So was Foakes, very impressive behind the stumps. At the moment he’s batting like it’s a T20. Fantastic stuff!
No way can he be dropped now, Bairstow is going to have to concentrate on his batting to stay in the team.
His keeping. 
He makes it look so simple!
1 Like
He’s a keeper who can bat. The others are batsmen who can keep.
2 Likes
Great to have a proper keeper again. We have leaked a huge amount of runs due to dropped chances in recent times. It’s not just the ones dropped by the keeper but the slips are not sure when he will go and creates uncertainty.
1 Like
Well, Root decides he wants a crack at them tonight. Can’t see SL getting more than 200.
Now watch them prove me wrong!
A lot of chat about moving Stokes to three. He bats with more maturity than most and if we are not relying on his bowling so much then could work.
Jennings is great against spin but needs massive improvement against the quicks. He could prove us all wrong yet.
1 Like
Fine day for England.
Meanwhile Kohli showing the World that no matter how good a batsman you are, you can still continue to be a cunt.
Well done England 
Great performance. 
Sri Lanka may not be the best team around but this was a great performance. For the first time in a long while it felt like we picked the best team for an away match rather than repeating the same old mistakes.
Lots of positives :-
Root’s captaincy is improving and it feels like he has come out from the shadow of Cook.
Foakes is a great addition.
Stokes and Buttler have matured. Bairstow needs to do the same if he is going to get a place.
Feeling quite excited about this team.
3 Likes
I think Sri Lanka are weak at the moment but even so, this was an impressive win. England won every session in the match, bar the first. They look highly motivated and determined.
The attack has been well balanced for this game and excellently marshalled by Root. The batting has- barring the first morning- been very good too, with some top innings played. Foakes has been a revelation and he is obviously quite brilliant behind the stumps.
I don’t think Leach’s contribution should be underestimated either. We haven’t had a spin bowler who is super tight, yet threaten constantly since Graham Swann retired. Leach allowed all the other bowlers to attack imv, especially in the first innings.
I’d like to see Stone play the next game but not sure who you drop! I can’t see Ali at three either… I Feel a bit sorry for Burns, he had a horrible game, what with one thing or another.
3 Likes
Thinking about selection for the next game…
I don’t see Ali as the solution at 3, either now or in the future. I expect Bairstow to come back in but I’m not sure he has the technique to bat at 3 either. The guy who perhaps does, is Stokes. He has been gradually changing his game to be more responsible because of top order failings anyway, he loves to be in the thick of it, is technically correct against seam bowling and a good player of spin. The only thing against is his temperament; he looks like he is on the verge of ripping someone’s head off every five minutes, either because of some perceived slight, or for one of his own mistakes.
To make room for Bairstow someone has to be dropped. I think Jennings and Burns are safe, the middle order too which means one of the bowlers. Trouble is, I’d rather drop one of the spinners for pace! We still have to take 20 wickets. Maybe Bairstow will sit the game out, Stokes will bat 3 and Rashid will be dropped for Stone. Help!!
Just been thinking the same. Bayliss has all but dismissed any notion of Ali continuing at 3 and I agree he’s not the man for that slot.
Stokes would seem the obvious choice, he has the technique that Bairstow lacks. The openers are safe for now and Root bats 4, so assuming they want to keep 3 spinners and Curran and Anderson take the new ball, Bairstow misses out for me. The only way he gets in my team is if we use Stokes to open the bowling and I don’t see that happening. Besides, I don’t want to see Curran as the fall guy just to get Bairstow into the team.
= unchanged team for Kandy test with Stokes at 3 and Moeen down the order.
1 Like
Yes, maybe the team won’t change, just shift it about a bit. I certainly don’t think Curran should be left out, he is fantastic. Massively competitive, real cricket brain, unafraid to pitch the ball up when bowling. I think he will develop into a high quality batsman. I really hope the upper order can solidify, England are close to having a very powerful squad if so.
Stokes at three would be my pick.
Bairstow will have a job to get back in. A time out of the side might make him grow up a bit, seemed to work for Stokes and Buttler.
^ this
His petulance when he lost the gloves to Buttler recently was palpable. Needs to work on his batting too. Since his purple patch he seems to think he can come in and bully the bowling every time. That doesn’t happen in international cricket unless you are called Lara, Richards or similar.
2 Likes
I rather enjoyed his toy chucking in the India series. At one point when he was fielding at third man, every chase and throw in seemed hate-filled. 
He is a good player obviously but never gives me the feeling he is all that calm and even with my amateur eye, I can see he has technical faults. Foakes on the other hand has come in, played the game situation perfectly twice and has looked very sound. Not sure Bairstow can do that, he either biffs it to all parts or gets out.
Foakes’ keeping is on another level to my eye, not that Bairstow makes many mistakes but he doesn’t make it look like Foakes does. Every one of those Sri Lankan batsmen will have felt under pressure from him facing the spinners and it makes a huge difference having a top keeper in the field as he basically sets the tempo of the game. Foakes has flow and that made even more of an impression that England were all over Sri Lanka.
Damn the scheduling with modern tests though. A test series is on but there is none on at the weekend when I can watch it ! 
2 Likes
Trying to remember the last proper keeper to play regularly for England. Was it Jack Russell ?
Alec Stewart started the all rounder obsession. Mind you Foakes looks handy with a bat.
James Foster or Chris Read?