It was going to peter out into a draw anyway I think Clobber.

I think with the state of the batting and Bresnan being unavailable at this point in time, that England could actually go for an extra bowler. 5 bowlers worked splendidly for them in the 2005 Ashes and I think it was for that reason they were so successful.
Swann and Broad can bat quite well, and when Bresnan comes back I think he'd be fine at 8 with Broad at 7.
Shehzad should get a run in this next match... or even Onions could be back?

That's understandable.
Although like I said, when Bresnan comes back England will have 3 all rounders (the other two being Broad and Swann). I'd definitely like to see a 4th seam bowler... that would really set England apart from every other attack in the world.

Haven't seen a decent left armer from England since Sidebottom, any fresh left arm fast bowling talent at the moment?

I can't think of any left armers who would be anywhere near international recognition. One who made a few waves was a 17 year old called Reece Topley, who is 6'7" tall and took 17 wickets for Essex in the first 3 Championship games of the summer - before he had to go back to school! - but he is obviously one for the fairly distant future.

Cook's started from where he stopped his last innings 189 at  Sydney. Fantastic knock by Trott too.

With still two days to go , England should score additional 300-350 runs in quick time in about 2.5 sessions and look for victory.In England conditions, sometimes only one bowler on top of his game can run through the opposition.You never know maybe Broad or Tremlett has 5 fer in store.

Cook, Strauss, Trott, KP, Bell, Morgan and Prior. Batting line up can't get any better than this .Then there is Broad and Swann who are more than capable lower order batsman.

Originally posted by Mikey Playing on feather beds, against bowlers who don't get any movement off the wicket or in the air makes a difference. The wickets during the Ashes were shocking, they did absolutely nothing for the bowlers and it just gave Cook and co. so much confidence.

Where was Anderson bowling in Ashes 2010/11 ?

Edited by MalhotraRaj84 - 29 May 2011 at 6:52am

I hope your words come true Mikey, after 2 more tests. Can't afford to let that run machine off the hook against us.He will simply cream the opposition with back to back centuries with the form that he is in.

To be frank Trott has got tremendous technique.Cook has fantastic temperment and I don't have any doubts in his ability. I give credit where there is due, this English batting lineup is as good as it gets.

 

One series ( SA series) as you pointed out  does not mean they can't play well or they are not tested. It depends on form and other factors as well.

 

Ponting and Clarke performed badly in Ashes.Infact Jhonson,Smith and Siddle scored more than Ponting.Does that mean ponting can't play when quality bowlers like Anderson are bowling?

 

I would not belittle any acheivement by batsman unless there is really nothing on the pitch for bowlers. In my view all the pitches in Ashes were decent enough.

Trott isn't the worst batsmen technically, he does get across the line to play leg side, but it hasn't affected his run scoring ability. Although, if he fell out of form I'd expect that he'd get trapped LBW a fair bit. The way he plays the short ball is a bit like Kallis, I think if he gets a lot of good short bowling then he may struggle, but not that many bowlers around bowl a good bouncer consistently. Then again I always thought Amla was shocking at play deliveries that come into him, but he's made a zillion runs too. It really depends on the players ability to play within their limitations. You don't see Trott scoring at 100 runs per ball like Sehwag, he plays within his limitations which makes more prolific. I admire that a lot.

Cook has had a few technical issue but he has impressed me with the amount of progress he has made in the last year, I think he will continue to make runs, and when in form can be quite a powerful driver.

I don't mean my comments to offend the batsmen, they are fantastic players, but I really would like to see more 300 pitches and less 400+ pitches, that's just a personal preference.

Edited by Mikey - 29 May 2011 at 1:55pm

 @Mikey..  Nothing wrong with a 400+ wicket if it can detoriate by the end of the 3rd or the start of the 4th day. Remember the two recently concluded tests between India and Australia. Those two tests had it all, quality shot making, wickets for the pacers and then by the 4th day got the spinners too into action. 

