England vs Sri Lanka - Tour thread

Good bowling. Just putting it in the right areas.
 
Eng finish the day on 342/6.

Good day for England in the end, Cook & Morgan played well in their innings. Prior has gone at almost a run a ball although some terrible deliveries bowled to him.
 
There is some backbone in this England team. Good recovery.
 
Colin129 said:
Great to hear that said about an English test side again...

Although apparently we are 3rd behind India & SA:

ICC Top 10 Test|ODI|T20 Team rankings|ratings|Championship Positions
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Aye in the standings we are ranked 3rd but i wouldnt swap Englands test side for either of those 2 country's for a moment, India have serious bowling weaknesses with many ageing batsmen and i fully expect England to beat them later in the summer quite comfortably in english conditions, SA are probably the closest but again i think their reliance on Steyn and Morkel and lack of a swann esk type spinner makes them second best to England right now, England have a depth of talent far greater than either of those countrys especially in the bowling department, if SA lost Steyn who replaces him? England have 6 or 7 top bracket bowlers who just walk into the side if required.

I dont remember the last nation to go down under and thrash australia by an innings 3 times in 1 series.
 
South Africa had more bowler friendly pitches and better bowler, and yet they didn't beat us. We'll see what happens in the summer, these Lankans are crap visitors. If you expect Indians to be like that, than you're in for a shock.

Let's see what Swann does against us tbh, Shane Warne was thrashed on spinner friendly pitches in India.
 
Allforone said:
Aye in the standings we are ranked 3rd but i wouldnt swap Englands test side for either of those 2 country's for a moment, India have serious bowling weaknesses with many ageing batsmen and i fully expect England to beat them later in the summer quite comfortably in english conditions, SA are probably the closest but again i think their reliance on Steyn and Morkel and lack of a swann esk type spinner makes them second best to England right now, England have a depth of talent far greater than either of those countrys especially in the bowling department, if SA lost Steyn who replaces him? England have 6 or 7 top bracket bowlers who just walk into the side if required.

I dont remember the last nation to go down under and thrash australia by an innings 3 times in 1 series.
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India's bowling weakness is seriously overplayed. Our bowling can be shit, but I'd like to see any of the other teams consistently take 20 wickets on sub-continental conditions like ours have done. England have great depth in bowling, but none are in the 'top bracket'. They range from good to very good, but no one truly brilliant. Anderson still struggles when the conditions don't suit him. The other options are Broad, Finn, Tremlett, Onions, Bresnan who are all just good. None can hold a candle to either Morkel or Steyn.

And the batting is similar to the bowling.. lots of good to very good players, none great. When the likes of Hashim Amla, Kallis, Sachin, Laxman, Sehwag get set, the opposition is out of the match mentally. England haven't got a single such player.

All this English hype is due to beating a shit Bangladesh team at home, followed by beating a Pakistan team who had a few bets on them beating beaten, then going away and beating the shittest Australian team in about 25 years. England are a good side, but they're being massively over-rated. I'm expecting similar hyperbole after your lot have beaten this shite Sri Lankan side, with Malinga and Murali out of it.

After our batsmen start retiring which'll be in less than a year, I expect SA to be #1.
 
England for me are still behind India and SA but there close. But massively over-rated I think your massively underrating England here. England have no great players only beaten poor teams do not agree with that at all. Swann, Strauss an on form KP would get in to most sides in world cricket. You still have to beat these teams England did beating Australian (who just beat SA in SA at that point) in Australian convincingly is still a great achievement. England are very good side can be a great one.
 
Rooney1987 said:
England for me are still behind India and SA but there close. But massively over-rated I think your massively underrating England here. England have no great players only beaten poor teams do not agree with that at all. Swann, Strauss an on form KP would get in to most sides in world cricket. You still have to beat these teams England did beating Australian (who just beat SA in SA at that point) in Australian convincingly is still a great achievement. England are very good side can be a great one.
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Yes no doubting that achievement of beating Aussies in Australia, but as of now England aren't the best in world. They're still behind SA and India, although the margin is very small.
 
KM said:
South Africa had more bowler friendly pitches and better bowler, and yet they didn't beat us. We'll see what happens in the summer, these Lankans are crap visitors. If you expect Indians to be like that, than you're in for a shock.

