England get it done in style
Remember that team who were bundled out of the last ODI World Cup in the group stages when pretty much everyone went through? By Bangladesh?
Sure, plenty of the personnel remain, but this just isn’t the same; more by the series. At no stage did Sri Lanka look truly favourites, despite the hosts having to make their second highest successful chase in all ODIs, in just 42 overs no less.
Jason Roy embodies the shift. Sure, he wallops it over cow corner. Yep, he takes chances. But he does the hard yards too. It can’t be overstated the importance of his play in the 11 overs where no boundary was scored; scampering between wickets like a lad who had just walked out, not someone either side of 100.
162 to him, the second highest score made by an England player in ODIs, highlights the achievement, two tons in three games the importance of Roy in this England team, who have also wrapped up the series tonight.
Joe Root’s 65 contributed to a 149 run stand with Roy that was the defining stage of the match. He’ll feel some relief, having not pulled up the trees this summer. There was plenty to like about the cameos of Eoin Morgan (22), Jonny Bairstow (29) and Jos Buttler (17 not out) with Roy to prevent Sri Lanka of getting any head of steam.
“It’s something I’m never going to forget,” says Roy in the post-game presentation. Fair enough. Surely it’ll be the catalyst for bigger things, and maybe the chance to turn the corner and play all formats for his country.
Righto. That’ll do from me. Thanks for your company through the course of the day and night. We’ll be back from Cardiff on Saturday morning. Until then.
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ENGLAND WIN BY SIX WICKETS
The captain wraps it up, Buttler advancing and smashing Prasana’s down the ground to register their second highest successful ODI chase and a series win. Just brilliant. I’ll gather my thoughts and sign off shortly as the players gather for the presentation.
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40th over: England 305-4 (Bairstow 29, Buttler 13)
Bairstow flogs a straight four off Pradeep to leave no doubt of the result that can only be moments away. Buttler hit just as hard to long off to end the over, three scored. 13 from it. They’ve now made as many as Sri Lanka earlier, but due to DL adjustments need three more. Easy.
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39th over: England 292-4 (Bairstow 24, Buttler 10)
Oh! The Man-Candidate Buttler cops a not-so-subtle warning from Maharoof who stops in his run. We all know how this ended two years ago. Perhaps a bit of frustration from the visitors who have all-but lost another chance to win their first game on tour. When he gets up the other end, the ‘keeper-bat misses a lap and then creams a cut shot, albeit to the sweeper.
A misfield out there gets them one more. Sensing the vulnerability, Buttler goes again but squarer and faster, the ball bouncing a couple of times on the way to the boundary. For the first time tonight the runs require is fewer than the balls remaining.
To end the eventful over Maharoof stops in his delivery stride a second time, Buttler now at the striker’s end. Mind games? When he did deliver an error was made, an edge found... but it fell a foot short of the diving short third man. Doesn’t take much for the niggle to return between these two teams.
Phil Not War on the money with the hashtag.
— Phil Makepeace (@AlteredCourse) June 29, 2016
38th over: England 282-4 (Bairstow 23, Buttler 1)
Both batsmen shovelled full deliveries from Pradeep down the ground before the wicket came. Six came from the over. 26 from 24 are the numbers that matter.
Sorry, we should be revelling in the good ODI side we have at the moment. Enjoying this. #ENGvSL
— Tom (@SillyMidTom) June 29, 2016
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WICKET - Roy b Pradeep 162 (118), ENGLAND 281-4
At last. Five short of Robin Smith’s England ODI record, but a very worthy entry as second on that list. Pradeep was the man to get him, an Ian Harvey back of the hand slower ball beating a tired swing. But no one could begrudge. He waves the bat to every corner of his home ground. They’ve loved it. Well played.
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37th over: England 276-3 (Roy 159, Bairstow 21)
Bairstow welcomes Prasanna’s legspin back by prancing down the trip and slaying him inside-out over extra cover. Class. A wide down the on-side follows, highlighting that Sri Lanka are just about gone.
Later in the over Bairstow pushes to a gap in the onside and it’s Roy once again calling them through for a rapid second run, going to the danger end himself. This is what they should show back to the team in the review of the game: utter commitment to every last run despite how spent he must be by now. Just like that, nine from it. And just like that, 32 from 30 needed.
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36th over: England 266-3 (Roy 158, Bairstow 13)
Finally a tired shot from Roy. But after dancing down to Pradeep a big swing ran into a fat edge, the ball racing to the third man rope; his 16th boundary. He bats on. “Be there at the end,” will be Bairstow’s advice to him. And why not, he’s certainly earned it tonight. The board continues to tick over at every opportunity, an impressive leg bye accrued at the end of the over, Roy the man instigating the run. Maybe he doesn’t tire. 42 off 36 balls left for England. Mathews returns to spin now by the looks - can’t hurt?
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35th over: England 257-3 (Roy 152, Bairstow 11)
An innings to remember from Roy as he moves to 150, creeping towards England’s highest ODI score; Robin Smith’s 167 not out from 1993 there for him. He does it in 109 balls, the milestone raised after opening up the onside to push to long on for a couple. Roy’s copped one on the foot, smashing it with his own bat it looked like? Roy’s grimacing and smiling simultaneously, he knows the job is nearly done. 51 needed, 42 balls. A veritable doddle in this day and age. Right?
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34th over: England 251-3 (Roy 148, Bairstow 9)
Roy would be forgiven for throwing the bat at every ball, but he’s not doing that, racing for two through midwicket instead. He does punish the next Lakmal delivery, midwicket again the destination, the rope specifically this time. That’s the first boundary since the 21st over. And Bairstow does the same, making it a big over of 13; the no. 4’s four a clip going to the empty region behind square leg. He eats them up no matter what the colour of the ball is. 250 up in the process.
57 from 48 needed now. The hardest work behind them.
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33rd over: England 238-3 (Roy 140, Bairstow 4)
Bairstow calls Roy through for a quick double to midwicket and the opener is still up to the task, that’s good batting. Maharoof doesn’t give up a four ball, seven taken from the batsmen. Poised.
Pondering: wasn’t this meant to be starting at 1pm (finishing ~8pm) because the local residents don’t like the noise of the cricket at night? Then what happens now with it likely to finish closer to 10 than 9pm? Protest?
32nd over: England 231-3 (Roy 134, Bairstow 3)
Everything has taken a frantic tone here, evidenced by the running with a couple of pings, but neither hitting, and Bairstow looked home in the second regardless. But then to end the over Lakmal, taking pace off the ball, has a return catch spooned to him by Roy and makes a meal of it. There’s nearly a deflection after the dropped catch onto the stumps of Bairstow, but that just misses also. That word again: frantic.
