England vs Sri Lanka 2014

(03-06-2014 16:57 )aussie carl Wrote:  Where's Hales by the way, be should be opening?

Hales was opening the batting for Notts in their 2nd innings on day 3 of the Div 1 Championship match against Sussex at Hove.Notts already had a 97 run lead so Hales had the freedom to play a one-day style knock.

He was dismissed in the 50th over with Notts 251-3,having made 167 from 133 balls with 18 fours & 6 sixes.

How many more could he have made with ODI field restrictions.
Bell & Cook plinked it about at 5 an over on a slow pitch & struggled to time the ball to the boundary.Hales has the power needed on these type of wickets.

Sri Lanka come back from 2-1 down to take the series after finishing on 222/4 from 48.2 overs.

Now the Test matches at Lord's and Headingley, and England's squad is to be announced on Thursday.

I'd be tempted to try Hales in the test matches.

They other openning options for Cook are just mediocre

England squad for the 1st test against Sri Lanka at Lord's:
Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Sam Robson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes.

England's batting figures in the 5 ODIs against Sri Lanka :-

Cook 4 Innings 98 runs 154 balls S/R 63.6
Bell 5 147 156 94.2
Ballance 4 121 163 74.2
Morgan 4 72 105 68.6
Root 4 98 123 79.7
Bopara 4 78 107 72.9
Buttler 4 172 124 138.7
Jordan 4 74 69 107.2
Carberry 1 6 8 75.0
Tredwell 3 5 21 23.8
Anderson 2 12 20 60.0
Gurney 2 4 6 66.7

Conclusions?

Not Morgan's best series.
We need 3 more Buttlers
Maybe Tredwell should bat No. 11

You guys must be desperate to go back to Prior, but who knows his batting may come good again. Anyway what happened to Stokes?

In their final ODI against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded series England's batting failed to spark again. The controversial run out of Buttler didn't help their score, but they can not blame a poor score solely on that one incident.

(06-06-2014 14:27 )aussie carl Wrote:  You guys must be desperate to go back to Prior, but who knows his batting may come good again. Anyway what happened to Stokes?

He broke his wrist slamming his fist into a locker in the West Indies after getting out. Has been recuperating ever since, but has played some games for Durham recently. He is doubtful, but not definitely excluded, for the first test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Just read Billy the Kid's contribution re the 12 for Lords so looks like Stokes is definitely excluded.

Hopefully he will be considered for the second test.

Cook has said that Ballance will bat at 3 and Bell at 4. Bell will become captain if Cook has to leave the field for any reason. Ballance usually bats at 5 for Yorkshire, so maybe he's a square peg in a round hole? Why not Root?