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Sri Lanka in England 2006

Yeah, thats when you need to bowl the part timers. To mix up the rhythm. However who needs them, when he wasn't even bowling Panesar. If Flintoff is ever to be Captain for an extended period of time. He needs to learn the virtue of mixing it up.

BM
 
great stuff from pietersen today he played one of the best shots you will ever see reverse sweeped murali into the stands for six he basically played it left handed as he swapped the grip and his stance to left hand before before the ball was bowled!
 
Certainly seems to be going from strength to strength alright, England will be praying to God that he's stays fit for the Ashes.

As for this test match I'd be surprised if England let it slide from here again especially after what happened at Lords and inspite of not having a greater lead after their collapse.
 
true, i reckon it should be all over by tomorrow evening weather permitting, although I said that last test!
 
Who saw Pieterson's reverse sweep off Murally? :eek:

Audacious to try that as it is, but to smash it for 6? One of the best shots I've ever seen.
 
yeah the best thing about it was that he played it left handed most people when they reverse sweep play it with a right handed grip and twist their arms, he effectively played a conventional left handed sweep for six!
 
Know what you mean, there's only so many times they can keep showing highlights from last years Ashes, surely Sky have showed some other cricket in the past.
 
Muralitharan's brilliance destroys England

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan

June 5, 2006

Sri Lanka 231 and 322 (Sangakkara 66, Kapugedera 50, Panesar 5-78) beat England 229 and 190 (Strauss 55, Muralitharan 8-70) by 134 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details




Muttiah Muralitharan was outstanding on the fourth day with figures of 8 for 70 as Sri Lanka stormed home © Getty Images


Muttiah Muralitharan wanted to make what might be his final Test in England one to remember. He achieved that in stunning fashion at Trent Bridge with a haul of 8 for 70 as Sri Lanka stormed to a 134-run victory to level the series, ripping through England with a mesmerising spell which brought back memories of his first Test in this country - when he took nine at The Oval in 1998.

Muralitharan was on for all ten - having previously twice fallen one short in Tests - but that feat disappeared when Matthew Hoggard was run out. His third nine-for also went begging when the last wicket fell to Sanath Jayasuriya, but that will be of little consequence to Muralitharan who just beamed with pride having steered his team to a stunning result. Once he'd got started on England, breaking the encouraging opening partnership of 84 between Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss, there was no stopping him. He claimed six during the afternoon session as England went from hopeful to hapless.

The target of 325 always left England a mountain to climb, although they started positively with Strauss and Trescothick making steady progress either side of lunch. Jayawardene went into a holding pattern for all his bowlers, apart from Muralitharan and it was surprising to see relatively defensive fielding settings. But Sri Lanka have had a gameplan and stuck to it during this match.

The tactic of keeping England quiet worked in the first innings and Jayawardene was banking on the same method second time around. The plan came together in fine style. Muralitharan duly made the breakthrough when Trescothick played back to another perfect doosra that skidded through and clattered the offstump. He was unsure at first, appealing for lbw, but quickly joined his team-mates in celebration.

Sri Lanka should have had another moment to enjoy when Alastair Cook, on 1, thin-edged Jayasuriya but Kumar Sangakkara couldn't hold on. However, they didn't have to wait long before Muralitharan created mayhem. Before the clatter, Strauss registered his first half-century of the series from 88 balls; but you sensed that something was about to give.



Marcus Trescothick is cleaned up as Muralitharan's first victim of the innings © Getty Images


In a very similar manner to his first-innings dismissal at Edgbaston, Cook was trapped by the doosra then Strauss departed as his edge bounced off Sangakkara's glove in the direction of slip. While England had Kevin Pietersen at the crease - torn hamstring and all - there was still hope. Not for long. Pietersen won his battle with Muralitharan hands down in the first two Tests; here it has gone convincingly the other way.