Trott now lies 2nd to Bradman in the test averages , he really has made the most of what god given talent he has. In that respect he reminds me of Gary Kirsten - but only better!  Cook can't do anything wrong either and fully deserves all the praise heading his way.  Pity that the match has been blighted by rain , but it is in Cardiff , so it's no surprise.  The pitch is a major disappointment and I hope it's the last test at this venue for a long , long time. The crowd was poor as well , but some probably stayed a way because it was so miserable .  So a draw then and hopefully a hundred this morning for Ian Bell. I have to agree with some of the comments here as well - the Lankan attack is decidely average - I just cannot see them getting close to winning a test in this series , no matter what kind of a wicket is prepared.

Edited by Sledger - 30 May 2011 at 8:26am

Jonathan Agnew column: Jonathan Trott beyond criticism

 

 

Jonathan Trott's double hundred perfectly illustrated the qualities that make him the number three batsman England have been seeking for so long.

He's very disciplined, he has tremendous focus, he's got a very fine technique and he's certainly got the right character for Test cricket.

He blocks out everything going on around him. When he came out at 47-2 in reply to 400 clearly a lot of application was required and he's just the sort of person to provide all those qualities.

Some people have suggested he might have scored more quickly but he's just not that sort of player - he's someone who gets into the groove and that's the way he bats.

Some fans find that a bit frustrating but you are what you are. I've seen Trott play all of his Test matches, I've seen him score an awful lot of runs, and he does tend to bat at the same pace.

This is underlined by the fact his first hundred came at 196 balls and his second from 202.

For a long time England have been looking for a number three to get out there and score double hundreds and now they've got one.

On Sunday the Sri Lankans bowled at him with a seven-two field, all packing the off-side, and they bowled wide of the off stump, so it was quite difficult for him to whack the ball around.

They also had Rangana Herath, the left-arm spinner, bowling into the rough from over the wicket and again that's not easy to attack.

With the time taken out of the match by the weather and with James Anderson unable to bowl, England have spent much of this match just looking to make it safe, and that's what Trott's role has been in this game.

The number three position has been notoriously difficult for England to fill over the years - until now.

It's not an easy place to bat, because you can be in second ball or you can come in at 120-1.

That means you have to be a quite flexible player and you have to be someone who can cope with a crisis.

It's difficult to compare him to other England number threes, not least because they really haven't had a successful number three for a while.

That's why they're very grateful to have him and I'm sure he will score a mountain of runs.

England have been crying out for someone to bat like that and now they've got one I certainly wouldn't be criticising him.

If Trott had a fine day then his fellow middle order man Kevin Pietersen had anything but, as yet again a left-arm spinner got him out.

Again he played a poor shot to be dismissed, but there was a lot of talk about the review process that brought about his dismissal.

Should there be any form of benefit of the doubt with the use of technology? Well, probably not people would argue, or there's no point in having it.

But to take five minutes or so to give someone out, or not, would clearly suggest it isn't entirely clear cut.

I think Pietersen was unfortunate. Having looked at all the information I think he was probably correctly given out, but that's not to say he was not unlucky, and I think he was unlucky.

The ball kept low and it just grazed his pad before hitting his bat, so from that perspective you've got to say he was unfortunate.

However, this question of left-arm spinners getting him out is a live one.

He always shrugs it off and says it's a load of rubbish but the stats tell you otherwise - 19 times out of the last 64 innings is nearly one in three.

The fact is he hardly faced any left-arm spinners before he was finally dismissed in his 34th Test by one.

He just seems to have a problem with it. I think he's so hell bent on showing he hasn't got a problem and that he's going to hit him around and prove everybody wrong, that he's actually getting himself out.

And the truth is he does get himself out to left arm spinners, rather than them getting him out, all too often.

I agree with Geoffrey Boycott, I think he has to accept that there is an issue there, start working hard and try and eliminate it.

He isn't going to say publicly that he's got a problem but I think he has to accept that it's clearly something he needs to work at.

This can't be true, they are 43/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely stunning win for England, this is as good as it can possibly get, to get a result out of a test match where nearly 2 days were washed off because of Rain and after conceding 400 runs in the 1st innings is simply unbelievable!!!

Waow!! what a performance by England. Congratulation to England fans

Went out this afternoon, well it is a bank holiday, came back and England have won, can't believe it!