creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[BWFC_Insane]

God we miss Swann.....

[TANGODANCER]

Been out; just got back. All those runs we got don't look quite so frightening now. Could do with a wicket. Hard going for the bowlers from the looks of it.

[thebish]

wahayyyyy!!

Sangakkara c Prior b Moeen 147

[bobo the clown]

wahayyyyy!!

Sangakkara c Prior b Moeen 147

Yay !! What a loser.

[Bruce Rioja]

We'll get those three wickets early on tomorrow, knock up a decent score (no thanks to Cook), they'll try to pad out for the draw and we'll have 'em, nay bother. En-ger-land etc.

[Puskas]

And Jimmy bowls Herath.

And an interesting statistic I've just read - the most common dismissal involving a wicketkeeper in England's test history yesterday became c. Prior b. Anderson (61 occurrences), overtaking the 60 c. Taylor b. Botham.

So there you go

[Bruce Rioja]

fecking shit again, Cook.

[TANGODANCER]

Not long back Cooke and Trott were kings.......now? Even the reliable Bell's gone.

[TANGODANCER]

98-4 and Root's gone.

[TANGODANCER]

Oh dear, Five down. Plan B not working. On to Plan C...

[TANGODANCER]

Balance 48 and Jordan 24 showing our leaders how it's done (thankfully).

[Puskas]

It's alright.

A lead of over 300 - Sri Lanka won't make that much on the last day.

Question is - when to declare...?

[TANGODANCER]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

[Montreal Wanderer]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

I might have put them in for the last 45 mins to try for a couple of quick wickets.

[Bruce Rioja]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

I might have put them in for the last 45 mins to try for a couple of quick wickets.

Exactly that. Never mind this 'let's hang on til so-and-so gets his ton'. Team game. We could've had their openers under pressure.

[BWFC_Insane]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

I might have put them in for the last 45 mins to try for a couple of quick wickets.

Exactly that. Never mind this 'let's hang on til so-and-so gets his ton'. Team game. We could've had their openers under pressure.

On a flat track with no front line spinner to face we don't have that luxury. Sri Lanka are well capable of knocking 300 plus if given a day plus.....

[Bruce Rioja]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

I might have put them in for the last 45 mins to try for a couple of quick wickets.

Exactly that. Never mind this 'let's hang on til so-and-so gets his ton'. Team game. We could've had their openers under pressure.

On a flat track with no front line spinner to face we don't have that luxury. Sri Lanka are well capable of knocking 300 plus if given a day plus.....

I've been up at my folks. Did we score 89 in the last 45 minutes then?

[thebish]

267-8 at stumps. We lead by 389 and Balance ended the day with a magnificent 104 not out.

I might have put them in for the last 45 mins to try for a couple of quick wickets.

I suspect that could very easily have backfired...

with so many fewer runs we would not have been able to attack so easily with catchers in place so long - we'd have had to have an eye on runs and spread the field. The Sri Lankan top order are quyite capable of knocking off under 300 in over a day...

we have 90 overs - so two new ball spells... i don't think Cook has done much wrong here.

[Bruce Rioja]

i don't think Cook has done much wrong here.

Well, I'll start with his defensive field. Where are the slips?

[BWFC_Insane]

i don't think Cook has done much wrong here.

Well, I'll start with his defensive field. Where are the slips?

Share your doubts about Cook as a captain and the overly defensive field settings at times.

I'm still not convinced sticking em in was necessarily right, we have a fairly pedestrian bowling line up now if it isn't swinging and once the shine is off the ball, without Swann we are pretty toothless. We scored 340 odd on the first day did we not? So Sri Lanka definitely could chase down 350 in a day with a bit more. Ok not necessarily easily but still would be a big risk and probably not one on balance we need to take.