**Official** Sri Lanka in England and Ireland 2016

[Howe_zat]

Apparently Siriwardene might be injured as well, so Shanaka will be back. Rather than playing their 6th choice seamer Dilruwan Perera should get a game.

Pradeep, Lakmal, Shanaka, Herath, Perera for me.

 

[91Jmay]

Even if SL struggled with 70mph trundlers in rainy old Vardyville, there are precisely zero relevant takeaways from getting destroyed by Tom Wells (beyond 'be less **** and hit the ****ing red thing') when it comes to preparing for Anderson at Lord's.

At least if they'd played vaguely comparable opposition that are closer to the standard they'd be playing in the Tests -- and still got equally demolished -- at least they'd get more relevant information.

It's not just about adjusting to conditions, its also about adjusting to the standard of opposition. SL could play 25 games in the lead-up against league teams or 2nd XIs and would probably still get killed in the Tests, because facing sixteen versions of Rob Taylor doesn't give you much meaningful preparation when you've got Broad at the top of his mark in the real stuff.

I can't blame England, or the counties, given how much they need to manage workloads. But wouldn't it be better for both English cricket more broadly and SL's preparation if they had, say, an attack of Barker, Roland-Jones, Plunkett, and an Overton brother all fired up trying to force themselves into England contention?

There is no one you can face in England to prepare for Anderson/Broad other than Anderson/Broad. By your logic there is no point playing warm up games.

 

[Dan]

You'll never have perfect warm-up opposition, but you can get a lot closer to the standard of a Test match than the Leics 2nds +ARobson.

 

[the big bambino]

@91Jmay. True but improving the standard of your warm competition should prepare you better for the shock of confronting them. Something has to be done about warm ups as they're just wasting everyone's time. Just repeating whats been said but teams should spend lead up time in their own countries on pitches prepared for what they expect to encounter playing a series of scratch matches amongst the touring squad plus a few members from the A squad. Then jet into town a week before the 1st test.

 

[Shady Slim]

I like having an A team game rather than playing an actual county/domestic side. If logic is that people who don't often get to see international games get to see one then it's better if they get to see the touring team play an England 2nd XI and not the same county side they can go see on any given sunday

 

[StephenZA]

Apparently Siriwardene might be injured as well, so Shanaka will be back. Rather than playing their 6th choice seamer Dilruwan Perera should get a game.

Pradeep, Lakmal, Shanaka, Herath, Perera for me.

I do feel sympathy with SL this series with their injury list, needed all the help they could get already.

Whats weather like for today?

 

[91Jmay]

I like having an A team game rather than playing an actual county/domestic side. If logic is that people who don't often get to see international games get to see one then it's better if they get to see the touring team play an England 2nd XI and not the same county side they can go see on any given sunday

Yeah, issue is you'd then get a team like Yorkshire losing 5+ players right at the start of the CC season.

 

[Gnske]

A Yorkie lineup with Lees, Gale and Leaning as the meat would be box office gold tbh.

 

[Raffski]

Whats weather like for today?

Warm and sunny. Well, by our standards at least

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Don't understand not playing Ball here. He is clearly the next cab on the rank so why not pick him in a dead rubber if only to remove the opening match nerves should he have to play in the Pakistan series.

 

[Groundking]

Don't understand not playing Ball here. He is clearly the next cab on the rank so why not pick him in a dead rubber if only to remove the opening match nerves should he have to play in the Pakistan series.

Because he's behind Stokes and Wood who are still to come back, Finn is the future in a few years when Anderson retires, and is a confidence player, so dropping him is the last thing you want to do, and you can't really justify dropping Woakes after a good match last time when it's getting near to do or die for him.

 

[Howe_zat]

Eranga is playing, some good news for SL there

 

[Gnske]

Warne on comms lads, time for excellent anecdotes.

 

[theegyptian]

Watched the first couple of overs. Looked a terribly slow flat wicket. Should at least be a test of our bowlers and their ability to get wickets on a flat wicket.

 

[Groundking]

Well that was stupid Hales Wouldn't mind Compton failing here TBH, he's not good enough and we've got form options in reserve, I certainly don't expect him to do anything here.

At least Cook is looking good, after a 5 or 6 tests a big score here will do him the world of good going into the Pakistan series

 

[theegyptian]

lol this hales dismissal sounds loltastic like all his dismissals in the series. What a way to botch your series. Has got in and got out every time when he should be cashing in against poor opposition. Really should have given himself a bit leeway for the Pakistan series but too casual against the spin - so will be under pressure right from the start of that series.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah, he appears to think he is a good player of spin for some reason and doesn't show it due deference. What happens when you grow up playing at Trent Bridge and can just murder any spin you face.

 

[Gnske]

RIP Compdog

That was way too easy, his balance has looked shot all season.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That should be the end for Compton. Can't say he hasn't had a fair chance.

 

[Groundking]

Well that was stupid Hales Wouldn't mind Compton failing here TBH, he's not good enough and we've got form options in reserve, I certainly don't expect him to do anything here.

At least Cook is looking good, after a 5 or 6 tests a big score here will do him the world of good going into the Pakistan series

Compton is crap, drop him for the Pakistan series please selectors.

Anyway Root's in now so it's all fine, with Cook on the verge of 50, it's our best bats out there so hopefully a good partnership.