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Sri Lanka v England - First ODI

Interactive commentary of the opening one-day international, at Colombo

    SRI LANKA WIN BY 25 Runs to go 1-0 up
    Moeen Ali posts Eng's 3rd fastest ODI hundred
    SL 317-6 - Dilshan 88
    Eng 292 all out off 47.1 overs
    SL v Eng scorecard
    Hughes critical after surgery

    11/26/2014 8:46:17 AM
    So let's get the view of a chap who knew a little bit about opening... MARCUS TRESCOTHICK
    “England are experimenting a little bit to work out what the best formula is. But how much cricket are they going to get to play? England need to start building momentum; it has been a little bit disjointed so they need to get a solid unit to try and build for the future. When they play India and Australia after Christmas, that will be a really big time.”


    11/26/2014 8:34:14 AM
    But MATT PRIOR says the England camp won't be looking ahead to 2015 just yet...
    “Alastair Cook and Peter Moores will be taking each game as an individual event and wanting to win each game. They won’t be looking too far ahead. Of course there is a World Cup coming up in Australia but this England cricket team today will be very focussed on today and getting a good result. Playing cricket in Sri Lanka is a tough enough challenge as it is so you’ve got to play your best team to win the series. If England do win an ODI series, that will breed confidence in the squad.”


    11/26/2014 8:36:52 AM
    CONDITIONS UPDATE
    It has stopped raining but the covers are very firmly on. It’s currently 2:08pm in Colombo - the latest we can start today is 8.17pm (that's 2.47pm UK time). In that scenario we would have a Twenty20 game...
    11/26/2014 8:39:24 AM

    Beefy reckons there's no point risking Finn today if he's not fully fit - especially if it is going to be a shortened game

    11/26/2014 8:40:59 AM
    [twitter]

    11/26/2014 8:42:00 AM

    The groundstaff are tentatively making their way out to the middle to inspect the puddles

    11/26/2014 8:43:15 AM
    [tweet]

    11/26/2014 8:51:47 AM
    So the toss has been delayed, predictably, which means plenty of time to mull over all things World Cup-wise. The big question is how does this tour fit into England's Masterplan?
    11/26/2014 8:54:26 AM
    11/26/2014 8:54:42 AM
    PHIL HUGHES CRITICAL
    Our studio guests Matt Prior and Marcus Trescothick have shared their thoughts on the Phil Hughes incident. The Australia batsman remains in a critical condition in a Sydney hospital after being struck on the head by a ball during a Sheffield Shield match.

    PRIOR
    You turn onto Twitter, see the news and it’s absolutely horrific. It’s not something you expect in this day and age with modern technology but it has hit him in the wrong place. Our thoughts go out to his family.”


    TRESCOTHICK
    It was sickening. It’s pretty common for players to get hit but the after effects of this were terrible.”


    11/26/2014 9:05:06 AM
    That news has put this tour - and the build-up to the World Cup - in perspective and Phillip remains in all our thoughts.
    11/26/2014 9:12:27 AM
    Here's the latest...
    11/26/2014 9:13:16 AM
    Talk in the studio has now turned towards the 2015 World Cup, with England's top three very much the favourite topic of discussion...
    11/26/2014 9:15:39 AM
    Here's what you're saying on Twitter...
    [twitter]


    11/26/2014 9:16:36 AM
    CRICKET WORLD CUP IS COMING
    11/26/2014 9:17:05 AM
    Here's Tresco's view...
    “In these conditions, England will play their best team – when they go to Australia they will play their best team for that – so you need a squad of about 13/14 that are going to mix and match. I was quite surprised to see Moeen Ali promoted to open because Alex Hales is, for me, somebody who scores quickly and can bat a long time and get big scores. Moeen Ali will do a good job at the top of the order but I think you’ve got to allow Hales a little bit more time.”


    11/26/2014 9:17:57 AM
    [twitter]

    11/26/2014 9:21:14 AM
    JOS BUTTLER will undoubtedly be a key man for England this winter... Ian Ward caught up with him earlier in the week...
    11/26/2014 9:22:34 AM
    Here are PRIOR's thoughts on the man who currently has the gloves

    Jos alluded to getting the balance right between batting and wicketkeeping and how much you have to work on each. I remember when I was younger, I wanted to bat and 80-90 per cent of the time I was in the nets getting my batting right. Jos mentioned how hard he is working on his keeping and trying to get that right because it is tough – you have to perform at both. You have to score runs and you have to catch everything."


    11/26/2014 9:26:11 AM
    TRESCO says he's impressed with how Buttler's keeping is coming on...
    “I think he has progressed nicely in the last year or so. It has helped that he has had the opportunity to catch balls day in, day out. I never had an issue with him standing back to quick bowlers – I was always fine with that – but I thought he needed to improve upon standing up to spinners. Gradually he’ll get that practice more in Test cricket.” 


