Before we part ways, here’s Mike Selvey’s report from Chester-le-Street.
That’s all from us here. Thanks, as ever, for the company and the chat. Join us for the 3rd Test at Lord’s, in nine days time. For the time being, if you still need your cricket fix the County Championship live blog can be found here.
For now, it’s good bye from me and it’s good bye from him👇
MOTM @jimmy9 after eight in the match, a 21st five-for and 450th Test wicket #worldclass 👍🏼👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/XEoQHSU3tf
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
Michael Atherton is having a natter with England coach Trevor Bayliss and the first question is on Captain Cook’s milestone.
“What else can you say but absolutely fantastic effort!” Yeah, that’ll do, Trev. “He didn’t say anything but he’s only human – but I’m sure it did weigh on him a little.”
“Eight out of 10,” he says, when asked to rate England’s performance in this Test. “Always leave room for improvement. “Sometimes we try too hard to get a wicket.”
On Steven Finn’s search for form: “I think it’s mostly confidence and rhythm. When anyone has a break for three or four months, it does take a bit of time to get back to it. I expect it won’t be too long until he’s back in form.”
Great work from the lads this week,some brilliant performances and a series win...Alistair Cook is the captain of our ship #10k
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) May 30, 2016
Updated
The player of the match is James Anderson, with eight for 94 in the match, now with 451 Test wickets, Jimbo Anderson gets a nifty cheque and some bubbles. Oddly, it’s his first MoM award since July 2014 v India
Angelo Mathews says dropping Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali on that second morning cost Sri Lanka the game. On Herath, who picked up his 300th Test wicket in this match: “He’s been amazing over the past six years, taking 220 wickets. He has been a great servant for Sri Lankan cricket.”
“I don’t think it whistled – it trickled over. I was coming back for three!” says Alastair Cook, on the shot that took him to 10,000 Test runs. “Unfortunately mum and dad went home last night, but hopefully they saw it on TV!”
“It’s those 7am nets with Goochie (Graham Gooch) and the hard work you put in away from the middle. One thing I am proud of is to do this at the top of the order, against the new ball. But I couldn’t do it without the support of my family and my teammates.”
Updated
Some housekeeping: get your day four report here
Unchanged England squad named for third Test at Lord's
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) May 30, 2016
Oh for f... not another one
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in... #CookStats https://t.co/VSbU9TYXHJ
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) May 30, 2016
I’ll be hanging around to bring you some reaction from the match, so feel free to email and tweet in.
There are also some ridiculous matches going on in the County Championship. Follow those thrills and spills on our live blog.
Twitter is something of a treasure trove right now...
Herath today became the first visiting spinner to bowl the first ball of a Test innings in Eng since Mushtaq Mohammad in 1967. What a day.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) May 30, 2016
Third not out for Compton in England chases after Mumbai and Kolkata. A chasing specialist #ENGvSL
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) May 30, 2016
England have never lost a Test series with Nick Compton in the side.
— Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew) May 30, 2016
ENGLAND WIN BY NINE WICKETS
24th over: England 80-1 (Cook 47, Compton 22)
Given consecutive trash deliveries, Nick Compton butchers a couple of fours through midwicket to finish the Test and the Test series. England go 8-0 up in the Super Series.
Updated
23rd over: England 72-1 (Cook 47, Compton 18)
Compton leaves most and then gets a single, threatening to take a Test fifty away from his skipper.
Punk cricket writer Jarrod Kimber emails in on the subject of women in cricket. Bit of background: Jarrod was one of the first to give me the opportunity to write about cricket when I emailed him way back when.
“Over the years I have been asked to give work experience or internships (not sure why so many people want to watch me write, it’s not as sexy as you’d think) by well over a hundred people. All men. A recent cricket job was advertised and there was over 50 applicants, of those one was a woman.”
Similar across the board. A paper with a strong online presence advertised for a football writing job two years ago. They received more than 600 applications. Six were women.
22nd over: England 71-1 (Cook 47, Compton 13)
Pace from both ends for the first time in the innings as Shaminda Eranga comes on, starting around the wicket to Cook. Another four to the skipper as Eranga’s natural movement means the ball strays onto the hip, which is basically a free hit for Cook. Just eight left to get...
21st over: England 67-1 (Cook 43, Compton 13)
Very good from Compton: Lakmal’s first ball of his new spell is angled into the pads and it is expertly timed through midwicket for four. “Probably the best shot he’s played this series,” says Tim de Lisle, sat to my right. He tries to carve a cut through the off side but succeeds in only bouncing it down into the pitch beside him.
20th over: England 63-1 (Cook 43, Compton 9)
Cook gets another three off Herath, guiding him beyond first slip with a deliberately angled bat.
@Vitu_E I know there was an OBO roll of honour at some point, possibly marking 10th anniversary? Not many women on there, admittedly.
— Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) May 30, 2016
This rings a bell, actually. I’ll root around for it. Meanwhile, change of bowling – Lakmal to come into the attack.
19th over: England 59-1 (Cook 40, Compton 8)
Compton gets one out of the screws: allowed to move to the back foot and flay across the line as Siriwardana drops short. Four. And look who it is!
