Sri Lanka vs England 1st test - Match thread.

[Biltong]

First topic message reminder :

Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka Welegedara


England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wk), Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.

[alfie]

Spoiler:

Good heavens!

I lose my picture for two minutes and come back to see Patel has another wicket!

Captaincy genius by Strauss

Now do we take the new ball?

[eirebilly]

Thank goodness fo rthat but i still feel as if England have let Sri Lanka off the hook somewhat here.

[mystiroakey]

got to admit- sri lanka have done brilliantly since there bad start. england gonna have to dig in to get a lead with there current test batting form

[Biltong]

I think sri Lanka will be happy with that score.

In the previous test against australia, australia made 275 in the first innings and bowled Sri Lanka out for 105 in their first innings.

[mystiroakey]

we need trebble to cast some doubt i feel. Id rather not be the pessimist

[Carrotdude]

We won't know if we've let them off the hook until we have a bat, I'm much more confident of our chances to get big runs here than in the UAE.

[Carrotdude]

Panesar's just made a complete hash of a catch to get Jayawardene out on the boundary. New ball has now been taken btw.

[Carrotdude]

Why are we so rubbish as getting the tailender on strike? Seems to happen a lot.

[alfie]

very different pitch from the Australia Test , I fancy

reckon if England can nip out the last two cheaply now they'll be the happier team

Still have to bat well of course , but why not? It is a Test match...

Oops...Monty spills one ...that would have been handy.

[Carrotdude]

FFS he's gone and done it again. How can someone be so bad at catching when they play cricket professionally?

[alfie]

Panesar spills another one!

Sadly , that is one reason why even when bowling well Monty is a questionable selection at this level.

[Biltong]

Average first innings score in Galle is 366.

[Carrotdude]

That c&b chance dropped by Anderson when Mahela was on 90 odd really looks like it could cost us here. They should be all out now if Monty wasn't such a clown in the field.

[alfie]

if they get 366 England will not be happy!

Official warning for Broad for running on the pitch

[Biltong]

Alfie, I doubt they'll get there, as good a nick as Mahela is in, the two bowlers are unlikely to survive that long.

[Biltong]

Anderson to Welegedara, FOUR, lashed away through the covers and Welegedara has the audacity to hold the pose! This must be infuriating for England now

read this off the cricinfo commentary

[alfie]

Yes I don't expect them to get anything like that biltong, but I didn't expect them to get to 280 ...

Those two drops have really frustrated them at the end of a hot day, and Jayawardene has continued to make them pay.

300 will make it an even day after all I think. Could be a good Test match , this.

[Biltong]

I thought they would be lucky to get to 200. But then Jayawardena played this really well.

[Biltong]

I would expect Sri Lanka would like to bat for another 30 minutes to an hour tomorrow if possible.

[alfie]

Fresh bowlers tomorrow morning ...ball not too old ...

I fancy England to knock the tail over quicker than that.

Hope so anyway.

[Biltong]

Jayawardena really feasted on Swann today, 59 runs off 68 balls.

[Guest]

It would seem that apart from Anderson and Patel, the English bowlers didn't carry much threat(?). Two of the wickets were run-outs. I assume that the wicket will deteriorate as the match progresses as the Sri Lankans decided to bat first.

[eirebilly]

I hope that England knock the tal over but it really was Sri Lanka's last 2 seesions and day today i feel.

[mystiroakey]

i think its ended 50/50

the pitch doesnt offer to much- england could(in terms of quailty) get 500 but on form could get less than 200!

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Have a look where tehy couldve been, England would take this happily. Their seam light attack was always likely to struggle going first agains Sri Lanka who have some of the best batsmen in world cricket form 2-5.
Withe their top 4 shpowing some form and batting depth England should be able to get a lead

[Guest]

can a mod sticky this thread please?

[Duty281]

After Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat I was quite worried. I thought the score at stumps would be around 330/5 or maybe 6 so for England to have them at 289/8 is quite something.

Firstly, well done to Jayawardene, leading by example, being a man when his teammates were merely boys.

There is no doubt that Anderson and Broad are world-class, 15/3 equalled what a start. I was surprised at the inclusion of Patel but he took 2 good wickets. Panesar wasn't really a threat but he did well to keep the runs down although his fielding was atrocious. Swann is out of form but was desperately unlucky not to have at least one wicket to his name.

We'll know a lot more about this Test Match come stumps tomorrow. Sri Lanka could total 375 and have England 151/5 at stumps or it could just as easily be Sri Lanka out for 320 and England on 180/2. My prediction is for England to eke out a 150ish lead and be set around 150-200 to win on the final day. Mark my words though, if that happens then England will manage it. There's no Ajmal or Rehman here, just Herath and Randiv who don'tcome close to Ajmal's abilities.

Lastly, well done to the English support who outnumbered the home support. Top job.

