Netherlands

[puddleduck]

Hmm, I just posted that as well...

Seems your claim you don't have psychic powers in the awards thread was just a ruse!

 

[sid_19840]

Im a bit surprised at the number of catches being dropped,the ground fielding has been generally ok but the catching by England in this test has been nothing short of terrible.

 

[barmyarmy]

Seems your claim you don't have psychic powers in the awards thread was just a ruse!

Maybe this was you proving that you have them so I'll let you onto the staff...
Anyhow silly point in for the seamers and Panesar on now.

 

[puddleduck]

lol Barmy

New ball due, I would expect Hoggard to create a chance or two with the new ball, let's just hope the fielders actually hold on!

 

[barmyarmy]

Seems that Freddie doesn't want the new ball just yet. It was due two overs ago now.
Fortunately Hoggy seems to be warming up and, providing he can find the edge this time and we actually hold some catches we can wrap it up.

 

[aditya123]

good fight by SRL.
never expected the game to be on till day 5.
I hope SRL can get to about 150-175 lead.
Then all sorts of things will be possible. They can even go to negative tactics on the field or if a few early wickets fall, maybe ven ut pressure on England.
SRL have nothing to lose. I believe they must get a few runs quickly.
How much time left for tea ??
Had Lanka batted sensibly in the first innings, things would have been a lot different

I remember a similar test match in 2002 when Tresco and Vaughan notched up 80odd runs in 12-13 overs to win a match which was heading towards a draw if iam not wrong.

 

[Sureshot]

472-8

Come on you flipping useless fielders, catch the bloody ball.

 

[barmyarmy]

Another 50 partnership.
We really don't believe in easy wins.

 

[Englishandproud]

What is our problem with not being able to dismiss tailenders ?

 

[barmyarmy]

Flintoff bowling short again with no silly point and giving Hoggard only two slips. Boy are we missing Harmison and Jones as quicks for knocking over tailenders.

 

[puddleduck]

I think SiJo is our best bowler at knocking over tailenders. Seems to be able to get it full, quick and swinging and that more often than not will get a tailender out. Hoggard just seems to do too much to the ball and lesser quality batsman don't get close enough, instead play and miss for ages. All that said, if we don't win this they can blame noone but themselves, any team that drops this many catches in a test match is going to struggle to win.

 

[Sureshot]

What is our problem with not being able to dismiss tailenders ?

Wouldn't say Vaas is a tailender. He does average 21

 

[barmyarmy]

Ah, some imaginative captaincy from Andrew Strauss. Definitely what we've been missing today I reckon.
Flintoff just looks very tired and not focused on his captaincy.

 

[puddleduck]

I think it's why bowlers are rarely captains. They too often sympathise with other bowlers and look to give them too much protection, whilst the batsman captain try to think along the lines of what they wouldn't want, they notice the intricacies that unsettle the batsman. Obviously Freds a batsman as well, but he's a very different batsman to most people. As I said earlier, Freddy was very much like this in India as well with his fields, so I think he has the motivation aspects and is obviously liked and respected, but whether he has the tactical nous is a very different question.

Edit - Although no matter what I say, if the fielders had held on to the catches, we would never have needed to see Freddie on the backfoot.

 

[Sureshot]

Freddie will be mentally and physically tired. We've been fiedling since Fridat at about 3:30PM.