Roy now has the highest score in an ODI against Sri Lanka for England overtaking Alex Hales from Friday night. England require 77 from 60 to reach their DL adjusted target of 308. Sri Lanka need Roy’s wicket.
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31st over: England 226-3 (Roy 131, Bairstow 1)
Oh my, Roy nearly departs too. He’s very lucky with a thick edge hanging in the air but not going to hand at deep point. Knowing the way Bairstow runs, Roy must be exhausted soon enough. Expect some long handle. Five from this one. The clutch period of the game coming up... right now.
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30th over: England 221-3 (Roy 127, Bairstow 0)
A yuk misfield from Mendis at long on lets the pressure off, a two turned a three from an excellent yorker dug out by Roy. A real bonus for the hosts. It is Lakmal into the action again, rumours of his decline... etc.
Then that catch to end the over! Wonderful game of cricket all of a sudden.
England still need to go a bit, 87 needed at 7.2 - 308 to win. To be fair, they bat as deep as The Oval square is wide (see, I did it again).
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WICKET - Morgan c Gunathilaka b Lakmal 22 (27), England 221-3
Oh what is that! A wide delivery given the treatment but there’s Gunathilaka at backward point doing a Jonty Rhodes! Superb to his right, full stretch, just getting into the hand. Unlikely that we’ll see a better catch this summer. Unreal.
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29th over: England 209-2 (Roy 121, Morgan 21)
Maharoof has a lot of work left to do with Mathews and Lakmal and Mathews assumed out of the attack. Legit medium pace, he’s after some entrapment. England resist the temptation to go large, five singles comprised of drives down the ground, clips through the onside and a nice little late cut from the captain (helped by some good running from Roy).
The opener must be getting a bit tired now, out there from the get go. Will be start swinging hard instead of all this hard running malarkey?
28rd over: England 209-2 (Roy 118, Morgan 19)
Gunathilaka. Seven from it. No risks. Nothing wrong. Like watching the cycling sprint at the Olympics. Just waiting for the move to come. Mathews or Morgan - who makes the big play?
27rd over: England 202-2 (Roy 113, Morgan 17)
Pradeep is back, Pradeep is expensive. He’s had such a ripper tour, it hurts me that he’s probably going to go home feeling rubbish. It’s the captain, Morgan (FYI: Ed Smith didn’t know this was a type of booze on the TMS call earlier; a quite lovely and refined man who doesn’t know the joys of “I’m after some leadership... give me a couple of the Captain” over the bar at 2am) who plants him over long off. That’s not an easy shot. Worth the wait. Four other rotations of the strike. 200 up. Livin la vida Loca.
Nearing the final hour, still want to talk, you know. @collinsadam. Adam.Collins.Freelance@Theguardian.com. Hang with me.
26rd over: England 191-2 (Roy 110, Morgan 9)
Who saw Gunathilaka being so important after his horror first over? Only the two off here, a couple to midwicket from Morgan, the one time he dropped short. The captain taking his time. For the record, DL is currently 172.
25rd over: England 189-2 (Roy 110, Morgan 7)
Last thing Sri Lanka needed: England off to the hook with ten from the over. Admittedly it doesn’t help when Roy is over a hundred and able to dance to smack Prasanna over long on. Once again, the last ball of the over. It’s hurt them tonight. The runs/balls equation narrows.
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24th over: England 179-2 (Roy 102, Morgan 5)
Roy is gifted a chance to bring up triple figures, Gunathilaka lobbing a full-bunger at him from around the wicket... but he misses out. Perhaps the first ball he hasn’t timed all night. It’s a brief delay though: the next time he’s on strike he goes past square leg for a couple to bring up his third ODI hundred and second in the series. 74 balls, 11 fours and two sixes. Seriously impressive stuff. It’s times like this you have to wonder how he’s not playing in all formats for England.
A quick bit of housekeeping: England need 129 more in 26 overs at a clip of 7.16. They’ve gone at 7.45 tonight, albeit coming down a touch since Root departed a couple of overs ago. The TV aren’t talking about rain much anymore, so let’s assume we’re doing the distance and DL won’t be required to resolve both this rubber.
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23rd over: England 172-2 (Roy 97, Morgan 3)
Prasanna benefitting from the consolidation period also, three from this over. A couple down the ground and one behind square. If they can just get one more... can they spin to win, or something like that?
22nd over: England 168-2 (Roy 95, Morgan 1)
As usual, the wicket does it. Morgan slowly playing himself in here, only two from the over all told. Great captaincy from Mathews to keep throwing it around until something came of it.
Adam Hirst likes the drinks time chat, with some retrospective advice on the email: “Your man should have had a spread bet, not a bet.” But did they even exist in 2006-07, I wonder?
WICKET - Root c Pradeep b Gunathilaka, 65 (54)
Gunathilaka has done it! The man least likely! Back into the attack against all expectations and third ball a top edge, taken easy as you like on the 45. Root will be filthy with that. With the skipper Morgan in, and far from flying of late, we may have a game on our hands. Indeed, with that wicket, there’s no reason we shouldn’t.
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A quick yarn for you during the drinks break.
Kieran Gilbert has dropped me a text upon noticing the Saj Mahmood reference made by Dan earlier in the day when the rain was falling. I’ll let KG, the senior political reporter for Sky News in Australia and getting up at 4am for one of the final days of the election campaign, take up the story:
“Very early on in Jimmy Anderson’s career still single figures in wicket terms - at the Clovelly Hotel in Sydney watching the cricket with a few mates - I said this bloke will take 200 test wickets. Two mates laughed and said Saj Mahmood is more likely to. I bet them $100 bucks . The rest is history. Footnote: at a recent Ashes I made them both shirts that read “the Saj Mahmood Fan Club.”
Outstanding.
21st over: England 166-1 (Roy 94, Root 65)
Both players go down the ground to Prasanna, who to his credit continues to give it a rip. When only a wicket will do, there’s no point rolling it down there in the name of scoreboard conservation. But when missing his line, Root is able to nurse the final ball behind square leg for a boundary. A theme: Sri Lanka keep finishing good overs poorly. Eight from it as they drink.
20th over: England 158-1 (Roy 92, Root 59)
It’s Maharoof, back into the attack after the Gunathilaka experiment didn’t do so well, who has got himself all excited with a LBW shout versus Roy. It’s not the worst shout, clipping the leg stump but Umpire Bailey declines. Probably didn’t do themselves any favours with earlier pleas.
Meanwhile, after a tidy over that only had three taken Roy hops onto the front foot and leathers a delivery that’s dropped too short for this stage of the game. That’s a nice way to enter the 90s. Only 65 balls after getting there.
19th over: England 151-1 (Roy 87, Root 57)
Big shout for a catch down the legside from Root, but Umpire Oxendale calmly unfurls his arms at Prasanna. Tell him he’s dreaming. Five of the six balls scored off, which is pretty much all they need to do at this point, the run rare required now south of seven an over. 150 up.
