The International Cricket Thread

[dcdavecollett]

Lawrence isn't an opener -he hasn't got the technique.

The ECB need to appoint a hypnotist who can convince him that every time he goes out to bat, he's already on thirty. Once he's batted for an hour or so he does improve.

Like Pope, he's batting in a slot that doesn't suit him.

[PaulWinch again]

McCullum new white ball coach. Right call.

[dcdavecollett]

Big workload for him from January, then.

[tomd2103]

 Off at The Oval for bad light after just over an hour on the first day. 

[paul_e]

Off at The Oval for bad light after just over an hour on the first day. 

Not before Lawrence gave his wicket aqway with a shot that wasn't just bad shot selection but genuinely looked like he didn't know what he was doing, trying him out as an opener wasn't an awful choice but I think they need to accept he's not right there and move on.

[Villan For Life]

Duckett batted well but gifted his wicket, good to see Pope get a ton too however having won the toss Sri Lanka did not make the best of the conditions. They bowled poorly.

They really should give the decision about bad light back to the batting side, when they went off after about an hour this morning I could not help but think that if this were white ball/franchise cricket they’d be out there playing. That and an earlier start for September tests.

[PaulWinch again]

Wood has stress fracture of the elbow - really bad news for him and England.

[cdbearsfan]

Why didn't they just have lunch at the end of the England innings?

[Gareth]

Why didn't they just have lunch at the end of the England innings?

Because that would take logic…no room in using common sense for umpires…see also the amount of time they were off the field yesterday for bad light

[dcdavecollett]

Shockingly bad captaincy from Pope to allow the Sri Lankan batsmen to milk the spinners for easy runs thanks to bad light.

[PaulWinch again]

Poor day from England, I didn’t see lots of it but felt quite complacent.

As an aside, what a player Mendis is.

[Villan For Life]

Shockingly bad captaincy from Pope to allow the Sri Lankan batsmen to milk the spinners for easy runs thanks to bad light.

I’m not sure what else he could have done, you can’t take wickets when you’re sat in the pavilion. It’s better to be out there playing.

I thought Bashir bowled badly and Lawrence who has the strangest action in cricket did get some turn but the worst part was Josh Hull dropping a regulation catch, it looked schoolboy standard.

[PaulWinch again]

This has been a really sloppy display by England and they’re going to be punished for it.

[taylorsworkrate]

This has been a really sloppy display by England and they’re going to be punished for it.

I'd say arrogant more than sloppy. Some horrific shots with the bat the last innings and a half

[PaulWinch again]

As an aside, congrats to Mo on an excellent England career. One of my favourite players over the last decade or so. Brilliant talent, who was shunted around too much, but some significant stats and incredible moments.