It was a good day to get over a hangover: a brisk breeze, some short, sharp showers that might have been invigorating, and some sunshine. And some cheerful, diverting cricket in front of a near-capacity crowd, though there were rather more latecomers than usual.
There was not too much excitement because England won at a canter, but that may have been just as well for those with throbbing heads. Sri Lanka were defeated by 122 runs and head off to Southampton for their last match (a T20 international on Tuesday) still seeking their first win over England this summer. It has been a long, damp and depressing haul for Angelo Mathews’ side.
England were brisk and businesslike, posting 324 for seven and then defending that target with ease. Not so long ago, such a total would have had us excavating the superlatives, while Jos Buttler’s 70 from 45 balls would have been deemed utterly extraordinary. But now there was a shrug of the shoulders: 324? A handy score, probably a match-winning one, but they could have made more, and Buttler played as Buttler does.
His outrageous improvisations have almost become routine. Even so, the flicks over the keeper’s head and the flat-bat cover drives are still a source of wonder to those nurtured on a high left elbow and a doggedly straight bat.
The English batsmen kept threatening to run riot but it was not until Buttler joined forces with Joe Root in a 109-run partnership for the fifth wicket that a substantial target was guaranteed.
Jason Roy and James Vince, deputising for Alex Hales, whose back is still playing up, added 67 together after a rare win of the toss by Mathews. Roy took his tally to 316 runs for the series, which meant scoring 34 before another extravagant leg-side shot sent the ball high but not that far.
Roy has emphatically made his mark in these matches so, in a sense, Vince’s progress, though more orthodox, was just as interesting. His innings was launched with two rasping cover drives against the 29-year-old debutant Chaminda Bandara, the sort of shots that linger in the mind and hint at something special, even when played to gentle, wide half-volleys.
Vince reached 50 in 54 balls, his first half-century for England in any format, and seemed on the cusp of something significant. Then he advanced down the pitch to Danushka Gunathilaka, who was bowling his off-breaks from around the wicket. The ball passed his outside edge and he was comfortably stumped, a golden opportunity squandered.
Even so, Vince can be confident that he will remain in the England Test squad for the Lord’s Test against Pakistan, which is to be announced on Wednesday.
The selection meeting will be longer than usual. We can infer, since Nick Compton has opted to take a break from cricket, that he will not be included. Ben Stokes is playing for Durham this week only as a batsman and England will probably only want him back as a bona fide all-rounder.
There will be much agonising over the fitness of Jimmy Anderson, who declared from the Royal Box at Wimbledon that he is progressing well. In all probability, the replacement for Compton will either be Durham’s Scott Borthwick or there will be a rejig, which has Buttler back as a keeper – he has kept well to the white ball in the past fortnight – with Jonny Bairstow going up the order. The latter option might have Vince elevated to No3, which is where he usually bats for Hampshire.
Vince will have the opportunity for one more international innings in the T20 match. Here, he must have been disappointed to be dismissed by no more than a part-time off-spinner, but that indignity also fell to Eoin Morgan and Bairstow. Both were caught near the boundary edge as they sought to up the tempo while Root aimed to be the rock at the other end.
If anything, Root lost fluency as his innings progressed. He is a wonderful, crisp strokemaker – but he cannot slog. The only time he looks vulnerable is towards the end of an innings when he feels obliged to give it some humpty. Then he loses his timing and it became a source of frustration that he should attempt three consecutive reverse hits without making contact, with Buttler cruising along at the other end.
Nonetheless, England, with Buttler in service, accelerated appropriately in the final overs, their only disappointment being that Root could not reach three figures. Sri Lanka never threatened to overhaul a steep target. Gunathilaka and Dinesh Chandimal batted pleasantly in the evening sunshine, but there were no real headaches for captain Morgan, a happy state that may not have been replicated for all those in the stands.
All the Sri Lankan batsmen fell to Yorkshire players; David Willey removed four of them; Liam Plunkett, so impressive throughout the series, snatched three wickets, Adil Rashid took two and there was a brilliant throw from the outfield by Bairstow to dispatch Kusal Mendis. Once again, Rashid bristled with confidence despite the odd long hop.
At the presentations, Buttler was declared man of the match and Roy the man of the series but, by then, most of the crowd had headed for home and a bit of a lie down.
