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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft, Geoff Lemon & Adam Collins

Australia v Sri Lanka: second Test, day two – as it happened

Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc took a late wicket as Australia enjoyed another strong day at Manuka Oval. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

And here’s the match report:

Close of play on day two: Sri Lanka 123-3

Another day has gone Australia’s way in this one-sided series with Sri Lanka.

During the morning and afternoon sessions runs continued to flow as they did on day one. Joe Burns reached 180 before playing on but that only brought about another huge partnership, this time featuring Kurtis Patterson and Tim Paine. The former registered his maiden Test century, advancing to 114, while the latter called time on his innings on 45, with his team on 534-5, a declaration that caught everyone by surprise.

Sri Lanka’s response was serene for 30 overs with Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne batting beautifully, but in the blink of an eye the match altered course. Pat Cummins, bowling short at Karunaratne from around the wicket, struck the Sri Lankan opener on the back of his helmet. There was a long delay in play while the batsman was treated on field. He was taken immediately to hospital where he remains under observation.

Soon afterwards Thirimanne perished to a superb Lyon delivery with further wickets falling to Cummins and Mitchell Starc before the close of play. From 82-0 Sri Lanka slid to 123-3, which may well be 123-4 considering Karunaratne’s condition.

Tomorrow promises to be a scorcher in Canberra and Australia will be keen to utilise the dry weather and wrap up the Test in advance of forecast rain on Monday. To find out if they succeed join me, Adam and Geoff right here.

Pat Cummins reasserted Australia’s ascendancy over Sri Lanka late on day two of the second Test in Canberra.
Pat Cummins reasserted Australia’s ascendancy over Sri Lanka late on day two of the second Test in Canberra. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

42nd over: Sri Lanka 123-3 (K Perera 11, Dananjaya 1) The final over of the day is a bit of a fizzer. Despite his pace Starc’s radar is askew and Sri Lanka can regroup in the safety of the pavilion.

41st over: Sri Lanka 122-3 (K Perera 11, Dananjaya 0) Lyon is desperately unlucky not to snag a wicket in his final over. From his first delivery he beats Perera all ends up, the ball somehow missing the outside edge and the off bail by millimetres. From the fifth Perera almost gifts him that dismissal with an elaborate leave. Lyon finishes with 1-40 from 16 overs, including the momentum shifting wicket of Thirimanne.

41st over: Sri Lanka 120-3 (K Perera 9, Dananjaya 0) Starc continues around the wicket to the new right-handed batsman and there’s a pep in his step now, mixing up his length but not his line - laser beam straight.

Two overs remaining today.

Updated

WICKET! Chandimal c Paine b Starc 15 (Sri Lanka 120-3)

Finally some reward for Starc’s pace! From around the wicket he pounded in hard to Chandimal and eventually the Sri Lankan skipper gloved one behind.

Updated

40th over: Sri Lanka 120-2 (Chandimal 15, K Perera 9) Lovely game of cat and mouse between Chandimal and Lyon before the Sri Lankan rotates the strike. Perera then latches onto some length very early, cutting Lyon hard in front of point.

Update: Karunaratna is now in hospital for assessment.

39th over: Sri Lanka 115-2 (Chandimal 14, K Perera 5) After one ball over the wicket Starc moves around to Chandimal, suggesting there’s a lack of conviction in his strategy despite hitting 150kph consistently. He’s back over to Perera after the Sri Lanka skipper nudges him for a single.

A lovely illustration of the dimensions of Australia’s Test venues.

38th over: Sri Lanka 114-2 (Chandimal 13, K Perera 5) Lyon continues his asphyxiation of Perera but after four four dots the batsman fights back, cutting hard for four. He tries to repeat the trick next ball and almost picks out Burns at point but escapes, just.

It’s finally time for Robert Wilson’s email, posted many an hour ago. “Starc’s yips feel transitory if painful,” Mr Wilson suggests. “Mitchell Johnson used to go wobbly on a fairly regular basis, and always came back. He always came back. Because of faith. And not his. Management (and teammates) kept voting for the bloke so when his radar eventually locked on again, he was giving it to the English not banging them down in the nets in some Swiss sanatorium. I don’t think Starc’s yorker is something you want to leave in the garage”. Agree 100%. He is still in my Ashes attack no question.

Updated

37th over: Sri Lanka 110-2 (Chandimal 13, K Perera 1) Mitchell Starc is belatedly recalled into the attack by Tim Paine. It’s worth noting that Cummins did his damage in his second spell after Tea, before Starc had even thrown the ball once. The big lefty gets some serious heat in his opening over but there’s little consistency of line or length. Chandimal latches onto some width to slash a four then plays with soft hands to thick edge another boundary that scuttles along the ground wide of second slip.

36th over: Sri Lanka 102-2 (Chandimal 5, K Perera 1) Lyon now looks unplayable to the left-handed Perera, spinning the ball away from the bat after dropping it temptingly on a length with that prodigious overspin. Maiden over. Seven overs remaining in the day.

35th over: Sri Lanka 102-2 (Chandimal 5, K Perera 1) Pat Cummins is some cricketer. On a pitch doing nothing but offer runs to all-comers his venom disrupts Sri Lanka’s serene progress then his craft produces a wicket.

WICKET! Mendis b Cummins 6 (Australia 101-2)

There is no finer sight in cricket that a fast bowler hitting the top of off stump and that is exactly what Pat Cummins has done. Wherever that ball pitched needs a blue plaque because that is the exact line and length all right-arm over the wicket bowlers should be aiming for. Once Cummins’ delivery had landed in the appropriate spot it wobbled a fraction away from the batsman, deceiving him to play inside the line only to hear the fateful rattle of flying bails behind him.

Updated

34th over: Sri Lanka 101-1 (Chandimal 5, Mendis 6) Kusal Mendis isn’t hanging around, slog-sweeping his first two balls from Lyon. The first lands between long-on and deep midwicket and runs away for four, the second is mistimed much squarer for a single. Lyon then has a massive appeal for LBW against Chandimal and AUSTRALIA REVIEW. Lyon beat Chandimal in the flight, the ball turning beyond the inside-edge and into the front pad but the decision was declined onfield. What does DRS say? Spinning too hard to beat leg stump. REVIEW LOST.

