The weather in Colombo is predicting scattered thunder storms throughout the five days of this final test.
Not being a weather anorak I'm not entirely sure what type of bowling this weather will favour but I suspect it will be seam bowling.
If that's the case I expect England will go with our three seamer's, Anderson, Finn and Bresnan but I can't believe Swann will be the lone spinner.
If this is correct, I think Patel will get the nod as second spinner ahead of Panesar.
I suppose an alternative would be to bring in Bopara instead of a seam bowler and use him as the fifth bowler. Personally I hope not because I don't see his bowling troubling the SL batsmen and to my mind Trott bowls as well as he can.
I hope to see this team take the field:
Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen ( I would prefer to see Bell here)
Bell
Prior
Patel
Bresnan
Swann
Anderson
Finn
For England to level the series it will require our attack to be in devastating form and our batsmen to pull their collective fingers out.
Thunder storms may dampen England's hopes.
posted on 2/4/12
Mony 2 wickets at 50 average, Patel 2 wickets at 18 average. Mony bowled a lot overs but I suspect that Strauss thought he was safer for the team bowling than fielding.
posted on 2/4/12
If I want anything from this test it's for Strauss to show his class and score well. Give all these journalistic vultures a kick up the pants.
Let's hope Cook does the same and they get us off to a great start, something that's been lacking in all this years tests.
posted on 2/4/12
The knives are out for Strauss big time but if you lose 4 in a row and have a year of not scoring heavy then I guess it comes with the job. I do though hope he scores some runs as he is one of the nice guys.
posted on 2/4/12
kash I hope he will be as aggressive with his field placings as Jayawardene was in the last game. When a new batsmen came to the crease he must have wondered who was bowling as he was surrounded with bodies.
Strauss too often let new batsmen settle in without the same pressure.
posted on 2/4/12
even i noticed how defensive strauss's fields were.
vaughan on agnew were almost ridiculing every field placing at one point.
posted on 3/4/12
i normally like boycott, but he is so rude to this sri lankan commentator is sends shivers down my spine.
posted on 3/4/12
he just called him "boy"
posted on 3/4/12
i lost all interest in having the commentary on at work when i heard panesar had been dropped and patel picked as 2nd spinner.if the top 5 and prior are not capable of putting a 1ST INNINGS score together then they should start to be replaced.1st innings is when a match is won and lost.no use chasing 300+ and getting bowled out for 250+ and making a "jolly good effort" when you have been skittled out for next to nothing in your 1st inns.
posted on 3/4/12
i certainly think i agree with the first half of your comment benny
posted on 3/4/12
I agree with it all Benny.....1st & 2nd parts....particulary the 2nd...