Eng v Lanka...first test

Eng lose debutant Robson......on seemingly a seaming pitch inserted in after lanka won toss

and good to see Moen ali as a the 5th bowler and not the 4th

Someone from the moderator team merge the 2 threads on the test.
Like the proverbial London Bus, we didn't have a thread for the test even after the game started, and when it came, it came in 2!!!.

Going well eh

yeah they can merge the threads....one end the bowler is going at 88mph and an the otehr only 77 mph

How do teams speect specialist seamers bowling at 77mph on the first morning of a tests match ?

and now Cook fall...played on not moving the feet...the 77mph guy has two wickets...shows bad application from Eng

KP_fan wrote:and now Cook fall...played on not moving the feet...the 77mph guy has two wickets...shows bad application from Eng

Seam bowling isn't all pace kpf

Olly wrote:

KP_fan wrote:and now Cook fall...played on not moving the feet...the 77mph guy has two wickets...shows bad application from Eng

Seam bowling isn't all pace kpf

disciplined seam bowling at faster pace is better than disciplined seam bowling at gentle pace

Eugh Shane warne  *mutes TV for half an hour*

KP_fan wrote:

Olly wrote:

KP_fan wrote:and now Cook fall...played on not moving the feet...the 77mph guy has two wickets...shows bad application from Eng

Seam bowling isn't all pace kpf

disciplined seam bowling at faster pace is better than disciplined seam bowling at gentle pace

I dunno, depends on the batsman who's facing it, some will prefer the extra pace, some won't.

msp83 wrote:Someone from the moderator team merge the 2 threads on the test.
Like the proverbial London Bus, we didn't have a thread for the test even after the game started, and when it came, it came in 2!!!.

Yes, thanks for the thread. Obviously need one for the second most important match being played today.   

Olly wrote:Eugh Shane warne  *mutes TV for half an hour*

SKY pays warne to talk...that means it pays sky to have Warne.

Cook needs to lose the captaincy, it is effecting his game.

Bright new dawn for England!

Great to see the fifty partnership at over four an over after the early wkts. Too many times after early losses we crawl along, adding more pressure. Must admit though, the change bowlers have not offered much.

Pitch has lost any zip now though.

After a bit of recovery from Bell and Ballance, the latter gave it away with a poor stroke. Joe Root in at 5. England 75-3.

I'm not so sure it was a poor stroke TBH, the ball was full, there to be driven, but just ran away from him a bit. Ballance was in and playing nicely and IMO it was the right shot to play, but poor execution (obviously).

I like what I saw from Ballance, but that's a few times already in his brief England career that he's got out when well set, something he needs to look at? He's scored big runs for Yorkshire so has the ability, but would be nice to see him do it on the international scene.

Noticeable that England have in general been looking to be much more positive today than they were in the winter, which to me is a good sign.

Some dreadful technique from the England batsmen so far. Robson had no need to play at that ball, even without the slope it was one he could have left alone, Cook once again struggles and Ballance plays everything from the crease, against a guy bowling 77mph is suicide.

Bell is looking settled, and hopefully Root and then Ali can form a partnership.

I just don't rate Root.

So England go to lunch at 98-3. To score 98 in the first session of the first day is not a bad performance, but they have lost at least one wicket too many. Considering it's the debutant Moeen Ali and then an out of sorts Matt Prior to come in next, Sri Lanka will take that. But if Bell and Root continue their association for some time, that might just give Ali and Prior to really get comfortable and settle down. I would call it Sri Lanka's session, but England aren't too far behind, particularly considering the Lankan seamers were made to look rather ordinary as the session went along. There won't be any life to work with until the 2nd new ball arrives, and spin might not have any real impact on this track at this stage of the game.

SL's session, definitely, but England's scoring pace means at least they're not too far behind. Over rate poor, once again. High time the ICC did something meaningful about that...

Scrumpy wrote:Cook needs to lose the captaincy, it is effecting his game.

Bright new dawn for England!

Cook has been talking strange also....his comment on "Butler not ready" in public.....and "Lanka not right in doing the Mankad"...etc are out of character
someone it seems has told him to be "aggressive" and "take control".........and he is overtly trying too hard to do that.....

it might be better if he concentrates on his batting.....and let's the bat do all the talking...that's the better way for someone like Cook to gain back control

Bell passes 50, playing ver nicely so far

I'm a little surprised SL have started with Herath straight after lunch. Bell generally plays spin well, and Root to me always starts better against the spinners too.

oh dear!

well I certainly gave Bell the good old jinx there, sorry

England are showing refreshing intent with the bat, and so despite the loss of 4 wickets, they are relatively better placed at 156-4, much better than say 85-4, a scenario all too familiar in the winter........
Pathetic overrate from the Sri Lankans it must be said. Herath might not derive a lot out of this track, so the seamers will have to get their act together and get through the overs more quickly.
Kula is not at all effective when the ball stops swinging, and Eranga has been all over the place. So it seems everything is down to the otherwise erratic Nuwan Pradeep.
So if Root and Ali can stitch together a partnership, then England can post a pretty decent total here.
Good start from Ali the debutant with the bat so far.......

Kula has been dishing out a few bouncers here!!!. Even otherwise his deliveries take a day to reach the other end, and now this!!.

MOEEN!!!

I would love Ali to get a good score. Impressed me.

