England vs Sri Lanka 2nd test debate

First topic message reminder :

So the 2nd test is upon us,Will England make another tremendous win or will Sri Lanka fight back to win the 2nd test? All will be known in 5 days time.

The 12 man teams are as follow:

England
Andrew Strauss (C)
Alistair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Bell
Eoin Morgan
Matt Prior (W-K)
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Chris Tremlett
Steve Finn
Jade Dernbach

Sri Lanka (Can't find the 12 man squad anywhere)

Tillakaratne Dilshan (C)
Tharanga Paranavithana (Spell check!)
Lahiru Thirimanne
Kumar Sangakkara
Mahela Jayawardene
Thilan Samaraweera
Dinesh Chandimal
Prasanna Jaywardene (W-K)
Thissara Perera
Suraj Randiv
Ajantha Mendis
Rangana Herath
Dilhara Fernanado
Chanka Welegedara
Suranga Lakmal
Farveez Maharoof

Once again like the 1st feel free to discuss the action

And updates of the match will be up on the thread.

Another 6 from Dilshan. He really looks set for a big score.

Big 6 from Dilshan!

England don't seem to be posing any major threat though Eire,got there line and length totally wrong to many short deliveries. Although 1 or two wickets could give England the boost they need.

eirebilly wrote:Another 6 from Dilshan. He really looks set for a big score.

yep double hundred is on without question!

(i'm trying here).

we're missing Jimmy

I know trebs, even i am starting to lose some optimism here

No curses are working and Sri Lanka look very comfortable, possibly more comfortable than England looked so this is scary. I think that this is also the highest opening partnership by Sri Lanka against England as well.

Yep such a change from last week.

but one wicket could bring a few so who knows.

Even Paranavitana is starting to look very comfortable. This is excellent stuff from Sri Lanka after their collapse last test. It takes some effort to turn a dissappointing result like that turn it into a performance like this.

Already 321 runs scored today. The crowd are definately getting their money's worth.

Fantastic ton from Dilshan, real class

OMG!!!

Just got back to find Dilshan has got a hundred and SL are 180-0.

Nice one TilDil

Well played Sri Lanka - fantastic comeback after the 1st Test, but you have to ask what on earth England's bowlers are doing.

SL look set to post a huge total...500-plus. This match is doomed to a draw.

England really missing Anderson here. Hats off to Sri Lankas openers though.

Wonder if it would be worth Strauss or KP having a twirl to give the others a break?

KP has bowled a few already dyre. Englands bowlers have been pretty poor tbh. They will be lucky to get a wicket today.

Liam has a point - as do the commentators. England's batting has been more than strong enough and the bowling attack a man light.

Think we could have left out KP and played Dernbach instead.

dyrewolfe wrote:Liam has a point - as do the commentators. England's batting has been more than strong enough and the bowling attack a man light.

Think we could have left out KP and played Dernbach instead.

Easy to say in hindsight.

Is this test heading for a draw!Hope not!

I am not predicting this time.Got it horribly wrong last time!

Wicket..... I nearly spat my beer out from the shock

The Piranha is caught by Strauss - bowled Finn!

At last - a breakthrough!!!

Well played for his 65 - a great anchor man alongside Dilshan.

England have pried open a small opening here. Can they capitalise?

And people took the mick on my other thread when I said we should play 5 bowlers.

Would agree Dyre all of Englands bowlers frankly have looked the same. Dernbach would have added something different.

All too easy for Sri Lanka, the should get close to 500 if not more from this platform

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

dyrewolfe wrote:Liam has a point - as do the commentators. England's batting has been more than strong enough and the bowling attack a man light.

Think we could have left out KP and played Dernbach instead.

Easy to say in hindsight.

True Hoggy, but hopefully this will serve as a reminder that if a pitch looks like being a bit flat, it might not hurt to shuffle the side a little and stick an extra bowler in.

In another limited over T20 match just finished
Ind(159/6) beat WI (143/5)

Well, you'd expect India to be pretty hard to beat in T20.

Lets hope the pitch starts to wear a bit tomorrow...England really do not need more of this (or, more accurately we don't want to watch them toiling fruitlessly in the field all day...)

Hopefully Strauss will come up with a different game plan and the bowling coaches will remind the lads to stick to line and length (or make them watch videos of Glen McGrath).

Very worrying. SL are nearly halfway to England's score and have lost only 1 wicket.

All credit to Dilshan and "Piranha" for sticking to the task. Unless theres a dramatic turnaround, I can see Sri Lanka getting 500-550.

Massive credit to Dilshan here today, he really is leading from the front and building confidence in his team.

Disappointing but not surprising lack of penetration from the English bowlers today. Also a frustrating lack of control with their lines too. I wanted Broad and Tremlett to lead the attack a lot better than they did.

Anyway the weathers about to change and if they get play most of the day it promises to be interesting at Lords. I'm hoping the conditions will help them and they bowl better to stop SL from getting a lead.

SL will want to bat all day and be a 100 ahead by the close.

Wonderful comeback from the Lankans today, especially after Broad and Prior had a slog in the morning session.

Dilshan played a wonderful knock.

SL need to bat long and try and get 600-650. They're more than capable of doing so and it would make the game pretty interesting it they did.

Not long now and the 3rd days play will begin. I really am hoping for a couple of early wickets to swing the advantage back towards England.

When you consider that there has already been 717 runs scored in 2 days cricket for the loss of only 11 wickets, my hope for early wickets may just be a pipedream.

Morning all.

Think the only Wicket we're likely to see is if someone in the crowd dresses up as the Ewok from Star Wars.

Morning dyre. Hoping for some early wickets but will keep an eye out for an Ewok

Already looks as if there is some movement out there. Cloud coverage could be a factor here.

Ooh! Pitch seems to be doing a bit...either that or the bowlers are finding their rhythm.

You may get your wish billy.

There are defo signs of movement dyre. Missing Jimmy and possibly Dernbach.... Wickets please

eirebilly: go on chat box at bottom of the page

With conditions like this, i almost expect a wicket within the first 10 overs today.

Sri Lankan batsmen not looking entirely comfortable.

Some good tight bowling here will get a wicket

Broad is having probs with his line again

Grey and showery looking down here in sw London (I'm quite a good guide for weather at the Oval, but Lords is a bit out of range). Just felt England weren't quite on the boil yesterday. Here's hoping for better today.

I am more confident of wickets today.

For one thing the England pace bowlers can hardly bowl much worse than yesterday.

And of course trebell now has a day in the field under his belt since coming back out of retirement , so his Curse should be better tuned for today's play

The conditions are there cowshot, just not the bowling yet.

Yeah trebs was a bit off form yesterday

Dilshan is still looking very solid. Sanga looks the wicket

eirebilly wrote:The conditions are there cowshot, just not the bowling yet.

Too true! Very disappointing. Don't like to point the finger too much, but Cook's dropped catch yesterday opens up whole cans of mixed metaphors, alternative realities, and worms.

Frustrating at the moment. Swann's getting a fair bit of movement. Finn and Tremlett have caused a few problems...just not enough to offer a real chance of a wicket.

Poor poor bowling here, there is enough movement but poor execution so far.

Dilshan is punishing Swann here.

Congrats to Dilshan on a brilliant 150.

Optimism starting to evaporate like early morning dew as the batsmen seem to be getting into their strides.

150 Dilshan