England v Sri Lanka 2nd Test

Not an hour into the match and England have already lost three wickets, a case of over-confidence after the high of the last test? With no more test-level batsmen to come, it's up to our two best batsmen, Cook and Bell, to knuckle down and build a total.

 

Surely there can be no room for the giant ego that is Kevin Pietersen after yet another abject failure ?

Come on selectors, show some bottle and DROP HIM

 

Bit dissapointed to see Trott go but I have full faith in Belly & Cooky

I can't help but think James Hildreth would have much more of a chance if he came up with some kind of cunning nickname a la the rest 'o' the lads...

Hildo..?

 

KP's demise is getting quite worrying. He's getting very wild in the shots he's playing - just look at how he got out today. He's trying to hit his way out of it instead of the convential knuckle-down, leave more balls and play for your off-stump approach. The KP way I suppose.

However, I wouldn't drop because he can win a game single-handedly when on form and England selectors do like to have a consistent batting line-up (they always speak of it as a unit). They had plenty of opportunities to drop Cook last summer but they didn't - for me a clear message they wan't consistency.

 

Well if you want consistency you just need to look at KP's figures for the last couple of years

There's one or two horrible outliers in there but one cannot be perfect

Seriously though - how long can they give him. It's probably just my perception but Cook was very very good, inevitably hit a bad patch then worked hard to get out of it - & get out of it he has whilst improving. KP seems to just be getting worse.

If he wasn't such a show off I'd feel for him. As it is I feel for England & hope he finds some form for India because 'Greatness' is correct, I cannot see him being dropped

 

Also, the thing that is vital when going through a run such as KP is is that the player doesn't suffer mentally and doesn't drop too much in confidence. KP will never be short of confidence and that is something that will help him through this patch.

 

This can work both ways..

He is SO confident that he refuses to even think about the fact he 'might' have an issue. His quest to improve has been going the wrong way. He doesn't like being helped. This is somewhat speculative as I don't know him but is the impression his fellow cricketers / those around him tend to give

I do hope his talent outweighs his ignorrance at the end of the day

 

Probably a bit too soon to be talking about dropping KP, especially as their is no logical replacement.

 

Its time for KP to have a whole season in county cricket i think, hes been awful this last 18months/2years. James Hildreth deserves his chance now... have the selectors got the courage to drop him for the 2nd time in a year?? Nah probably not.

 

Awful? 200 in the Ashes is awful? At the World T20 he was our best player too! He has been poor these last 2 innings, and only average at the World Cup but a long, long way from awful.

 

Somerset - I agree with Dangerous Marsupial here. Maybe he's been struggling a bit for the last couple of innings but that is no reason to drop him.

Also, if they did drop KP, I think Bopara would be ahead of Hildreth in the pecking order and dare I say that Taylor here at Leics would run him close too.

 

looking for a good day today, england finish of and get 350/400 then use there bowlers to instugate anouther collapse

 

England coming out all guns blazing here 50 runs here in about half an hour! Prior is leading a charmed life here, but Broad is looking like a proper all-rounder!

 

bloody hell, we're doing amazing today. Prior just got 100 and Broad 50, they got the 100 partnership off 85 balls, we're scoring extremely fast, already on 400, could push to 450/500 then like wigan said, bowl them out for around 300 would be great.

 

Ouch, Broad LBW, completely plumb. We've been riding our luck for a while, come on Swanny!

edit: swanns gone, oh well, setlle for this score anyway, hopefully grab another 20 or so and then hammer them

 

All out 486 after being 3 down early on not a bad result!

 

Yeah good recovery from England and encouraging to see there was a bit of life in the pitch and some turn for Hearth which will please Swann.

Mind you, I expect Sri Lanka to come out strong after their collaps in Cardiff

 

we have to push on i whould have thought england whould have decclared just before lunch to try and get out some of the top order early but never the less they will push on

 

What's all this talk of declaring? There are 3 days and 2 sessions to play and the best chance of an England win might be if we could make Sri Lanka follow on.

 

Paranavitana getting bogged-dwon here. We should look to bowl at him as as much as possible and his lack of scoring might force him to do something silly.