18th over: England 144-1 (Roy 86, Root 52)
Root’s 50 in 39 balls to begin the over, bowled by Gunathilaka who is on to bowl his nondescript offies. The number three sweeps the initial effort to the boundary, a ball from around the wicket outside leg stump. Gimme more, he’ll’ve said.
It’s Roy who makes the most of the situation later in the over, lining up the part-timer dead straight, fizzing into the board after one bounce. Can’t imagine any fielder wanting to be in the way of that on a chilly evening. 12 from it without even having to do that much.
It’s got to be getting desperate for Mathews. Yet to win a game on tour, the big total, the injured opening bat for the other mob. The early wicket. Surely tonight he must have willed his troops. But only if they can break this up.
17th over: England 132-1 (Roy 80, Root 46)
Prasanna is leaking early, the two very well set England batsmen able to claim singles where they want them with the field out, the bowler not helping himself with a legside wide.
Roy illustrates just how much he’s got this when getting down and dirty for a reverse swept boundary to the penultimate delivery. To 80 he goes. This is a fine hand from the home ground boy. They just need this to get to 20 overs now; they’ll be well ahead when the DL calcs are done based on the rate they’re going, 7.76 to be precise.
16th over: England 122-1 (Roy 75, Root 42)
NURSE! Lakmal’s over started nicely enough, altogether boring really, and then he hit the deck in need of some work on his hamstrings. So out comes the physio, his strides down, deep heat applied there and then! What times to be alive. It’s worked, only four from it. Should have been three, poor fielding inside the ring.
Correspond with me. Confide in me. adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com, @collinsadam, I have a myspace somewhere with a handle relating to Bay 13 at the MCG. Not even kidding.
15th over: England 118-1 (Roy 73, Root 40)
Ian Ward says on the TV call that Prasanna, who is on now with his leggies, is the only variety that Mathews has at his disposal; with so many right-arm seamers the attack is a bit “samey”. He’s right, and it has been their problem since arriving.
He’s on the dancefloor from the get go, not a bad first go. Still, eight taken from it. A chance too: a reverse sweep opted for by Roy but clipping the top edge. It’s safe, for three.
14th over: England 110-1 (Roy 69, Root 37)
Sri Lanka’s talisman Lakmal is brought on for a second Guy Rundle (read that piece if you care about the Australian election this Saturday) and nothing much changes: his first ball blasted through the onside by Joe Root who looks to be making a statement of sorts. In fairness, only two more singles from the over. Nice comeback.
Paul has written (Yo), to ask what the DL target is each over those kind of things. Paul, I promise to try. These things move quick. At the moment: I wouldn’t have a clue. But I reckon it only kicks in after 20 overs anyway. At that point, I’ll pinch it off the telly.
13th over: England 104-1 (Roy 68, Root 32)
England doing as they please now. Pradeep didn’t do an awful lot wrong in his execution yet was on the wrong end of Roy in consecutive deliveries plonking him over cow, then driving him through covers to a delivery out wide that you’d normally see towards the end of a T20 stoush, before walking across his stumps to place him to the vacant fine leg ala Nat Sciver the other day. Bowling sucks.
Hello from Andrew Benton on the email. “Loving the stream of consciousness style commentating - totally engrossing. And exhausting!.” Jason Roy is setting the standard, I’m just trying to keep up.
England are beyond 100 now by the way. If the rain stays away they may not even need the 42 overs at their disposal. But let’s be clear: it is raining. Sri Lanka trying to kill a bit of time between overs. Sound tactics in the circumstances.
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12th over: England 85-1 (Roy 51, Root 31)
Shanaka is on for his first go and it hasn’t gone well at all, England’s set pair taken a dozen from him. Root doesn’t miss half-trackers, and he got a couple of them, the strike rotated thrice between times.
11th over: England 73-1 (Roy 50, Root 20)
Pradeep is back and it hasn’t gone well at all. Jason Roy has faced through the 40s to a half century in just the 39 balls. He pulled the first ball of this set right by the bowler’s laces before taking another in front of square this time. He’s looking to his every ball for four and looking every chance to do it. Loads still to get at a decent clip, but you get the feeling the visitors need one pretty quickly in any case.
10th over: England 61-1 (Roy 39, Root 19)
Maharoof deserves way better there, legitimately beating Roy on the way back towards his gate, an inside edge sliding down towards the pavilion for four. Nine from it, but it was a better over than that. More, please.
Speaking of ‘keepers (sort of). Earlier on Johnny Bairstow executed a very tidy direct hit run out from the field; the sort of thing that can lose you the gloves, in a roundabout kind of way. Anyway, I like it when stumpers do things that they aren’t usually paid for. To that end, did you know: Tim Zoehrer, the reserve to Ian Healy on the 1993 Ashes tour, led the bowling averages with his leggies on the First-Class part of that tour, taking 12 wickets at 21? As Conan O’Brien would say: you can’t make these things up.
9th over: England 52-1 (Roy 31, Root 18)
A delightful cut behind point from Root when Mathews gives him the minimum width required to execute such a shot. Real nice. Next ball he goes the other side of point, but the timing is just as good and the result four more. Value in that region here, I say. Value. The 50 is up an the power play is over, due to the shortened innings.
John Davis has dropped me a line. “Evening Adam, evening everyone,”. Evening, comrade. “Welcome to the OBO - you seem to have settled in nicely already,” I probably could have edited this bit out, but here we are. Thank you. “Nothing to add about the cricket, as my tv here is playing up so you are my only link to it; but as a travelling man you must surely have paraglided in the past. I’m going to do it for the first time tomorrow; on a scale of Tufnell-Klusener, how much should I be bricking it?”
How bold of you. But in these crazy days, you’d just gotta role the dice, I say. Peace be with you.
8th over: England 44-1 (Roy 31, Root 10)
Maharoof brought on to replace Pradeep. Not sure how he’ll feel about getting a jam roll during the shorter power play with his pedestrian pace. Jason Roy does as you’d expect: dance, swing, clobber, six. Cow the destination. First of the evening session. In the end, no more major damage, a single each to end the over.
Mahela comment on the TV call using “Maharoof” and “on fire” in the same sentence, but with a few extra words tossed in to hide it. Go on, just say it, you like the Bloodhound Gang. And no, I can’t tweet the clip.
7th over: England 35-1 (Roy 24, Root 9)
Geoff Foley has tweeted to say he’d pay good money to see a 49-pitch square at the MCG. My man, didn’t you follow #MCGSoBig in the lead up to the World Cup Final last year? 49 would barely touch the sides of it.
