England Vs Sri Lanka T20

From the sage of cricinfo:- "You could argue that victory against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston would be the worst thing that could happen to England as they prepare for a world cup in a few months time."

Apparently a series victory might "delude" Peter Moores into thinking we're better than we are. So what we really need is another series defeat just to show Peter Moores how far England still have to travel.

Unbelievable twaddle.

Oh dear, Graeme Swann has tweeted that the run out of Buttler was "just wrong even though it's not illegal. Like cuddling your sister whilst watching a film."

It's rather quaint that he should use the archaic 'whilst' rather than 'while'. But in the realms of allegedly unbelievable twaddle, I think he's  out-done even the Sage of Cricinfo with that one.

This ODI should make the Wisden records section under a new category called 'Highest Number of Idiotic Comments Recorded In The Course Of A Single Match'.

A storm in a teacup.

Buttler had been warned twice before by Senanayake. So, Mathews had every right not to withdraw the appeal. No warning
then one can understand the rumpus. The ensuing booing is an embarrassment for England supporters and the on-field words
with Mathews a stain on the English players.

Sri Lanka were by far the better side throughout the series apart from their bizarre 67 which in the cold light of the present
match-fixing allegations, surely asks a few uncomfortable questions.

England's 2-3 loss only highlights how much work that needs to be done by Moores and Co before the National side has any chance
of reaching their previous dizzy heights of success. 

This is interesting. You would imagine Telegraph readers are a pretty conservative-minded lot. But have a look at the comments section at the end of Paul Bolton's artcile about last night's 'Mankading' and the hostility towards Cook is overwhelming, with many suggesting that it was Buttler who was "cheating" and Cook who is guilty of poor sportsmanship by his complaining :-


www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/10873913/England-v-Sri-Lanka-Mankading-of-Jos-Buttler-was-a-pretty-poor-act-says-Alastair-Cook.html

Cracking comment by someone called "Ian" on the BBC Sport website:

"Could Mr Cook and the England management please specify which of the laws of cricket they wish to be applied to these matches and which ignored?"

I like his trenchant comments about the Mankading and his withering remarks about England's pathetic and reactionary attitude to mystery spinners. When the Pakistanis first discovered reverse swing , England said they must be cheating. Now we accuse every mystery spinner from the sub-continent of throwing. So this line I thought was particularly perceptive: "England's mistrust of reverse swing eventually turned into acceptance and even affection, the same will happen with mystery spin." I hope the prediction is right.

I also agree with his devastating critique of England's hypocrisy:  "It would be nice, too, if England simply stopped talking about the spirit of cricket. It is not relevant when their batsmen decline to walk. It is not relevant when their batsmen, in fighting for a draw, change their gloves and ask for drinks in order to use up time. It is not relevant when their bowlers sledge or try to persuade the umpire to change a ball that is not swinging. And it is not relevant when they lure coaches from opposition teams weeks before they face them in a series...to talk of spirit only when they lose leaves them looking weak, graceless and hypocritical."

But the England camp will be irritated by what they will see as the carping negativity of the piece - and there does seem to be a degree of revelling in England's defeat and a faintly vindictive desire to rub the noses of certain people in it. And of course, there is the obligatory reference to how much England need his chum Trott. I read a comment yesterday on another messageboard by an Essex supporter who goes by the name of "Grant Flower Is God" which said that Dobell is now persona non grata at Chelmsford due to his endless knocking - presumably of Cook, although it didn't specify. Another poster in the same thread also repeated the now notorious allegation against Panesar , the first time anyone has dared to repeat it since its lone mention on cricinfo last August, and even rashly claimed that it has since been "confirmed". I forwarded a link to it to MP c/o Essex CCC to see if he wishes to do anything about it, given that he denied it to at least two national newspapers, who decided not to run the story on the advice of their lawyers.

Yes, this is poor stuff from Agnew. He's tying himself in knots in an attempt not to criticise the England camp.

The problem is that Mankading is so rare, and Agnew says he has never seen it happen. For some reason, it has, over the years, become a cricketing taboo, despite what it clearly states in the Laws/Playing conditions. Agnew is reacting as if he's afraid that incest is about to become acceptable.