@Vitu_E I sure did. I was OBOing for that bloody awful Ashes series of 2006-07, and for THAT Pakistan Test. I think @Georgina_Turner has too
— Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) May 30, 2016
18th over: England 54-1 (Cook 39, Compton 4)
Herath flies through an over but Cook manages to nab three from it.
17th over: England 51-1 (Cook 36, Compton 4)
A couple of junk deliveries allow Cook to move into the thirties. A full toss is treated accordingly and dismissed over midwicket for four. The second follows a similar path to the fence as Siriwardana over-corrects with a half volley. Compton nips a single to cover to bring up the fifty.
“It is gradually changing,” writes Janet Stevens from France. “I think the OBO has done its bit - it can be a bit blokeish but you have never made me (female and pushing 70) feel like an outsider. I love Ali Mitchell.But can anyone tell me what happened to Donna Simmons? I think I’m right that she was the first woman to do BBB on TMS some years ago and very good she was too.” I have no idea actually. Last I heard she was practicing law in Barbados. Anyone?
Updated
16th over: England 40-1 (Cook 26, Compton 3)
A tongue-in-cheek review from Mathews, as Compton goes back to defend a ball that hits the outside of his front pad. Umpire’s call on both impact (just outside the line of off stump while Compto was playing a shot) and hitting (just clipping).
John Starbuck emails in to inform me that the excellent Carrie Dunn – who has written a book that you should definitely buy here – has OBO-ed. “Isn’t it time Emma John was invited in?”
15th over: England 40-1 (Cook 26, Compton 3)
Compton is off the mark with a well played shot off his legs: using the angle of the left armer around the wicket to play the ball late, in front of middle, into midwicket for two.
Updated
14th over: England 37-1 (Cook 26, Compton 0)
Nothing of note other than some excellent footwork from the skipper, who pads a ball up and then calmly passes it to the man in space.
13th over: England 37-1 (Cook 26, Compton 0)
Cook dots up the first four balls from Siriwardana before giving Compton the final delivery. Two slips are brought in, the chatter goes up and Compton blocks solidly into the off side. On Rob’s point the over before, I feel like Emma John must have sat in this very chair and dealt with this very CMS system. Could be mistaken though. But you’re right: there is no reason why more women shouldn’t be doing this. I feel like cricket journalism at the moment is blessed with a lot of talented females. Certainly more so than, say, five years ago. It’s changing, slowly but surely. For the better.
Updated
12th over: England 36-1 (Cook 25, Compton 0)
Herath on from the other end and Cook gets a single off the first ball to bring Compton on strike. Rob Wilson, “self-proclaimed resident OBO stalker” is in a wistful mood.
“Good lolz, a sentimental fightback and a puppyishly exuberant OBOer debutant pulling it off with miles to spare. It’s got to be the hardest gig going. Camera-ready copy every four minutes (I’m sure emails about typos send you into a puppy-kicking rage) + laffs and scorecard. Yet you all seem to pull it off.” He ends with an important question:
“But, unless I blinked and missed something, isn’t it time to let a woman have a go?”
11th over: England 35-1 (Cook 24)
Milinda Siriwardana switches ends to replace Herath and get this session started. A couple of singles and then a wicket as Hales misjudges the pace off the pitch. With 43 left, Nick Compton has a chance to get some valuable time in the middle ahead of a make-or-break Test at Lord’s.
WICKET! Hales b Siriwardana 11 (England 35-1)
Hales, a ball after trying and failing to clear the stands, gets bowled by a Siriwardana slider. Out walks Nick Compton...
Updated
Some highlights from Twitter as the players make their way back out to the middle...
@TimdeLisle That Ben Stokes can botwell.
— William Hargreaves (@billhargreaves) May 30, 2016
Cook is 31.5 years old. Graham Gooch scored 6360 Test runs and 16 centuries after that age...#watchoutSachin #BBCcricket @Vitu_E
— Tom Bowtell (@Tom_Bowtell) May 30, 2016
I was going to slip this into one of my updates, but I believe it deserves to stand alone as the highlight of Cook’s ascension to five figures...
Ben Stokes celebrating Alastair Cook's 10k in his undies the highlight pic.twitter.com/KzdxofHRFd
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) May 30, 2016
TEA
10th over: England 33-0 (Cook 23, Hales 10)
“Short. Wide. Four.” Couldn’t have put it any better myself, Mikey. Suranga Lakmal comes into the attack and is flayed behind point by Cook. And that’s tea.
9th over: England 29-0 (Cook 19, Hales 10)
Just one off the over as England knock it down to a cool 50 runs to go for victory.
The moment Alastair Cook reaches 10,000 Test runs with a classic glance off his pads. Look at that smile 😄😄 https://t.co/jgLHT68Xfh
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
Updated
8th over: England 28-0 (Cook 18, Hales 10)
Good patience from Hales to wait for the bad ball and then put it away through wide mid on for four. Tom James is looking for nerves: “79 is only two runs less than 81. Apropos of nothing at all... http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/291224.html”
Less of that, TJ...
To offset the statistical bombardment, here are Alastair Cook’s 10 greatest Test innings in pictures.
7th over: England 22-0 (Cook 18, Hales 4)
Cook jams down on a full, wide ball from Herath to get one. Hales is desperate to do the same but can only manage a one around the corner, sent back a couple of times when he thinks he has got some away through square leg. A four from Cook ends the over as Herath gives him some length to play with and is sent to cover.