A couple to square leg from Roy then he goes there again for a single. Three off, a good result from Mathews at a time when he needs to keep it tight ahead of any potential delay.
6th over: England 32-1 (Roy 21, Root 9)
I mentioned that Joe Root hasn’t made a run for a while, yeah? His 80 at Durham was pretty nice, but that ages ago. A good chance tonight to play a matchwinning hand in challenging circumstances. You’d back him.
He goes over mid off early in the over, successfully. Roooot yell the crowd Roooot. Same result next ball when Pradeep’s length is adjusted too far back and the England VC takes it through square leg. Don’t bowl there to Roooooot.
5th over: England 24-1 (Roy 21, Root 1)
Big shout first ball for LBW, Roy hit on the front pad half way between a forward defence and a leave. Angelo Mathews has himself on now, with the ‘keeper up to the stumps, perhaps convincing him to take it upstairs? Pistol Paul Reiffel said no, however, it hitting outside the line. Was hitting. Cue debate about the outside the line element of the LBW law. Any strong views? Hit me: @collinsadam.
Later in the over Mathews drops short to Roy, but only just. It’s all he needs to turn it into the onside, beyond midwicket. Into the 20s he goes.
The Cricket Ground DJ got a chance to play a tune before during the third ump deliberations, opting for Gorillaz. Reminds me that earlier on I saw a commercial on the host broadcaster that ran a few bars from a Buzzcocks tune. Most unexpected. In summary: when I grow up, I want to be the Cricket Ground DJ.
4th: over: England 18-1 (Roy 16, Root 0)
Nasser Hussain is about right in his take on Moeen’s downfall: “He’s very elegant when he hits it, he’s very left-handed when he nicks it.”
Worth noting that Alex Hales can’t just walk out whenever he wants. Having sat out most of the fielding session he can only bat at seven or lower. “If required,” was the word earlier.
Root hasn’t made a run in a while. Just saying. Could do with a few tonight.
WICKET! Moeen c Chandimal b Pradeep 2 (7). 18-1.
Moeen gets out in the most Moeen fashion of all time, a wafted edge earned by my man Pradeep. Not a lot of movement on the face of it, enough to create the error. With rain likely about again later, not ideal for England to lose early wickets in the context of the DL calculations. Joe Root on his way out.
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3rd: over: England 15-0 (Roy 13, Moeen 2)
Roy’s galloping, a pair of twos and then gets a rank short ball well outside the off stump from Lakmal that he’s able to wallop along the 49-pitch square (see, told you I’d mention it again) to the boundary. He lent into a drive last ball but it was cut off at mid off. In any case, he has that look about him.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Roy 5, Moeen 1)
Readers of my twitter feed/copy over the last six weeks will know that I bloody love Pradeep. Came to the gamer (properly) as a 20 year old, moves it through the air, hits the track hard, has great technique when appealing. Has no luck with dropped catches and other poor decisions. Got hit for a six last ball at Nottingham to have the game tied after an altogether brilliant over to that point. My kind of cricketer/human. An easy enough start for him, on that spot. Just two singles from it.
John Starbuck has wrote me! A companion! “Welcome to the OBO,” he says. Why thankyou. He continues: “Immediately we sense a change, since most OBO writers choose ‘pill’ or ‘nut’ or, most often because it’s a venerable term, ‘cherry’ to describe the ball. You choose ‘rock’. Tough Aussie style eh?”
Yep. I’m Australian. It’s true. Glad we got that out of the way. I have one of your red passports too. For the two more years that has any, you know, value.
1st over: England 4-0 (Roy 4, Moeen 0)
No worries for Jason Roy getting off the mark with a front foot crunch past point that races away to the rope. This affords me the chance to get out of the way nice and early that you get good value for your shots square of the wicket at The Oval. I feel it’s my obligation as a commenter on a game at this venue to make that point. I’ll probably make it again before we’re done. I’m wild like that. Liam Plunkett is too, having a cup of tea in the viewing room. Party on. An ambitious shout for LBW last ball, but wouldn’t have hit the proverbial second set.
Thanks Dan for keeping us informed during the cricket, and entertained during the rain. We should feel fortunate to even be here, as it looked a downpour for most of the day. But here we are, with both teams presented with a chance to take the ODI component of the Andrew Strauss Super Series if events go their way this evening.
The skipper Mathews did as he does time and again: an unbeaten half century at a decent clip, instrumental in the visitors 305-5. Able support there from Mendis, who has had a great little tour all told, with 77, while Chandimal played another important hand in the (truncated) accumulation phase, collecting 63 before Willey messd with his leg stump.
That man took some tap early but fought back well during his second stint after the rain, 2/58 his work. Woakes and Plunkett went wicketless, but truly taken to either. The spinners Moeen and Rashid likewise, the latter grabbing a couple of wickets. He’s had a good series.
Now we’re up to speed as the batsmen come to the crease. It’ll be Moeen at the top after Hales injured a leg earlier on. Roy is with him, who’ll of course be looking to replicate his ton from Friday night.
Righto. Let’s do this. Talk to me at adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com which gives away both my name and that I will work for anyone that pays me. On the tweet it’s @collinsadam. Lakmal has the rock. They require 308 adjusted for D/L. Let’s play.
That was much better from Sri Lanka. They batted with sustained aggression even when they lost a couple of quick wickets after the long rain break. It’s going to be a stiff, but not impossible target for England.
The chase begins in just 10 minutes’ time thanks to the rain. Adam Collins is yer man for England’s effort. Bye!
End of innings
42nd over: Sri Lanka 305-5 (Shanaka 19, Mathews 67) Chris Woakes begins the final over of the innings with a very harshly called wide outside off. Mathews can only get a single from the first legal delivery, which will be of some relief to the English bowlers who will want him to face as few balls as possible. Shanaka gets him back on strike though and Mathews climbs into a full-toss, firing it through extra-cover for four. The fourth ball is pushed out to cover for one, as is the fifth, meaning the Sri Lankan captain has the strike for the final ball. It’s a good ball, wide and full and chopped down to third man for one.
41st over: Sri Lanka 295-5 (Shanaka 17, Mathews 60) It’s going to be Plunkett with this over, his eighth, and then presumably Woakes with the last as England are allowed one more bowler to send down nine. After a couple of singles Mathews gets yet another half-century, brought up with a good wristy shot that sends a yorker whistling back past the bowler for four. And he follows that with back-to-back fours: a scoop over fine-leg then a nicely timed swish through midwicket. Mathews’ 50 came from just 47 balls and featured just three fours – now five – and a six.
40th over: Sri Lanka 280-5 (Shanaka 16, Mathews 46) The over begins with the ugliest of fours: a delivery in the slot, a wild heave and an inside edge down to fine-leg. Four from the next ball too: a touch shorter, a lot wider and slogged through point. Shanaka continues to smear towards the off-side, squeezing two out of a wide yorker and picking out the fielder from a full-toss. Mathews adds one more from the last.
