Swann: Celebrating with Mustard
Off-spinner Graeme Swann looks set to retain his place for England’s second one-dayer against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
The Nottinghamshire star hit 24 runs in England’s 119-run defeat in Dambulla on Monday, and should keep former Northamptonshire team-mate Monty Panesar on the sidelines again.
Paul Collingwood’s side has a miserable record in Sri Lanka and have not won a One-Day International (ODI) there since 1982.
Mahela Jayawardene led by example with the bat for the hosts in the first one-dayer, as England’s young attack struggled to keep Sri Lanka to a par score.
Record
And with veteran Sanath Jayasuriya set to become the first player to make 400 ODI appearances in the match, Sri Lanka will be confident.
The swashbuckling left-hand batsman also offers useful off-spin bowling in the field, with Muttiah Muralitharan still yet to return from his bicep injury.
Off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan also provides Jaywardene with an extra spin option, so leg-spinner Kausal Lokuarachchi may be overlooked again.
Pace quartet Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando kept England contained successfully and Jayawardene will expect more of the same.
Visitors
Opener-wicketkeeper Phil Mustard gave a positive account of himself on debut last time out, and England will hope for more fireworks from him at the top of the order.
Alastair Cook also made a positive return to the side, with a top score of 46, but England’s middle order will want to give a better showing.
Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwod and Owais Shah made single figures or less in the first one-dayer and must improve if England are to avoid their ninth defeat to Sri Lanka in 10 games.
Bowling coach Ottis Gibson has been working on slower balls with the seamers and England need a big improvement if they are to stand any chance in the five-match series.
Coverage of the second ODI gets underway live on Sky Sports 1 from 10am (BST) on Thursday.
England (from): PD Collingwood (Durham, capt), AN Cook (Essex), P Mustard (Durham, wkt), IR Bell (Warwickshire), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), OA Shah (Middlesex), RS Bopara (Essex), SC Broad (Nottinghamshire), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), JM Anderson (Lancashire), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire), AD Mascarenhas (Hampshire).
Sri Lanka (from): DPMD Jayawardene (capt), KC Sangakkara (wkt), ST Jayasuriya, WU Tharanga, TM Dilshan, LPC Silva, J Mubarak, KS Lokuarachchi, CRD Fernando, WPUJC Vaas, SL Malinga, MF Maharoof.
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Source: www.skysports.com