6th over: England 16-0 (Cook 13, Hales 3)
Mathews has seen enough from Herath to plump for left arm spin at the other end, too. Milinda Siriwardana comes in and flights a couple up. Cook gets off strike and Hales hits a few nice drives for none.
5th over: England 15-0 (Cook 12, Hales 3)
Bit of turn for Herath, as the new ball gets a bit extra off the pitch to rear up and nip at Hales like a dog greeting its owner as they walk through the front door. Hales uses his bat as a newspaper and taps it on the nose.
Alastair Cook:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) May 30, 2016
- Youngest to 10k runs beating Tendulkar
- Quickest to 10k runs beating Dravid (no. of days from debut)#ENGvSL
Youngest to reach 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 & 6000 runs: S Tendulkar
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) May 30, 2016
Youngest to reach 7000, 8000, 9000, 10 000 A Cook
Updated
4th over: England 15-0 (Cook 12, Hales 3)
Here we go – the classics are coming out. Offered a hint of width, Cook cuts Pradeep behind square for four. Nearly a return catch of the final delivery, but Cook checks his shot enough to ensure the ball does not reach Pradeep on his follow-through.
Alastair Cook becomes the youngest batsman to reach 10,000 Test runshttps://t.co/bpNtS5P88K pic.twitter.com/nlLn30ms4Z
— BBC 5 live Sport (@5liveSport) May 30, 2016
3rd over: England 7-0 (Cook 5, Hales 2)
Herath continues, this time to Hales, who gets off the mark with a two to midwicket. It feels only right that we handover to Tom Botwell for this moment, who comes with exciting news...
“Amazingly, with the four which took him to 10,000 runs, Cook’s average (46.29) ticked over to exactly match his strike rate (46.29).”
2nd over: England 5-0 (Cook 5, Hales 0)
That’s that over with. Read all about it here:
Already England’s record run scorer, Cook has played 127 Tests for England and scored 28 centuries since making his debut against India in 2006.
Sunil Gavaskar was the first man to reach the landmark in 1987, followed by Allan Border six years later. Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene and Shivnarine Chanderpaul followed in their footsteps, with Kumar Sangakkara the last man to join the club in December 2012.
Alastair Cook has 10,000 Test runs
A clip into the leg side beats midwicket and races way to the fence for four. He looks relieved. He is the youngest player to achieve the feat,
Alastair C0,000k
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) May 30, 2016
Updated
1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Hales 0)
Rangana Herath is your bowler. Alastair Cook is your batsman. A bit of turn into the left hander and, having given himself room, the inside edge is found... for one. Four more...
“Sporting of England to give Cook another chance to fall a few runs short of 10k,” writes David Mooney. I think we can all agree Cook getting out here on 9,999 would be funny.
Updated
So, 79 to get, Alastair Cook facing up... how many Test runs is he on, again?
.@jimmy9 leads ENG off after a 21st Test five-for. SL all out for 475 #ENGvSL https://t.co/VjhUqDisxL
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
WICKET! Lakmal c Broad b Woakes (Sri Lanka 475 all out)
129th over: Lakmal is getting in on the act, swiping a short ball from Woakes through midwicket for four. But he’s gone next ball trying to repeat the shot: Broad taking a simple catch at mid on. James Anderson leads the team off, having taken five for 58.
England require 79 to win the Test.
Updated
128th over: Sri Lanka 471-9 (Lakmal 7, Pradeep 13)
Pradeep moves to 11 with a glorious lower order hack that was meant to send the ball to cover and resulted in a four over second slip’s head for four. And then four byes as a full delivery dies on its way through to Bairstow. A skewed edge to third man brings two more. Ten from the over.
Can Rod Tucker also replace Bairstow behind the stumps? #ENGvSL
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) May 30, 2016
Updated
127th over: Sri Lanka 461-9 (Lakmal 7, Pradeep 7)
Nuwan Pradeep, with a bat as white as snow, notches a cherry with the plink down the ground for two. A scarpered single has Woakes fielding off his own bowling and shying at the stumps. It misses and Lakmal gets in a dive but his bat bounces off the lush green turf and in the air. A direct hit and that would have been innings over.
Tip of the hat to Chandimal. And super spell that from Anderson: 6-4-7-2. #ENGvSL
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) May 30, 2016
126th over: Sri Lanka 453-9 (Lakmal 6, Pradeep 4)
Chandimal tries to get his wrists around a ball from Stuart Broad but skews in the air, just short of Chris Woakes at mid on. Next ball, he’s a goner: 126 off 207 balls. Looks like it was a slower ball from Broad. Aleem Dar has had to follow Chandimal off: he’s feeling unwell and will be replaced by third umpire Rod Tucker, whose first order of business is to check with the new third umpire – the umpire formerly known as fourth umpire – to see if Moeen Ali had successfully stopped a ball from the sponge with a slide tackle. He hadn’t. Four.
“There should be no more talk about how pathetic Sri Lanka have been,” writes David Keech. “This fightback bodes very well for a big battle at Lords. So those of you – me included – feeling sorry for ‘overmatched’ WIP Sri Lanka – no more.”
