England Lions vs Sri Lanka

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The Breen Machine

The Breen Machine

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Currently playing over the next 4 days, big talking point will be the battle for the test match batting spot vacated by Collingwood's retirement.

England Lions ended play on 394/4 with Morgan unbeaten on 156 and Patel on 101.

James Taylor continued his impressive start to the season with 76 at the top of the order, while Hildreth and Bopara could only make 35 and 17 respectively.

A lot of pundits seem to be putting Bopara forward for the vacant batting slot, although I'm not really sure why. He's definitley a gifted player but too often flatters to decieve and still doesn't look at home in the ODI team. I said Morgan should take the number 6 spot ages ago and I certainly don't think they can leave him out now.

Big summer for Patel also IMO, still some fitness issues around him but he's started this season well with bat and ball, and obviously he's still in the mind of the selectors so for him to get a century here is very timely for him.

The Sri Lankan bowling attack looks very poor, even worse than the Lions attack of Onions, Finn, Shahzad and Dernbach I'd say (Which is a very good second string attack btw)
 


I'm sick of hearing some of them bang on about Bopara; temperement is the issue with him. Morgan's nailed his place now but I don't see why he should have had to prove himself when he spent the winter as the spare batsman and hasn't had a chance yet.

Having said that, I'd like us consider moving Prior up and going with 5 bowlers. I think it's a reasonable shout given the batting ability of Bresnan (when fit), Broad and Swann.
 
The Breen Machine said:
Currently playing over the next 4 days, big talking point will be the battle for the test match batting spot vacated by Collingwood's retirement.

England Lions ended play on 394/4 with Morgan unbeaten on 156 and Patel on 101.

James Taylor continued his impressive start to the season with 76 at the top of the order, while Hildreth and Bopara could only make 35 and 17 respectively.

A lot of pundits seem to be putting Bopara forward for the vacant batting slot, although I'm not really sure why. He's definitley a gifted player but too often flatters to decieve and still doesn't look at home in the ODI team. I said Morgan should take the number 6 spot ages ago and I certainly don't think they can leave him out now.

Big summer for Patel also IMO, still some fitness issues around him but he's started this season well with bat and ball, and obviously he's still in the mind of the selectors so for him to get a century here is very timely for him.

The Sri Lankan bowling attack looks very poor, even worse than the Lions attack of Onions, Finn, Shahzad and Dernbach I'd say (Which is a very good second string attack btw)
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I know it isn't Test level, but if you're looking to try one of two players put in a certain spot you'd put one of them there in a warm-up. Instead England put Bopara at 3 and Morgan at 5!
 
Ginger Ninja said:
I'm sick of hearing some of them bang on about Bopara; temperement is the issue with him. Morgan's nailed his place now but I don't see why he should have had to prove himself when he spent the winter as the spare batsman and hasn't had a chance yet.

Having said that, I'd like us consider moving Prior up and going with 5 bowlers. I think it's a reasonable shout given the batting ability of Bresnan (when fit), Broad and Swann.
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Agree with you on all counts there. I'm completely bemused as to why Vaughan, Hussain et al are pushing Bopara ahead of Morgan. He's been found out twice at test level already by not even good bowlers and can't even establish himself on the ODI team. Morgan has shown he posseses an excellent temperment, plays a situation as well as any England batsman, and is now putting the runs on the board - he's our best ODI batsman and already has a test hundred, I'm surprised it's even a contest tbh.

I think England could and possibly should be looking to experiment with moving Prior up and playing 5 bowlers, Bresnan and possibly Broad could bat 7 and it would probably improve their game. If Woakes, Rashid and even Patel continue to progress then there's options for the future there aswell although it seems the selectors have set their stall out to play 4 bowlers after the success it has brought recently.

Aleem Dar said:
I know it isn't Test level, but if you're looking to try one of two players put in a certain spot you'd put one of them there in a warm-up. Instead England put Bopara at 3 and Morgan at 5!
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Where else would you play them though?, I was surprised to see Taylor opening but there really wasn't anyone else they could move up.
 
The Breen Machine said:
Mark Ramprakash was technically better than Marcus Trescothick, Paul Collingwood etc etc.
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would have been interesting to see a 21 year old Collingwood against the 91 West Indies side or Wasim or Waqar of 92vintage. Also interesting to see Ramprakash backed at 6 against most of the attacks collingwood played against and on ultra batsman friendly decks
 
Jimmy Connor said:
would have been interesting to see a 21 year old Collingwood against the 91 West Indies side or Wasim or Waqar of 92vintage. Also interesting to see Ramprakash backed at 6 against most of the attacks collingwood played against and on ultra batsman friendly decks
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Ramprakash played 52 tests, over 10 years, and averaged 28. He wasn't playing against Wasim, Waqar or the Windies in the majority of them.
 
Whilst ODIs aren't a clear indicator of success at test level, I think the figures speak for themselves. both Bopara and Morgan have played a similar number of games and in that time Bopara has a high score of 60 whereas Morgan has 4 tons despite playing further down the order.

Add to that the number of times Morgan has won us games; can't recall one where Bopara has. If he has it was probably with the ball.
 
In 15 years time Bopara will have Ronnie Irani's job on Talkshite and he can bang on about Morgan the way Irani does about Colly.
 
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