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.

[eirebilly]

Well people that have known my posting style for many years on the 606 and on here will know that i am optimistic. I am just realist here and that is that England will not win going by what their recent form has suggested.

Of course i hope that they do but i just cant see it. Why is that so difficult a concept to comprehend?

[mystiroakey]

eirebilly england hav e come back from worse many times over the last few years(with these players)- this is a 6/1 shot,, not impossible at all!!

its a position we can still be optimistic , this is not some 100/1 shot at all.

i have also known your posting style for many years an all, and its not difficult to comprehend at all , i get it , i am just saying you are being pessimistic- why is that so difficult to understand.

we dont all have to agree do we!!!

[eirebilly]

To have put on 90 for the last two wickets has got to have hurt England mentally as well.

[mystiroakey]

To have put on 90 for the last two wickets has got to have hurt England mentally as well.

or you look at it in the optimistic way and say- well if they can do it- so can we, the pitch is actually decent for batting!!

[Guest]

If Cook can get off to a start, I would fancy England to chase it down. Bell looks in some nick and Prior might actually attack like he did in Pakistan. KP needs some runs.

[eirebilly]

Pleas Jimmy, just get the last wicket <onkneesandprayingemoticon>

[Fists of Fury]

Gents, don't get me wrong I admire your optimism, but if England do this then I will provide you with my postal address and request that you all send your hats to me. Upon receipt I will eat every single one of them.

[Guest]

FOF I would prefer a beer addressed to me in the post

[mystiroakey]

postage is getting expensive fists- can you send me a freepost package please as my hat is ready

[Biltong]

Come on.

2 days and 300+ runs?

With that sort of time they can even get their food shopping done too!

legend, the problem for england is not the fact that they have two days.

In their first test in dubai england batted for 72 overs for 192
Their second innings they lasted 56 overs for 160

in their second test they lasted 112 overs for 327
their second innings lasted 36 overs for 72

In their third test they lasted 55 overs for 141
their second innings lasted 97 overs for 252

their first innings in this match lasted 47 overs for 193.

to chase 340, they will not only have to reach their highest score of the winter, but also will need to bat for over 100 overs at 3.4 runs per over. Realistically you would expect them to start slowly and build a few big partnerships, perhaps at 2.5 runs per over, so I would hazard a guess England would need to bat more than 125 overs which thus far they have only managed once in 7 previous innings.

[Biltong]

Gents, don't get me wrong I admire your optimism, but if England do this then I will provide you with my postal address and request that you all send your hats to me. Upon receipt I will eat every single one of them.

As long as you skype us all so we can witness it.

[mystiroakey]

bilt your messuring them stats on the last 7- try the last 30

[mystiroakey]

ultimate repsect for jay mind- MOTM even when we beat em!

[eirebilly]

Quality post biltong and why i am being a realist for once in saying that England wont win. I am not saying that they cant, i am saying that they wont.

[Fists of Fury]

I'm saying they can't and they won't

[Fists of Fury]

Speaking of can't...are we ever going to take this last wicket? Thoroughly demoralised now, and I expect it'll show in their batting.

[mystiroakey]

Quality post biltong and why i am being a realist for once in saying that England wont win. I am not saying that they cant, i am saying that they probally wont.

fixed for you

[eirebilly]

I was really hoping for a 250 chase, that i thought was very possible. At this rate it may be a 350 chase, just too much.

[eirebilly]

Then the wicket

[eirebilly]

A 340 chase it is...

[Fists of Fury]

Needed a run out, then.

Here we go, time for the abysmally disappointing run chase. 200 all out, 250 would be a surprise.

Sorry for plaguing you optimists with my sheer hopeless pessimism, but that's how it is for me. Will gladly eat your hats if I am wrong, but I expect I'll be eating curry tonight instead.

[eirebilly]

Fists, if i am being considered a pessimist... What are you?

[mystiroakey]

come on england!!!!!

[mystiroakey]

Time to show why we are no.1 team in the world!!

I have much more faith now that i have been on here- something about listening to whinging gives me a clearer perspective- time to stick some money on em-- err 3.2/1 on betfair for an england win, ermm strange and not worth it!!

[mystiroakey]

lol look at our averages this year--- lol no.1 team in the world!! not this year!!- strauss is top with 25

[Mike Selig]

I agree almost with Fists. Those two last wickets killed England, but ultimately you're not going to win many games from 130 behind in the first innings on the sub-continent.

