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[19reading87]

Surprised no room for Ben stokes and woaked selected over him. Drop the standout player for England in the ashes!
Onions must be disappointed to be overlooked again for plunkett.
No front line spinner either.
It was the perfect chance to move away from prior and select buttler.

At least bresnan has been finally been dropped

Onions is injured and Stokes has played 1 game in a long time due to injury!! Makes sense to me

[csnew]

Onions is injured and Stokes has played 1 game in a long time due to injury!! Makes sense to me

Fair enough for onions then, didn't know that.
The same selection policy should be used for prior! He's only played the 1 FC game in a couple of months

[19reading87]

The team will be in batting order

1: A Cook
2: S Robson
3: J Root
4: I Bell
5: G Ballance
6: M Ali
7: M Prior
8: S Broad
9: C Jordon
10: L Plunkett
11: J Anderson

I think Woaksey will miss out

[smilley792]

BORING BORING BORING ENGLAND.

same old bs

[uknsaunders]

Stokes is a joke and double standards:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/10876986/England-v-Sri-Lanka-Ben-Stokes-likely-to-miss-out-on-Test-selection-against-Sri-Lanka-while-Matt-Prior-could-feature.html

Complete lack of class in that team, no KP,Stokes (our best perfomers with the bat in the ashes while Cook went awol) and Monty (best spinner in the country and a proven test match bowler). Instead we pick journeymen allrounders and modest batsman. Jordan is promising but not the finished article to upset test batsman and he's not in the same class as Stokes for batting. Always going to happen with Moores in charge again.

Pleased for Plunkett, he's worked hard to get back.

[Buzz]

The team will be in batting order

1: A Cook
2: S Robson
3: J Root
4: I Bell
5: G Ballance
6: M Ali
7: M Prior
8: S Broad
9: C Jordon
10: L Plunkett
11: J Anderson

I think Woaksey will miss out

I think broad will be at 10 - but otherwise agree with the line up and that woakes is likely to miss out.

But really, who is going to get on with it in this line up until Prior comes in? 
I am really not impressed with this team...

[Giraffe208]

Disappointed for Stokes.

Alastair Cook (Capt)
Sam Robson
Ian Bell
Joe Root
Gary Ballance
Moeen Ali
Matt Prior
Chris Jordan
Stuart Broad
Liam Plunkett
James Anderson

4 seamers with some part time spin from Ali and Root. Doubt spin will get much of a look in though

[Bats_Entertainment]

I think broad will be at 10 - but otherwise agree with the line up and that woakes is likely to miss out.

But really, who is going to get on with it in this line up until Prior comes in? 
I am really not impressed with this team...

Other than it's lack of a specialist spinner, it's a good team.

[Johnny]

I think Woakes is just keeping Stokes place warm until he's fully match fit. The only way I think Woakes plays is if he bats at 6 instead of Ali, and I think with no specialist spinner they are more likely to go with Ali at the moment. Once Stokes is back in the fold I'd suggest Ali, Root and Ballance are playing for 2 places. I'd personally go with Giraffe's top 7. Sorting Broad, Jordan and Plunkett out at 8,9,10 is a nice problem to have.

[uknsaunders]

I think Samit was a better option than Ballance. Not sure how threatening he would be on a turning wicket but if you are playing Ali as a off spinner and the oppo are mainly right handers then Samit offers something turning away. Think could of also slipped Rashid as well.

[uknsaunders]

I think Woakes is just keeping Stokes place warm until he's fully match fit. The only way I think Woakes plays is if he bats at 6 instead of Ali, and I think with no specialist spinner they are more likely to go with Ali at the moment. Once Stokes is back in the fold I'd suggest Ali, Root and Ballance are playing for 2 places. I'd personally go with Giraffe's top 7. Sorting Broad, Jordan and Plunkett out at 8,9,10 is a nice problem to have.

Could be right but if Jordan plays blinder and Plunkett does well, do you go with 5 seamers? Far safer picking Woakes and watching him pick up 1-100 

Jordan, bags of potential but he worries me:-

1. Crap run up
2. Hardly line and length, or massively rapid either - soft slow seaming deck I'm not convinced he will keep the pressure on
3. Doesn't swing the ball or move it much, normally important for getting test players out

Point 3 also applies to Woakes as well but I trust him to bowl length. Depends on what England think they need from the 4th seamer.

[petehosk]

Alastair Cook (Capt)
Sam Robson
Ian Bell
Joe Root
Gary Ballance
Moeen Ali
Matt Prior
Chris Jordan
Stuart Broad
Liam Plunkett
James Anderson

Spin shouldn't feature a lot on our wickets at the moment! So not a bad thing to leave the spinning duites to Ali and Root. They can both hold up an end ok, and I rate Ali better than 'part time' spinner.
I don't think it's too bad for a Test team. On paper it looks like a reasonable batting line-up. But the thing I like is that they have been chosen from recent form too.....so Plunkett and Jordan who have both shown decent form have nailed a place.
I'm sure Stoakes will secure a place when he is fully fit.
Just not convinced that Prior is 100% fit at the moment!! So I would have preferred to see someone else take the gloves until Prior proves his form and fitness? I know people are saying that Buttler is a good option and I realise that he looks good in the shorter formats, but not sure he is ready for Test level yet at International level?

[george_parv]

Must admit the new faces and competition in the line up excites me a bit, for too long its been the same old faces

[Stuey]

1: A Cook
2: S Robson
3: J Root
4: I Bell
5: G Ballance
6: M Ali
7: M Prior
8: S Broad
9: C Jordon
10: L Plunkett
11: J Anderson

Looks to me to be the pickings of a good team capable of beating Sri Lanka. I'm sure Stokes will play a role over the series.

[El Nino]

I'd have Ali at 3 Root 5 Ballance 6