England Limited Overs Squad to play Sri Lanka

First topic message reminder :

The T-20I squad as well as the squad for the first 3 ODIs announced.
Twenty20 squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jos Buttler, Michael Carberry, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.
ODI squad (first three matches) Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jos Buttler, Michael Carberry, Harry Gurney, Chris Jordan, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.

You'd have to think Buttler was shouting at Tredwell to stop running, my bat would have been going through the wall in the changing room if it happened to me

I'd bat Ravi 4.

Balance is the key really. England have too many stroke players in their top 4. Somebodys got to clear the ropes. All very well Ballance and Root setting a platform but if Ravi has to hit a run a ball 50 and Buttler 120 off 70 to get us close we won't be winning too many when the opposition sets a good total.

What is wrong with Bell?

GSC wrote:I'd bat Ravi 4.

Balance is the key really. England have too many stroke players in their top 4. Somebodys got to clear the ropes. All very well Ballance and Root setting a platform but if Ravi has to hit a run a ball 50 and Buttler 120 off 70 to get us close we won't be winning too many when the opposition sets a good total.

Sorry, but Cook, Bell and Root can be awfully slow at times.

Mine would be:

Bell
Hales
Ballance
Root.

But again on his day Cook can score at a decent pace.

...thats what I said doe.

They won't drop Cook sadly.

I'd hope for
Bell
Hales
Root
Ravi

GSC wrote:...thats what I said doe.

They won't drop Cook sadly.

I'd hope for
Bell
Hales
Root
Ravi

I used to be very anti Bops but he has been great in the short formats for quite a while, but i would still keep him at six.

Buttler's innings of a life brought England close, but SlingaMalinga was too good for them in the end. Fine innings from Sangakkara as well, and Dilshan, and even Ravi Bopara played decent hands. Sachitra Senanayake is slowly coming off age by the look of things. He's certainly not the next Murali, but if he maintains this new level of performance, he can offer a solid option to his side....... Is Mahela Jayawardene passed it? And what would England not give, for a player like Tisara Perera who is been benched by the Lankans? Or is he injured? Ashan Priyanjan played a couple of half-decent hands in his international career, but I don't think he offers enough with the bat to be a replacement for Perera's all-round package.

Cook needs to be dropped from the ODI side really. Yes he's captain, but his batting has been poor for a while now in that form (I'll back it up with stats later) and I'm not convinced by his captaincy anyways

Balance isn't a number 3. I have no idea why he is batting there, he's an explosive 4/5 like Morgan if he's allowed to be

My England ODI side with everyone fit would be

Hales
Bell
Root
Morgan
Ballance
Buttler
Stokes
Jordan
Broad
Tredwell
Anderson

You've got your four bowlers in Broad, Anderson, Treadwell and Jordan. Stokes is a marked improvement as fifth bowler over Bopara and Root can chip in with the ball also. Batting has a good mixture of stroke players and power hitters with explosive guys towards the back end, also Morgan needs to be batting higher he always for me looks better when he can build an innings

Root/Bopara can probably be swapped in and out depending on form/preference. Both can be 6th bowler and bat 3 (Bopara is being wasted at 7 ATM)

Captain would be Morgan or Broad for me

No way Cook is dropping himself so it's moot making sides without him in it. Root is probably closest to the drop at the moment although the fact he bowls (rather than how he bowls) is maybe keeping him in it.

The same Root who only like 4/5 games ago scored a century? Got a couple of decent knocks in this series as well

If I remember correctly Cook isn't officially part of the selection process for the squad

In the last 12 months Alastair Cook has averaged 28 in ODIs and his highest score is 64. 

That's just not good enough

Root and balance did a good job of trying to set a platform after the bad start

Balance does look limited in shot selection compared to root though.

But even in defeat what an innings by Butler.

It was like KP at his best.

I'd say in ODI cricket, I'd still go Bopara > Stokes at this moment in time.

Hales
Bell
Ballance
Morgan
Root
Bopara
Buttler
Jordan
Broad
Tredwell
Anderson

Not convinced by Anderson outside England in ODIs though and I do worry that we are a bowler light if team can get hold of Tredwell, which makes Stokes for Bopara more likely. I like Ballance at three too, Root and Morgan are better players of spin so need to be in during the middle overs and Ballance is better off coming in with pace on the ball. Still think Taylor would be better at three than Ballance though.

JDizzle wrote:I'd say in ODI cricket, I'd still go Bopara > Stokes at this moment in time.

