England vs Sri Lanka/India

[Guest PurpleNose]

I'd be looking at the amount of cash the IPL pay.

[Red Banjo]

Anyone watching today?

 

Been a good morning of cricket. We were up shit creek at one point at 22-3 but Bell and Cook have done brilliantly. Century partnership up. Currently 130-3

 

Ian Bell, for me, is England's most important batsman now. A calm head when shit gets raw.

 

Obviously Cook and Trott are both equally brilliant but Bell has been immense for 18 months now. Top, top player.

 

Edit: And just like that, i curse him. Fucksticks. Out for 52

[Whelan]

Anyone watching today?

 

Been a good morning of cricket. We were up shit creek at one point at 22-3 but Bell and Cook have done brilliantly. Century partnership up. Currently 130-3

 

Ian Bell, for me, is England's most important batsman now. A calm head when shit gets raw.

 

Obviously Cook and Trott are both equally brilliant but Bell has been immense for 18 months now. Top, top player.

 

Edit: And just like that, i curse him. Fucksticks. Out for 52

 

He is really good, wonderful to watch as well. I thought he was a waste of space a few years ago, and couldn't believe the faith shown in him. But I remember Steve Waugh saying a few years ago that he felt the England management team gave up on players to quickly.

[Yozzer]

In my opinion, Bell is probably the best technical batsman we have. When in full flow he's brilliant to watch and I'm glad he was given a second chance by the selectors.

[Uncle_Meat]

The best bit is the name of the head groundsman at Lords.

 

[YOUTUBE]R2O9xgndV6M[/YOUTUBE]

[Guest PurpleNose]

Kevin Pietersen is absolutely fucking shit. Really is about time we fucked him off. He simply doesn't score any runs. Give someone like Compton or Bairstow a go.

 

Agree with the comments about Bell. What a player he has become. Oozes class.

 

Bit dull this game now. Sri Lankan bowling attacking is terrible.

[TaksimRakiClub]

Kevin Pietersen is absolutely fucking shit. Really is about time we fucked him off. He simply doesn't score any runs. Give someone like Compton or Bairstow a go.

 

And Hobbs and Hutton.

[Guest PurpleNose]

He is actually Denis' grandson.

[TaksimRakiClub]

He is actually Denis' grandson.

 

Noted.

 

Don't follow the game as closely as I used to to be honest although there are few finer things in life than walloping the Aussies at cricket, what?

 

I think it all started to go to pot when they jibbed using the batmens' initials on scorecards

 

A P E Knott

I V A Richards etc etc

 

Now that was proper cricket.

[Yozzer]

Cook gone for 96.

[Yozzer]

Noted.

 

Don't follow the game as closely as I used to to be honest although there are few finer things in life than walloping the Aussies at cricket, what?

 

I think it all started to go to pot when they jibbed using the batmens' initials on scorecards

 

A P E Knott

I V A Richards etc etc

 

Now that was proper cricket.

 

This was the scorecard for Sri-Lanka's bowling at one point:

 

UWMBCA Welegedara

HMRKB Herath

 

World record for initials on scorecards right there.

[Red Banjo]

Fucking hell. Just came back to the cricket after a itunes session and Cook is out, didn't even get the ton. Gutted. He's still got a fairly impressive average over the past 12 months so i don't suppose he'll be too cut up like.

 

Hope Morgan gets to 3 figures now. Noticed he's played a very cautious game today tho - i hope they are not training the explosive side of his game out of him.

[Yozzer]

Prior and Morgan twating every ball for 4 now.

 

I know I mentioned Bell before as the best technical batsman but this lad Morgan is definately one of the most exciting I've seen. Love watching his innovations and stroke play but it's also great to see that his forward defence is solid. Looks a great prospect for England (sorry Ireland) if he can maintain this level of performance in the Subcontinent.

 

Good partnership building up here. 350+ would be great considering our start.

[RobbieOR]

Sril Lanka all out for 479.

 

Lost their last 7 wickets for 109.

[Guest PurpleNose]

0 for 1. Strauss out.

 

The leftie is moving it miles.

[RobbieOR]

Strauss gone second ball.

 

0-1.

[Indian Red]

We are doing well in Windieland so far

[mouse1989]

KP is living off his reputation of being a 'world class batsman.' The fact that the double hundred against Australia is the only reason why he's still in the Test side.

 

I know there is a lot of discussion about whether we should play 4 or 5 bowlers and yeah 4 bowlers is fine as long as it's a balance attack. I rate Finn very highly but Broad, Tremlett and Finn himself are too similar especially which is now a tradition flat wicket at Lords. I would've gone for someone like Onions to replace the injured Anderson. Anyway on to my point of 4/5 bowlers surely it'll be better with a much balance attack with Ravi at 6 with his bowling then just 6 batsman and asking Trott to bowl a few.

[George Costanza]

KP is living off his reputation of being a 'world class batsman.' The fact that the double hundred against Australia is the only reason why he's still in the Test side.

 

I know there is a lot of discussion about whether we should play 4 or 5 bowlers and yeah 4 bowlers is fine as long as it's a balance attack. I rate Finn very highly but Broad, Tremlett and Finn himself are too similar especially which is now a tradition flat wicket at Lords. I would've gone for someone like Onions to replace the injured Anderson. Anyway on to my point of 4/5 bowlers surely it'll be better with a much balance attack with Ravi at 6 with his bowling then just 6 batsman and asking Trott to bowl a few.

 

The key with any good test side is when one or two of the players are struggling, others step up & make up for it. Pitersen may well be a bit of a twat but he's a talented fucker & if he gets his head screwed back on & works hard on his game he'll bag a ton of runs again soon.

 

Englands attack has been a bit samey but a pretty flat lords pitch hasn't helped. What really pissed me off about OT getting taken off the test venue list was that the pitches there are fucking brilliant & offer a great balance between bat & ball. Test cricket has suffered imo due to crap flat pitches that don't offer any hope of a result. India, SL & SA struggle to fill grounds due to this. Lords used to be a good result wicket where a score of 350 was very decent.

[lifetime fan]

KP is living off his reputation of being a 'world class batsman.' The fact that the double hundred against Australia is the only reason why he's still in the Test side.

 

I know there is a lot of discussion about whether we should play 4 or 5 bowlers and yeah 4 bowlers is fine as long as it's a balance attack. I rate Finn very highly but Broad, Tremlett and Finn himself are too similar especially which is now a tradition flat wicket at Lords. I would've gone for someone like Onions to replace the injured Anderson. Anyway on to my point of 4/5 bowlers surely it'll be better with a much balance attack with Ravi at 6 with his bowling then just 6 batsman and asking Trott to bowl a few.

 

No it wouldn't.

 

Not a good enough bowler, not a good enough batsman for test cricket.

 

Next we will be having people calling for Owais 'Ace' Shah. The only ace about the tit is the number of times he can get himself out the same number of ways.

[mouse1989]

Ravi is a much better batsman at 6 than when he played at number 3 and his bowling is very underrated

[lifetime fan]

Ravi is a much better batsman at 6 than when he played at number 3 and his bowling is very underrated

 

He still isn't anywhere near good enough either technically or mentally.

[RobbieOR]

England 225-2. I wonder will Strauss declare early. He always leaves it too late.

[Guest LFD]

Must be about time for the declaration.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Already got more than they'll go for.