Tip of the hat to Chandimal. And super spell that from Anderson: 6-4-7-2. #ENGvSL
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) May 30, 2016
Biggest 1st inns deficit a team following on has overcome:
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) May 30, 2016
473 Pak v WI Bridgetown 1958
400 SA v Aus Sydney 2002
397 SL today
WICKET! Chandimal b Broad 126 (Sri Lanka 453-9, lead by 56)
A brilliant knock comes to an end as Chandimal tries to go downtown but misses as Stuart Broad, on to replace James Anderson, clips the top of off stump.
Updated
125th over: Sri Lanka 451-8 (Chandimal 124, Lakmal 6)
Given two balls to face, Lakmal hooks a bouncer behind square for four. It wasn’t a clean connection – more splice than middle – but the wiry arms of Lakmal swung through effectively enough to avoid harm.
124th over: Sri Lanka 446-8 (Chandimal 123, Lakmal 2)
Credit to Lakmal: greeted with a snorter of a short ball, he gets behind the ball and plays it down into the pitch rather than into Compton’s manicured mitts.
123rd over: Sri Lanka 446-8 (Chandimal 123, Lakmal 2)
Woakes is hanging the ball outside off stump, just within the legal limits, to frustrate Chandimal. Then, to Lakmal, he’s straight and finds an edge, but it’s just out of the reach of third slip. A full bunger is mistimed to mid off, where Ali fields and ensures there’s no run.
122nd over: Sri Lanka 442-8 (Chandimal 122, Lakmal 0)
I’ll be honest, the over started with me question why Anderson was bowling short to Eranga. Then, with the batsman’s weight back, he followed it up with a ball that hit the top of off. That’s eight wickets in the match so far...
Oh dear! He's caught it then he's dropped it! @silverhubmedia @InvestecCricket @englandcricket pic.twitter.com/6yW7eJgdUY
— Philip Brown (@dudleyplatypus) May 30, 2016
Updated
WICKET! Eranga b Anderson 1 (Sri Lanka 442-8, lead by 45)
“Full pint!” bellows Atherton as Anderson squares up Eranga and takes out his off stump in the process. That’s five wickets for Jimmy – his 21st five-for in Test cricket.
Updated
121st over: Sri Lanka 442-7 (Chandimal 122, Eranga 1)
With Chandimal on strike, Chris Woakes replaces Moeen Ali. But the senior batsman – the one who can actually play – decides to give his inferior partner four balls. It ends up being only two, as Eranga pushes into the off side to get off the mark. Smart from Woakes, though, as he bowls a leg side delivery to bypass an advancing Chandimal for a dot ball. A one day wide but fine here.
120th over: Sri Lanka 440-7 (Chandimal 121, Eranga 0)
Eranga’s edge is tested by Anderson. There’s no footwork whatsoever, but he plays with soft hands to ensure the slips and short leg aren’t in business.
119th over: Sri Lanka 440-7 (Chandimal 121, Eranga 0)
With two balls left in the over, England bring the field in to back Chandimal into a corner and prevent him from nabbing the strike for the next over. Rather than finesse his way out, like a cartoon mouse, he takes the boxer’s approach and swings like mad, bludgeoning two sixes (straight and midwicket) to end the over.
118th over: Sri Lanka 430-7 (Chandimal 111, Eranga 0)
Herath, playing such a fine hand, undoes his good work by questioning The Word Of Dar. Fair enough to review the LBW call given how well he and the partnership was set. But Dar says you’re out, so you’re out even if you think you’re not. What a partnership between Chandimal and Herath though: 116 runs, 28.1 overs, and a run rate of 4.11.
@stewartgraham71 @Vitu_E it's a state of mind. Adelaide doesn't exist until you tell it to exist. Once you summon it there's no going back
— Max Williams (@maxwykeham) May 30, 2016
WICKET! Herath LBW Anderson 61 (Sri Lanka 430-7)
FINALLY! Anderson, around the wicket, pins Herath about halfway up middle and leg. It looks out, it’s given out, Herath reviews but replays show it was even more out than we first thought. That’s Jimmy’s 450th, too.
Updated
117th over: Sri Lanka 430- 6 (Chandimal 111, Herath 61)
The cravat is ditched for the spurs: Herath gives third man the run around with a neat reverse clip and then has short-leg fondling his rosary beads as Herath sweeps hard and true for four. A single off the inside edge from the last ball.
Updated
116th over: Sri Lanka 418-6 (Chandimal 108, Herath 52)
Herath is treating the seamer and the spinner differently. To Ali, he’s a maverick cowboy, looking to make a living square of the wicket. To Anderson, he’s prim and proper, leaving outside off and defending in the V. He’s struck in front last ball but it’s too high, even on his dinky boards.
@Vitu_E Anyone else starting to have thoughts of Adelaide?
— Stewart Graham (@stewartgraham71) May 30, 2016
115th over: 416-6 (Chandimal 108, Herath 50)
Rangana Herath goes to his half century with a pinched single into the off side, after a couple of lazy attempted sweeps. It has taken 87 balls and lost him a few English fans.
