SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Sri Lanka have managed to turn this into a game after all.
England Cricket 2021
- Thread starter Monkeygrinder's Organ
- Start date
Idaho
blah blah blah
Hopefully what will be learned is that the rich cricket nations need to put their hands on their pockets and put a lot more investment into the smaller nations. It will raise the level internationally and benefit all cricket.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Great day for SL. Lots of mentions of the win against India here from a similar hole and this isn't over yet.
Watched a couple of hours this morning and not impressed by the bowling, Broad excepted. Not enough consistency from the others. Curran fluked a wicket from a long hop. Leach got one with a beauty but also bowled a lot of bad balls. Good catch from Buttler, who seems to be having a good game.
Watched a couple of hours this morning and not impressed by the bowling, Broad excepted. Not enough consistency from the others. Curran fluked a wicket from a long hop. Leach got one with a beauty but also bowled a lot of bad balls. Good catch from Buttler, who seems to be having a good game.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Buttler kept well, though I'm not sure that was the main point of the day for me to start with.
Yes, good day for SL, but greatly helped by an inept lower order collapse and some crap England bowling I thought. Buttler got a good ball which seemed to swing late but Curran simply played the wrong line to his for my eyes. Root played beautifully. Sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep.
SL batted well, they could hardly have batted worse than first time, but boy did our spinners bowl shit. Bess just doesn't seem to be able to find a consistent length.
I stlll expect England to win easily, perhaps even by an innings, but what we're learning is our spinners have a lot to learn (and I'm not convinced it's all down to lack of match practice) and we can't rely on the opposition to just gift us wickets, lucky mascot (Curran) aside.
At least we have a game.
Yes, good day for SL, but greatly helped by an inept lower order collapse and some crap England bowling I thought. Buttler got a good ball which seemed to swing late but Curran simply played the wrong line to his for my eyes. Root played beautifully. Sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep.
SL batted well, they could hardly have batted worse than first time, but boy did our spinners bowl shit. Bess just doesn't seem to be able to find a consistent length.
I stlll expect England to win easily, perhaps even by an innings, but what we're learning is our spinners have a lot to learn (and I'm not convinced it's all down to lack of match practice) and we can't rely on the opposition to just gift us wickets, lucky mascot (Curran) aside.
At least we have a game.
QueenOfGoths
Fuck you Dave!
I turn the commentary off for an hour as I'm on the shop floor and it's all going pear-shaped!?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
As well the target isn't 150.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Christ.
The game will ultimately be decided by Sri Lanka's poor first innings but the excitement now is only possible because England collapsed about 30 short of what they should have got.
The game will ultimately be decided by Sri Lanka's poor first innings but the excitement now is only possible because England collapsed about 30 short of what they should have got.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Comfortable enough in the end, but SL aren't very good at the moment, sadly. As a unit, England are going to have to bowl, and bat, much better than that if they're not going to get blown away by India. Stokes will be back, which will help.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
It's hard to judge I think. Sri Lanka are clearly not the team they were a few years ago. That said what was ultimately a comfortable away test win with some key players unavailable and only one day's match practice in local conditions is not to be sniffed at.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
At Galle, first innings runs are everything. I said it just up there but it's why SL lost, and why England even had a wobble in the chase (because there should have been no chase).
They have a spinner who is much better than our spinners at the moment, and who can exploit the pitch. That last hour on the 4th day was nearly embarrassing. I honestly don't see Leach or Bess doing that right now.
So win the toss and bat big. And if you can't win the toss, still bat big when it's your turn. That was 30/50/more runs short once Root had got us into that position.
They have a spinner who is much better than our spinners at the moment, and who can exploit the pitch. That last hour on the 4th day was nearly embarrassing. I honestly don't see Leach or Bess doing that right now.
So win the toss and bat big. And if you can't win the toss, still bat big when it's your turn. That was 30/50/more runs short once Root had got us into that position.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
India are likely to prepare similar wickets, as they did last time, when England scored about what they scored in this match first innings and ended up losing by an innings.
But back to this series as it's obviously not done yet, SL will surely bat better in the first innings. England will need a few more batters to show up, I think. I still don't like their three seamer approach, and Curran at 7 is one place too high in the batting order. Be interesting to see what team they pick. I fear they will be unchanged (there is some logic to that if they're all fit, given the lack of preparation).
But back to this series as it's obviously not done yet, SL will surely bat better in the first innings. England will need a few more batters to show up, I think. I still don't like their three seamer approach, and Curran at 7 is one place too high in the batting order. Be interesting to see what team they pick. I fear they will be unchanged (there is some logic to that if they're all fit, given the lack of preparation).
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Pretty sure Anderson will play this time.
Squad announced for first two tests in India. No major surprises, Stokes and Archer return. Bairstow, Wood and Curran rested.
Not sure why Buttler needs to play one test. Foakes in for 3 I assume. I wonder what the criteria are for Foakes keeping his place? Three double hundreds and breaking the record for catches with each successive match?
Squad announced for first two tests in India. No major surprises, Stokes and Archer return. Bairstow, Wood and Curran rested.
Not sure why Buttler needs to play one test. Foakes in for 3 I assume. I wonder what the criteria are for Foakes keeping his place? Three double hundreds and breaking the record for catches with each successive match?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
So the standout seamer from the first match to be rested for this one?
