England Cricket Summer 2011 (Sri Lanka and India)

Cook scored 200 odd and batted for 3 days when he was a kid playing for essex against warne and mcgrath. he didnt learn patience. you're born with it. bopara's destined to be a mediocre 20/20 player, at best.

Ooh, that wicket sounded good.

do you not remember who scored 135 off the exact same australian attack, in the exact same match at the other end while cook was scoring his 200?

Nope... And that says it all really, assuming it was bopara

why does that say it all? you used cook making a big score when he was a kid against australia as a reason that bopara will never be as good as him, but ignore the fact that bopara scored a century in the same match against the same attack.

I disagree, i think you DO learn those things, with maturity.

160-4, and Big Bad Jimmy's back and in form

Get Swann on.

Yeah, Tremlett and Broad aren't having much luck

Jimmy got samaraweera, Sri Lanka now 262-5.

Sounds like Anderson's back is fucked.

Fuck me he must have been good if he batted for three days in a two day match

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/217971.html

So, apart from the fact that the match lasted two days, Cook's double ton was made at nearly a run a ball inside a day and Warne & McGrath weren't actually playing - you're spot on.

Thank fuck for that. 400 all out. It's crucial that we don't lose any early wickets this evening!! *bites nails*

400 - not bad for us, but not great> What with the rain and that score, this one looks like a draw to me, barring a batting collapse from our strongest order since the early 80s

Yeah, it is a strong line-up, but we have a knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of a draw! But, yeah, all things being equal, a draw is quite likely. Shame Jimmy's injured, hope that doesn't cause problems for us.

I'm worried about jimmy too. Hopefully, a night's rest - and most of tomorrow resting whilst we bat - will do the trick. he was bloody good today

And he's such a nice boy, too He was awesome. Broad's got skills but he's so petulant...

Ahh shite. Last over. Strauss gone for 20

Come on Jimmy!! In at no. 3 as nightwatchman with his fucked back and everything. Jimmy's a legend.

Interesting (or not) that Jimmy bats left-handed but bowls right-handed...

I could get used to Cook and Trott batting all day.

Trott's great when he really gets dug in. Must be infuriating to bowl to him!!

Trott's brilliant, best batsman we have to play the match conditions. Capable of fast scoring or digging in.

Not seen anything live, is the Lankan attack really as toothless as it seems?

need malinga

There could be lean times ahead for Sri Lanka by the looks of their bowling attack. Fernando is injured and should come back for the next test, so he'll liven things up, but their back-up seamers are very ordinary - almost at a Bangladesh level of ordinariness. Hard to see them bowling England out twice in any match.

I'm still a bit gutted Malinga's not here. His presence would have changed things.

It's quite possible that Malinga would be tearing through the tail already. And KP was out to a left arm spinner again

Looks like it's heading for a draw...

So, do we get dug in for a draw, or take it to them, try and get the win? It's gonna be tough without Jimmy being fit to bowl though...

Take it to them, clearly. Trott's got stuck here. It would help England if he were to get out.

10-2. Can England actually make a game of this?