Updated
114th over: Sri Lanka 415-6 (Chandimal 108, Herath 49)
Dropping a catch is one thing. But dropping a catch and then falling over is quite another. And to do so off the bowling of James Anderson – a man who eats grit and drinks fire for dinner (sorry – “tea”), well that’s just asking for trouble. James Vince, under a high ball brought about through an almighty hack from Herath got into position but fell backwards as he attempted to take it in front of his eyes before rolling backwards over himself. Jimmy looked like he had witnessed a war crime. Samuel Honywill, too:
“It’s days like this when I realise I need to be less pathetically dependent on sport for my own personal happiness: I’m fuming with England here. Unnecessary (if understandable) decision to enforce, Cook’s beginning to slide into Headingley 2014 mode, we’ve got a keeper who treats every ball as if it were a live hand grenade, Finn’s bowled like hot trash and when you desperately need your spinner to step up Mo’s gone and returned 1-103 from 20-odd overs (which inciddentally is why, despite the glorious century, rumblings about his place will continue), all against a batting line-up that had only just scraped past 300 in its previous three innings combined and still needed 90 to make them bat again when England took the wicket this morning. Geuinely awful stuff from England this morning. Bayliss needs to administer the hairdryer treatment at lunch here because I can see this being stretched into a tricky target now England’s bowlers have knacked themselves. Gah. *Goes off grumbling to nobody in particular*”
Updated
113rd over: Sri Lanka 410-6 (Chandimal 109, Herath 44)
Moeen Ali to continue after lunch. The ground is empty but for a collection of Sri Lankan fans who have their flags draped over the chairs in front of them and greet a brace of sweeps – one orthodox, one reverse – with a few cheers and the odd expletive as they both race to the boundary for four. They could have been quietened had an LBW request been given, but S.Ravi says not out. Computer says umpire’s call.
Updated
Afternoon all – Tom Botwell Vish here to see you through the first hour of the afternoon session before I hand back to Tim de Lisle, who has had to sit in a dark corner for a few moments. I’d imagine a few England bowlers were doing the same at lunch. If ever there was a time for one of Trevor Bayliss’ famous bollockings, that interval would be it. The players are back out there now looking a bit sheepish. Chandimal and Herath a little more upbeat...
Enjoyed Herath's honesty in Saturday's press conference. Asked if Sri Lanka could make England bat again. Pause. "I don't know."
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) May 30, 2016
Meanwhile the nominative-determinism thread is warming up. (Not something I’ve said before while covering the cricket.)
“If you want nominative stories,” says Jon Morrow, “I can tell you that as a Mr Morrow I can be very mañana, much to the annoyance of my exasperated missus.”
Mac Millings has something to share with the group. “Dearest Tim,” he begins, disarmingly. “I confess it. I am he. On the run from the word-play police (let’s just say I went punderground), I adopted the attention-avoiding pseudonym Tom Botwell, only after having regretfully discarded the equally anonymous alternatives, John Arseworthy and Tim Bumhandy.”
And the first review is in for Tom Bowtell’s playlet, which had its world premiere in the 105th over below. “Tim Botwell is a GENIUS!” raves Robert Wilson. “I’d pay top whack to watch that at the National. No need to stretch it out. It’s perfect. Sam Beckett can go blow...”
The tone having been lowered, I’m off for a sandwich, leaving you in the far more capable hands of Vish. He should have either a series win to report, or a hell of a story.
Updated
LUNCH
Sri Lanka 403-6 (Chandimal 108, Herath 37)
The morning belongs to Dinesh Chandimal, who moved smoothly, and for a moment streakily, to his sixth Test hundred – the first in this series not made by an England number seven. The wily old Rangana Herath has given him superb support, and they’ve added 89. Another 130 or so could just make a match of it.
Updated
112nd over: Sri Lanka 403-6 (Chandimal 108, Herath 37)
Herath plays another of his choppy little pulls off Woakes. It’s only a single, but it’s enough to level the scores. Chandimal, feeling the cake needs some icing, creams a drive through the covers and brings the 400 up. Sri Lanka lead by six. They’ve climbed the mountain.
@TimdeLisle slightly depressing this. Feels like SL are just starting to get handle on conditions after series lost. Need more warm ups
— notjarvis (@notjarvis) May 30, 2016
111st over: Sri Lanka 396-6 (Chandimal 103, Herath 35)
Chandimal dances a jig, like Alan Pardew but without the same risk of instant embarrassment. Then he calms down to see off another over from Moeen, who bowls a beamer by mistake. Chandimal pulls it straight at the short leg, Compton, who thankfully indicates that he’s fine.
HUNDRED!
Dinesh Chandimal reaches Sri Lanka’s first century of the series.
Updated
110th over: Sri Lanka 394-6 (Chandimal 103, Herath 34)
Herath cannily hands the strike back to Chandimal, who plays no fewer than three drives. The first is mistimed into the covers, the second struck back to Woakes, the third nearly produces a run-out. Finally he gets a thick edge – the worst shot of them all –and he’s there. It’s been a fine, fighting knock from a man who, as the wicketkeeper, might have felt crushed after letting England rack up 498.
Dileep Premachandran has a thought. “Is young master Dinesh from the VVS Laxman school of ‘hopeless’ knocks? Like Laxman, he often looks quite casual in his approach. His overall numbers are not imposing, but he seems to fancy the tough situations. Conventional stats don’t do VVS any favours - ‘only’ 17 hundreds and an average of 46 - but so many of his best innings, whether hundreds or 80s and 90s, transformed matches. And he also had great faith in the tailenders he batted with. Chandimal has made no effort to shield Herath, and it’s worked very well for SL this session. Angelo Mathews did much the same in England in 2014.”