33rd over: Sri Lanka 94-1 (Chandimal 3, Mendis 1) Cummins over the wicket now to the two new right-handed batsmen. The line is still tight to the body though, allowing both Sri Lankans to nudge their ways off donuts.

Updated

WICKET! Thirimanne c Khawaja b Lyon 41 (Sri Lanka 90-1)

Thirimanne shows no adverse effects from the retirement of his opening partner, forcefully sweeping Lyon for four then rocking back and cutting for four more behind point.

Yep, spoke too soon, Lyon nails his line and length, Thirimanne props forward, the ball clips the shoulder of the bat and Usman Khawaja pouches a simple catch at first slip. Cruising a couple of overs ago, Sri Lanka are now missing both openers. Rotten luck for the visitors.

Updated

31st over: Sri Lanka 82-0 (Thirimanne 33, Chandimal 0) Chandimal negotiates the final two deliveries of the over. Big test now for Sri Lanka to regain focus following that nasty incident. Still 12 overs left in the day.

The medicab has driven off the field of play towards a waiting ambulance. Dinesh Chandimal is out in the middle and play will resume shortly.

That stretcher has now been lifted onto the medicab. Karunaratna, wearing a neck brace, is being strapped securely in position.

No short-cuts are being taken out in the middle while Karunaratna is being treated. He has been lifted onto a stretcher with three paramedics overseeing the operation along with a host of Sri Lankan and Australian support staff.

It looks very unlikely that Karunaratna will continue batting. Dinesh Chandimal is readying himself by the boundary rope.

Paramedics are now out in the middle. The batsman has still not moved from his position flat on his back with his knees in the air.

Karunaratna hasn’t moved since he hit the deck but he is talking to the army of medicos assisting him. The medicab has driven out to the middle in case of emergency.

Updated

30.4 over: Sri Lanka 82-0 (D Karunaratne 46, Thirimanne 33) Karunaratna’s turn to receive treatment and this looks considerably more serious. Cummins dropped one short from around the wicket to the left-hander and the batsman had no idea what he was doing, making a late decision to duck into the bouncer, the ball flicking his front shoulder and scudding into the back of his helmet. Karunaratna immediately dropped to the turf with assistance arriving from all angles. There will be a lengthy break in play.

Updated

30th over: Sri Lanka 82-0 (D Karunaratne 46, Thirimanne 33) A rare false stroke against Lyon sees Thirimanne get a lot of top-edge on a slog sweep. Fortunately for him there’s enough wood on the shot to see the ball clear the infield.

Russell Jackson, formerly of this parish, wrote the magnum opus on curved run-ups here. It includes nominations for Merv Hughes and the incomparable Malcolm Marshall.

Do not dangle near this angle.

29th over: Sri Lanka 80-0 (D Karunaratne 46, Thirimanne 31) Cummins replaces Richardson but continues the same approach - around the wicket, hitting the deck hard. Again the line is a tad too much towards the pads and Sri Lanka profit without much trouble.

This has been a textbook day for over-rates. 30 overs were due in this final session and at the midpoint we’ve seen 15 of them. We remain on track for a 5,30pm finish.

28th over: Sri Lanka 77-0 (D Karunaratne 45, Thirimanne 29) After the excitement of the previous over a return to normality with Sri Lanka safely negotiating Lyon before enjoying a well-earned drink.

Some better vision of Price’s curved run-up here, from the 1964 Ashes Test at old Trafford. Very Daniel Worrall areas.

27th over: Sri Lanka 76-0 (D Karunaratne 45, Thirimanne 29) Ooooh, after batting serenly since Tea, Thirimanne is in a spot of bother. Richardson’s line from around the wicket has finally paid dividends, getting one to lift, chase the left-hander, and smack into his top hand. Out comes the physio and the magic spray. When play resumes Thirimanne gets off strike but there’s more action to follow with Karunaratna top-edging an ambitious pull to a 147kph lifter that is fortunate to fly over the cordon for four.

“Good morning Jonathan,” good evening Steve Ditchburn, “I would nominate John Price in the ‘Angled Run Up Stakes’. A friend once faced him playing against Middlesex 2nds - Mr Price had been injured and was making his way back slowly. My friend said he saw the run up but not the ball as it whizzed past his outside edge. Best played from the other end. Currently in Cape Town, yesterday I watched SA v Pakistan 1st T20, a great spectacle”.

John Price, star of this time capsule of England in the 1970s.

26th over: Sri Lanka 70-0 (D Karunaratne 40, Thirimanne 28) Another over of skittish calling, the only facet of batting Sri Lanka look vulnerable in right now. Lyon is once again seen off with no alarms and no surprises.

25th over: Sri Lanka 69-0 (D Karunaratne 39, Thirimanne 28) Some creativity from Australia here with Richardson moving around the wicket and Paine responding with a field full of catchers in front of the bat, including two shortish midwickets. The bowler’s line is a touch too legside to trouble either left-hander though. Some questionable calling excites Australia’s ring fielders on a couple of occasions but a catastrophic run out was never really on the cards.

24th over: Sri Lanka 68-0 (D Karunaratne 39, Thirimanne 28) Better from Lyon, drawing Thirimanne forward more frequently this over. A maiden is his reward.

23rd over: Sri Lanka 68-0 (D Karunaratne 39, Thirimanne 28) Another composed run-scoring over from Sri Lanka. This pair are causing Australia a few headaches with their calm accumulation.

22nd over: Sri Lanka 66-0 (D Karunaratne 37, Thirimanne 28) Since that early run of maidens after Tea Sri Lanka have done extremely well to rotate the strike and deny Australia the opportunity to apply some pressure. Lyon in particular has been on the wrong end of some well-judged singles.

21st over: Sri Lanka 63-0 (D Karunaratne 35, Thirimanne 27) Richardson replaces Cummins from the pool end, which gives me a chance to celebrate his marvellously angled run-up. You don’t see many of those any more. Who had the best? Can I nominate Angus Fraser? Meanwhile, back at the cricket, Thirimanne whip-cracks a half-volley outside his off stump for a beautiful four that leaves scorch marks on the Manuka Oval turf on its way to the cover fence. Sri Lanka look like they’re enjoying themselves out there.

