Second Test. England v Sri Lanka at Riverside. 27/5/16.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Siriwardana has bowled utter filth and has 2/20

Often the way, your eyes light up when the horrible delivery comes down, and test match technique goes out the window and the t20 slog in the air comes out of the locker.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Bairstow is looking comfortable after only 20 minutes or so at the crease.

Got a good ball just now that ducked into him at the last second, and he effortlessly guided it down to third man for four.

You can't beat being in form.

[hopeforthebest]

How Vince will go in tests I can't say but having seen him in the first two tests (rather briefly in the first) I'm still looking for this great technique that some pundits claimed he had. I wonder where he keeps it when he goes out to bat.

[sussexpob]

SL battling back into it.

Vince shown anything to suggest he looks good for a long test career?

I've only seen one ball, so I can't comment.

In my opinion, from my years of following him as a Hants supporter I don't think he will make it as a test player, but obviously I hope I'm entirely wrong.

Hampshire boys might think this is rubbish, but my assessment.....

There were glimpses with 3 or 4 shots of the quality that is there. He got beaten with probably the best ball of the innings, but had the sense and touch to soften the hands and make sure the edge dropped to ground. Couple of fantastic picture perfect drives.

Did get a bit luck with a top edge from a bouncer. And although when he drives I can see the Michael Vaughan comparison, there is a hint of a tendency with some shots to work the hands and leave the feet static.

Id say the same about Steve Smith though, and it turns out that tendency to base all your batting on hand eye co-ordination seems to work. Probably a player that will suit pitches outside England more, but may struggle when the ball swings and seams all over the place.

[Aidan11]

Today's play is in danger of finishing on time. Only 15 overs to go with 65 minutes left.

[budgetmeansbudget]

That's fair comment Sussex.

I think he has got bags of talent, the technique is pretty good but goes missing when he gets a rush of blood to the head, which he is prone to do on occasion. It's his temperament that he needs to work on, but for someone that is so naturally attacking, I think his forte will be more t20 and 50 over than test, but we shall see.

[sussexpob]

I havent been to a Hampshire v Sussex match in a while, but when I used to go to those games at the Rose Bowl when it first opened, the pitches always offered something for the spinner coming into the mid to late part of the season. They got a bit slower and lower too, not sure if this is still the case at all with the pitches there, but little I have seen of Vince over the years I think being brought up on those types of pitches does show. He is pretty wristy at time, lets his hands rather than feet go to the ball....

I'd like to see Vince in a tour of the sub-continent, I think thats really where we will see if he can be useful for England. He isnt Trescothick, but Tresco was the extreme example of someone who never used their feet much, and he was also a very good batsman on Asian pitches by memory. The funny thing about Vince is sometime he does use his feet, other he doesnt. To me he has a bit of a hybrid technique, but again, somelike KP did.

[yuppie]

So if Bairstow score plenty of runs at 6, Stokes will go down to 7 right?

[budgetmeansbudget]

Vince is full of self confidence to the extent of cockiness. He is reputed to have said once that he finds batting too easy at times! Something you could imagine Kevin Pietersen saying, the sort of confidence that led him to having a very successful career at all levels of the game. On the other hand it could lead to him having a great big fall and getting his come uppance.

[sussexpob]

So if Bairstow score plenty of runs at 6, Stokes will go down to 7 right?

I wouldnt discredit Bairstow moving to 3

[yuppie]

So if Bairstow score plenty of runs at 6, Stokes will go down to 7 right?

I wouldnt discredit Bairstow moving to 3

Would be tough to keep and bat at 3

[sussexpob]

So if Bairstow score plenty of runs at 6, Stokes will go down to 7 right?

I wouldnt discredit Bairstow moving to 3

Would be tough to keep and bat at 3

Bairstow wont be keeping for long. They only gave him the gloves because they were desperate to give him another 10 tests to prove he had it. He is now proving he can live in tests, so I expect by the end of the summer England will have dropped Compton and will replace with another keeper, with all moving up one, and Stokes switching with Bairstow.

That, or they go in a bowler less.

[sussexpob]

Of course this is England, so dont descrited them picking Sam Robson for his right arm leg spin and batting him at 8 or 9

[yuppie]

Of course this is England, so dont descrited them picking Sam Robson for his right arm leg spin and batting him at 8 or 9

Seems plausable

[sussexpob]

Of course this is England, so dont descrited them picking Sam Robson for his right arm leg spin and batting him at 8 or 9

Seems plausable

Could you imagine in 2014 insisting that within the year, Moeen Ali would be England's front line spinner and batting at number 9 with a FC average in both disciplines at 40

Id love to have been in that selection meeting.