First Test. England v Sri Lanka at Headingley. 19/5/16.

[Durhamfootman]

Two and a half day test match, with everyone trying to get their money back for unused days. Has the cricket goer been served by all this? As a spectator, would this tempt you to go to an early test match next year? Who would take a punt on a weekend ticket for a May test match at £55? Without the rain on Thursday and the bad light on Friday, Yorkshire could have been refunding all monies taken for the weekend. It rather makes a mockery of test cricket as the pinnacle of the game.

Perhaps early season test matches need to be scheduled to begin on a Saturday, with counties only selling advance tickets for the first 2 days.

If I was Durham, having paid the thick end of a million quid to host a test match and watching this, I'd be sh1tting myself right now

[Alviro Patterson]

Two and a half day test match, with everyone trying to get their money back for unused days. Has the cricket goer been served by all this? As a spectator, would this tempt you to go to an early test match next year? Who would take a punt on a weekend ticket for a May test match at £55? Without the rain on Thursday and the bad light on Friday, Yorkshire could have been refunding all monies taken for the weekend. It rather makes a mockery of test cricket as the pinnacle of the game.

Perhaps early season test matches need to be scheduled to begin on a Saturday, with counties only selling advance tickets for the first 2 days.

If I was Durham, having paid the thick end of a million quid to host a test match and watching this, I'd be sh1tting myself right now

If the test match was played in glorious sunshine the other week, then it would have been a different ball game (i.e. runs scored for fun like in the Yorkshire v Surrey game).

If Durham are charging £55 for a Sri Lanka test match, then quite simply the club is not fit to run. £967,000 is the equivalent of two days full houses with tickets charged at £35 as standard.

[Dr Cricket]

Wouldn't help advance sales either since no one would pay 50 pounds for that crap served. Walk in sales won't be good either since chances are Sri Lanka will lose soon as they bat in the game.

[Dr Cricket]

Durham prices are a joke for the test match, was hoping to go as well to help them out, but not at the price they were quoting.
Yorkshire priced the ticket rightly for the game and even they struggled on day 1 to sell tickets.

[Dr Cricket]

Personally would charge 50 pounds or the highest price you can get away first and then when it get closer to the event bring the price down, give promotions to family or bulk buying etc to sell the place out.
personally think it is idiotic they buy or keep may test matches but give away India and Australia limited over games. No idea what those games costed Durham but they would make more profit and would be an easier sale than may test matches.

[Making_Splinters]

It will be forgotten in time that England were 83 for 5 on the first day, Sri Lanka were 77 for 5 on the second day. The difference was that England had a batsman averaging nearly 48 in first class cricket, and in scintillating form too boot, walking to the crease whereas Sri Lanka had a test débutante who averages nearly 10 runs less in first class cricket walking to the crease.

Given the, on paper at least, large differences between the quality of these two sides, it is amazing how finally balanced they were at the same stages of their first innings. Bairstow would survive a few edges and go on to make a ton, Shanaka got a duck and that was that.

Hardly a poor performance by Sri Lanka despite the result and the score card.

[Dr Cricket]

The thing Sri Lanka have only 3 batsman capable of scoring runs. Mendis, Mathews and chandimal the rest are club standard batsman.
Sri Lanka are a worse team than Bangladesh. The only good thing about this Sri Lanka side will be that it will quicken up icc process of bringing 2 division.

[bigfluffylemon]

If they bring in a specialist bat, that could potentially put pressure on Vince and Compton, if he makes runs. I presume Vince will get the whole summer, but it could be tricky if someone came in and got a ton. Alternatively, England have enough batting to bring in a specialist bowler. But Woakes seems possible, unless he's been shelved after his unproductive winter.

I'm sure Compton will get another game, given that he got a bit of a doozy in this one, but if he doesn't make runs next test, I can't see him staying.

Who's next in line?

I would have thought it would make sense to replace Stokes with a batsman (or a batting allrounder), given that England only needed 3 bowlers to slaughter SL and conditions in Durham are likely to be similarly favourable for bowling. But I expect what will actually happen is that Woakes will come in, Bairstow and Moeen will be bumped up the order a place, Woakes at 8, he'll make 20-30 useful runs to help haul England to a respectable total after another collapse (probably supporting Root or Bairstow) then will only take 1-2 wickets while Broad, Anderson and Finn bag another hatfull, and we'll all wonder why we didn't just select a damn batsman.

[greyblazer]

The way Anderson bowled and then to confront Broad (especially in the first innings), even some very good Australian teams of the past would have been cleaned up for around 150. Anderson was at his best in this game.

[Arthur Crabtree]

If they bring in a specialist bat, that could potentially put pressure on Vince and Compton, if he makes runs. I presume Vince will get the whole summer, but it could be tricky if someone came in and got a ton. Alternatively, England have enough batting to bring in a specialist bowler. But Woakes seems possible, unless he's been shelved after his unproductive winter.

I'm sure Compton will get another game, given that he got a bit of a doozy in this one, but if he doesn't make runs next test, I can't see him staying.

Who's next in line?

I would have thought it would make sense to replace Stokes with a batsman (or a batting allrounder), given that England only needed 3 bowlers to slaughter SL and conditions in Durham are likely to be similarly favourable for bowling. But I expect what will actually happen is that Woakes will come in, Bairstow and Moeen will be bumped up the order a place, Woakes at 8, he'll make 20-30 useful runs to help haul England to a respectable total after another collapse (probably supporting Root or Bairstow) then will only take 1-2 wickets while Broad, Anderson and Finn bag another hatfull, and we'll all wonder why we didn't just select a damn batsman.

There's not really a batter bidding for a place though. Gary Ballance? I don't think England are impressed with him. I don't know if they have reached a conclusion on Ian Bell.

[Dr Cricket]

They not happy with Ballace Attitude for not listening that he got a technical issue.

[Dr Cricket]

England don't really have any batsman calling to get picked right now so might as well pick Woakes or Ball.

[Making_Splinters]

England don't really have any batsman calling to get picked right now so might as well pick Woakes or Ball.

That's quite a long way from the truth, there are 3 or 4 batsmen who've made very good starts to the season. That said England like their fourth pace option so Woakes, Barker or Ball would be the most likely selections.

[dan08]

Doesn't really matter who we pick. We'll still win easily.

Might as well give Ball a go.

[Gingerfinch]

No point bringing back Bell, as it a no win situation really. Give a young player a go. I don't care or know who!