Updated

20th over: Sri Lanka 58-0 (D Karunaratne 34, Thirimanne 23) Nice intent from Sri Lanka, unsettling Lyon with a well-run two from the opening ball of the over then scampering singles from deliveries two and four. Lyon almost exacts his revenge but a push to short-leg arrives in Labuschagne’s hands on the half-volley.

19th over: Sri Lanka 54-0 (D Karunaratne 33, Thirimanne 20) Cummins moves back over the wicket after spending the start of his spell around to the left-handers. He’s immediately on a tight line across Thirimanne, maintaining that deck-hitting length, pinning the batsman to the crease and slipping in the occasional bouncer. Can he execute the fuller one and draw the false stroke? Not this over, which ends with a nudged single into the onside.

I’ve just checked the radar and there are a few slow-moving showers heading our way. It would not surprise me if there was a brief interruption between now and the close.

Updated

18th over: Sri Lanka 53-0 (D Karunaratne 33, Thirimanne 19) Lyon finally lands one in exactly the right place and Thirimanne is left groping at fresh air while the ball spins beyond his outside edge. Again, around that jaffa, length is an issue and Sri Lanka pinch a couple of singles.

“As I stroke my imaginary beard (with some sticky tape left in the middle after Sunday cricket), I wonder about the inability of the Aussies to generate definitive reverse swing ever since the South Africa tour,” begins OB Jato, in an email that seems unlikely to upset anybody. “On the same flat pitches, with decent servings of sugar still in the dressing room, are the bowlers properly *applying* themselves? During the Ashes, they were Swinging It Like Botham, but that ability seems to have vanished in thin air along with Bancroft, Smith and Warner. I know it’s a controversial topic since the rest of the ‘leadership group’ had nothing to do with the tampering, but is there any theory which arises in your mind that the Tail-Ender Starc may have lost some of his threat, and thus lost the plot with his confidence, line, and length, ever since the Aussies have not been ‘shining’ the ball like they used to?”

Updated

17th over: Sri Lanka 51-0 (D Karunaratne 32, Thirimanne 18) A run! A run! Huzzah! Just the one, no need to get carried away, but the Jack Fingleton Scoreboard gets a workout for the first time since Tea. Or maybe we can get carried away? Karunaratne pierces the ring for a couple then dabs and runs for another single.

16th over: Sri Lanka 47-0 (D Karunaratne 29, Thirimanne 17) Another maiden. We’re now up to 21 dots, either side of Tea. It’s not the most testing of overs from Lyon though whose length is a little on the short side, but Karunaratna is unable to put him away through the well-placed offside field.

15th over: Sri Lanka 47-0 (D Karunaratne 29, Thirimanne 17) Cummins partners Lyon after the interval and he makes it 12 dots in a row since Tea. The paceman is opting for the deck-hitting approach to Thirimanne but he’s not getting much reward from the flat track.

A quick shout out to Trent Copeland, who has been a superb addition to Australian screens this summer. He’s grown into his role as the analyst (TM), looking at home with the technology, unafraid to draw on a variety of data, and adding genuine insight from a player’s perspective, which remains all-too rare, despite commentary boxes of all sports being almost exclusively staffed by former pros.

14th over: Sri Lanka 47-0 (D Karunaratne 29, Thirimanne 17) Plenty of turn and bounce again for Lyon. Karunaratna is happy to play out a maiden, largely defensively but he looks for runs from the final ball but can’t capitalise on Lyon dropping short. This will be a testing session from the GOAT.

Play will resume shortly. A neat 30 overs remain in the day, textbook stuff for a change.

I’m surprised there wasn’t more chat on the OBO about the possibility of rain today and later in this Test. According to my forecast there’s been around a 65% chance of showers since about 3pm and more rain is expected on Monday especially. I’m sure that was a consideration in Tim Paine’s declaration.

Fortunately it is sunny and glorious at Manuka Oval right now as Nathan Lyon prepares to bowl his second over...

Thilo emailed this to Adam, but Adam is a kind and thoughtful man and didn’t want it to go to waste.

“As a fellow Canbassador I’m absolutely livid that my early departure (lbw Dutton P) from the best small capital stops me from attending this monumental historic event that is the first ACT Test. One of the best grounds, alone for the fact that they still allow kick 2 kick after Canberra (aka Southwestern Western Sydney) Giants AFL games. A hill and the old scoreboard give it a feel that is now unique amongst Test venues since the new Adelaide Oval update.

Being a German cricket tragic from my first ever cricket game at the MCG for the 2010/11 Ashes (day 1, don’t think much happened, as far as I remember...) my playing talent is on a level with Scott Morrison’s prime ministership or Tony Abbott’s tenure as Minister for Women. Like them, it never stopped me from trying though, and their results were arguably worse for Australians.

In Canberra I decided to try playing and was welcomed by the lovely Woden Wanderers Cricket Club in their fifth grade team, where they even let me bowl slow right arm (non) offspin. Having never held a cricket bat before turning 28, my exploits with the willow were limited to imitations of Jason Gillespie, pre double-century.

As fate had it, I got one call up to their highest grade team, I think 3rd grade. By call up, I mean that they had only 10 players and my mate was the selector. In true Grade Cricketer style I fielded (mid on, maybe), didn’t bowl and batted 11. Since we collapsed like England in the Caribbean, I actually had to face their opening bowler on his third spell or so. Stacked cordon and light chatter welcomes me, who had at that stage decided to bat left handed, inspired by reading about Hussey and playing tennis left handed but writing with my right.

I just reflectively had picked the wrong gloves and batted right handed despite this, not that it would have mattered. The first ball pitched on middle and off and swung to 4th or 5th stump. This was the first time I had actually ever seen proper swing. First slip encouragingly said “he’ll nick one soon, get ready for a catch”. I had “left” the ball, because I had no clue where it went and my defensive push went nowhere. So I turned around and informed the gentleman that there would be no chance in hell that I would get anywhere near enough to the ball to nick it. The next ball pitched leg and swung to mid where it made a mess of my stumps, highlighting that bowlers are smarter than batsmen. It was at the ground next to the Mint, another iconic Canberra location.”

