England vs Sri Lanka 3 tests

[Purple7x08_24]

Sri Lanka winning the toss for the 3rd test and choosing to bowl, they don't have much faith in their batting which isn't surprising.

Let's see how my man Root goes.

 

[Purple7x08_24]

Another failure for Lawrence, that was an awful shot that got him out, he makes Crawley look like Graham Gooch.

ARe you from UK?

 

[Donnie Darko]

Pope is averaging 34 after 48 tests. That is not enough for a number 3 batsmen.
You want a guy at number 3 to be averaging upwards of 50 or beyond.

 

[t_94]

Pope is averaging 34 after 48 tests. That is not enough for a number 3 batsmen.
You want a guy at number 3 to be averaging upwards of 50 or beyond.

To quote Ari Gold: ‘and I want to **** Angelina Jolie’
They don’t grow on trees.

 

[sabso]

Let’s do positives and negatives from the first two days.

Positives: pope scoring a century at last
Duckett scoring freely up until about 80
Batters on both sides generating power with short range tucked-in shots. It’s nice to see this evolution of technique
Some brilliant fielding on both sides, particularly the catches taken, not least woakes to give homeboy Hull his first test wicket
Sri Lanka actually bowling to a plan and taking my comments on board, I hereby claim credit for dhananjayas two wickets
A gripping contest for much of the Sri Lankan innings. Nissanka played like he was worth a FC average of 60, and of course so did kamindu mendis.


Negatives:
England middle order bazballing on the second day when they needed to keep the head and support pope. Harry Brook seems incapable of playing a test match innings at the moment - if he’s not scoring runs quickly enough he gets frustrated and tries to smack bowlers about. His career will have a very Gary Ballance flavour unless he learns to play the ball on merit.
kusal mendis is a bunny
Popes captaincy in the field was quite try-hard, yes they got 5 down for less than 100 but 325 is not a huge total to defend. Worst was playing the spinners in poor light for so long, I mean bowling Lawrence instead of Root wtf

 

[CakeEater]

What on earth is Dan Lawrence doing?

 

[CakeEater]

Trying to get himself out and he's just succeeded.

Did enjoy the send off he got as well

 

[Purple7x08_24]

Let’s do positives and negatives from the first two days.

Positives: pope scoring a century at last
Duckett scoring freely up until about 80
Batters on both sides generating power with short range tucked-in shots. It’s nice to see this evolution of technique
Some brilliant fielding on both sides, particularly the catches taken, not least woakes to give homeboy Hull his first test wicket
Sri Lanka actually bowling to a plan and taking my comments on board, I hereby claim credit for dhananjayas two wickets
A gripping contest for much of the Sri Lankan innings. Nissanka played like he was worth a FC average of 60, and of course so did kamindu mendis.


Negatives:
England middle order bazballing on the second day when they needed to keep the head and support pope. Harry Brook seems incapable of playing a test match innings at the moment - if he’s not scoring runs quickly enough he gets frustrated and tries to smack bowlers about. His career will have a very Gary Ballance flavour unless he learns to play the ball on merit.
kusal mendis is a bunny
Popes captaincy in the field was quite try-hard, yes they got 5 down for less than 100 but 325 is not a huge total to defend. Worst was playing the spinners in poor light for so long, I mean bowling Lawrence instead of Root wtf

Disagree about Bazball. With the threat of rain and reduced play and favourable conditions England needed to get overs in

 

[FreoRicci]

84/7 with a lead of 146.

Very possible for Sri Lanka

 

[sabso]

Disagree about Bazball. With the threat of rain and reduced play and favourable conditions England needed to get overs in

Even with all the reductions to playing time it's still a five-day match. SL have given no indication their batting lineup can survive 4-6 sessions in a row. So it was time to not be silly and build a total - if all had gone well for England they might even have only had to bat once anyway.

Conditions are very changeable in this match but it's a long haul: conditions don't stay favourable or unfavourable for long, so you need to power through the unfavourable periods and make hay when things are going your way. Case in point was England getting bowled out in the 2nd inns while the ball was swinging (not that that gives them an excuse) then bright sunshine at the start of the SL 2nd innings. The Aussie camp will be licking their lips after seeing this performance.

Also, Dan Lawrence is a shitcart cricketer.

 

[Shifty1]

England still out here saving test cricket.

 

[largebus]

Happy retirement to Moeen Ali, one of the few England players who doesn't seem like a flog.

 

[010203]

Sri Lanka ought to win but I wouldn't put it past them to stuff it up.

 

[eddiesmith]

England still out here saving test cricket.

Absolutely, got everyone invested in a dead rubber on the other side of the world…

 

[010203]

Happy retirement to Moeen Ali, one of the few England players who doesn't seem like a flog.

He was a very good white ball cricketer and one of 4 or 5 England test cricketers to take 200 wickets and score 3000 runs.

His comment that Australia should have called Bairstow back to show they had changed their ways after sandpaper gate was floggish.

 

[RookiePick]

Absolutely, got everyone invested in a dead rubber on the other side of the world…

It's absolutely pushing the servers to their limits here

 

[010203]

Shoaib Bashir has a nose for a great catch.

 

[JuniorWatch]

Mark Waugh sent down more threatening offies than Bashir.
Worst front line spinner in the world?

 

[t_94]

Sri Lanka done well here and could’ve really pushed England with a bit better preparation and some more judicious selection. Arguments that they’re the 4th best test team in the world currently? Probably still NZ.

 

[t_94]

It's absolutely pushing the servers to their limits here

View attachment 2106092

Always said Plugger35 shod get a job as an online ball-by-ball commentator for Cricinfo.

 

[Retzlaff]

It’s fortunate for England they don’t care about winning

 

[MJG14]

Great knock from Nissanka.

 

[BStaff17]

England have blown whatever hope or chance they had of forcing there way into the WTC Final

 

[THE A5]

I know SL have been whitewashed and lost many games in England/NZ/SA buy they have at least plucked the odd win and series victory over the last decade and a bit. That said when they come here they show nothing and it’s seems like the series has been lost without a ball been ball. Reckon hobart 07 was the last time SL looked competitive here and if it weren’t for a dodgy Rudi Coertzen call, SL might have even plucked a rare win

 

[sabso]

SL adapted well throughout the series, their selection and tactics improved hugely and they drove it home with the win. Nissanka and pasqual mendis are proper batsmen.

England threw this game away because they didn’t really want to win it. Josh Hull is a Pattinson of a debutant who I hope doesn’t end up as a one test wonder.