Pietersen sashayed down the pitch but only succeeded in getting a faint glove - via pad - to short-leg. It was the strike Sri Lanka wanted but more was to come when Andrew Flintoff fell to a thick inside-edge to complete a miserable match with the bat. Tillakaratne Dilshan made it a hat-trick of catches with the best of the bunch when Paul Collingwood jabbed down on the ball, got the bottom of the bat, and it bounced up from the toe of his boot. Dilshan lunged forward and to his right to get his hand underneath the ball to take a sharp catch. The wickets came in such a rush that each celebration hardly had chance to die down.

Geraint Jones became No. 7 for Muralitharan and all eyes were turning to the magic complete set - achieved only twice before in Test cricket by Jim Laker and Anil Kumble. But it wasn't to be when Hoggard was brilliantly run out by Chamara Kapugedera from midwicket with only a single stump to aim at. Jon Lewis quickly joined the procession back to the pavilion and it appeared that Muralitharan would finish how he started in England - with a nine-wicket haul.

However, after some defiant and loudly cheered blows from Monty Panesar, Jayasuriya capped his comeback Test with the final wicket and Sri Lanka could celebrate one of their greatest triumphs. Panesar's late boundaries - including a swept six off Muralitharan - completed an encouraging performance on a personal note after he'd earlier secured his first five-wicket haul. But the day was all about one man - who never knows when he is beaten - and a team that carries the same fighting qualities.
[/b]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/engvsl/con...ory/249549.html

anyone see this? i would have loved to i forgot all about the cricket last night.

would have been damn good to watch anyway :) and totally surprised me when i saw that sri lanka won, good effort especially after the first 2 tests.
 
Pieterson had been the difference between the 2 sides in the first 2 tests and once they got him out cheaply enough Sri Lanka, especially Muralitharan didn't get that much resistence from the English batsmen.
 
We literally rolled over and died, Murali could have bowled 6 straight deliveries and we would have been bamboozled. If every batsmen took Panesar 'no respect' approach. We would have done better. He played balls on 'merit' and didn't get scared.

Geraint Jones is useless. His drops are now where near compesated by his 'runs'.

Get a proper keeper, even if they bat at 11. It'll be an improvement.

Also, very bad decision to pick Lewis over Mahmood, nothing more than a one trick pony, that does exactly that. Works once, in five days. So when he needs pace to get wickets, he lacks.

The points here are similar to that of Geoff Boycott.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/5052722.stm

BM
 
When are they going to realise Jones isn't international quality? Chris Read would surely be better. Jones' batting was the reason for him replacing Read but he only has one fifty in his last 10 tests by my reckoning not to mention Read is a far superior keeper.
 
Originally posted by The TRUTH!!@Jun 8 2006, 08:24 PM
So how many Test series has England won since the Ashes?

serious question
I think they've played 2 series since vs India then Sri Lanka. Both 3 games in which they had a win, a draw and a loss. So 2 drawn series since Ashes...
 
Originally posted by dobrien7+Jun 8 2006, 04:46 PM-->
<!--QuoteBegin-The TRUTH!!
@Jun 8 2006, 08:24 PM
So how many Test series has England won since the Ashes?

serious question
I think they've played 2 series since vs India then Sri Lanka. Both 3 games in which they had a win, a draw and a loss. So 2 drawn series since Ashes... [/b]
Yeah thought so



Question for the English fans....

Are you expecting everyone to be fit for the Ashes? and do you see England being able to reproduce there form from the last series?

I;m looking to get tickets this week(if it's not already sold out) and i'm hoping that England will atleast be competitive.
 
Doesn't look like Simon Jones will be fit after his knee surgery so that's 1 gone already.
 
Well Sri Lanka sneak in with a victory in 1st ODI. England bowling was loose, will have to improve in next game starting now...
 
Sri Lanka batting 78-1 off 15

Jayasuriya has hit his 202nd ODI six in the process... and looking good.
 
Sri Lanka well in control now, England need 68 off 38 and only have 4 wickets left. This Summer is going from bad to worse for them and now they're 7 down.
 

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