I guess Ern will always be against Bell no matter what he does,i wonder what he thinks about Anderson in this match as he has been poor and is bowling the opposition players into form rather than looking like getting them out.

Great start by Sri Lanka which is what they needed and surely they can't retire Jayasuriya after this innings?

Monty is bowling well,shame the plank at the other end isn't.

Congratulations to Murali- parhaps he deliberatley underperformed in Oz so he could break the record in his home town?


Well, he did pass 50 four times in ten innings, which is pretty good. Of course he should have gone on and scored at least one century, but Paul Collingwood only passed 50 twice in ten innings and averaged close to 50! So Bell didn't really have that bad a series in Australia, all things considered.

Finally a wicket and Hoggard is the man once more getting Jayasuriya for 78. 117-1 and a lead of 24 with key man Sangakkara now at the crease.

Great match this one.

If SL score another 150 runs tomorrow, it would be very tough for England in the 4th innings with Murali about.

Hoggard 5/57
Panesar 3/99
Anderson 2/89
Sidebottom 1/80

These are the 1st innings and second innings comparisons:
Sidebottom's control wasn't great at the start... perhaps in part because it's tough to get your line right if you are also getting appreciable swing... and perhaps indicating a bit of rustiness. His second innings performance (in less helpful conditions) appears to have been exemplary (he was making the batsmen play and still managing to contain them: a good combination).

Anderson was getting more balls in the right area in the first innings... but his figures took a pasting in a single over in the second innings. Was it 20 runs off 5 balls? Something like that. To his credit he managed a maiden to the same batsman in the next over.

Both have performed well... but it has to be said that England would (right now) look more threatening with Swann in the line-up.

Well yes one over made the difference in econ rate between him and the other bowlers, even the best bowlers get a one over pasting at some points.

It's not that Anderson is that much better than Sidebottom, although over a period of time I would back him to take more wickets, also the point of Andersons inclusion is not that he's that much a better bowler, but he offers variation to Hoggard.

I agree with that with Englands depleted bowling line up - even though I don't like the idea, Swan should have played alongside Panesar.
All I can say to this is.

1) Bell failed badly against Australia in 2005, he averaged 17

2) He did little better in Australia in 2006, what did he average? 33 I believe.

3) I have gone out of my way time and time again to say that Bell is one of the better batsmen against lesser paced attacks than Australia, but that does not hide his failures at the highest level.

He could well top the England averages is Sri lanks, but history says he would average above the mid 20's come the ashes in 2005.
I give credit where credit is due FF - the other two players as you know was Crawley and Flintoff, both lesser bats than Bell - but both with a better average against Australia.

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Ern

Ithink it will be a little more than tough Nostromo. Unless the England batsman find a way of scoring from Murali he will bowl England out quite easily.

I agree. For the next test England have to play either Harmison or Swann. The medium pace attack was never going to have enough variation or threat to take 20 wickets. Look on the bright side though imagine how much worse it would have been if we'd have played the much wanted attack of Hoggard, Sidebottom and Broad.

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Mark.

Sri Lanka are now close to a 200-run lead with 8 wickets standing and plenty of time left. Things are beginning to look rather ominous for England.

Things are looking very bad for us despite Hoggy picking up that wicket just before lunch.I have to say i expect Murali to bowl us out in the 2nd innings.The only question is will he have enough time to do it as Jayawardene won't be able to declare until they have a lead of over 350 and that will take them well into the last session today so England will only need to bat 3 and a bit sessions to save the game.

We have all seen how the pitch does nothing when the ball gets old (even Murali struggled yesterday) so there is still hope but i can't see England winning this one now.

Well played Sri Lanka who have recovered brilliantly after a poor first day.