39th over: Sri Lanka 268-5 (Shanaka 5, Mathews 45) There’s an appeal for lbw when a full one from Willey beats Prasanna’s swished bat and raps him low on the pads, but it pitched outside off. Not that it matters, as he’s bowled by the very next delivery. Dasun Shanaka is ahead of Tharanga, oddly, but he justifies that with a boundary from his first ball, guiding it through backward-point with sweet timing. A couple of singles then Mathews flicks the last ball to backward square for two. England will take that.
Wicket! Prasanna b Willey 9
Lovely yorker from Willey. Prasanna sweeps, misses and the ball passes under the bat on its way into middle stump.
Updated
38th over: Sri Lanka 259-4 (Prasanna 9, Mathews 41) Prasanna cuts hard through point for two then gets double that next ball with a thick outside edge from a big waft that sends the ball down to the third-man rope. Four overs remain after this one and these two are more than capable of hitting 50-odd off of them.
37th over: Sri Lanka 250-4 (Prasanna 1, Mathews 40) It’s actually just a change of ends for Willey: he’s back to the Pavilion End whence he opened the bowling nearly five hours ago. There’s a fumble at deep midwicket by Bairstow, who grips the elbow of his throwing arm but there’s no time to dwell on that: the set batsman is gone once again! Big sloggin’ Seekkuge Prasanna comes in and gets off the mark with a very tight single to Woakes at point. The final ball is on Mathews’ leg-stump and he simply twists the bat and flips it over short-fine-leg for four.
Updated
Wicket! Chandimal b Willey 63
Chandimal looks to sweep a full-length ball round the corner. He misses it and the ball thuds into the base of leg-stump.
Updated
36th over: Sri Lanka 241-3 (Chandimal 60, Mathews 35) Change of bowling, Woakes (0 for 28 from five) for Willey. Chandimal and Mathews each smash him extravagantly through extra-cover but each only gets a single for their trouble. It’s wide yorkers all the way from Woakes – one of them far too wide and signalled as such – and the net result is six runs.
35th over: Sri Lanka 235-3 (Chandimal 57, Mathews 33) Oh that is a magnificent way for Chandimal to bring up his 50! Short outside off from Plunket and Chandimal leaps back, both feet in the air and cuts it high over third man for six. That’s the kind of shot I used to play with custom-created Dan Lucas character on Ashes 2009 Cricket and think it looked a bit ridiculous. That’s 50 from 42 balls with three sixes and a four. This is the start of the final power play by the way.
34th over: Sri Lanka 225-3 (Chandimal 49, Mathews 31) Oddly Sky have only got 30 runs attributed to Mathews. I’m sure his slog in the previous over went for four and Cricinfo, as well as the actual score, agree with me. A couple of balls later Cricinfo revise the scores for the past couple of overs so we’ll do the same. After a couple of ones and a two, before Chandimal clips the last ball away for four.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 217-3 (Chandimal 42, Mathews 30) If these two decide they want to go for it now then Sri Lanka could get 290-300. Plunkett is on the money for the first four balls, before Mathews backs away to the fifth and slogs it through mid-on for four properly plundered runs. He tries to go big again last ball but drops his hand off the bat and can’t get anything out of it.
Meanwhile here’s Will Macpherson with some hot transfer window rumours.
Updated
32nd over: Sri Lanka 212-3 (Chandimal 41, Mathews 26) Mathews tries a scoop over short fine-leg, misses it and they get a leg-side wide. The skipper pushes the next ball to cover for a single that takes the partnership to 50: the fifth time in succession these two have put on a half-century stand. He later keeps out a slow full-toss but then, with the batsmen not attempting a single, Roy flings it miles past Buttler and they get a buzzer. Good yorker to finish from Willey.
Updated
31st over: Sri Lanka 207-3 (Chandimal 39, Mathews 24) Moeen isn’t going to get the nine overs by the looks of things: he’s off for Plunkett, who has been England’s best strike bowler in this series. No sooner have I written that than Chandimal walks down the wicket towards him and absolutely marmalises it back over the bowler’s head for a straight six. Beautifully violent, that. Three balls later he comes at the bowler again; Plunkett sees him coming and bangs it in short, so Chandimal backs off and hammers a cut through extra-cover for a single.
30th over: Sri Lanka 196-3 (Chandimal 31, Mathews 22) With Rashid done, David Willey comes back. His three overs earlier got taken for 23 runs, undone by the lack of swing. There still isn’t any but it’s better from the Yorkshire man, going for just four singles.
29th over: Sri Lanka 192-3 (Chandimal 29, Mathews 20) Huge six from Mathews, clambering into a nothing ball from Moeen and hitting with the wind, deep into the stands. The next ball is a full toss that Mathews looks to deposit over midwicket but a thick edge sends it squirting through point for one.
28th over: Sri Lanka 182-3 (Chandimal 27, Mathews 12) This is Rashid’s ninth and therefore final over: two bowlers can bowl nine and three eight in the shortened innings. Sri Lanka will want 250-260 from here you’d think and will probably need to put their foot down fairly soon once Rashid is done. Four from this over means he finishes with two for 57 from his nine.
Nasser Hussain reveals he and Mike Atherton once opened the bowling for England schools as leg-spinners. “Who was captain?” asks Ian Ward.
“Either him or me” says Nass.
27th over: Sri Lanka 178-3 (Chandimal 25, Mathews 10) England’s target will, incidentally, be Duckworth Lewis adjusted. Sri Lanka, therefore, did well to just lose the one wicket before the break. Mo serves us a rubbish full-toss that Mathews thwacks square on the sweep but straight at Plunkett, who keeps them to a single. Five ones and a juicy two in that over.
26th over: Sri Lanka 171-3 (Chandimal 22, Mathews 6) Five off that one. More to follow.
25th over: Sri Lanka 166-3 (Chandimal 19, Mathews 4) Moeen drifts on to Mathews’ ankle and the Sri Lankan captain flicks it round the corner, but straight along the ground to Rashid at backward square. Mathews will be annoyed to have missed out on easy runs there. Just four from the over.
24th over: Sri Lanka 162-3 (Chandimal 17, Mathews 2) It is turning a wee bit more for Rashid now and he’s right to keep tossing it up... and he gets reward for doing so! Gunathilaka goes for 62 from 64, to be replaced by Mathews. Five runs worked from the over but it’s a second quick wicket and both set batsmen back in the hutch.
Wicket! Gunathilaka c Moeen b Rashid 62
Floated down nicely from Rashid and Gunathilaka looks to go inside out and drive over extra-cover. He misses out on the “over” part though and England’s spin duo strike.