Hales
Bell
Ballance
Morgan
Root
Bopara
Buttler
Jordan
Broad
Tredwell
Anderson

Not convinced by Anderson outside England in ODIs though and I do worry that we are a bowler light if team can get hold of Tredwell, which makes Stokes for Bopara more likely. I like Ballance at three too, Root and Morgan are better players of spin so need to be in during the middle overs and Ballance is better off coming in with pace on the ball. Still think Taylor would be better at three than Ballance though.

I do understand going for Bopara over Stokes but a good point was made on cricket writers on TV this morning

You've got twenty overs in the middle from the threesome of Tredwell, Root and Bopara that is essentially defensive restricting bowling. While keeping the runs down is obviously a need, but wickets are the best way to keep the runs down, and Stokes offers a genuine wicket taking threat in those middle overs.

I agree that Stokes is a much more offensive option with the ball, however the down side is that he offers considerably less control and is a lesser ODI batsman than Bopara at this stage in his career.

IMO, the best place for Ben Stokes right now is with Durham regaining fitness and form (lets not forget that he had a torrid winter with bat and ball once he left Australia). He shouldn't be guaranteed a test place at the moment. For me he's in a straight race with Chris Woakes. Right now Woakes has both fitness and form on his side.

Cook
Hales
Bell
Ballance- 6th bowler
Morgan
Bopara- 5th bowler
Buttler
Jordan
Tredwell
Anderson
Gurney

packofwolves wrote:I agree that Stokes is a much more offensive option with the ball, however the down side is that he offers considerably less control and is a lesser ODI batsman than Bopara at this stage in his career.

IMO, the best place for Ben Stokes right now is with Durham regaining fitness and form (lets not forget that he had a torrid winter with bat and ball once he left Australia). He shouldn't be guaranteed a test place at the moment. For me he's in a straight race with Chris Woakes. Right now Woakes has both fitness and form on his side.

You're probably right about Stokes in ODI cricket, I'm thinking more down the line but at the moment yes he doesn't deserve it

But his performances in Australia in the tests have earnt him the shirt for the first test I think providing he is fit. The only bright spot of a horrible test series

TopoftheChops wrote:Cook
Hales
Bell
Ballance- 6th bowler
Morgan
Bopara- 5th bowler
Buttler
Jordan
Tredwell
Anderson
Gurney

I quite like that. Though I think I'd prefer Root to Ballance at four. Certainly would like to see Hales tried in the fifty over game , though I am not totally convinced he will be the automatic success many fans seem to be taking for granted.

So its the final ODI today

Must say its been a very entertaining series

England, unchanged, have won the toss and shall bat.

29/0 after six overs = bright and positive start.

Good start.. 5 an over without wickets off the first 14

Looking to reach 320 with that start

I know I have been shouted down before but I really don't see Root as anything else than a test payer. I really do not see him as a shorter format batsman. Sure he will get the odd good score but he has a slow SR and usually gets out to silly shots.

Morgan must have a score today as I think that he is really needing one to secure his position.

Meanwhile, Hales has a >run a ball 100 at Hove

Same old story. Slow start. Trying to catch up so lose wickets.

Need Ravi and Butler to give us another big partnership.

Hales moves onto 145 from 117.

England move onto 175 from 234

250 from here would be a result.

Morgan must now seriously be facing the drop, I cant remember when he last made a decent contribution.

How is that fair.

FFs

I seriously don't like those things. Matthews really should hang his head there. Its a fair wicket but not gentlemanly.

Butler got careless, but thats quite poor from SL.

I didn't even know the ball was in play before the ball is bowled. Something new learnt.

We got to get angry when we bowl at them. It's going to get tense

Buttler was warned twice, they did nothing wrong, Buttler shouldn't have been so stupid as to do it again

Morgan to be dropped? Come off it, been our best batsman in odi's the past year

He was lucky they even warned him!!

Got no sympathy sorry

I just haven't seen it before. Or my memory is gone..

But yep on viewing fair enough. He did warn him

With SL , he was warned. But watch out now SL  

Olly wrote:Buttler was warned twice, they did nothing wrong, Buttler shouldn't have been so stupid as to do it again

Morgan to be dropped? Come off it, been our best batsman in odi's the past year

Buttler was silly, I will grant you that but I simply don't like those sort of things. I think that its bad sportsmanship.

Morgan is not in form and has not been for some time. There are better options as far as I am concerned. Sorry if that offends you but that's my opinion. As an Irishman I really like Morgan but he is woefully out of form.

It's bad sportsmanship that Buttler is out of his ground trying to steal yards before the ball is bowled

They even warned him!!

As Athers says don't be so dosy just stay in your crease

There are so many England players out of form. Cook included. Morgan is the one player we keep in limited overs because he has the X factor and we do not have Kp anymore.