The Jack Fingleton Scoreboard is a feature of the latest Test venue.
The Jack Fingleton Scoreboard is a feature of the latest Test venue. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

A change of OBO driver means a change of contact details. @JPHowcroft to pester me on Twitter, or feed me some nourishing emails at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.

Let’s enjoy the tea interval with a nice tribute to Kurtis, who blowed Sri Lanka away earlier today. He got the break early, when he was dropped at short-leg first ball.

Coming up next on Mid-morning Matters...

Thank you very much Mr Collins, my favourite cricketing Adam since Adam Hollioake. Surprisingly (to me anyway) Hollioake was the first Adam to play Test cricket for England. 586 men appeared for England before an Adam finally rocked up in 1997.

There’s only ever been two English Test Adams, it turns out. Adam Lyth joining the club in 2015.

This video of Hollioake explaining that he missed a Surrey team bus in the 80s only has 52 views, which seems a shame.

Updated

TEA: Sri Lanka 47-0

13th over: Sri Lanka 47-0 (D Karunaratne 29, Thirimanne 17) Cummins sends down the final set before the tea break, but that doesn’t bother Thirimanne who lifts a shorter ball over the slips and down to the third man boundary! Earlier in the set, Karunaratne was at it too, pushing off he back foot through extra cover for three. That’s a nice, positive way to finish off what has been a very good hour for the tourists after Australia declared their first innings closed at 534-5. But the Australian openers then struggled to do much with the new ball, Starc volatile and Richardson docile. Both sides have a bit of work to do after the breather. For that, stick with JP Howcroft on the 1s and 2s through to the close. Bye for now!

12th over: Sri Lanka 40-0 (D Karunaratne 25, Thirimanne 13) It is all action with Lyon from the get go, beating Thirimanne with one that turns as much as the first ball he bowled in Test cricket at Kumar Sangakkara way back when. Wonderful bowling to begin on the ground that Lyon calls home. Later in the set, he draws a false stroke from him that nearly makes it to the hands of the man at backward point! Lyon sure loves bowling at Manuka, his true home ground.

11th over: Sri Lanka 38-0 (D Karunaratne 25, Thirimanne 12) Cummins is getting a nice degree of shape into Thirimanne from round the wicket, making any leave dicey from that angle. Good cricket from both. He keeps the strike with a tuck around the corner. Time for Nathan Lyon? Yep. He’s ready to come on.

“With regards to the Richies (and they really should shuffle off),” begins Phil Withall, “at every test I’ve been to in Australia there are large groups of people that appear to be paying tribute to David Boon. They normally start mid-afternoon and make a valiant effort to recreate ‘that’ flight to England.”

Drinking in Australia at the cricket is a thing - no doubt at all - but in my experience, English crowds are world-leaders at getting full in the outer.


10th over: Sri Lanka 37-0 (D Karunaratne 25, Thirimanne 11) Richardson follows Cummins by redirecting to round the wicket, this way forcing them to play. But having watched Karunaratne’s straight drive in the previous over, Thirimanne is doing much the same time this around, albeit for three. Richardson busts out his bumper in response, as is the custom, for the first time in this spell.

9th over: Sri Lanka 34-0 (D Karunaratne 25, Thirimanne 8) Oh my, that’s a wooooonderful shot from Karunaratne to cap the first Cummins over of the afternoon, lashing a picture-perfect on-drive past the umpire and down to the rope. Until that point, Cummins was played respectfully, the first change not sending down any deliveries that could be left alone or ignored.

“There is rain forecast on Monday, and with the pitch as flat as Britain’s policy-making progress, I understand their decision, even if I don’t agree with it,” emails Abhijato Sensarma. Of course, he’s right. I have a thing about early declarations.

He continues: “Anyways, this declaration is momentous not only because it’s Paine’s first, but because I can’t remember a single skipper in recent history who has declared so close to a milestone, one which he seldom gets too! He’s a fantastic bloke - well-behaved, experienced enough to know all the ups and downs of a sporting career, the wittiest sledger in the game, and a man with underappreciated Test tactics. While he may not be the ideal player, he is Dhoni-eque - he adds value beyond the runs and catches. I saw his only international century; he was a terrific batsman once. Even now he’s stoic enough, and one of the best keepers in the world. When Smith returns and completes his leadership ban, I want Paine to lead the side as long as he’s able to stand on two legs. Tim’s terrific, ain’t he?”

8th over: Sri Lanka 30-0 (D Karunaratne 21, Thirimanne 8) Here come the runs off Richardson, three impotent maidens followed by an over worth seven, Karunaratne pushing two through cover then turning the strike over to midwicket. Thirimanne, who watched a lot of balls on the 6th-10th stump line from him so far, also gets stuck into one this time, crushing him through extra cover to get his first boundary and a lovely one at that.

7th over: Sri Lanka 23-0 (D Karunaratne 18, Thirimanne 4) After a solid previous over, Starc begins his fourth with another ball that drifts onto the pads of Karunaratne, the experienced opener making no mistake putting it away for his third boundary. But he improves as the set continues, slipping past the inside edge of Karunaratne - prompting an appeal for lbw - then going beyond his outside edge to finish with the opener pushing when he should have been leaving.

“Am I alone in thinking that the Richies should have been a one hit wonder?” asks Phillip Lewis. “I guess it was a solid enough gag in the beginning but even the best gags wear thin with excessive repetition. What year was it when they started? They’d best get creative again and come up with a new routine for next summer. The Chappelli’s, circa 1972, perhaps?”

I’ll put that to Ian, he’s sitting a couple of seats down writing his column - ever the pro, no ghost writer in sight.

6th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (D Karunaratne 13, Thirimanne 4) Once again it takes four balls from Richardson though to the wicketkeeper before Thirimanne needs to play. Watching from our vantage point right behind the bowler, there just isn’t any swing on offer for him back to the left handers, and they’re leaving him well.

5th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (D Karunaratne 13, Thirimanne 4) Phew. A maiden from Starc, Karunaratne having to leave closer to his off stump, defend and get out the way of a decent short one. Something to build on.

Interesting the contrast between the TV calls that has been opening up over the last couple of Tests - not least since Isa Guha finished up for the summer. But there’s an audience big enough to cater for all different types of commentary, so the good news these days is that if you aren’t into Love Island and lasagne, the alternative is there. Nothing wrong with that, by the way: follow your heart.