Updated
23rd over: Sri Lanka 157-2 (Chandimal 14, Gunathilaka 62) With the first six of the innings, Chandimal doubles his score at a stroke. Down the wicket he came to Moeen and launched it over the ground’s longest boundary at cow corner. I’m still not convinced Moeen should be in the limited overs side: he doesn’t score too many runs down the order and his bowling looks a lot more anodyne that it does in Test cricket.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 148-2 (Chandimal 6, Gunathilaka 61) Bairstow saves a couple of runs with a good falling stop to his right on the boundary after Chandimal smote it in that direction. Five off the over.
21st over: Sri Lanka 143-2 (Chandimal 2, Gunathilaka 60) I wonder if it might we worth giving a seamer a go with the new batsman in? Eoin Morgan doesn’t wonder that. Gunathilaka gets away with a mistimed down-the-ground smash, Moeen flinging himself to his right and getting a hand to it at full stretch but unable to cling on.
“Excellent, Dan,” writes Bill Hargreaves, knowing how to get into my good books. “Thanks for sticking with it. Sorry I didn’t have any witty email to help. Brexit blues, possibly.” Don’t worry Bill, you’re certainly not alone in any of that.
20th over: Sri Lanka 137-2 (Chandimal 0, Gunathilaka 56) Rashid continues and Gunathilaka backs away from his first ball and slaps it hard over mid-off for four. The bowler gets a moral victory of sorts over Mendis, beating him and hitting the pad via the inside edge, before getting an actual victory over him with the wicket. Mendis goes for 77 from 64 balls, with 13 fours. The partnership is broken on 128 runs. Chandimal is the new man.
Wicket! Mendis c Plunkett b Rashid 77
Mendis goes for the big hit down the ground but screws it off the bottom of the bat. He’s not got hold of it and Plunkett comes running in to take a catch tumbling forward at deep mid-off.
Updated
19th over: Sri Lanka 131-1 (Mendis 77, Gunathilaka 50) Let’s hope that two-plus hour delay won’t have disrupted Kushal Mendis, who had hitherto played wonderfully, too much. It is very gloomy out there but with a bit of luck we’re going to avoid having any more rain. Anyhow, Moeen has five balls left in this over, from which they milk four singles. The final one takes Gunathilaka to a 51-ball half-century.
Hales will bat at No7 if required. I would imagine either Root or Moeen will open; Nick Knight reckons the latter.
WE’RE ONLY GOING TO PLAY SOME BLOODY CRICKET! Jordan is on for Hales in the field.
It will be 42 overs per side
This is going to be a late one, then.
Alex Hales has a back injury. No word on whether or not he will field because communication is hard, it seems. The on-field umpires, Rob Bailey and Bruce Oxenford, have gone back into their dressing rooms. I don’t think we’re going to restart at 4.30, folks.
We still don’t know how many overs a side it will be. My guess is around 30 – cut-off is 9.15pm.
Play will resume at 4.30pm
Time to go grab a cup of tea, have a cigarette, make some toast. The choice is yours!
Think there might have been a problem with the link to my email address at the top of the page. If you refresh, I’ve fixed it.
“What’s this about an OBOer having a girlfriend?” HONKS Pretzellogic, who might not be using his or her real name.
There will be an inspection at 4.20pm, with a possible restart at 4.30. The interval can be reduced to 10 minutes. They haven’t confirmed either way, but I would imagine we’ve certainly lost overs.
Covers coming off
This according to Twitter and Ant Pease, who writes from the ground: “Movement! Ground staff! Covers! Coming off! Excitement!”
“Is Djokovic playing underneath a roof on centre court?” asks Mike Jones, whose guess is correct. “If so, that begs the question: why can’t cricket grounds implement some sort of rain defence? A giant transparent tarpaulin maybe? It might not look particularly neat but at least spectators would get their moneys worth!” With eight runs for hitting the tarp? Well it wouldn’t exactly make a farce of T20.
In happier news, my girlfriend has bought me Radiohead’s new album on vinyl.
“Hi Dan,” begins Phil Powell. “What’s your issue with the Champions Cup draw? If you’re an English rugby fan, my guess would be you’re a Shark or a Chief.
“In good news for any cricket prospects, here in leafy west London (where the weather’s coming from) the weather looks a bit less dreadful* than it did earlier.”
I’m a Saint.
“Hi Dan.” Hi, Dylan Pugh. “I’m stuck at work, on my own in the office, located just a short walk away from the Oval. I thought I was going to have a great day. manning the phones, listening to the cricket, not making other people cups of tea. You know, just a nice time. But no. The national mood is so low, it has brought the weather upon us, as if to prove that pathetic fallacy is genuine.
“WHY AREN’T THEY PLAYING CRICKET. THEY PLAYED IN MORE RAIN THAN THIS EARLIER. WHY NOT NOW.”
Because the rules say that while it’s still drizzling, they can’t come back out. Make of that what you will.
Word in the office is Vic Marks believes they might not officially call this off until about 7.30pm. Anyone have any suggestions for games we can play?
I’ve just been outside. I can confirm it is horrible.
Still raining ☔️☔️
— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) June 29, 2016
An email! A blessed email!
“I’m stuck at a quite blustery Oval waiting for the drizzle to stop,” writes Ant Pease. “The conversation has sadly gone round to the football. My dream scenario for how the tournament plays out is to see Cristiano Ronaldo crying as much as is possible.
“Does this mean I should want Portugal to lose in the next round and have a good blub, or support them to the final and then lose? Preferably by him missing a penalty. That would guarantee a proper waterworks show. Please help me out.”
Ant you’ve chosen the subject I care least about in the whole world.
Updated
Damn it.
The Champions Cup pool draw in full... pic.twitter.com/Az7NH9P6yy
— Tom Vickers (@WheresTommyV) June 29, 2016
Literally no one emailed in about that.
In answer to my question earlier, Adam points out that the women’s ODI games are worth ranking points and thus count towards World Cup qualification. Therefore they can’t get away with a “no result”, hence the arranged rain days. The T20 does not count towards these so has no rain day.
TV roundup in the absence of any cricket news
- BBC1 is showing The Terminator. Or Novak Djokovic, not sure which.
- BBC2 has a couple doing DIY sombrely talking about how they like walking.
- ITV has Bargain Hunt and, blessedly, no sound.
- Channel 4 is showing adverts for things retired people might like.
- Channel 5 has a smarmy man in a car looking at a family embrace while an elderly lady, who sounds like Angela Lansbury, does a voiceover. Cut to credits.
- ITV2 has Jeremy Kyle. He has an “OAP porn star”. Let’s not watch this.
- ITV3 has a show with no lighting budget.
- ITV4 is showing something with Dennis Waterman/Lawson (I can never remember) as a man called Terry.