109th over: Sri Lanka 389-6 (Chandimal 99, Herath 33)
Now Chandimal does get a spasm of nerves, getting a leading edge to an innocuous offbreak from Moeen. Then he wants a single to short midwicket, but Herath wisely sends him back. Finally he offers what would have been a simple catch to forward short-leg, had Cook posted one. A maiden for Moeen, who has been much tidier today.
108th over: Sri Lanka 389-6 (Chandimal 99, Herath 33)
Chandimal, facing Woakes, eases to 99, cool as the ice-cream of the same name. The deficit has plummeted to 8.
“I confess,” begins Robert Wilson, promisingly, “I began this controversy because I am thoroughly convinced that Tom Botwell does not actually exist. It’s clearly a made-up name. The question is made up by whom? There are, I think, two choices. It’s either someone of sinister intent and dubious morality or it’s Tom Stoppard in an idle and playful mood. I considered Salman Rushdie. But I just checked and he says it’s not him.”
107th over: Sri Lanka 383-6 (Chandimal 97, Herath 32)
Chandimal continues to accumulate, off Moeen: no nervous nineties for him so far.
John Starbuck does have a nominative tale to tell. “Indeed. People called Starbuck are concentrated in the East Midlands, so it’s no surprise that some of us emigrated to the North-east of our quondam American colonies, after the Restoration, to pursue a future of religious freedom (meaning Puritans who would persecute backsliders). This is why, in Moby-Dick, the local name Starbuck was given by Melville to the First Mate of the Pequod. He became renowned as a Cassandra figure, foretelling that everything on that voyage would end badly. And so it happened, though no one believed him at the time. I, and many of my family, now have the capacity to prophesy doom, to be proved right afterwards, when nobody cares any more. The coffee people, by the way, have no right to the name, since the founders picked it only because they enjoyed Moby-Dick, which is one of the many Great American Novel contenders. Another is Huckleberry Finn, but I don’t know if that helps Steven of that name...” I think we have our Picaresque.
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106th over: Sri Lanka 383-6 (Chandimal 94, Herath 32)
Woakes has barely conceded a run today, but Herath, seeing it big, jabs him for four past backward point. Woakes replies by extracting some extra lift and forcing Herath to whip his hand off the bat. The pitch hasn’t looked so slow when Woakes has been bowling.
105th over: Sri Lanka 377-6 (Chandimal 94, Herath 27)
A maiden from Moeen to Chandimal, featuring a loud appeal that was more mouth than trousers.
Tom Bowtell – not Botwell – picks up the gauntlet thrown down by Robert Wilson, with “a playlet”. Forgive me if the paragraphing goes awry.
Wisden: Welcome, Botwell.
Botwell: Did you know that Anthony McGrath was briefly the only Test batsman to average over 100 with the bat and under 10 with the ball, during his second Test, against Zimbabwe at Chester-le-Street?
Wisden: Interesting.
Harold Pinter: Join me.
PAUSE
104th over: Sri Lanka 377-6 (Chandimal 94, Herath 27)
A maiden, as Woakes asks some tough questions of Herath. He has been England’s second-best bowler in this innings: smooth run-up, brisk pace, sustained accuracy, and, as my colleague Vish pointed out yesterday, excellent hair.
103rd over: Sri Lanka 377-6 (Chandimal 94, Herath 27)
Herath gets carried away, tries a reverse sweep at Moeen, misses but escapes as the ball squeezes past off stump. He does better with a conventional sweep for a single off the last ball, which confirms that Chandimal is not farming the strike.
102nd over: Sri Lanka 375-6 (Chandimal 93, Herath 25)
Cook, who didn’t change the bowling enough yesterday, is making up for it today. He replaces the wayward Finn with the unwavering Woakes, who gets one past Chandimal. Herath, who is having a ball, plays another shovel for two.
“Surely,” argues John Starbuck, “it’s to be expected that someone called Tom Botwell would have a diverging career pattern? For the want of one vowel change, to Batwell, he might have been a prime example of nominative determinism, and flourished as a cricketer. The difficulty of maintaining such a split identity would naturally lead to roles in the dramatic arts.” Nice. But how about you, John? Any nominative tales to tell?
101st over: Sri Lanka 372-6 (Chandimal 92, Herath 23)
Herath sweeps Moeen for four, crisply. For a man who doesn’t like to break sweat, he has a lot of shots. This partnership has already rattled up 58 and cut the overdraft to 25. Great stuff.
“‘Over to you Tom’?” splutters Robin Hazlehurst. “No, no, rookie error there I’m afraid. It should be ‘over to the readers of the OBO to come up with unlikely and outlandish storylines while nothing much happens on the pitch, with the best efforts being rewarded with the satisfying glow of an hour at work well wasted’. Though the name ‘Botwell’ may play havoc with spam filters along the way.” Point taken. Over to everyone.
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100th over: Sri Lanka 365-6 (Chandimal 91, Herath 19)
No Sri Lankan has yet reached three figures, but at least the overs have. Chandimal hooks Finn for four to go into the nineties, and before that Herath pulls for four, then cuts for four more and off-pushes for three. He does it all with the least effort shown by an elder statesman since Johnny Cash sang this...