4th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (D Karunaratne 13, Thirimanne 4) Richardson is off the mark too, allowing Thirimanne to leave all six of these deliveries. Cue the calls for Cummins to get the new ball. Yes, I’m being a bit cheeky. But twitter is twitter.

3rd over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (D Karunaratne 13, Thirimanne 4) This is just... ropey. No other word for it. During the Fox Cricket ad breaks, they have been showing some of his World Cup 2015 highlights to fire people up for the tournament in June/July this year. Right now, this is not the same guy. Yes, he’s quick. Yes, the accurate bumper is still part of the over and he’s over 150kph. But soon enough he’s on the pads, and by the end short and wide, Karunaratne safe to throw his hands with a cut over the cordon.

2nd over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (D Karunaratne 8, Thirimanne 3) We were side on for Richardson’s debut on the OBO last week, so we didn’t get a full appreciation of just how wide he runs in - what a beautiful throwback it is. It’s not a great first over here, mind, the young quick allowing Karunaratne to watch four deliveries pass through well wide of the off-stump before defending the last couple.



1st over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (D Karunaratne 8, Thirimanne 3) Four first ball! Nice clip from Karunaratne to get his afternoon underway, then taking one in the same direction. A quicker, full delivery nearly gets through Thirimanne first ball, hitting him on the pad, but going down the legside. He’s off the mark next ball, again with a clip from a ball on leg stump, denied a four only due to an athletic dive from Jhye Richardson (of course) on the boundary. Starc hits 154kph on the radar with his penultimate ball, locating Karunaratne’s inside edge. Completing the quick but inaccurate set there’s another tuck forward of square by Karunaratne, this time the extra run saved by Cummins on the rope with a dive just as impressive as Richardson’s. 11 from the Starc over and I don’t know what to make of it.

The players are back on the field! This is a big spell for Starc. He’ll be running in at Karunaratne to begin. GO!

Isn’t that a bit of a waste? I understand wanting to win in four days and so on. But Tim Paine hasn’t made a first class ton since 2006 and Kurtis Patterson was re-setting beautifully after reaching his century. Isn’t there a skill in going on to tally 600-plus and a great news story in Paine that’s gone begging? Not to be.

A wonderful round of applause from the Canberra crowd for Kurtis Patterson, completing his first Test century with red ink. Unless something completely out of the ordinary occurs over the next two days, he’ll go to England with a Test average of 144. Cop that, Bradman.

Updated

Australia declare at 534-5

132nd over: Australia 534-5 (Patterson 114, Paine 45) Oh right, they’ve had enough? Paine has pulled the pin five runs short of his half-century. We didn’t even have enough time for the declaration speculation, coming at least an hour or two earlier than the norm. Anyway, they’ve had their fill and that’s it. It is Paine’s first ever declaration as captain, for what little that factoid is worth.

Updated

131st over: Australia 531-5 (Patterson 111, Paine 45) Shoooot! Patterson’s square is to die for, latching onto the third ball of Rajith’s new spell, crunching it off the front foot through point for four. In keeping with the theme of this hour of play, three more singles are found to the deep.

130th over: Australia 524-5 (Patterson 105, Paine 44) Paine dances and drives to the long-on sweeper to start the new Perera over. Good intent from Patterson to grab a single to mid-off, taking on the fielder and making it easily. Paine then inches closer to a milestone of his own, deflecting a couple behind point.


129th over: Australia 519-5 (Patterson 103, Paine 41) Poor Karunaratne has really fallen away since his first over yesterday. Then, he picked up Labuschagne with the fifth offering of his international career. Now, he has 1/146 from 24 overs. The Australian pair are doing as they please against him here, picking up four singles, three of those from impotent deliveries on the line of the body.

128th over: Australia 515-5 (Patterson 101, Paine 39) Patterson starts again, solid in defence after reaching three figures. Always a good sign. Singles to the sweepers for both men complete the Perera over. The next question: can Tim Paine join Head and Patterson by making his own maiden century here?


Kurtis Patterson has his first Test ton!

127th over: Australia 513-5 (Patterson 100, Paine 38) And brought up in style with a well-timed push through cover off Karunaratne, the pair turning easily for three! The footage of his family in the stands is quite brilliant, so proud of the 25-year-old for the way he has made this opportunity count. Two weeks ago he wasn’t so much as in the Test squad, now he’s just about a lock for the Ashes. Well batted, young man.



126th over: Australia 505-5 (Patterson 97, Paine 35) Ooooh! I like this, the senior spinner Perera back and he’s not letting Patterson walk to 100 on his watch. The left-hander did jump down the track a couple of times, the second of those prompting a false shot and nearly making it to cover in the air. But he’s all good.

Australia reach 500!

125th over: Australia 505-5 (Patterson 97, Paine 35) For the first time since the SCG Test last year, the Australians have made it to 500 in an innings! They reach the milestone through a pair of Patterson boundaries, taking him to within three of a ton. Karunaratne, the man on debut, is short with his first ball, pulled away with ease, then a fraction wide later in the set, hammered away behind point. Easy!

124th over: Australia 496-5 (Patterson 88, Paine 35) Easy pickings for Patterson, leaning into a half-volley from Fernando, threading it through the gap for four. He had the chance to move into the 90s with four more but missed out, his pull shot finding midwicket. In any case, we’re not far away from a very special moment for the young man here.

123rd over: Australia 490-5 (Patterson 83, Paine 34) Long on, deep point, deep backward square. There are singles on offer all over the place and both batsmen, well set by any measure, are happy to take advantage with no risk whatsoever.

It being day two, The Richies are in doing their usual thing, sitting at the far end of the ground. But beneath my position at long-on the Sri Lankan fans are drowning them out with their own trumpets, drums and tunes. Far preferable.

122nd over: Australia 487-5 (Patterson 82, Paine 32) Fernando keeps with his short attack to begin but his bumper sails over Patterson’s head, called a wide. He brings it down a couple of feet above the left-hander’s hip with enough time to pull it around the corner for a couple. The left-armer aborts the plan and starts mixing it up on a full length but is unable to get through the Patterson defence.

