Of your three suggestions, bringing back Giles would probably be the least bad one…
Broad out injured, so I guess Bresnan comes in. We’ve won all of the 10 tests he’s played in, but I don’t think that counts for much right now. I just hope he’s in form after his injury. He is much better suited than Broad to batting on these pitches, his best score was a 5-hour 91 in Bangladesh (runs we needed as well).
If we lose in Columbo it will equal or run of defeats in the 2006/07 Ashes whitewash. In many ways, this is much worse, as that was a team affected by injuries and in transition.
What happened to the batting stats that I saw? They made for interesting reading.
Some batsmen are unfortunately not playing as well as they might, but I also believe a few of the batsmen are coming back to more realistic levels- such as Cook and Trott.
Much the same as Mike Hussey for Australia- he was never going to keep an everage of over 60. he is simply not that good.
Interesting for you, but grim for us. I took them out because the formatting was screwed up. They are here here (half way down page).
Most of our line-up aren’t worth their career averages on asian pitches, but the stats show that only Trott and Prior have held some form, while the rest have batted like tail-enders.
Iam really old fashioned I guess, but I am not in favour of a wicket keeper batting at number 6- unless that person could be selected as a batsman anyway. Even then, I think it is asking a lot to keep and take the responsibility as a premier basman. I believed that with Gilchrist and thought he always batted better down the order. He also had the buffer of a top batting line up so he could much as he pleased anyway.
Prior is a good batsman. Number 6- I’m not sure. Isn’t there a better number 6 in England than him- I think the bowlers of England did their job really well.
Prior averages 48 batting at 6 from 11 matches, so that’s not really a problem. He’s not at his best on asian pitches, but has always managed to score some runs, so his efforts this year have been perfectly respectable. The only other specialist batsman in the touring squad, Bopara, averages 8 in Sri Lanka. I think Patel was the right selection. He bowled well, and there is no real reason to think Bopara would score any more runs than him.
There we go - England level the series by giving Sri Lanka an eight-wicket beating, with Pietersen in outstanding nick (193 for once out, and cantering home in the second innings at a run and a half per ball). Too bad it took all winter to figure out how to bat in these conditions, but it’s a consolation win that leaves England on top of the world rankings after all.
Good to finally get something from the Winter, With several batsmen scoring some runs we might be able to do something in India later this year. Pietersen really showed his worth. Not just scoring the runs to take us into the lead, but doing so at a rate which made a draw unlikely. With a few batsmen scoring we might be able to do something in India later this year.
I took them out because the formatting was screwed up. They are here