I get the need for rotation, but it's not like Broad, or any of the seamers, bowled a lot in the first match.
I get the need for rotation, but it's not like Broad, or any of the seamers, bowled a lot in the first match.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Does 'rested' from the second test of a two test series mean released from the bubble to go home for a bit? I don't know, maybe it doesn't - Anderson was out there for the last test - but if it does you could see the point regardless of his actual workload.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
No, don't think so. The squad in SL is in a bubble and flies from there to India as a group on 27 Jan to enter straight into another bubble. The others are flying out earlier on 22 Jan (tomorrow) to complete a quarantine period. Says here that the details aren't confirmed, but I can't imagine 'flying back to the UK for a bit' is an option for the bubble for the first two tests at least.
England cricketers to arrive in India in two batches, will be under strict quarantine
I can see how it's a tough situation, moving from place to place inside a bubble. But if you're stuck in the bubble anyway, surely the best place to be is on the field playing.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
My understanding was that Bairstow is certainly being released from the bubble and that is why he is rested for 'the first two tests' in India.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Yes. And Mark Wood and Curran. That first bubble is in Chennai. They then move to Ahmedabad, where the third test starts on 24 Feb (day/night incidentally). So if they leave the bubble now, they probably need to be back in India maybe a week before the 24th to complete quarantine? So a good three weeks off potentially. That makes some sense, particularly for white ball players, which Bairstow, Wood and Curran also are. Test-only players should surely be expected to do the lot, no?
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Only three seamers, and one of them is Curran. I feel that this is an error.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Watched Wood's spell this morning. Bowled well with no luck. Pace and some reverse swing, could easily have got a wicket.
Anderson following Broad in proving me wrong. Good good. Curran gets the new ball again and fails to get a wicket with it again. Bess not bowling too well. Too many release balls either too short or too full.
Mathews and Chandimal look ominously good atm.
Anderson following Broad in proving me wrong. Good good. Curran gets the new ball again and fails to get a wicket with it again. Bess not bowling too well. Too many release balls either too short or too full.
Mathews and Chandimal look ominously good atm.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Well played SL and Mathews in particular. No first innings fuck up this time. Great toss to win.
The wicket looked pretty flat, and England at least restricted the scoring. Anderson very good. Wood also good, bit better than his figures suggest. Curran again the most expensive seamer and no wickets. The spinners' first day analysis: 40 - 4 -120 - 0. Not much there for them, tbf, but they caused few alarms and were milked rather easily.
The wicket looked pretty flat, and England at least restricted the scoring. Anderson very good. Wood also good, bit better than his figures suggest. Curran again the most expensive seamer and no wickets. The spinners' first day analysis: 40 - 4 -120 - 0. Not much there for them, tbf, but they caused few alarms and were milked rather easily.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
6-38 for Anderson. If both he and Broad were playing Sri Lanka would be out by now.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
First time ever in Galle that the seamers have taken all ten wickets.
Feels like SL are well on top.
Feels like SL are well on top.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
You'd definitely rather be in SL's position right now wouldn't you. That score isn't out of sight though - could really do with the openers not getting out cheaply here, a good early stand and it's definitely reachable.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Well that aged well then.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Root and Bairstow steadying things a bit, 98-2 at close. Root just went up to 6th on the all time list of England test scorers, ahead of Boycott; 62 more to go past Pietersen, 112 more to go past Gower. With a good series against India he could well be 2nd at some point in the Ashes, and he has the highest average of the top 10.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Here is another classic case of get all your runs in the first innings. England could bat all day tomorrow and nearly (but probably not quite) be level with SL.
And that won't be enough.
Bat halfway through day 4 too, end up with 460, and you can't lose.
And that won't be enough.
Bat halfway through day 4 too, end up with 460, and you can't lose.
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
er... you do realise you're talking about England here...
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Root is a class apart for England atm. Just like Williamson for NZ, when he bats, he looks so much more comfortable, in control, and full of options than whoever is batting at the other end. Back to 'Big Four' form.
And just as well for England. Feels like a lot still rests on Root tomorrow. Ball starting to turn and I don't fancy them chasing anything over 150 in the fourth innings.
First innings, ok, but lack of wickets and relative lack of control for the spinners is a worry. Mark Wood being bowled into the ground because they know he's going home, but don't want to be doing that to Archer in the first test in India.
James Anderson returns his best-ever away figures in test cricket aged 38. Oldest seamer ever to take a five-fer in Asia. Amazing efforts from both him and Broad on this tour. I am well and truly eating my words about their selections.
And just as well for England. Feels like a lot still rests on Root tomorrow. Ball starting to turn and I don't fancy them chasing anything over 150 in the fourth innings.
First innings, ok, but lack of wickets and relative lack of control for the spinners is a worry. Mark Wood being bowled into the ground because they know he's going home, but don't want to be doing that to Archer in the first test in India.
James Anderson returns his best-ever away figures in test cricket aged 38. Oldest seamer ever to take a five-fer in Asia. Amazing efforts from both him and Broad on this tour. I am well and truly eating my words about their selections.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Buttler was looking good. Caught off his boot. Very unlucky and very important. Curran didn't look like he'd last long, and he didn't.
Somehow England still need another 150 runs really. Hard to see how now.
Somehow England still need another 150 runs really. Hard to see how now.