“Loving the blog,” emails my old mate Sam Casey. “On the Manuka/NZ chat [that was on the OBO yesterday] State Circle, which girts Parliament House, has avenues running off it for the capital of each state of Australia. Canberra Avenue, on which you find the oval, was intended to be named Wellington Avenue because there was still some thought that New Zealand may become a state of Australia (section 124 of the Constitution still allows for this).”

121st over: Australia 484-5 (Patterson 80, Paine 32) Shot! Patterson uses his feet for the first time in the session and lashes Dhananjaya on the up down the ground for four to move him into the 80s. He’s back in the groove here after lunch.

120th over: Australia 479-5 (Patterson 75, Paine 32) Fernando shifts to round the wicket at Paine, the captain taking on the short ball when he arrives, down well in front of the two men on the rope hoping for a top edge. He defends the rest.

Some lovely shots of the Jack Fingleton Scoreboard so far (one of those I’m fairly happy with from my own lens yesterday when Burns brought up his ton), but I love this as well from when the hand-operated beaut lived at the MCG. So many of the defining memories from the pre-colour colour action at ‘G included television vision taken of it at the conclusion of VFL Grand Finals and so on, not to mention the 1956 Olympics.

119th over: Australia 477-5 (Patterson 75, Paine 30) At lunch, Jim Maxwell said that he has rarely seen a less threatening spin duo than Perera and Dhananjaya in this innings so far, the latter milked for three ODI-esque singles to begin this middle stanza.

The players are back on the field. Dhananjaya has the ball from the southern end bowling at Paine (28) with Patterson (74) up the other end, Australia resuming on 474-5. PLAY!

An idea. Let’s start with an assumption: England nor Australia will be making a stack of runs this year in the Ashes. Notwithstanding this dig against the second-string Sri Lankans... Tim Paine’s inexperienced side against the moving ball? Joe Root’s against the Australians? Don’t buy a day five ticket is all I’m saying.

Anyway, to my selection thought. Australia could accept from the outset that runs will be a struggle and go all-out trying to take 20 England wickets as quickly as possible with the most potent attack possible. Stick with me, I’ll get to my point.

What do Tim Paine, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins share in common? Wonderful jawlines, for one. But also, they are Test No7s. But if they batted in order at 6, 7 then 8, would that not be okay as it averages 7? With Paine, Pattinson then Cummins, it gives Australia the ability to play both four quicks and Lyon.

Sure, a conventional number six will mean more runs overall. But would having that extra fresh option, especially someone as rapid as Pattinson who bowled remarkably well in England two summers ago for Notts, make a bigger overall contribution? I appreciate this is a bit funky, but surely they are going to have to be in order to win in England for the first time since 2001. Thoughts?

Good afternoon! I’ve just returned from a lap of the ground where I saw just about every human that I know from Canberra. It’s a wonderful occasion out there. Of course, with the schedule through to 2023 as it is, the chances of another before then are fairly slim, but they’re making it count out there right now.

They’re enjoying Australia in cruise control with the bat, something we haven’t been able to say that often over the last 12 months. At all, come to think of it. A couple of those Patterson square drives were pristine before the interval. He’s surely on the way to maiden Test ton at the second time of asking in this session.

So let’s see the new man through to three figures together in the usual way by slinging an email into my inbox or dropping a hot take at my twitter mentions.

Updated

Lunch on day two – Australia 474-5

A better bowling performance from Sri Lanka this morning: more consistent, more accurate. But only one wicket has fallen, and the runs have still flowed fast enough, with 90 runs on the board. Patterson can have some early thoughts of a Test century, if he dares, while Paine also has a great chance for a decent score after the break.

There’s a huge amount of time left in the game, there’s a sell-out crowd filling Manuka, it’s a gentle cool and cloudy day, and so there’s no reason for Australia to do anything but bat and bat and bat.

That’s it from me – I’ll be back tomorrow, and coming up next will be Adam Collins. Kindly address your correspondence accordingly.

118th over: Australia 474-5 (Patterson 74, Paine 28) Rajitha to Paine, who works a single. Patterson waits out the rest, including another no-ball.

“Was Kurtis Patterson the player who came out to field for New South Wales with a toasted sandwich in his pocket?” asks Brett Sprigg on ABC Grandstand. “It’s strange what stays in your memory.”

“Why not?” responds Dirk Nannes. “You can have whatever you like in your pockets.”

There is a long silence.

“That might not be the best suggestion,” says Sprigg eventually. “After the last ten months or so.”

For the record, let it show that the toastie belonged to Nic Maddinson. And appropriately, it’s time for lunch.

117th over: Australia 472-5 (Patterson 74, Paine 27) Gorgeous. Threads the gap between cover and mid-off, as Kusal Perera dives and can’t save. Dilruwan Perera the bowler. Most of Patterson’s boundaries have come from the short ball, and that was easily his best from a fuller pitch. Is he thinking about a hundred yet?

Updated

116th over: Australia 468-5 (Patterson 70, Paine 27) Rajitha is back, he’s been Sri Lanka’s best today by a mile. And he nearly bags Patterson straight up. Leading edge that drops short of midwicket. Minor victory for the bowler. But Patterson takes back the ascendancy by smashing a pull shot for four, just beating midwicket who dives, but the ball flies away to the rope.

Just as I suspected.

Updated

115th over: Australia 463-5 (Patterson 65, Paine 27) The race through the overs continues, de Silva getting through his in about a minute. Patterson’s single through cover at the midpoint is the only score.

114th over: Australia 462-5 (Patterson 64, Paine 27) A maiden from Perera, with Paine happy to stay at home and play conventional defence throughout the set.

113th over: Australia 462-5 (Patterson 64, Paine 27) Paine gets a leg bye, after which Patterson charges de Silva and plonks him through cover for four. I’m not sure if that was supposed to be a high loft or along the ground, but he mis-hit it and split the difference, at a catchable height but in the gap. The partnership is worth 58.

Updated

112th over: Australia 457-5 (Patterson 60, Paine 27) Paine getting very cautious, including just padding a Perera delivery away. Old school. Gets a single to close the over.

Phillip Lewis emails in: “Whilst reading Steve Smith’s Men I’m reminded of a question I was asking myself in the immediate aftermath of the ball tampering fiasco. Who tipped off the South African TV people? Was it an eagle-eyed doorman? Were the change rooms bugged? How, in short, did anyone other than the suspended culprits know?”

