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

[Arthur Crabtree]

Four points up for grabs in Leeds...

Good luck to James Vince on his debut.

[bigfluffylemon]

Cook may be the lowest averaging player to reach 10,000, but we need to put it in context. He plays most of his games in England, one of the hardest places to open the batting in the world, and has a higher average than any England opener since Boycott. Agree that he's not in the league of the greatest players to make 10,000, but most of them batted at 3 or 4.

Sri Lanka are 12-1 to win this game, England 3-2. That's some pretty confident bookies.

I read this morning that if England win both test series this summer, they will hold all nine test trophies they compete for - in other words they will have won their most recent series against all nine test playing nations (or if the most recent series was a draw, the will have won the series before that and retained the trophy). I couldn't quite believe it, but it's true - England beat Australia and South Africa in 2015, India in 2014, New Zealand in 2015 was a draw but England won in 2013, WI in 2015 was a draw but England won in 2012, England beat Bangladesh in 2010 and Zimbabwe in 2003 (!). Those last two hardly count because they were so long ago.

The Zimbabwe situation is ridiculous, and shows why 'test status' should not be absolute. It's absurd that Zim still get test matches (albeit not often, and not against the bigger teams - only Bangladesh and Pakistan have played them more than once since 2005), but the likes of Ireland can't break in. But I digress.

[bigfluffylemon]

Might be bowl first tomorrow, with cloud around and some rain in the afternoon.

Finn's going to play.

England would have gone in with four seamers and no spinner in the nineties.

Given the returns last summer when England bowled first, some cloud around, an inexperienced SL batting line up and an Anderson who looks pretty up for it, I think bowl first is a fair call if England win the toss.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I suspect SL will bowl first.

Apparently SA held all their bilateral trophies in 2013, so it's been done recently.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'm nicking this off a very good poster in the Guardian, but apparently WI held all their bilateral trophies from 1985-95.

[bigfluffylemon]

I suspect SL will bowl first.

Apparently SA held all their bilateral trophies in 2013, so it's been done recently.

The article I read (cricinfo) said it hadn't been done since Australia 2008, but tracking that kind of thing is actually not straightforward.

[hopeforthebest]

Been looking at the point system they will use and I see a test win is worth 4 points and a one day game 2 points. That means if a side wins all 3 tests that's equivalent to 6 one day games so the contest is effectively over before the one dayers begin. That's hardly going to add excitement to the series of games, if anything it will diminish the interest. The point system for the women's game works because they only play one test.

[Aidan11]

I see Finn almost took Stokes head off in the nets.


Good job the lad has good reflexes.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cook may be the lowest averaging player to reach 10,000, but we need to put it in context. He plays most of his games in England, one of the hardest places to open the batting in the world, and has a higher average than any England opener since Boycott. Agree that he's not in the league of the greatest players to make 10,000, but most of them batted at 3 or 4.

More opening bats average more than 40 in England (having scored 2000 runs) than any other country. One more than Australia, and a lot more than anywhere else (India hosts only three). OK, there are other reasons for this as well, but there isn't a pattern of opening in England being harder. Of the nine England openers to have scored 2000 runs in UK, only Strauss and Athers have worse averages, six others have better. An average of 42.5 in England is good though, but only one higher than Athers (arguably he faced tougher attacks?) who has the reputation of having underachieved.

[bigfluffylemon]

Cook may be the lowest averaging player to reach 10,000, but we need to put it in context. He plays most of his games in England, one of the hardest places to open the batting in the world, and has a higher average than any England opener since Boycott. Agree that he's not in the league of the greatest players to make 10,000, but most of them batted at 3 or 4.

More opening bats average more than 40 in England (having scored 2000 runs) than any other country. One more than Australia, and a lot more than anywhere else (India hosts only three). OK, there are other reasons for this as well, but there isn't a pattern of opening in England being harder. Of the nine England openers to have scored 2000 runs in UK, only Strauss and Athers have worse averages, six others have better. An average of 42.5 in England is good though, but only one higher than Athers (arguably he faced tougher attacks?) who has the reputation of having underachieved.

Interesting. I thought surely it was harder here.

Cook's been inconsistent. When he's in form, he's been the best opener of the last ten years or so, but he's had some horrible form slumps where he can't buy a run.

[Dr Cricket]

Always annoys me when stupid people like Botham always moan about other formats. Lol test cricket is proper cricket.
The fact is all cricket is cricket.
Really the people that complain about other cricket being not cricket disappeared cricket would be in a far healthy state. For cricket to prosper elitism needs to die.

[Dr Cricket]

Sri Lanka win the toss and bowl first.

[Arthur Crabtree]

My feeling is that Cook is a genuinely great batter in Asian conditions, but does well elsewhere when the going is good. Obviously, I'm biased, but I think a case can be made for that. If you try to argue for him as a player of great innings (which isn't that easy, few of his innings stay in the memory, at least, my memory) I think they'd all be in Asia. Brisbane comes to mind as well, but the pitch was lifeless when he batted on it a second time. Sorry, I'm sure no one is interested in me restating my views on Cook's batting...

Probably good for the game that SL bowl first. Real shame Prasad is injured.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good luck to Shanaka on his debut. A bit of a surprise Siriwardana isn't playing.

Pradeep averages 46.5. He's going to have to make some new fans if SL are going to do well in the series. Eranga averages 35. This is Maharoof territory.

[dan08]

Cook may be the lowest averaging player to reach 10,000, but we need to put it in context. He plays most of his games in England, one of the hardest places to open the batting in the world, and has a higher average than any England opener since Boycott. Agree that he's not in the league of the greatest players to make 10,000, but most of them batted at 3 or 4.

Sri Lanka are 12-1 to win this game, England 3-2. That's some pretty confident bookies.

I read this morning that if England win both test series this summer, they will hold all nine test trophies they compete for - in other words they will have won their most recent series against all nine test playing nations (or if the most recent series was a draw, the will have won the series before that and retained the trophy). I couldn't quite believe it, but it's true - England beat Australia and South Africa in 2015, India in 2014, New Zealand in 2015 was a draw but England won in 2013, WI in 2015 was a draw but England won in 2012, England beat Bangladesh in 2010 and Zimbabwe in 2003 (!). Those last two hardly count because they were so long ago.

The Zimbabwe situation is ridiculous, and shows why 'test status' should not be absolute. It's absurd that Zim still get test matches (albeit not often, and not against the bigger teams - only Bangladesh and Pakistan have played them more than once since 2005), but the likes of Ireland can't break in. But I digress.

Zimbabwe aren't in the test rankings any more.