England-Sri Lanka Test Series

[larwood]

First test of the summer so of course the starts been delayed 

Due to begin at 3.30.

[slinky]

It had to happen.  Weeks without rain and as soon as the cricket starts what happens?  It rains 

[reeves4england]

We have a wicket! 93-1, Swann gets Dilshan for 50

[Nemo]

Went along to Sofia Gardens today, first live international game. No play all morning was pretty much expected, pretty pleased to see what I did really, 48 overs was a pretty good show finishing at about 7:15, which is good for the crowd as the light was still there (although at one point that muppet Doctrove started fiddling about with his light meter because the sun had gone behind a cloud).

Don't quite realise how quick the bowlers are on the telly, took me about half an hour to actually see the ball flying through to Prior, who I have a whole lot more respect for that before!

The second Sri Lankan wicket (DRSed one) looked a bit shady to me, nobody in the crowd was expecting it to be overturned, you'd think there'd have to be a little more conclusive proof that that to overturn the decision but there you go.

[Wiggler]

Cricket is what gays watch when gok wan isn't on 

Are there any mods left to ban this sort of thread or did they all resign dramatically in the wake of the messiah arriving.

[Nemo]

Seeing as "The mods" created an entire forum called "Cricket" I suspect you may be out of luck there.

[Arch Stanton]

Don't quite realise how quick the bowlers are on the telly, took me about half an hour to actually see the ball flying through to Prior, who I have a whole lot more respect for that before!
The second Sri Lankan wicket (DRSed one) looked a bit shady to me, nobody in the crowd was expecting it to be overturned, you'd think there'd have to be a little more conclusive proof that that to overturn the decision but there you go.

I went to my first international a few years back, England Vs Zimbabwe, and yeah, it is stunning how fast they actually do bowl - even the spinners. 1 second its leaving the bowlers hand, next second its clattering into the boards for a four. Crazy stuff.

[DMR]

When you're 22 yards from it its never as quick as it looks from a distance - there are guys kicking in around at decent club cricket standard who get it down there at similar pace to a lot of county pros - it's only the top 10% of pros who are genuinely quick.

Glenn McGrath remains the best seam bowler I've ever seen and there are a couple of lads at Uni who are probably quicker than he was at the end of his career!

[Boeta]

dmr has a fair point - think one of the biggest differences as you go up through the standards is the decrease of lateral flexion/falling away of the bowlers which does give them an extra yard but also much more bounce. At prem league club cricket you might get a bowler the same pace as hoggard for instance, but if a ball comes through at thigh height from the club bowler it comes through at chest height from hoggard

[Nemo]

Fair enough, my Cricket is generally played at such a low level that someone bowling at Swann's pace would be considered pretty sharp.

[Nemo]

Batted two overs today to get Bell his hundred, declared with a lead of less than 100 in the hope that Sri Lanka self-destruct in a manner that would raise eyebrows.

[Bennett]

in the hope that Sri Lanka self-destruct in a manner that would raise eyebrows.

10-2 would count as an eyebrow raising start!

[Nemo]

It would, but this could end up looking a bit silly if we get them 7 or more down by the close when we've wasted four overs (2 + 2 for the changes) letting Bell hit the landmark.

Whatever happens though, this should help preparations for the next test nicely, Tremlett looks very much the real deal, although the question of who replaces Anderson is an interesting one, Shahzad is getting smashed about by Sussex today and Finn would leave us with a rather one-dimensional attack. Someone have a word with Sidebottom and get him to un-retire I think...

[Summerof69]

Someone have a word with Sidebottom and get him to un-retire I think...

Sidebottom got smashed all over Taunton last week also.

Maybe give Dernbach a go. He picked up a number of wickets against Sri Lanka playing for England Lions last week.

[reeves4england]

Tremlett's got another one. Getting interesting.