99th over: Sri Lanka 351-6 (Chandimal 87, Herath 8)
Cook, finally channelling his inner Mark Taylor, turns to Moeen Ali, bit only gives him one catcher, a slip, so a possible chance falls harmlessly in the forward short-leg zone. To be fair, it may have been only pad. Moeen, staying mostly outside off to aim for the rough, collects a rare maiden.
98th over: Sri Lanka 351-6 (Chandimal 87, Herath 8)
Another over survived without alarms, as Finn continues his search for rhythm and form.
“Seriously, dude,” says Robert Wilson, “we need to know a lot more about the unlikely figure of Tom Botwell. You can’t just pass on the career path that leads from Wisden intern to theatre director like it’s nothing. We need a proper narrative (with lots of dialogue). This could be the birth of the Modern Picaresque.” Over to you, Tom.
Drinks! Sri Lanka 350-6 (Chandimal 86, Herath 8)
Almost a perfect hour for Sri Lanka, marred only by the magnificent Anderson. He has 3-51, while his mates have 3-289.
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97th over: Sri Lanka 350-6 (Chandimal 86, Herath 8)
Chandimal has faith in Herath, which makes a bit of a nonsense of Cook’s wish to set the field back. Review! Woakes appeals for LBW against Chandimal. A classic in-ducker, but there’s an edge to save his skin. Herath then plays a classy pull for four to bring up the 350. The deficit is below 50 now.
A good spot from the editor of Wisden:
This is now Chandimal's highest Test score outside Asia
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) May 30, 2016
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96th over: Sri Lanka 343-6 (Chandimal 84, Herath 3)
Cook turns to Finn, and Chandimal smashes him past the cover sweeper for four more. Anyone else for tennis? Yes – Herath plays an unusual shot, a forehand slice, for two.
An email comes in from a theatre director who was once a Wisden intern. He is Tom Bowtell, also known in these parts as Tom Botwell. “Mentioned this last Test, but we’re getting closer than ever to Anderson, Broad and Finn’s average converging. Currently Anderson 28.44, Broad 28.42 and Finn 28.35... My day is structured around trying to get a screen grab of the glorious moment.” You can take the boy out of Wisden...
95th over: Sri Lanka 336-6 (Chandimal 79, Herath 1)
Cook finally takes the hint and brings on Woakes, but not for Broad, so Anderson’s 450th Test wicket will have to wait. England miss a run-out chance as Chandimal flicks to leg again and Herath’s ageing legs are tested – Finn flings in a fine throw, and Woakes wrongly assumes it’s going to clip the bails without his help. Woakes then beats Chandimal with a beauty, extracting lift from a slow pitch. His stock has risen just as sharply.
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94th over: Sri Lanka 333-6 (Chandimal 76, Herath 1)
England hold a conference. How many people does it take to change the bowling? Woakes is overdue a go, but Cook sticks with Broad. And a defensive field, as if this were a completely different match. Chandimal cover-drives for two and flicks for a single; Herath protects his stumps and ducks a bouncer.
93rd over: Sri Lanka 330-6 (Chandimal 73, Herath 1)
Herath survives a whole over from Anderson. And another distinguished sportswriter tunes in – Dileep Premachandran, the editor of Wisden India. “Since you mentioned Headingley, I thought I’d just say that Chandimal already has his own version of it to talk of. Galle in August last year. http://www.wisdenindia.com/scorecard/india-tour-of-sri-lanka-test-series-2015/1st-test/sri-lanka-vs-india/38014.html. Some ordinary umpiring helped, but it was one of the best back-to-the-wall innings you’ll ever see.”
92nd over: Sri Lanka 330-6 (Chandimal 73, Herath 1)
Herath is good enough to get off the mark, and the strike, with a nudge to long leg – a stroke that has Old Pro stamped all over it. Broad still not quite himself. He and Anderson are an old married couple now: when one is making a noise, the other goes quiet.
91st over: Sri Lanka 329-6 (Chandimal 73, Herath 0)
After nicking the strike, Chandimal plays a delicate late cut for four off Anderson. A shot for anybody who misses Ian Bell. And then he is dropped, by Bairstow behind the wicket, off an inside edge, so not easy. England can afford it, but Bairstow is missing a few. Are you watching, Jos Buttler? Chandimal celebrates his escape with a stately cover drive for four.
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90th over: Sri Lanka 321-6 (Chandimal 65, Herath 0)
Chandimal responds to adversity by stepping on the gas, shovelling Broad to deep square for two, then lashing him through the covers for four. A heavy defeat still looms, but with a hint of a moral victory. Or a morale one.
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89th over: Sri Lanka 314-6 (Chandimal 58, Herath 0)
Anderson, by far England’s best bowler in this innings, does it again, luring Siriwardana to his doom in classic northern-seamer fashion, caught in the slips. Statham would have been proud of that; even Trueman might not have scoffed. Siriwardana did well though, adding 92 with Chandimal and showing plenty of fight.
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WICKET!
Siriwardana c Hales b Anderson 35
(Sri Lanka 314-6)
Anderson finds the perfect length to draw Siriwardana into a thick edge, lowish but snapped up neatly by Alex Hales in the cordon.