I suppose then I have to mention that Phillip is referring to my recent book, available in good bookshops and online.

And to answer his question, the South African players had a pretty fair suspicion that there was something unorthodox going on. The broadcasters did the investigative work.

111th over: Australia 456-5 (Patterson 60, Paine 26) Double spin, perhaps, as Dhananjaya de Silva comes on from the Church End. He bowls serviceable part-time off-spin. Patterson cuts a couple and drops a single. Paine gives the strike back thanks to a fumble at mid on.

110th over: Australia 452-5 (Patterson 57, Paine 25) Patterson with the hit-and-run to mid off once more, taking the quick singles well. That’s the only score from the over.

109th over: Australia 451-5 (Patterson 56, Paine 25) Karunaratne lobs the ball from hand to hand, like a clubbie pretending he’s about to come in and bowl a ripping leg-break before sending down a slow doorknob. When he bowls too full, Paine produces the best shot of his innings. The square drive looked risky, but this on-drive is perfect. A picture. Put it on a postcard. The 450 comes up.


108th over: Australia 447-5 (Patterson 56, Paine 21) Paine drives Perera to mid on a couple of times before taking on the man for a single. The only score from the over, but Perera is four runs away from his bowling ton.

107th over: Australia 446-5 (Patterson 56, Paine 20) Karunaratne, from the Church End now although he bowled at the Pool End earlier. Paine tries to repeat the slashing square drive from earlier but this ball doesn’t get up enough, and it creeps under his stroke. When the bowler goes back of a length, Paine is able to force square off the back foot and pick up three out to deep cover. Patterson drives a couple through mid on from a very overpitched delivery. So Karunaratne follows up with one just as full but wider, and Patterson drives it cleanly through point for four. A productive over, worth nine.

106th over: Australia 437-5 (Patterson 50, Paine 17) Now it’s Patterson’s turn to find the field, as Perera keeps dropping short but isn’t punished. Hasn’t bowled with much rhythm. “One maiden in his spell, that says it all for me,” observes fellow off-spinner Phil Tufnell on ABC radio. Make that two maidens now, but the second wasn’t a quality one.

Half century! Kurtis Patterson 50 from 100 balls

105th over: Australia 437-5 (Patterson 50, Paine 17) Chamika Karunaratne comes into the attack for Fernando. Patterson glances a single for his milestone, and celebrates in very understated fashion. Paine plays plenty of shots to the next five balls, but finds the field every time.

104th over: Australia 436-5 (Patterson 49, Paine 17) Behind the pace here as the Canberra internet and phone networks combine to black out the blog – apologies. Dilrurwan bowls a mostly pretty good over, but Patterson produces a quality on-drive away through midwicket for three, which is saved at the rope.

103rd over: Australia 433-5 (Patterson 46, Paine 17) Fernando to Paine, who drops a single away to the leg side and scurries through. Patterson goes more firmly in the same direction for another.

This gives you a sense of the Patterson approach.

102nd over: Australia 431-5 (Patterson 45, Paine 16) We’ve had a drinks break and now Dilruwan Perera resumes from the Pool End. A tidy sort of over, met by some tidy defence from Patterson. Some variety from the batsman, happy to use his long reach and also to use his feet to defend.

101st over: Australia 431-5 (Patterson 45, Paine 16) Patterson is a long and bendy batsman, and his gangles are all on display as he pulls a single from Vishwa Fernando. Paine likewise pulls and scores a couple of runs.

“Do you think Paine will eye a ton here,” asks Ruth Purdue on email. He can eye one, just like I can eye an Aston Martin through the showroom window. But he hasn’t made a first-class ton since 2006, so the likelihood doesn’t seem high. Certainly hope he can do it before his second-chance career is over.

100th over: Australia 428-5 (Patterson 44, Paine 14) Dilruwan Perera comes on to try some off-breaks, bowling from the Swimming Pool End rather than the Church End where he was yesterday. Paine tries to shovel a couple across his stumps before he gets a single away. Patterson drives to mid-on and sets off with the shot, bolting through as the stumps get thrown down. He was in comfortably but the umpire goes upstairs anyway. Not out: his foot was well in, let alone his bat.

99th over: Australia 426-5 (Patterson 43, Paine 13) Fernando to Paine, left-arm over the wicket, and Paine drives beautifully down the ground for four! Just inside the mid-off fieldsman, who is set quite wide, and it beat his dive. Paine usually likes to get on with the game, though he has played some long innings for Australia since coming back into the side nearly 18 months ago. Picks up another brace through the gully. Then a leg bye.

98th over: Australia 419-5 (Patterson 43, Paine 7) Karunaratne to Patterson bowls most of a good over, angling across the lefty just outside the off stump. But when he tries the bouncer Patterson is more than equal to it, pulling behind square and beating the squarer sweeper into the fence. It’s a no-ball too, yet another overstep for the Sri Lankan attack.

97th over: Australia 414-5 (Patterson 39, Paine 7) That’s a bit more convincing from Paine. Fuller and wide from Rajitha and Paine throws a square drive at it. Nails it for four. Rajitha gets a ball to come into the pads and nearly squeaks through, but Paine gets bat there. Then a tester back of a length that got enough bat that it didn’t constitute an outside edge. But we’ve seen some decent stuff from Rajitha this morning.

96th over: Australia 410-5 (Patterson 39, Paine 3) Karunaratne – the bowler, not the batsman – comes on. Short and stocky but wheels the ball down alright. Tim Paine won’t get many better chances than this to make some runs. But he nearly spurns that with a wild cut shot that misses but nearly gives up a top edge. He gets going with a push down the ground for three runs.

95th over: Australia 407-5 (Patterson 39, Paine 0) Rajitha nearly gets another with the chop-on. Patterson stands up tall and gets a bottom edge trying to force away away to the off side. The ball lands kindly for him. Gets a couple of runs on the leg glance.

94th over: Australia 405-5 (Patterson 37, Paine 0) Patterson is unflustered, and keeps collecting singles. Paine tries to block out Fernando’s over, though he misses one and is reprieved by the umpire. Outside leg stump perhaps from the left-armer?