[Guest]

very good post duty, i agree with most of that

[guildfordbat]

First of all from an England perspective, a fine Test day debut for Samit Patel. I don't claim Patel is or will be a world beater but I think he generally gets too harsh a press here and elsewhere. Pleased for him.

Clearly an excellent and much required innings from Jayawardene who has brought Sri Lanka right back into this match and arguably put them on top. Some of the Sky guys said he'll be looking to guide Sri Lanka to 300 in the morning. I think he'll be looking for a personal double ton.

A case can be fairly made for the scoreboard now making it level pegging. However, to get to that stage from 15-3, Sri Lanka must feel they are in the ascendancy ....

[Biltong]

So Duty, you expect a 450 score minimum from England?

[Duty281]

So Duty, you expect a 450 score minimum from England?

Should be around that, pitch isn't offering much and Sri Lanka just don't have the world-class bowlers needed to bowl England out for less than 400. Bat long is the key. I fancy the skipper to get a century and probably KP or Trott as well. Worryingly, I can't see Bell getting past double figures!

[mystiroakey]

in all honesty id go with a declaration on 650 or all out on 225

[Mike Selig]

A case can be fairly made for the scoreboard now making it level pegging. However, to get to that stage from 15-3, Sri Lanka must feel they are in the ascendancy ....

I agree. The pitch looks flat, but when Australia played Sri Lanka in the first test and scraped to 270ish the pitch looked flat as well. Then Sri Lanka collapsed for 100. I think England should score 400 on this wicket, but then I thought they'd chase down 150 against Pakistan. Sure Sri Lanka's bowlers are reputedly average, but Herath will bowl stump to stump and must fancy his chances of getting Pietersen LBW, Strauss is under pressure, Bell can't buy a run and Patel is on debut (and I hold my hand up and will say he did very well on day 1).

There's an old saying: "you only really know how good a pitch is once both sides have batted on it". I think some are a bit too keen to call it England's day. I would call it evens, with Sri Lanka with the momentum.

[Mike Selig]

Actually I wouldn't call it evens, I'd call it "should reserve judgement until England have batted".

[alfie]

Actually I wouldn't call it evens, I'd call it "should reserve judgement until England have batted".

I sort of agree - then I reflect that we shouldn't really look to wait and judge a day retrospectively , else why bother to put a view in the first place?

So I would say the first day ended pretty much even.

If Sri Lanka go on to add another 50 plus and shoot England out for 180 then the second day will be emphatically theirs , but it won't change what happened on the first...

[Luke]

Oh dear, Cook out Lbw, England 0 - 1 after 2 overs.

[eirebilly]

318 is still about 70 more than what i feel Sri Lanka should have gotton after their start but hey ho.

England with a bit of work to do today and it gets harder with Cook out early but Trott and Strauss seem to be settling in quite well

[Luke]

Sorry my alarm went off just as cook was out (bowled by Laxmal). Sri lanka finnished on 318 all out, Jayawardene last man out for a magnificent 180. Anderson taking both wickets for a total 5, taking him past Brian Statham.
After that shaky start England have settled down quite well. At the end of the 8th over they had reached 31 - 1.

[eirebilly]

Jimmy with a 5-for. There was this dumb Irishman doubting that he could be effective in these conditions. Shows you really how much i know

[eirebilly]

Sorry my alarm went off just as cook was out (bowled by Laxmal). Sri lanka finnished on 318 all out, Jayawardene last man out for a magnificent 180. Anderson taking both wickets for a total 5, taking him past Brian Statham.
After that shaky start England have settled down quite well. At the end of the 8th over they had reached 31 - 1.

Damn posters curses . Trott out

[alfie]

Didn't take long to get Herath on...and he strikes already! Trott stumped by a mile...

A big blow- he was looking good - and then he just missed a full toss! Can't really blame spin for that ... Just a rush of blood.

Makes this a very important partnership so I hope KP has his cricket brain working today...

[eirebilly]

I honestly do doubt that England can get 300 here simply because of their recent form. Alot rides on Strauss and KP here, Strauss is certainly due a score.

[eirebilly]

Also, morning alfie and tiger.

[eirebilly]

Oh Christ, Strauss gone now as well

[Luke]

Sorry Eire,
but i'm not taking the blame for that. How Trott got stumped by a full toss that should have been in the stands is beyond me.
But in all honestly, this Sri Lanka attack dosn't look that threatening, until the last few overs Strauss now having a decision reviewed, for another strange decision of shot. Given out. England now 42 - 3, thats 2 poor bad shots.

[eirebilly]

Herath has wasted no time at all this morning.

[eirebilly]

Someone has to take the blame tiger

I will take the blame for Strauss

[alfie]

Oh gawd ... Another one of those lbw drs things does for Strauss!

Only got himself to blame ...too risky sweeping those , should have learned by now

Now Bell...starting against spin...

not looking good for England

[eirebilly]

KP is going to have to do a Mahela here i feel.

[alfie]

hi biily

I think we need trebell on to declare anything over 120 would be a miracle...

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