England in Sri Lanka-Tests

[Mr P@H]

So after the month off England head back out to Sri Lanka for 3 tests before returning to England on Xmas eve. Harmison has been doing ok in South Africa for the Lions and will probably be added to the squad. England have some big decisions to make, 2 spin 2 seam or 3 spin 1 seam? Hoggard and Sidebottom will probably be two of the seamers will Broad's height, pace, form and batting ability could means he gets the gig at 8. If Andrew Flintoff was fit it would be ok as Swann could play and bat 8, conversely England could go in with 5 bowlers but it means Prior at 6 which looks suspect although Mustard is on tour as well. Bopara could play at 6 and his bowling is only handy (Good player of The batting looks settled but only KP, Shah and Colly are good players of quality spin (Cook and Vaughan are competent and i have NO faith in Bell at 3, only hope he can get in before Murali comes on ) Shah could bat 3 with bell or Bopara at 6.

SCHEDULE
November 2007
Tue 20 - Thu 22
10:30 local, 05:00 GMT Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI v England XI-Colombo Cricket Club Ground
Sun 25 - Tue 27
10:30 local, 05:00 GMT Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI v England XI-Colts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo


December 2007
Sat 1 - Wed 5
10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 1st Test - Sri Lanka v England-Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy
Sun 9 - Thu 13
10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 2nd Test - Sri Lanka v England-Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Tue 18 - Sat 22
10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 3rd Test - Sri Lanka v England-Galle International Stadium

All games on sky sports in the uk btw, not sure about Aus
England tour squad

• Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt)
• James Anderson (Lancashire)
• Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
• Ravi Bopara (Essex)
• Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
• Paul Collingwood (Durham)
• Alastair Cook (Essex)
• Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)
• Phil Mustard (Durham)
• Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire)
• Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
• Matt Prior (Sussex)
• Owais Shah (Middlesex)
• Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
• Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)

+ Steven Harmison (Durham

 

[Mr P@H]

Team for England vs SLCBP XI

Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI: Upul Tharanga, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Warnapura, Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Chamara Kapugedara, Thilana Kandamby, Kaushal Silva (wk), Dhammika Prasad, Malinga Bandara, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera.

Seems a fair enough test... Herath and Bandara are good spinners... Dilshan and Tharanga know what international cricket is all about.

A different team will be named for the second game at Colts CCG probably...

 

[Grimwood]

I have no idea how England will do. Bell at three should be interesting to watch though.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I have no idea how England will do.

My guess would be crap as usual.

 

[Mr P@H]

My guess would be crap as usual.

Thanks for that brilliant comment which adds SOOOO much to the discussion of the test match series between England and Sri Lanka

 

[beatnik]

you're right Mr P@h

it is annoying when people hijack or disrupt a debate about a Test series that their preferred country is not even playing in...

...isn't it eddiesmith, Grimwood, Likka etc?

 

[Mr P@H]

you're right Mr P@h

it is annoying when people hijack or disrupt a debate about a Test series that their preferred country is not even playing in...

...isn't it eddiesmith, Grimwood, Likka etc?

You don't get much more fair and balanced as me

So the FC warm up...

Cook
Vaughan
Shah
KP
Colly
Bell
Prior
Swann
Monty
Hoggy
SiBo

 

[Grimwood]

you're right Mr P@h

it is annoying when people hijack or disrupt a debate about a Test series that their preferred country is not even playing in...

...isn't it eddiesmith, Grimwood, Likka etc?

I don't think anyone's going to be fighting Eddie's corner here, but me and Likka? Really?

I always thought Likka was an Australian fan anyway.

 

[Furn]

I thought England had a 17-18 yr old leggy thats was in the mix for this tour. Cant think of his name but it seems he's missed out.

Any one know about him ?

 

[OzBomber]

I thought England had a 17-18 yr old leggy thats was in the mix for this tour. Cant think of his name but it seems he's missed out.

Any one know about him ?

Rashid? Munday?

 

[krisholio14]

I see Phil Mustard is in the side. Seriously, if you heard a guy called Mustard was playing international cricket, you couldn't say he was playing for anyone else but England could you? Surely his nickname would have to be Colonel.

I'm just wondering when his mates Robert Mayo, H P Sauce, James Wocestershire and William Fathers - Favorite are going to be selected.

 

[Scotland]

S Jones
G Jones
Giles
Flintoff
Strauss
Trescothick

All missing from the 2005 Ashes side.

For the better, or the worse?

 

[OzBomber]

They'd love Simon Jones there. He is a GUN!

 

[Illinois Nazi]

I see Phil Mustard is in the side. Seriously, if you heard a guy called Mustard was playing international cricket, you couldn't say he was playing for anyone else but England could you? Surely his nickname would have to be Colonel.

I'm just wondering when his mates Robert Mayo, H P Sauce, James Wocestershire and William Fathers - Favorite are going to be selected.

And when things need to be fired up a little, call in T.A. Basco.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Oh, and on topic, go Sri Lanka! Hope their bowlers get their act together.

Which lucky England batsman will go down in history as the record-breaking wicket?

 

[krisholio14]

And when things need to be fired up a little, call in T.A. Basco.

Is he one of them descendants of immigrants?

 

[Mr P@H]

Rashid? Munday?

Rashid? 19 yo Yorkshire Leggie, on the Development academy team providing back up. Had a good full first season. Future star

I see Phil Mustard is in the side. Seriously, if you heard a guy called Mustard was playing international cricket, you couldn't say he was playing for anyone else but England could you? Surely his nickname would have to be Colonel.

I'm just wondering when his mates Robert Mayo, H P Sauce, James Wocestershire and William Fathers - Favorite are going to be selected.

The Colonel it be, lucky Graham Onions is not on the tour

S Jones
G Jones
Giles
Flintoff
Strauss
Trescothick

All missing from the 2005 Ashes side.

For the better, or the worse?

Erm. In their prime Fred, Strauss, SiJO and Tres are missed but there's nothing can be done now. Got to get on with it

Oh, and on topic, go Sri Lanka! Hope their bowlers get their act together.

Which lucky England batsman will go down in history as the record-breaking wicket?

Bell?

 

[Mr P@H]

SL BP XI 154/3

My boy with a wicket , Sibo and Monty with one each. Tharanga batting well

 

[OzBomber]

Rashid? 19 yo Yorkshire Leggie, on the Development academy team providing back up. Had a good full first season. Future star

Dunno, just know him from ICC 06.

 

[CAS79]

A couple of teams that are going to struggle to knock each other. Sri Lanka to take the series thanks to a performance from Murali on wearing wicket at either Colombo or Galle. Kandy can get extra and bounce and sometimes the ball moves around, England's best shot.

 

[Grimwood]

England managed to drop quite a few catches today from the sound of it.

That's pretty bloody awful.

 

[Team Extreme]

SL President's XI
[FONT=&quot]Total[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 5 wickets dec for 500

Tharanga 112
Kapugedera 141
kandamby 107
[/FONT]

 

[eddiesmith]

Going to be a fun tour if this game is any indication, battle of the batsmen with declarations only way of getting results

Bell at 3 is a huge concern

 

[Mr P@H]

Going to be a fun tour if this game is any indication, battle of the batsmen with declarations only way of getting results

Bell at 3 is a huge concern

Shah definitely needs to play there, he's our only good player of quality Spin (KP and Colly are competent at best. In fact i'd rather Swann or Boppy play at 6 than Bell

 

[Russian]

3 day 16-a-side games

6/301, only 2 of them have actually been dismissed, the others retired after 70ish balls. They've just had a low scoring one day series - they had enough of those sort of knocks then