- This might be a Happy Meal advert on CITV or it might be a show.
- BBC News is genuinely more depressing than The Road.
- BBC Parliament is worse than that.
- BBC3 has gone online.
- There is no BBC4 apparently.
- I think someone might have spiked my tea with acid, judging by CBeebies.
- How are CBeebies and CBBC different things? There is a sad sheep here.
- E4 is on adverts, but presumably it’s The Big Bang Theory next.
- More4 is like Time Team but without Tony Robinson.
THE RAIN HAS EASED UP IN THE CRICKET BUT THE COVERS ARE STAYING ON.
- Five USA has unconvincing cop drama, obviously.
- 5* is showing either Neighbours or Home and Away.
- Dave is not showing Top Gear, weirdly.
- QVC is asking me to buy my great aunt’s clothes.
- Sky News is no cheerier than the BBC’s effort.
- On BT Sport1 it’s rowing with Mark Durden Smith, who is a very nice man.
- Eurosport is the Tour de France cycling.
- Sky Sports news is nowhere near as funny as it was with Steve McClaren.
- Sky Sports1 is old Premier League football.
- Sky Sports2 is what the cricket is on.
- Sky Sports3 has an interview with Rebecca Adlington.
- Does Sky Sports 4 ever show anything but golf?
- At The Races is showing... look you can guess this one.
- Racing UK: see above.
- Al Jazeera (English) is covering the Mongolian election. Huh.
- I don’t have a chance on Al Jazeera (Arabic), I’m afraid.
And those are all the TV channels we have on our system.
TMS has gone off the air, according to Adam. This is not a good sign. Looking at the Met Office forecast, the rain should lighten at around 5pm and stop by 7ish, so there’s a chance we could get some more play in. The rain radar looks decidedly less promising, though.
Oh great. Adam and I have just agreed that if they’re still off at 6pm we’re switching to Channel 4 and will liveblog The Simpsons for you. It’s Simpsons Bible Stories, which I can tell you now is a Saj Mahmood kind of bad.
More covers coming on. We are in for a wait. Here is me chatting with Liebke in latest podcast https://t.co/e8MM9wUELR
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) June 29, 2016
It’s interesting that in the women’s series against Pakistan they had reserve days for exactly this situation. The person who organises the OBO rota here probably won’t appreciate the suggestion, but does anyone know why they couldn’t do the same in this series?
“The first wicket fell just before I started my lunch break,” writes Michael Jones, who actually gets a lunch break. “I sat in the pub across the road from work and watched an hour without seeing any wickets fall. Now that I am back at my desk the wickets should hopefully begin falling again. Fingers crossed!
“OH TITS! Rain stopped play – do you think if I go back to the pub play will resume?” Not any time soon, I imagine, Michael.
18.1 overs rain stopped play
19th over: Sri Lanka 127-1 (Mendis 75, Gunathilaka 48) This really is horrible for the spinners to bowl in. Moeen fires one in outside off-stump and Mendis runs it down to third man for four. And with that, the umpires decide we’re going off.
18th over: Sri Lanka 123-1 (Mendis 71, Gunathilaka 48) Mendis gets away with one. He tries to swivel-pull Rashid round the corner and gets a big top edge, but there’s no one at backward square-leg to take the catch. Instead, it’s a run. Next ball Roy slips over on the wet outfield and it’s the wet outfield that’s half responsible for the boundary that follows: Mendis drives through extra-cover and Plunkett, having got there brilliantly on the slide, aqualplanes over the rope. The rain had eased up a bit but it’s heavier now.
17th over: Sri Lanka 114-1 (Mendis 64, Gunathilaka 46) Moeen is milked for four singles before drinks. Meanwhile:
16th over: Sri Lanka 110-1 (Mendis 62, Gunathilaka 44) After just one run from the first five balls, Mendis plays a brilliant inside-out cover drive from the last, up and over the fielder and away for four more. Mahela Jayawardene approves.
15th over: Sri Lanka 105-1 (Mendis 58, Gunathilaka 43) Here’s Moeen, on for Plunkett. A misfield by Roy allows the batsmen to take a single from the first ball, then a few balls later Mendis runs one into a gap past Hales, who is hobbing badly, and gets two for it. Moeen’s final ball is faster, flatter, and worse: hammered through midwicket for another four. Hales goes off.
14th over: Sri Lanka 95-1 (Mendis 50, Gunathilaka 41) Wide and nasty first ball from Rashid and Gunathilaka cuts hard through cover for four. The Yorkshireman overcorrects with his next ball, too straight and pulled away square for back-to-back fours. Thereafter it’s one, one, one, one. The last of those brings up Mendis’s second consecutive 50 from 44 balls with nine fours. He’s in lovely touch.
13th over: Sri Lanka 83-1 (Mendis 48, Gunathilaka 31) Mendis continues to creep towards 50, knocking Plunkett into the on-side for one. Gunathilaka then guides a shorter one out to deep backward-point for twice that, very well run it has to be said. Plunkett comes round the wicket and is immediately called wide for a bouncer that flies down leg. Another single puts Mendis on strike for the final ball, but he sees it out.
12th over: Sri Lanka 78-1 (Mendis 47, Gunathilaka 28) This is going to be interesting: Adil Rashid is on and they went after him far more at Bristol whereas in the first two matches Sri Lanka seemed content to just see him off. Gunathilaka goes after his second ball, dancing in the dark down the track and driving up over mid-off for four. An exchange of singles too.
11th over: Sri Lanka 72-1 (Mendis 46, Gunathilaka 23) Oof, too full and wide from Plunkett and Mendis strikes a pose when thrashing it through extra-cover for four. Add four singles and that’s a handy enough over for Sri Lanka, even with the inevitable bit of hesitation mid-wicket for the fourth.
10th over: Sri Lanka 64-1 (Mendis 40, Gunathilaka 21) This is one of those matches I’m happy to be watching from the office rather than the crowd: it is utterly miserable out there and they’ll surely be off sooner rather than later. It’s a sell-out but there are plenty of empty seats. Just a single from the first five balls but then the last is knocked down to fine-leg for four. Thus concludes an excellent first 10 for Sri Lanka, their best of the series.
9th over: Sri Lanka 59-1 (Mendis 39, Gunathilaka 17) Plunkett, after a brief consultation with Gibson, continues and he’s not too far off a wicket with either of his first two balls: the first short and bottom-edged down past Mendis’s off-stump, the second clumping into his pads but probably tailing down leg. Another boundary to the No3, getting right up on his toes and driving through cover point to raise the 50 partnership.
8th over: Sri Lanka 51-1 (Mendis 34, Gunathilaka 16) They’re carrying on, both batsmen looking very comfortable out there until it comes to the business of actually getting from one end of the wicket to the other safely. They manage it in this over though; three times in fact!
