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.

[Pal Joey]

Maybe not at Galle but records are made to be broken.

[mystiroakey]

well confidence at tea will be up 40% from before tea- if our top order can just draw from previous wins it is very managable.

I am backing england here

[eirebilly]

Dilshan to bowl...

[eirebilly]

To nulify Herath's threat these two should not stand so deep. You have to get forward with him or you invite the lbw.

[eirebilly]

Oh no!!!!

[eirebilly]

Not what England wanted

Cook gone.

[Biltong]

There is a german restaurant in Clarens, a beautiful little town in the eastern freestate near the golden gate nature reserve. It is called Roter Hahn. serves the best cold and warm meat platters for 8GBP, all different kinds of breads, cheeses and sausages.

Man I am hungry now.

[Fists of Fury]

Game over.

[eirebilly]

England simply must not lose more than 1 more wicket today.

[Pal Joey]

Geez Billy... you are a hard task master!

[Fists of Fury]

Ha, like that is going to happen, Eire!

We will be 3 or 4 down by the close.

[eirebilly]

I am arent i breaker

Now get here and design my new house, you have 3 weeks

[eirebilly]

Ssshhhhh Fists

[eirebilly]

That was a silly review to be honest.

[alfie]

picked a great time to come on didn't I ?

Cook gone and I'd suggest whatever slim hope England might have harboured gone with him...

Batting looks far from impossilble today so I suppose someone could make 150 and deliver a miracle win , but you'll get pretty good odds at the bookies...

[Pal Joey]

I am arent i breaker

Now get here and design my new house, you have 3 weeks

No problem 'Chief'. A chique modern white box (with all mod cons) by the lake there... OK?

[mystiroakey]

Blimey . one down. keep the updates going in the docs waitkng room

[eirebilly]

I am arent i breaker

Now get here and design my new house, you have 3 weeks

No problem 'Chief'. A chique modern white box (with all mod cons) by the lake there... OK?

Nah, give us a classic like the one i have now

[mystiroakey]

picked a great time to come o
n didn't I ?

Cook gone and I'd suggest whatever slim hope England might have harboured gone with him...

Batting looks far from impossilble today so I suppose someone could make 150 and deliver a miracle win , but you'll get pretty good odds at the bookies...

sadly the odds are rubbish at present. about 3-4/1

[eirebilly]

Hey alfie, things look a little grim here to be honest

[eirebilly]

Anyway, i am going to miss the rest of todays play. I hope that my absence will be a good omen for the English team

[BuLioli]

What with Cook out, some of the bookies are now putting the odds at nearly 40/1 for an England win.
Tempting to put a few quid on - but with no income at the moment, a bit foolish as well!

[liverbnz]

picked a great time to come o
n didn't I ?

Cook gone and I'd suggest whatever slim hope England might have harboured gone with him...

Batting looks far from impossilble today so I suppose someone could make 150 and deliver a miracle win , but you'll get pretty good odds at the bookies...

sadly the odds are rubbish at present. about 3-4/1

Probably a fair bit of money going on England judging by them odds. Bookies rubbing their hands.

[Guest]

Come on Strauss. Big score. Lead from the front!!

[liverbnz]

What with Cook out, some of the bookies are now putting the odds at nearly 40/1 for an England win.
Tempting to put a few quid on - but with no income at the moment, a bit foolish as well!

Who? I wouldn't mind a few on that myself!

[Pal Joey]

Classic is more expensive... all the fiddly details.

Yes Billy, as soon as you leave the runs will start to flow.

[mystiroakey]

I doubt that much going on an england win. its not close to reality. V bad value

[liverbnz]

I doubt that much going on an england win. its not close to reality. V bad value

That's exactly why it's bad value. The more money that goes on a certain outcome, the shorter the odds will become.

[alfie]

Anyway, good evening all

Glum, billy? Suppose it depends if you are a Sri Lankan or not.

Surprised at the odds roakey is quoting ... The money men are usually pretty astute so perhaps we shouldn't be abandoning hope yet.

I only got in to watch after lunch but batting looked a fairly straightforward affair against pace and spin - seems to me once you're " in" on this pitch you can score plenty if you don't do something daft ... Trouble is a lot of batsmen in this match can't wait to do something daft

[mystiroakey]

Yep thats true...

However i have no idea who us giving 40/1..its 3/1

[mystiroakey]

The odds have been criminally low on england come backs due to england doing it so many times over the last few years at high prices.. once burnt an all that..

[alfie]

great catch !

horrid shot though

2 down and sinking fast ...

[Fists of Fury]

Strauss gone, we should have known that we wouldn't be able to play a bog standard slow bowler in Herath.

[mystiroakey]

[Mike Selig]

Don't think there was much wrong with the shot myself. England do need to score runs if they want to win. Good piece of bowling, defeated him in the air then off the pitch. Strauss probably should have covered up in defence, but felt he could go through with the shot.

[Fists of Fury]

Nothing wrong with trying to assert yourself and attempting to bat as you would in normal circumstances, Mike. I'm more than happy for them to try and do so. Just a shame it didn't come off, is all.

[alfie]

Four losses in a row...not good.

That No 1 ranking seems to have become a millstone ...

Just hope we don't panic and start making mass changes now when Boycott and Co announce " HEADS MUST ROLL" etc

[Fists of Fury]

Well there are no better options anyway! The one change that I'd make is Patel out for James Taylor. If we think he is good enough then get him in now for the West Indies Test series.

[BuLioli]

Yeah I think those odds I quoted were probably a bit off. Clearly my brain is still not in gear - I'm following the Test, writing here on 606v2, trying to fill in a job application AND actually attempting to relevant work all at the same time!

[liverbnz]

I think Bopara will be the only change for the next Test, depending on his fitness of course. He's likley to get a run in the side before anyone else gets a look into the top 6.

[alfie]

OK maybe I should give some credit to the bowler for doing him in flight , but I don't think that was a percentage shot at this stage.
Two more days to bat , I would prefer a more measured approach - plenty of chances to score freely when you've worn the bowlers down a bit. I though that was what Strauss was doing...

[alfie]

I think Bopara will be the only change for the next Test, depending on his fitness of course. He's likley to get a run in the side before anyone else gets a look into the top 6.

Not after Patel's match winning century

[Mike Selig]

It was a measured approach, he'd sccored 26 off 60. Saw a chance for a boundary and unfortunately the bowler deceived him. On these pitches if you just prod and grind eventually you'll get a good-one and get out.

[liverbnz]

I think Bopara will be the only change for the next Test, depending on his fitness of course. He's likley to get a run in the side before anyone else gets a look into the top 6.

Not after Patel's match winning century

That would be something to behold!

[Fists of Fury]

Got a horrible feeling that a wicket is coming

[Fists of Fury]

KP dropped at leg slip. Knew something was going to happen...still haven't shaken the feeling though.

[liverbnz]

Bird flies into Trott's eyeline! Dead ball.

[mystiroakey]

ok back from the docs- 92/2 is a decent start from my pov

[mystiroakey]

england 2.8/1 at present, going back down from the high point of 6/1 after the second wicket

[sirfredperry]

Wait for the late wicket(s) in the last couple of overs. Always happens to losing teams, which is what, sadly, England are at the moment

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