Let's see what Swann does against us tbh, Shane Warne was thrashed on spinner friendly pitches in India.
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Swann already has shown what he can do in India, do you not remember his debut series?
 
Allforone said:
Neither India or SA would go to Aus and win a series that comfortably, aus are not as good as they were but they're still hard to beat in their own country, something i dont remember the last time India actually did?
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Heh.

South Africa defeated Australia in Australia by 9 and 6 wickets in 2008 when they had the likes of Hayden, Lee, Ponting(in his prime).

As far as India is concerned, yes we have a terrible record in Australia however so did your team until your best team in last twenty five years met their worst team is last twenty five years and eventually won.

I'm not belittling England's achievements but talk of being the best side is amazingly premature.
 
Swann took 8 wickets in 4 innings against India in his debut series at a strike of 75 which is much more than his career strike rate which is 56.
 
India's bowling weakness is seriously overplayed. Our bowling can be shit, but I'd like to see any of the other teams consistently take 20 wickets on sub-continental conditions like ours have done. England have great depth in bowling, but none are in the 'top bracket'. They range from good to very good, but no one truly brilliant. Anderson still struggles when the conditions don't suit him. The other options are Broad, Finn, Tremlett, Onions, Bresnan who are all just good. None can hold a candle to either Morkel or Steyn.
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Nah Dont agree that argument is very 2 years ago, Anderson has proven only a few months ago in Australia hes long since surpassed the old cant do it when it dosnt swing mantra, he was the leading wicket taker in that series and that was via serious skill using the old ball as much as anything, everyone knows the kookaburra ball or however you spell it dosnt swing for more than about 3 balls over there hence why many questioned Andersons potential impact, he answered in style and say what you like about Australia theer top 6 batting is still very strong. Anderson clearly can hold a candle to any seamer in the world hence why hes ranked so highly, and im yet to see Morkel bowl as well as tremlett did in Australian conditions, ill say this not a single Indian bowler would get into Englands test side today thats for sure.



And the batting is similar to the bowling.. lots of good to very good players, none great. When the likes of Hashim Amla, Kallis, Sachin, Laxman, Sehwag get set, the opposition is out of the match mentally. England haven't got a single such player.
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When did amla become great? dosnt Cook have an almost identical batting average to him with more 100's to his name? what makes Amla better or a great in your book? as for India you have the best batting line up in the world on paper but your ageing, as you said yourself in a year or so you'll need a complete overhaul in that department, and as for Englands batting well take a look at the averages, i think your nit picking tbh, compare the England batting averages to both SA and India and theres not much difference at all.



All this English hype is due to beating a shit Bangladesh team at home, followed by beating a Pakistan team who had a few bets on them beating beaten, then going away and beating the shittest Australian team in about 25 years. England are a good side, but they're being massively over-rated. I'm expecting similar hyperbole after your lot have beaten this shite Sri Lankan side, with Malinga and Murali out of it.
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No, it comes from doing something to a still strong Australia side in Australia conditions no other side has come close to doing in christ knows how long, Asutralia in australia are still one of the hardest tours in cricket as you well know, to completely demolish them in the fashion England did says a lot beating them 3 times by an innings? unheard of... i think youll be surprised when India tour this summer as it seems you vastly underrated this England team, we should have beaten you last time your toured and that was with a far inferior side and seriously questionable umpiring.
 
KM said:
Yes no doubting that achievement of beating Aussies in Australia, but as of now England aren't the best in world. They're still behind SA and India, although the margin is very small.
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I agree with you there not clearly not yet India are the best but England are better then what some are saying.
 
If we beat India (and Sri Lanka) this summer then we might be able to say we're realistically the top test team.
 
England have a 150 run lead already at the close, but I can't see lightning striking twice mind.
 
It's going to be amusing on here when England roll India.

Burnley express.
 
Colin129 said:
That was a very rash post...you may live to regret it later...;)
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No nothing rash in it.

UtdHeap's saying that England will thrash India(or that's how I interpreted it)

I'm fairly certain that it won't happen. They might beat us, but I can't see anyone in World Cricket thrashing us in a test series.
 
phelans shorts said:
If the Lankans had appealed Bell would be gone.

I can't see why we brought Bell in before Morgan tbh, get runs on the board quickly.
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Bell's been playing quick. 37 of 29 is a great return in test match.
 
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