Ali and Root moving on well, England 183-4. Both batsmen in the 30s. The track isn't offering much for the bowlers, the ball is old but there is a long way to the 2nd new ball. The 2 should make this start count unlike what Bell and Ballance did.

yes these two followed by Prior must make it count
Eng have recovered well, their strike rate is good... and if they post 350...that will be a healthy score,
and their seam bowling is superior to SL

a good session for England, losing just the wicket of Bell. Moeen has impressed me, I wasn't sure he was a good enough batsman for Test cricket, and while I'm still a little worried about his scoring options against spin he's looked pretty good. Root has played nicely too, once more showing why he's more suited to the middle-order as he's worked the ball around very nicely indeed.

Together these two have put on a nice little partnership but England will want more from both of them.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:a good session for England, losing just the wicket of Bell. Moeen has impressed me, I wasn't sure he was a good enough batsman for Test cricket, and while I'm still a little worried about his scoring options against spin he's looked pretty good. Root has played nicely too, once more showing why he's more suited to the middle-order as he's worked the ball around very nicely indeed.

Together these two have put on a nice little partnership but England will want more from both of them.

Pretty much with that, MfC, although I became more convinced of Moeen when I saw him score a big hundred at the Oval recently.

Vital England get more from these two. We look fairly well placed at the moment but a couple of quick wickets would give a very different look to the score.

I know many of you guys aren't keen on Mike Holding but I'm a big fan. Not sure how we balance things out (no pun intended) but he's got a good point imo about having ''your best batsman at number 3''. I like Ballance but he's not our best batsman.

Back later. Have to follow the last session of today's main match ....

Ballance isn't a number three, his style of play isn't suited to playing there and he doesn't when he plays for Yorkshire

You can see today he likes to come in and play his shots, and whilst he's still inexperienced he doesn't have the nous to do that yet against the newer ball. I'd just shuffle Bell and Root up one each and put Ballance five. Easily rectified

Mad for Chelsea wrote:a good session for England, losing just the wicket of Bell. Moeen has impressed me, I wasn't sure he was a good enough batsman for Test cricket, and while I'm still a little worried about his scoring options against spin he's looked pretty good. Root has played nicely too, once more showing why he's more suited to the middle-order as he's worked the ball around very nicely indeed.

Together these two have put on a nice little partnership but England will want more from both of them.

I read a bit about Moeen to find that he has had significantly better FC seasons with bat and ball...compared to his overall average.

and Root is technically not exposed when new ball has been seen off

and quality if bowling is at best steady compared to the last 5 tests

and for more than a few moments i thought it was amla batting

Ah Moeen bit too expansive

loose shot gets Moeen and against the run of play.......game even now

Well played on debut tho

Big innings for Prior this, we're in a spot of bother, he needs runs

Priors a gonner.

Oooo gets away with it

The umpire call stuff annoys me, with the technology it either needs to be out or not. There shouldn't any grey areas.

I liked Ballance getting a go at three in the ODIs because there is no way he is dislodging Mogs from 5, so get him in if he is one of the best players and see what he can do at 3. In Tests however, he should be 4 or 5. I guess they are worried about him against spin but if he is going to make a big score he'll have to bat against spin regardless so it makes little sense to me.

Liked Moeen. Enjoyed the self confidence of lofting Herath for 6 first ball of his spell. Showed he things he belongs which is just as important as runs for me in your first few digs at test level. Apparently Alec Stewart said after his knock at the Oval it was one of the best centuries he'd seen from an English player for a long time, high praise indeed.

Eng'll need at least 350 here though, Lords is very flat for the first few days so they don't want a below par score and then SL batting in the best conditions, even if their bowling is superior.

Olly wrote:Ballance isn't a number three, his style of play isn't suited to playing there and he doesn't when he plays for Yorkshire

You can see today he likes to come in and play his shots, and whilst he's still inexperienced he doesn't have the nous to do that yet against the newer ball. I'd just shuffle Bell and Root up one each and put Ballance five. Easily rectified

Olly, don't go around giving ideas to the management clowns regarding Root. Young Joe was messed around quite a bit. Thankfully he hasn't reached the Steven Finn level as yet. So just leave him alone, leave, him, alone!!!.

Prior starting to get going after a start that wasn't all that comfortable. His form and fitness, both are on trial here.

Well done thus far, Joe Root, stick it to the doubters!

This is why I said Root should be kept in the test side and not the ODI or T20 sides. This is where he belongs. Great innings from him so far.

JDizzle wrote: ...

Liked Moeen. Enjoyed the self confidence of lofting Herath for 6 first ball of his spell. Showed he things he belongs which is just as important as runs for me in your first few digs at test level. Apparently Alec Stewart said after his knock at the Oval it was one of the best centuries he'd seen from an English player for a long time, high praise indeed.

I missed Alec Stewart's comments about Moeen but I'm not surprised about what he apparently said. I saw his innings at the Oval and it really was very impressive. In a similar way to how he despatched Herath today, he hit Batty (fresh from an eightfer against Essex) out of the attack with a couple of sixes in his opening spell.

England 274-5, the new ball less than 5 overs away. Sri Lanka need the new ball to do something, as of now England are ahead, being put in and 3 down before lunch.

The day will surely go into overtime today, as 14 overs are to be bowled.