Sri Lanka tour of England, 2016

2016 Investec Test Cricket will have England facing Sri-Lanka on home ground for 3 Test Matches. The upcoming series of test matches between two extraordinary teams will begin from 19th May and conclude on June 13th 2016. 

Players and fans are in for a nail biting matches with both the teams looking forward to score the series, along with other tournaments scheduled in the same tour.

Sri Lanka Test Squad 2016

The SriLankan cricket team has announced its squad for the series which is as follows:- Angelo Mathews-Captain, Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal-Vice Captain and Wicket Keeper , Dhananjaya de Silva, Shaminda Eranga, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Dimuth Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhammika Prasad, Dasun Shanaka, Kaushal Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne. *England is yet to announce its squad for this series.

Sri Lanka Vs England 2016 TEST Schedule

• 19th -23rd May 2016-1st Test at Headingley
• 27th -31st May 2016-2nd Test at Emirates Durham ICG
• 9th -13th May 2016-3rd Test at Test at Lord's

Sri Lanka Vs England 2016 ODI Schedule

After an absorbing test series, it's time for England and Sri Lanka to don the colored jerseys for a 5-match ODI series. The first One-Day International will be played on June 21 at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham while the fifth and the final ODI will be played on July 2 at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Edgbaston, County Ground and Kennington Oval will be the respective venues for the second, third and fourth ODIs. After a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in the test series, it will be interesting to see whether England can maintain their dominance in the limited overs series as well or will the visitors bounce back to avenge their test series defeat.

Here's a quick preview of the two teams and the key players in either side....

England

England have named a 14-member squad for the ODI series. Alex Hales, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, skipper Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler will form the backbone of their batting line-up. Hales is almost certain to open the batting and he could be partnered with Bairstow. Joe Root holds an excellent record in the 50-over format and he is expected to be the top-scorer for England.

Chris Woakes, Steven Finn, Chris Jordan and David Willey will be the bowlers to watch out for in this series. The Sri Lankan batsmen didn't look comfortable while facing Woakes in the test series, and we're predicting him to be the most successful of the English Bowlers.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have come up with a 15-member squad for this ODI series and the team will be led by Angelo Mathews. With the bat, the visitors will have their hopes pinned on Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga and the skipper himself. Perera and Tharanga could be the opening combination and Mathews should be backed to be the most consistent batsman for Sri Lanka.

Nuwan Pradeep, Mathews, Shaminda Eranga and Dasun Shanaka will be the main threat with the ball. Pradeep had a great test series where he claimed 10 wickets, and we're predicting this fast bowler to bag the most wickets for Sri Lanka in the ODI series as well. Spinners Seekkuge Prasanna and Dhananjaya de Silva will also have an important role to play. 

Who Will Win the Series?

On their last tour of England in 2014, Sri Lanka won the 5-match ODI series 3-2. But this time around, their team is devoid of all the big names like Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Malinga and Kulasekara. Most of their players are inexperienced and many are playing in England for the first time. The hosts, on the other hand, will be playing with full strength and they have a very good ODI record at home. So beating them on their turf will be a daunting task for the visitors. We, therefore, predict England to win this forthcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka.