England Cricket - Asian Summer 2011 - (Official Thread)

[Gargamel]

Here we go again on another rollercoaster ride of English Cricket

Do we play too much cricket? Judge for yourselves

Date and Time Match Weather

Thu May 26 - Mon May 30
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 1st Test - England v Sri Lanka
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff N/A

Fri Jun 3 - Tue Jun 7
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 2nd Test - England v Sri Lanka
Lord's, London N/A

Thu Jun 16 - Mon Jun 20
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 3rd Test - England v Sri Lanka
The Rose Bowl, Southampton N/A

Sat Jun 25
13:30 GMT | 14:30 local
14:30 BST Only T20I - England v Sri Lanka
County Ground, Bristol N/A

Tue Jun 28
12:00 GMT | 13:00 local
13:00 BST 1st ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Kennington Oval, London N/A

Fri Jul 1
09:45 GMT | 10:45 local
10:45 BST 2nd ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Headingley, Leeds N/A

Sun Jul 3
09:45 GMT | 10:45 local
10:45 BST 3rd ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Lord's, London N/A

Wed Jul 6
13:00 GMT | 14:00 local
14:00 BST 4th ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Trent Bridge, Nottingham N/A

Sat Jul 9
09:45 GMT | 10:45 local
10:45 BST 5th ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Old Trafford, Manchester N/A

Thu Jul 21 - Mon Jul 25
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 1st Test - England v India
Lord's, London N/A

Fri Jul 29 - Tue Aug 2
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 2nd Test - England v India
Trent Bridge, Nottingham N/A

Wed Aug 10 - Sun Aug 14
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 3rd Test - England v India
Edgbaston, Birmingham N/A

Thu Aug 18 - Mon Aug 22
10:00 GMT | 11:00 local
11:00 BST 4th Test - England v India
Kennington Oval, London N/A

Thu Aug 25
09:45 GMT | 10:45 local
10:45 BST Only ODI - Ireland v England
Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, Dublin N/A

Wed Aug 31
19:00 GMT | 20:00 local
20:00 BST Only T20I - England v India
Old Trafford, Manchester N/A

Sat Sep 3
09:15 GMT | 10:15 local
10:15 BST 1st ODI - England v India
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street N/A

Tue Sep 6
13:00 GMT | 14:00 local
14:00 BST 2nd ODI - England v India
The Rose Bowl, Southampton N/A

Fri Sep 9
13:00 GMT | 14:00 local
14:00 BST 3rd ODI - England v India
Kennington Oval, London N/A

Sun Sep 11
09:15 GMT | 10:15 local
10:15 BST 4th ODI - England v India
Lord's, London N/A

Fri Sep 16
13:00 GMT | 14:00 local
14:00 BST 5th ODI - England v India
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff N/A

[Gargamel]

Predictions therefore are required. I called it right in Australia - so I will go with.

1-1 draw with the Lankans

2-1 Series win vs India.

ODI - who cares as long as it's exciting.

[mantis84]

Far too many ODI's if you ask me, but then I'm not a fan of pyjama cricket in any form. Becoming the top test side is the most important thing at the moment, everything else comes a distant second.

Reckon we'll do well against the Sri Lankans, their bowling attack without Malinga and Murali looks a bit toothless. Our bowlers will need to perform well against the SL top order though. Series win, 2-0.

Not quite so confident about our chances against India, but I'd rather not stick my neck on the line with predictions so far in advance of the series. So much could change between now and then in terms of form, injuries and so on.

I might be going to the first day of the Sri Lanka test at Lords. Will be a work do, so all expenses paid too.

Edited by mantis84 on Wednesday 18th May 16:03

[Victor McDade]

Sri Lanka's bowling attack looks awful. No Murali, Vaas or Malinga (although the latter was pretty average in the test arena anyway). They have no one with real pace and their new spinners are nothing to talk about. Of course in Sangakarra and Jayawardena they have two of the most classiest batsman of this era however I don't think it will be enough to prevent a whitewash in the test series (weather permitting).

The one dayers of course will be a more balanced affair.

Re the India test series. Every time they come to England I think 'they don't have the bowlers to win it' yet somehow they find their form whilst over here. Zaheer Khan and RP Singh swing the ball like a banana last time they were here. Previous to that they secured a drawn series after beating England at Headingly of all places in 2001. Again the form book says under English conditions they really should not be winning here however I would not write them off. The batting is as good as ever and in Khan, they have one of the best swing bowlers in world cricket. Think the series will be drawn 1-1.

The one dayers will be won by India I reckon.

