We're into day two... and as Notts Exile just noted in another thread, Harmison's finally got his bowling boots back but must be wishing he hadn't - he's just all but bowled himself out of contention!

Hoggard, Sidebottom and Broad now look set to start if (as expected) the first Test is on a pitch that calls for three seamers.

More worrying from the England perspective is the form of the spinners: both have apparently been dropping short a lot and getting punished for their lapses.

From the Sri Lankan perspective.... Tharanga has done his cause no harm.. Dilshan's not done his cause much good... but the more interesting times (when Sri Lanka get to bowl) are still to come.

See Cricinfo - Tour Match: Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI v England XI at Colombo (CCC), Nov 20-22, 2007

ps. One bit of news to encourage England fans: Prior's left the field having been struck on the same (right) thumb that he fractured during the World Twenty20 in September

Good grief. If this is Harmison back on form then what can we do?!

He surely cannot be picked. All logic says no. Unfortunately logic in selection isn't the England teams strong point.

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Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

There is still one more warm up game. It would be very hard to judge a guy based on 6 overs at the back end of an innings that none of the England bowlers have covered themselves in glory in??

What do we pick for the next game though,the test side or another 16 man muckabout?

Personally if we need 3 pacemen then we should go with Hoggy,Sidebottom and Broad but i think seeing as Harmison is there he will open the bowling with Hoggard so the other 3 are fighting for the other place.

Be interesting to see how we bat,if we get 300-3 tomorrow then perhaps our bowling performance wasn't so bad,if we are skittled i will start to worry.

If a couple of batsman plays exceptionally well I'd be inclined to rest him for the second match and play Harmison instead... so my provisional 13 would read as follows:

Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Mustard+
Swann
Broad
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

Leaving out 2 of the top 6 would obviously lead to an odd looking side... but that hardly matters for a tour game (especially as Swann, Broad, Sidebottom and the rest can bat): what matters more is getting a genuine XI out for a proper 1st class fixture.

Come on Rachael give the bloke a chance, he's be out of the side for ages - he needs to play to get back into his best form.

This would be a disaster - as bad as Harmisons figures were, this trio broke no eggs either, surely the selectors would not bowl this trio together.

They will get punished for dropping short on these wickets, but their form is not as worrying as England having to play the trio mentioned above - without a genuine strike bowler England won't stand a chance.
Is this really the best England have to offer??

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Ern

I'm not sure that's actually a comment that is worthy of you Rachael. I don't think he's worthy of a Test spot either, but that's unnecessary. Let's not get too carried away about Harmison yet - he needs to be judged on his performance in the next warm-up.

My team for the first Test:
Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Mustard

Then, if it favours seamers as you suspect:
Hoggard
Sidebottom
Harmison
Panesar.

Murali will be licking his lips at the prospect of that tail. If it's a two spinners track, straight fight btwn Harmison and Sidebottom in the next warm-up.

I guess I'd have a problem with wishing injury on any player... but if Prior were to pick up a minor injury and Mustard came in and did well enough to ensure Prior never returned... I'd be a lot less sympathetic than I was when the far more deserving Foster suffered that fate.LOL. Fortunately, there's a very real prospect of both Broad AND Swann looking more dangerous with the ball than Harmison... and both count as decent no 8s.

ps. You are being a bit harsh on Sidebottom, Hoggard and Harmison: none are in the Giddens, Mullally, Tufnell, Malcolm class.

I will never forget the Irani, Caddick, Mullally, Tufnell, Giddens tail vs New Zealand. Surely the worst tail that has ever played international cricket? You're right - they aren't as bad - but the prospect of 200-4 become 230 all out is very, very real.

Last time England toured Sri Lanka, Phil Tufnell reckoned Batty picked Murali better than any of the specialist batsmen: his execution of his shots wasn't in Thorpe's class... but he actually did pretty well. I don't know how Swann / Broad / Sidebottom are likely to shape up in comparison... but they will almost certainly read Murali better than Hussain did that year (i.e. not at all) and they may well surprise us.

One thing that wil be VERY interesting to see is the new-coach's influence on how players tackle Murali. I was pretty disgusted with the approach Fletcher preferred: Thorpe was allowed to play properly... but do you recall Vaughan's mammoth innings? One forward press after another... to the point where I believe the guy ended up with a thigh strain.

Under Fletcher, the majority of the players were encouraged to simply refuse the challenge and play the percentages: they rarely used their feet to get to the pitch of the ball (preferring to sweep without leaving the crease)... and with the notable exception of Thorpe.. not one batsman backed himself to pick the doosra and pick short balls off their stumps with late cuts.

I assume Hoggard and Harmison will continue in this vein... and suspect Cook will have no better plan... but I'd like to see Vaughan back himself a bit more, and to see Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood and Shah given license to take up the challenge - this quartet have the footwork and touch to cope and should be encouraged to play anything BUT that mix of forward press and occasional sweep.