    11/26/2014 9:30:52 AM
    England win the toss and bowl first. 50 overs a side. Sri Lanka inns starts at 10am on SS2.#SLvENG
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 11/26/2014 9:32:27 AM
    In last 33 ODIs at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, 31 captains have won the toss and batted first - only 2 have bowled 1st #raintodaythough
    by Richard V Isaacs via twitter 11/26/2014 9:32:52 AM
    So a decent start for Alastair Cook, who has called correctly. "The pitch seems quite tacky," says the skipper, who confirms that Alex Hales does miss out to get another bowler into the side. Steve Finn also misses out after on the basis of this morning's fitness test.
    11/26/2014 9:33:55 AM
    #SLvENG Alex Hales misses out for England with Moeen Ali opening alongside Cook. Steven Finn is also absent with a groin strain.
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 11/26/2014 9:34:50 AM
    TEAM NEWS
    Nothing official as yet but the thinking is that Bopara and Gurney both play, with Moeen Ali at the top of the order. We'll get them to you as soon as they are confirmed.
    11/26/2014 9:35:35 AM

    BEEFY'S BETS[ianbotham]
    Sir Ian Botham is tipping Moeen Ali to be the man to shine in England's seven-match one-day series against Sir Lanka.

    Moeen is the man in form. He was impressive the other day with bat and ball and the conditions will certainly suit his style of cricket.

    Do you agree with Beefy? Fancy a bet on the series. Moeen Ali to be England’s top series run scorer and leading wicket-taker is a 40/1 double. Find all Beefy's Bets here.

    11/26/2014 9:37:00 AM
    [twitter]

    11/26/2014 9:38:33 AM
    [davidlloyd] Winning the toss is very important – the pitch is very tacky and understandably so. It’s just a little bit damp on top so you have a bowl first. This is such an exciting time for the team going forward. I know people say ‘why do you come to Sri Lanka?’ The answer is because it’s available. England have got lots of chances in the coming months to play 50-over cricket and I’d hope that all of the players will have an opportunity.”


    11/26/2014 9:44:36 AM
    BUMBLE has also had his say on England's openers...
    [davidlloyd] The question that everybody would want answering is, ‘is Alastair Cook one of the best six batsmen in one-day cricket? The selectors have said ‘yes’ so he’s got an opportunity as captain of the team to nail everybody and show that he can do the job. I know that Hales will be desperately disappointed and if you ask anybody they’d have Hales in the team. But it doesn’t matter what we think. I’m with Mark Butcher who has said – in fact I put it on my blog – we talk about finishers. That’s fine but you’ve got to have guys like Buttler, Stokes and Bopara an opportunity to maybe start their innings and build.”

    Check out Bumble's blog here...
    11/26/2014 9:49:19 AM
    HERE's BUTCH ON OUR LATEST PODCAST...
    11/26/2014 9:51:26 AM
    SHOULD HALES BE OPENING?
    11/26/2014 9:52:20 AM
    No-one is under the impression that England don’t need plenty of ODI practice. After five defeats in their last six ODI series, the pressure is on Alastair Cook’s men to play a more dynamic brand of cricket. Throw into the mix the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad – plus the injury concerns of Steven Finn – and this will be no Colombo cakewalk, even if Sri Lanka are without the talismanic Lasith Malinga. So how do you see it going? Tweet us your view @SkyCricket.
    11/26/2014 9:53:39 AM
    HERE's WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TOSS...
    11/26/2014 9:55:22 AM

    In the absence of the injured James Anderson and Stuart Broad, left-armer Harry Gurney could be key for England's bowling attack.  
    11/26/2014 9:55:56 AM
    [twitter]

    11/26/2014 9:56:21 AM
    It will be Chris Woakes to bowl the first ball of this Hero Cup - and the lights are on...
    11/26/2014 10:03:12 AM
    Over 1 – SL 7-0 (Dilshan 5, Perera 2)
    An encouraging, if expensive start from Woakes who finds a bit of bounce with his first delivery to Dilshan, who gets the scoreboard ticking with a rather fortunate inside edge down to fine leg from one that jagged back at him. Dilshan adds a leg-side single to give the strike to Perera, who picks up a couple through the leg-side.
    11/26/2014 10:07:58 AM
    Beefy is lamenting the absence of one Sri Lankan superstar and hopes he returns to action soon.
    [ianbotham] It will be a massive blow if Lasith Malinga is not fit for the World Cup. Not just for Sri Lanka but also the public as he is so exciting.
    11/26/2014 10:09:27 AM
    Over 2 – SL 13-0 (Dilshan 10, Perera 2)
    Dilshan corrects the sightscreen and then climbs into a flowing drive to collect four off Gurney’s second delivery – the ball dashing across the outfield despite not finding the middle. The left-armer, the bright red back of his boots standing out in the gloom, responds by finding the edge but the ball drops short of Tredwell at second slip.
    11/26/2014 10:12:38 AM
    [mobile]BET IN-PLAY HERE

    11/26/2014 10:16:16 AM
    Over 3 – SL 18-0 (Dilshan 14, Perera 3)
    CRASH! Dilshan requires treatment on his neck after colliding unintentionally with Woakes – both players were watching the ball after the opener whipped some help yourself stuff through midwicket for four. Nothing untoward there after the simmering series we had this summer. Woakes finds a more consistent length to finish the over and Dilshan is happy to see it out, perhaps not entirely pain-free.
    11/26/2014 10:19:16 AM
    [twitter]

    11/26/2014 10:20:19 AM
    I’m sure this England side will rotate across the seven matches. I wonder if Gurney is just standing in for Finn?”
    11/26/2014 10:21:10 AM
    Over 4 – SL 19-0 (Dilshan 14, Perera 4)
    Gurney follows suit and settles into a much more consistent line, finding a touch of bounce without troubling Perera for pace. After four dot balls, the opener – who scored nought, four and nought in his three outings against India - tucks a single behind leg. Gurney concludes England’s most economical over to date with another dot to Dilshan.
    11/26/2014 10:22:58 AM
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