Next few tests will be a test of Smith as a selector. His articles, which read like 2000 words on the inside of a ping pong ball, don’t encourage hope.
Sounds like my colleague! We're playing 'Bubble Bingo' at the club,see how many times he can mention the indoor dome. On Monday night he was saying to anyone that was within earshot,which was anyone in EN11 as he shouts,"Isn't the fan quiet?" Everyone ignored him! Are we waiting for 'Billy' to reach a hundred before declaring?
I think they will bat on and on after Pat reaches his 100 even though highest run chase at Galle is 99. There are 2 full days left but the weather is always a risk in SL at this time of year and a day could easily be lost. The ball doesn't seem to be misbehaving too much either which is a slight concern.
We’re 350 on now. I would expect us to want 500 before declaring, esp as there’s so much time left. We don’t need the runs against a dispirited Lankan team but a bit of mental disintegration is always handy.
Now Jennings has got his century, I guess that we will declare later in this session to give our bowlers half an hour or so at their top order.
I think they are scoring too slowly for this to be the objective. Hopefully the weather will be ok for the next 2 days. The fact we are 237 for 4 shows its not a terrible wicket yet so we may want to get a lead of 450 to be 100% sure.
The one thing that always annoys me with England is that we always push it too far to make it close at the end timewise. We'll get to a point where it's impossible for the opposition to catch up, but spend another 2-3 hours trying to put another 50-100 runs on just to be sure and then almost run out of time at the end trying to bowl the other team out.
Except this time when we have given them 2 full days and a bit. If they are still batting then, they'll have won !
Leach must be pulling his hair out (!). Having been given 21 overs against the top order batsmen, getting 3 wickets, and then seeing Ali and Rashid being given full reign to bowl at the tail and improve their figures and possibly keep him out of the next match. What do we think they will do with the team next time if bairstow is fit and apparently it's a better pitch for seamers ?
The fat lady has sung. Great win out in the sub-continent (whatever that means ?....Asia ?). EDIT "a large distinguishable part of a continent, such as North America or the part of Asia containing India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.". So, SL is not part of the sub continent ??
Keeping in places like Sri Lanka is a hugely important so I feel Foakes should play as he appears to be the better keeper. I believe Bairstow should also play but would bat him at 3, drop Ali back down the order and drop Leach or Rashid
Makes sense to me. Or do we need 3 spinners more than we need 3 seamers including Stokes ? Could drop Curran or rest Anderson. It's not straightforward and will be interesting to see what they do.
Apparently the next pitch is more swing friendly but I’m sure will spin as well so Stokes, Jimmy and Curran plus two of Ali, Leach and Rashid. Tough choice
Got to be worth a try, though stokes did well before getting out. Showed he can defend really well before launching the onslaught as wickets ran out. Hopefully he can take enough wickets in the future to stay in the team.
Looks a real talent and mentally tough too. The issue for him will just be how he takes enough wickets when the ball isn't swinging. He needs to learn from Jimmy. Per ESPN "Six sixes for Curran is, apparently, the record for most sixes in a Test innings in Sri Lanka". I think he's only 20 too.
He has. 14 in 10 test innings compared to the Estimable Cook with 11 in 291. Relative to Atherton (4 in 212), Cook gorged on maximums.
He certainly didn't hang about did he? I went to hang the washing and it was about 245 ish. I returned about five minutes later and he must have added at least 30!
I confess that initially I thought you said it was 2.45. To make the timings work, you would have to live in Tehran. Puzzled as to you play in the same league as Harpenden.
I didn't have any more to put in but I suppose I could save it up. I wonder if it works for wickets? I knew John Trehearne but not John Tehran. I expect Harpenden is twinned with Tehran,similar mentality! Just so! I'm half tempted to get up at 4am to watch. It may then allow me sufficient time to prepare for the insomniac Spurs supporting decorator,who arrives early on Monday.
All of Athertons 6s were off Curtly Ambrose, bouncers that nicked Athertons glove and carried on going for a 6 behind.
Excellent Hornets flag adorning the women’s match vs Windies in St Lucia just now. Judicious use of the international break.