340? The way they've been batting recently? Well, it would be a surprise...

On a more optimistic note, that was absolutely fantastic skill from Anderson on the last run-out, given the time spent in the field to have the awareness to get into position properly and then take the bails off. And at the risk of repeating myself it shows that the "modern way" (in front of the stumps) is definitely the best way if you can do it. Never a run-out from behind the stumps.

[eirebilly]

Right, first things first. Survive the first hour without a wicket

[Biltong]

bilt your messuring them stats on the last 7- try the last 30

Mystir, only becuase it is in the sub continent and it is england's current form there.

[mystiroakey]

bilt your messuring them stats on the last 7- try the last 30

Mystir, only becuase it is in the sub continent and it is england's current form there.

looks guys dont get me wrong- we are far from favs, and i know that- however i am looking at the positives..

I think the main positive to take is that - the pitch actually looks decent at presnet.

Sri lankas bowling is only 'ok'

england have quality batters(even if there are out of form in test cricket)

England are actually in ok form in other formats in the sub(almost the same batters anyway)

we are the no.1 team in the world!!

woop woop- come on england

[Fists of Fury]

10-0, 33 more of those should do it.

[eirebilly]

It would be lovely to see Cook and Strauss get decent scores today.

[Biltong]

10-0, 33 more of those should do it.

That's the spirit. by stumps today this game will be done and dusted, and that number one ranking will have been secured, locked up and the key thrown away.

[mystiroakey]

come on SL give us some buffet balls!!

[eirebilly]

Got to say that it has been a confident start

[Biltong]

Talking about buffet, we went to a lodge near Hartebeestpoort dam the other day, and for a mere 6 GBP, got an all you can eat, breakfast which included bacon, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, baked eggs, ommeletes, pork sausages, lamb sausages, pancakes, baked fruits, flapjacks, scones, mushrooms, mince, toast and all the juice and coffee you can handle.

It was brilliant.

[Fists of Fury]

32 more lots of 10 to go. Always better to break it down in to bitesize chunks!

[Fists of Fury]

Biltong, sounds fantastic. You're making me hungry.

[mystiroakey]

Talking about buffet, we went to a lodge near Hartebeestpoort dam the other day, and for a mere 6 GBP, got an all you can eat, breakfast which included bacon, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, baked eggs, ommeletes, pork sausages, lamb sausages, pancakes, baked fruits, flapjacks, scones, mushrooms, mince, toast and all the juice and coffee you can handle.

It was brilliant.

lamb sauages !!! nice

you lot are spoilt in SA

[Biltong]

Yeah, well we have to compensate for the politics over here somehow.

[eirebilly]

Herath on early...

[Fists of Fury]

1st mission complete...survive until tea. This opening pair need about another 150 adding to their partnership to give England hope.

Still zero chance, though

[mystiroakey]

1st mission complete...survive until tea. This opening pair need about another 150 adding to their partnership to give England hope.

Still zero chance, though

lol not even willing to give us a percent!!!

[Mike Selig]

I love sausages! Anyway good start from England before tea. 2 down at most at close.

[mystiroakey]

the only batters that give me any confidence is the top 4- so its gonna be down to them!! fingers crossed!

betfair odds down to 2.1/1

obviously not reality - but id give us a 5/1 shot at this

[eirebilly]

Well, its been a confident start by Cook and Strauss so lets hope they can keep it up.

[Pal Joey]

So that's lunch then. 340 seems a long way off but you never know in this game. A good start from Cook and Strauss.

Biltong - that buffet is mouth watering. Very nice. I've been to a few in Asia where you can have half english / half asian.
I like to get there early... before the Germans! The look of contempt they had for me was something to behold.

[mystiroakey]

wouldnt germans turn there noses up at lamb sauages?

[eirebilly]

So that's lunch then. 340 seems a long way off but you never know in this game. A good start from Cook and Strauss.

Biltong - that buffet is mouth watering. Very nice. I've been to a few in Asia where you can have half english / half asian.
I like to get there early... before the Germans! The look of contempt they had for me was something to behold.

The Germans put on some excellent breakfasts, especially the Bavarians. Proper full breakfasts

[Pal Joey]

Nah, they'll eat anything, mysti. Grabbed the best seat too... the one with the best view.

[mystiroakey]

basically the way to look at this is that our target is 313 for the restart!

much more managable and been done before!

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