[hornetrider]

Gargamel said:

Sun Jul 3
09:45 GMT | 10:45 local
10:45 BST 3rd ODI - England v Sri Lanka
Lord's, London N/A

I'll be there

[chimster]

Just noticed that there are 2 Fernandos playing for Sri Lanka against the Lions today both bowlers and bat at 10 and 11. Wonder when that has happened before

[Gargamel]

So no Bresnan - whats the bowling line up ?

Jimmy A
Swann
Broad
Tremlett?

bats

Cook
Strauss
Trott
Pietersen
Bopara ?

Prior (w)

Looks about right ?

[mantis84]

Gargamel said:

So no Bresnan - whats the bowling line up ?

Jimmy A
Swann
Broad
Tremlett?

bats

Cook
Strauss
Trott
Pietersen
Bopara ?

Prior (w)

Looks about right ?

I'd go for the same, subject to swapping Bopara for Morgan - he's currently smashing the SL bowling attack all over the shop, on 192 not out playing for the Lions. Bopara has the potential to be excellent but I'm not so sure about his bottle or ability to perform consistently.

[Gargamel]

But Bopara can bowl !

More of a Colly replacement - especially if we are going in with only four bowlers.....

Personally I'd drop Trott - and have Morgan and Bopara.....Trott is consistent. consistently boring

[unrepentant]

Without the chucker the Sri Lankans have lost their edge. Also no Jayasuria or Jayawardene?

I predict 2-0 England if the weather holds.

The Indian never like it over in Blighty and presumably they come for the first time in a long while without Tendulkar.

I predict 3-0 England.

Don't care about the ODI's.

[mantis84]

Gargamel said:

But Bopara can bowl !

More of a Colly replacement - especially if we are going in with only four bowlers.....

Personally I'd drop Trott - and have Morgan and Bopara.....Trott is consistent. consistently boring

KP can bowl too remember, although admittedly his off-spin isn't amazing. I wouldn't mind Bopara being involved but you've got to pick batsmen based on their ability to score runs, not if they can bowl a few overs of medium pace mediocrity. For me, one of the most important characteristics of a middle-order batsman is to have some grit and bottle to stick around and prevent a collapse. IMO, Bopara just doesn't have that.

I'll assume that you're not actually serious about dropping the man with (at present) the highest test cricket average of all time for England. He might be a bit slow and boring, but he can frustrate the life out of the opposition in the process and that's fine by me.

[Gargamel]

I want destruction not frustration...

appreciate we will never actually drop trott...just not a very rock and roll player.

[Victor McDade]

unrepentant said:

The Indian never like it over in Blighty and presumably they come for the first time in a long while without Tendulkar.

I predict 3-0 England.

Don't care about the ODI's.

India love it over here. Its like playing at home for them given that most Brits of Indian origin still support them.

England haven't beaten them in a test series since 1996 and Tendulkar is still alive and kicking and will be touring.

[unrepentant]

Victor McDade said:

India love it over here. Its like playing at home for them given that most Brits of Indian origin still support them.

England haven't beaten them in a test series since 1996 and Tendulkar is still alive and kicking and will be touring.

Yeah I was thinking further back into the past, pre Sachin. I thought he had retired. I still think England will roll them.

[Gargamel]

Lions are currently mauling the lankans - 493 - declared vs SL 100-6

Dernbach bowling very well, I wonder if he is now the next one in line, or will Onions get a slice of the action

[mantis84]

Go on Lions! Dernbach got called into the WC squad as an injury replacement but didn't actually play, so he might get a chance ahead of Onions - not sure whether Onions was left out because of injury or not though.

Slightly OT, but the filthy cheats Pakistan are currently 44/3 against a the piss poor Windies. Shame that.

[Victor McDade]

unrepentant said:

Yeah I was thinking further back into the past, pre Sachin. I thought he had retired. I still think England will roll them.

All depends on the overhead conditions imo. If it's cloudy Anderson and co will rip through their batting line-up however if it's sunny then I think england will struggle to take the 20 wickets required.

[captainzep]

Gargamel said:

Lions are currently mauling the lankans - 493 - declared vs SL 100-6

Dernbach bowling very well, I wonder if he is now the next one in line, or will Onions get a slice of the action

I know I'm biased being a Glamorgan fan and all that, but James Harris was unlucky to be overlooked. He's bowling very well at the moment and is having a happy knack of hitting quite measured 50's in the lower order too.

5-40 against Middx yesterday, including the scalp of none other than a Mr Strauss...

[Victor McDade]

Watching Simon Jones bowling just now on Sky - he's consistently bowling 90mph off just a 4 pace run up. It's a shame that injuries ruined his England career.

[Gargamel]

Victor McDade said:

Watching Simon Jones bowling just now on Sky - he's consistently bowling 90mph off just a 4 pace run up. It's a shame that injuries ruined his England career.

Agreed was an excellent bowler when fit.

Onions was injured hence his absence