7th over: Sri Lanka 48-1 (Mendis 32, Gunathilaka 15) After what I assume was a comfort break, Plunkett returns to the field and is immediately brought on for Willey. Plunkett spoke well in an interview before the match, explaining how Ottis Gibson encouraged him to bowl cross-seam and the reasons for that, and that’s exactly what he’s bowling here. He strays on to Gunathilaka’s pads and the leftie tucks him round the corner for four runs down to fine-leg. Next ball Gunathilaka looks to smite him through mid-off but ends up with naught but a broken bat for his efforts.
It’s raining harder now and grown men are huddling together under blankets. Honestly.
6th over: Sri Lanka 43-1 (Mendis 31, Gunathilaka 11) Shot from Mendis, seizing on a slightly short one and cracking it through point for his sixth boundary in just 17 balls faced. Make that seven in 18 as he times a lovely push back down to long-on for four more. Out comes second slip – probably a wise move, on balance.
5th over: Sri Lanka 33-1 (Mendis 22, Gunathilaka 10) Willey drops short and wide of Gunathilaka’s off-stump, but the batsman’s cut rolls serenely down to Moeen on the boundary and they only get the one from a ball that deserved more medieval punishment. Fuller to Mendis and he lifts it up and over mid-on for four – the ball just dying as it hits the outfield but having enough on it anyway. If they can stay out there long enough there are big runs to be had out there – especially if Willey continues to bowl filth on leg-stump that Mendis flicks away to long-leg for four more.
4th over: Sri Lanka 24-1 (Mendis 14, Gunathilaka 9) Two slips in place for Woakes but Mendis’s thick outside edge goes well wide of them and flies down to third man for four. It was a bit of a nothing shot, half cut, half push, but worth four anyway. Next ball Gunathilaka sets off for a run and is sent back when halfway down the pitch by his uninterested partner. This really is dreadful. Mendis finishes the over by clipping a full, straight one through mid-on for four more.
This on Bairstow’s run-out from your second-innings OBOer, who has come over from Australia to London to this weather. Sorry, Adam.
Gloveman doing good things without gloves. eg Tim Zoehrer leading the '93 Ashes bowling averages (12 @ 21): https://t.co/2yQP1jnbpx #ENGvSL
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) June 29, 2016
3rd over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Mendis 7, Gunathilaka 8) It is very dark at the Oval – the lights are on from the get go – and there is a tiny bit of rain coming down but not enough to worry the players yet. In the middle there’s a mildly nervous moment when Roy, sprawled flat out to his right, narrowly misses the stumps before Mendis can get in. To celebrate, the right hander punches the final ball square off the back foot, through point for four.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 9-1 (Mendis 1, Gunathilaka 7) Chris Woakes, 19 both his squad number and the age of his face, from t’other end. He offers up a floaty wide half-volley that Gunathilaka likes the look of and tries to smear through extra-cover, but he mistimes it and gets absolutely nowt for his efforts. No runs from the first two balls and when they look to get one from the third it proves a bad idea. Sri Lanka have had a lot of problems on this tour and running between the wickets might be the worst of the lot. One Kusal replaces another, Mendis coming in. Finally they get one, Mendis pulling the final ball square for a single.
Wicket! Perera run out 1
Gunathilaka drops it into the off-side and sets off. Perera, coming from the non-striker’s end has to go around the bowler and Bairstow swoops in from cover to throw down the stumps underarm.
Updated
1st over: Sri Lanka 8-0 (Perera 1, Gunathilaka 7) David Willey has the new ball. If ever it’s going to swing for him you would expect it to be here, but there’s precious little evidence of it straight away. Two balls on the pads, knocked away for first one, then two into the on-side. Gunathilaka, whose average has plummeted over the course of this series if my memory serves, gets the first boundary of the day with a very nice little push back past the bowler and down to long-off. He adds a single off the last.
Blimey, we’re going to start on time. Wasn’t expecting that, to be honest. The dark rainclouds are looming and heading in from Crystal Palace way, but the players are making their way out stoically nonetheless.
Let’s talk about Tests for a moment. Or rather let’s let Andy Bull talk about it in this week’s excellent-as-ever edition of The Spin.
The teams in full
England
JJ Roy, AD Hales, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, JM Bairstow, JC Buttler†, CR Woakes, DJ Willey, MM Ali, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett
Sri Lanka
MDKJ Perera, MD Gunathilaka, BKG Mendis, WU Tharanga, LD Chandimal†, AD Mathews*, MD Shanaka, MF Maharoof, S Prasanna, N Pradeep, RAS Lakmal
Toss and team news
The good news is that the covers are off for the toss. England win and will have a bowl first, as they have in every match so far. One change, Moeen comes back for Jordan what with the pitch and the bigger boundaries.
Angelo Mathews would also have fielded first. His side is unchanged.
Weather update
It was raining when I left my flat in Tooting at about 10.30 (and subsequently got into work way too early) but it’s just about holding out in Kennington for the time being. However the rain radar does not look good.
So in the meantime, why not read about how Eoin Morgan has been inspired by Iceland beating England. Whether that’s an English team losing or the massive underdogs coming from behind to beat the heavy favourites, I’m not convinced either augurs well for Morgan’s team.
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. This has been a frustrating old series for England. Sri Lanka have been poor and have got worse as it has gone on yet Eoin Morgan’s team, for whatever reasons, only hold the slenderest of leads. At Trent Bridge a top order collapse meant England could barely scrape a tie with six off the last ball. At Bristol the rain ruined their chances after Sri Lanka hit just three sixes and 15 fours (shared between four players) in a frankly woeful batting performance on one of the country’s smallest international grounds.
The good news for England, then, is that a win at the Oval today will wrap up this ODI series with a game to spare. Sri Lanka are overly reliant on Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews to score runs, and even then they seem to always end up consolidating after early collapses then getting out shortly after reaching 50. On top of that, they bizarrely insist on hiding their best batsman down at No7 in the order. They may have taken Alex Hales out for a duck on Sunday, but their bowling isn’t particularly penetrative either. Put another way, England should win this and win it well.
That is of course assuming the rain stays away. The bad news for England is that it probably won’t. I don’t live too far from the Oval and the road by my flat has been flooded more than once in the past week so, if the forecast from the Met Office is to be believed, this could be a frustrating afternoon once again.
Play is due to begin at 1pm BST, because of late night noise restrictions in the area apparently. That is 5.30pm Sri Lankan time. That’s a funny one, as Google suggests that Sri Lanka is now only four-and-a-half hours ahead of the UK, when I could have sworn it was five-and-a-half previously in this series. Not that it matters a jot, because either way that is exactly when the rain is expected to start falling. Until then, some music.