93rd over: Australia 404-5 (Patterson 36, Paine 0) Well, it’s a busy old over from Rajitha. He gets belted by Patterson’s pull shot for four, from a no-ball, and then gives Burns another boundary off the legs. Australia’s 400 comes up. But then Rajitha gets some fortune his way with the wicket. On balance, he’s bowled a few great deliveries and probably deserved some luck. Here comes Paine, blocking out his first ball.

WICKET! Burns b Rajitha 180, Australia 404-5

Oh, that’s bad luck! But Burns has had plenty of good luck in this knock to this point. Burns is out to the pleave: he half played at this ball well outside off, then wanted to bail out. Left the bat hanging out, the ball comes off the face and bounces down onto his stump. Burns is gone for his best Test score of 180, and his fourth Test century. Three of them have been over 150. He’s got something, as we’ve all known for a while. Quite why he hasn’t been in the team between now and Johannesburg last year is the enduring mystery. Safe to say he’s back, even as he goes.

Updated

92nd over: Australia 394-4 (Burns 176, Patterson 31) Burns gets going with his first Queensland shot of the morning, getting up tall for a meaty cut through the covers. Only gets two as the outfield is a touch slow and he didn’t time it perfectly. Fernando follows up by beating his edge with a good one. There’s been something for the bowlers in this early passage, but as we saw yesterday, if you don’t make the most of that you can be in some serious toil.

91st over: Australia 392-4 (Burns 174, Patterson 31) Burns nudges another single, creeping towards that double-century. Patterson edges Rajitha, the second stroke of bad luck for the bowler, as it angles down past gully on the bounce, false shot from an uncontrolled poke. Patterson has a new highest score, following his 30 on debut in Brisbane. If he can keep this trend up in each innings he’ll have a fair record by his 100th Test.

“The first bear would be the vanguard. What sort of bears are they? Cuddly and cute or fierce and growly?” I don’t know where you went to school, Andrew Benton, but the vanguard is looking after the escape vehicle.

90th over: Australia 387-4 (Burns 173, Patterson 27) Fernando to Patterson, trying to do the disciplined thing and just work away in the channel outside the left-hander’s off stump. Patterson counters with the other disciplined thing and leaves it all. Discipline fight.

89th over: Australia 387-4 (Burns 173, Patterson 27) Kasun Rajitha from the Church End, directly in front of us here in the media centre. Some swing for him immediately. Patterson works a single, but Burns is beaten by an absolute beauty. That was aimed at middle stump so Burns came slightly across the ball. Then it swung away, beat his outside edge, and just, just crept over the off bail. Cruel for a bowler.

88th over: Australia 386-4 (Burns 173, Patterson 26) Vishwa Fernando will do the honours with the still new-ish ball. Gets Burns on the pad, and Dickwella immediately launches into his Starman appeal, singing Bowie all the while. But Umpire Illingworth’s mind is not blown. You can tell why it’s not out, because the ricochet is given as a run, not a leg bye. Patterson also gets moving immediately with a run into the covers.

Great Southern Land gets a run on the PA for the 1,000,486th time at an Australian cricket match. Iva Davies stirs in his slumber and rolls over on his piles of diamonds and gold.

Ten minutes to go. Tim Paine has been in the nets. Got a first-baller at the Gabba, so he’d want to finish his season on a slightly higher personal note...

One former Australia player is briefly back in the ABC comm box and also apparently back in the team huddle.

Now then, if you’re feeling down for any reason this morning, be cheered up by this. Hope is a bird... Graeme Vimpani!

A brief thought on the Burns-Head partnership. It wrapped up yesterday at 308, meaning it was the biggest partnership since Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges towelled up a sorry West Indies team in Hobart back in 2015. That day Voges and Marsh nearly broke the all-time Australian partnership record of 451, Marsh eventually falling with the stand worth 459.

So, 2015. You read that and think that it’s been a while. But then if you dig a little deeper on the numbers, there have only been 22 Australian stands worth over 300 in history. Ever.

Of those 22, Bradman featured in five of them. Because of course he did. But he also featured in the first, in 1934. The first 60 years of Test cricket didn’t feature a single stand that big. Then there was a gap of 17 years between Bradman’s last and Bill Lawry’s first of two, then 20 more years before the next featuring another Marsh and Mark Taylor.

The great Australian Waugh-Ponting era only produced four 300 stands between 1999 and 2006. They don’t come along very often, regardless of the conditions or situation. So while people can qualify that this came against a weak Sri Lankan attack, assembling a score of this magnitude between two batsmen is still a rare achievement.

Drop me a line

As ever, the tweet lines are open via @GeoffLemonSport, and the email channel is crackling as we scroll through the stations to find geoff.lemon@theguardian.com. Get involved with the OBO, as our forebears and their forebears have done for generations.

If you’re getting chased by a bunch of bears, is the one at the front the forebear?

Preamble

Good morning or evening or afternoon all, wherever you are on our tiny blue dot. Hello also to anyone in orbit who has managed to access the uplink. (And watch out for the supercomputer, it’s slowly going mad!)

Australia will resume today in Canberra in a dominant position with the bat for the first time this home season, and indeed the first time in just under a year, since the Durban Test at the start of March 2018. The score is 384 for 4, a fair old recovery from 28 for 3, which was the position after a first hour of sloppy shots against pretty average bowling from an entirely new Sri Lankan seam attack forced by injury to all three bowlers who played in Brisbane.

Travis Head made 161, while Joe Burns can go really big when he resumes on 172 not out. Both were dropped earlier in their innings, as was Kurtis Patterson first ball who resumes on 25. Let’s just say that Sri Lanka haven’t helped themselves.

Head last night dedicated his hundred to another aggressive and unorthodox left-hander, the late Phillip Hughes, who mentored the younger player after moving to play for South Australia. It was an emotional moment in the middle. “I just wanted to hug him as hard as I could for as long as I could,” said the adorable Burns last night. If you couldn’t love him any more.

In other news that is unfortunately news, the teenage prodigy Will Pucovski has asked to be released from the squad to head home and keep managing his mental health. It’s hard enough for any of us to do that, let alone when it’s being reported on in news outlets. But that’s the peril of high-profile work. So let’s hope people can do the right thing and leave him alone.

We’ll get going in just under an hour, on another cool and cloudy day in Canberra.

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