Ok hales and buttler look like they could also have it. But that needs to be proven for a sustained period first

Terribly unsporting, especially by a chucker, but, at the same time, a fair wicket.

This isn't how the game is meant to be played! That should ignite the rest of the game, at the very least.

Heads up England, no sinking to the same level.

Morgan isn't in form no, but theres many who've been out of form longer and don't bring his ability

He'll turn it round soon

Imo it would be 'bad sportsmanship' not to give a warning but Buttler was given two. Buttler may not have been trying to illegally gain a run (which woulld also count as 'bad sportsmanship' in my book) but, as Atherton said, he was 'dozy'. Buttler asked for trouble through his continuing actions and got it. Like Olly, no sympathy.

Duty281 wrote:Terribly unsporting, especially by a chucker, but, at the same time, a fair wicket.

This isn't how the game is meant to be played! That should ignite the rest of the game, at the very least.

Heads up England, no sinking to the same level.

If it wins us the game do it as much as possible without warnings ...

If anyone is winging about Butler getting out, it's not unsporting at all, they warned him (twice) he did it again, they made him pay. His fault.

219 is defendable, early wickets key.

Jos Buttler was out, end of story. Sri Lankans were stupid enough to warn him not ones but twice. The game is already far too loaded in favor of the batsmen, if they running half way down the track before the bowler starts his run-up is not terrible sportsmanship, then what is? The umpires should stop this obnoxious practice of asking the fielding captain whether he wants to go through with the appeal. Just bloody decide whether the batsman was out or not and get on with it, no way should they try to put the bowler or the fielding captain under pressure.
All said, I like Jos Buttler as a player, and I hope he learns from this mistake.
And to add to it more, a couple of years ago, India's Ravichandran Ashwin legitimately ran Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne out, the stupid umpire brought the acting Indian captain Virender Sehwag under pressure and Sehwag backed out. Mahela Jayawardene, then Sri Lankan captain, thought Ashwin shouldn't have done what he did, particularly to a young and emerging player. Wonder what he is thinking now?

Well yeah, Jos Buttler was out. Particularly as the Sri Lankans had already warned the player that they don't have any issues with playing the game without a hint of sportsmanship.

He knew the level that the Sri Lankan bowler was prepared to sink to to get the key wicket, but still he persisted in coming out of the crease.

Most batsmen leave the crease during the delivery action, its not unknown. Buttler was very silly but the bowler (even after warning him) was looking for the cheap wicket. Personally I think the bowler should get on with it like almost every other bowler in the world. Its not happened for over 20 years if I am correct so its not always down to the batsman, its down to the bowler looking for a cheap wicket.

That's just my view and I don't like it to be honest.

Nachos Jones wrote:Most batsmen leave the crease during the delivery action, its not unknown. Buttler was very silly but the bowler (even after warning him) was looking for the cheap wicket. Personally I think the bowler should get on with it like almost every other bowler in the world. Its not happened for over 20 years if I am correct so its not always down to the batsman, its down to the bowler looking for a cheap wicket.

That's just my view and I don't like it to be honest.

It certainly happened in a county championship match in 2012 down at Taunton when another dozy Somerset batsmen kept walking out of his crease and down the wicket against Surrey.

guildfordbat wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Most batsmen leave the crease during the delivery action, its not unknown. Buttler was very silly but the bowler (even after warning him) was looking for the cheap wicket. Personally I think the bowler should get on with it like almost every other bowler in the world. Its not happened for over 20 years if I am correct so its not always down to the batsman, its down to the bowler looking for a cheap wicket.

That's just my view and I don't like it to be honest.

It certainly happened in a county championship match in 2012 down at Taunton when another dozy Somerset batsmen kept walking out of his crease and down the wicket against Surrey.

I meant internationally.

Morgan was our best player in our last odi series with a century and 2 fifties in five games. A few poor games in the next series shouldn't mean he should be dropped.

The out of buttler is fair play. He was only just out but that could have been the difference in a quick run. Root didn't walk after he gloved it earlier. What's the difference?

When Alex Barrow was run out by Surrey when backing up last season I considered him to have been dozy so I cannot say anything different about Buttler. Athers used exactly that word on Sky today.

Having said the batsman was to blame, since both were warned, I still think they should put the warning back in the laws and make it a more formal one where the umpire stresses to the batsman that he will be given out if the bowler removes the bails in future when he's out of his ground. Ideally the warning should be given in such a way that the crowd are aware too, perhaps by a signal to the square leg umpire as they do when formally warning a bowler. I think that would make sure everyone was aware that the batsman has been warned and perhaps ease the level of controversy although it's never going to feel a particularly sporting mode of dismissal.