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88th over: Sri Lanka 313-5 (Chandimal 57, Siriwardana 35)
Broad, bored of maidens, concedes a single. Every over is a tiny triumph for Sri Lanka, who badly need to see off the new ball.
“Forget Headingley 81,” says Jasper Rees, refreshingly. “What about this happening? http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/225264.html
SL earned a draw after England had a first innings lead of 350+. I distinctly recall leaving Lord’s at the end of day two assuming victory was beyond certain. Then SL batted v v v slowly for a draw for nearly three days and 199 overs.” Jasper knows a bit about the vicissitudes of sport: he was an early biographer of Arsene Wenger.
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87th over: Sri Lanka 312-5 (Chandimal 56, Siriwardana 35)
Another maiden. Anderson asks the right questions, as ever, but Siriwardana has the answers – mostly the batting equivalent of no comment.
Landmark time: Sri Lanka have now survived twice as long in this innings as in any of the previous three, and for half as many wickets. Sanath Jayasuriya, the chairman of selectors, celebrates with a selfie.
86th over: Sri Lanka 312-5 (Chandimal 56, Siriwardana 35)
At the other end, it’s Broad, as Cook opts not to abandon a lifelong belief in the established order. Still not enough catchers. Chandimal gets well forward and covers his off stump, taking his cue from Silva yesterday. It’s a maiden.
85th over: Sri Lanka 312-5 (Chandimal 56, Siriwardana 35)
Anderson, of course. getting some shape, of course. The batsmen watch the ball and pick up some singles. Cook posts no short leg and no fourth slip. A gambler he is not.
“Talking of bookies,” says Robert Wilson. “I never gamble (which effectively means that when I do, I tend to win with bizarre regularity).” Is that a humble brag? Just asking. “Not sure there’s much casino-type juice in this match. But I’ve been thinking of having a punt on the Euros. I’ll be at a few games and I’m feeling the tickle of probability flowing along my keel.” Oooh. “500-1 on Norn Iron to win! Given that I am actually from God’s own country and that Kyle Lafferty makes me feel a bit funny, does this all amount to an omen? What do you think? Should I?” At the risk of setting you on the road to ruin, Robert, I would recommend an investment of £2.
The bookies are not in much doubt about what’s going to happen today. To win a quid on England, you’ll have to risk £66. If you feel like a flutter on Sri Lanka, you can get 125/1. The better bet might be England to win the series 2-1, at 7/1.
Sri Lanka have two big big problems here. One is the weather, which is due to be dull but not damp, and is only promising to rescue them after 3pm tomorrow. The other is the massive debt they ran up with their fielding and first-innings batting. And of those crimes, the fielding is far the greater. Anyone can nick a good ball, especially if they’re as green as the surface. But there’s no excuse for not holding your chances, and it ought to be the one area where a young team has the edge.
England’s bowlers had a novel experience too yesterday: a hard day at the office. Only James Anderson, their all-time greatest wicket-taker, really rose to the occasion. Steven Finn, known as a nice guy, picked a fight with Kaushal Silva and went from bad to middling. The others stuck at it, and Moeen Ali produced a peach to bowl Thirimanne, rightly crowned Ball of the Day in this morning’s paper (dear print reader, please turn to Sport, page 2).
Alastair Cook’s captaincy was more like its old self – obvious, verging on sleepy – than its funked-up version 2.0, although he did briefly try a trio of silly mid-offs for Angelo Mathews, which were beyond silly and into the realms of self-defeating. At times, Cook may even have regretted enforcing the follow-on.
Today, England need to be ruthless and wrap up the series by lunch. The ball is only four overs old, so Anderson and Broad – or maybe Woakes, to see if there’s more swing today – should be able to separate Chandimal and Siriwardana. These two can hold their heads high: their partnership of 87 is already Sri Lanka’s biggest of the series. If they can double it, the deficit will have been wiped out, and they can begin to dream of doing this.
Morning everyone and welcome to something we haven’t had before in this series: a fourth day. And something else we haven’t had: the sight of the Sri Lankan batsmen doing themselves justice, after three innings in which they turned up in disguise as the Sinhalese Sports Club Under-10s. They resume in an hour’s time on 309-5. A proper Test score.
By showing spirit in a lost cause, and skill on a seaming pitch, they have regained their dignity. In terms of runs per wicket, they’ve batted six times as well as they did in their first three attempts. They’ve even outdone England, who have yet to reach 300 in this series with only five wickets down. But they’re still 88 runs behind, and, with a long tail, could well lose by an innings again. That’s why it’s called a Test.
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Tim will be here shortly but in the meantime have a read of Mike Selvey’s day four report on a fightback from Sri Lanka.
Against what seemed to be the odds, Sri Lanka have survived to take the second Test into a fourth day. Faced with a massive first-innings deficit of 397, and following-on for the second successive match, they showed a determination that had been far from evident in their three previous innings in this series.
There was an excellent 60, spread over almost four hours, from the compact, busy opener Kaushal Silva (who in the spirit of bald men being called Curly, could be known as Long John), a more robust 80 from the captain, Angelo Mathews, whose brilliant century at Headingley on their last tour was instrumental in his team’s success then, and an unbeaten 54 from Dinesh Chandimal, who reached his half-century with a creamy cover drive in the quarter of an hour England had with the second new ball at the end of the day.
