MATCH ABANDONED
The game has been put out of its misery by the umpires. It was an inevitable decision. So England lead 1-0 with two matches to play, the next of which is on Wednesday. Thanks for your company and emails; I’ll leave you with this summary of the last seven days.
There must be some play by 18:11 or the match will be declared no result #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/Wloj9TlFqO
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 26, 2016
It’s still raining. The ground is almost empty now, and we should soon get confirmation that the match has been abandoned.
The big covers are on, with some malevolent clouds above the ground. It’s not going to happen. They need to be back on the pitch by 6.11pm or it will be abandoned.
This doesn’t look entirely promising. Sky are showing highlights of the first ODI and there’s no immediate prospect of an inspection, never mind a restart.
“Did rain stop play in the quiz too?” says John Beaven. “Or have I missed the answer? Was it Jayasuriya who hit the first-ball six to win a Test against England?”
Rain didn’t, though apathy may have done. But yes, it was indeed Jayasuriya.
RAIN STOPS PLAY: 4 overs: England 16-1 (target: 249; Roy 5, Root 11) The rain is getting a little heavier, and I suspect they are going to go off here. Yep, the players are leaving the field at the behest of the umpires.
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3rd over: England 11-1 (target: 249; Roy 3, Root 8) Root has started busily and gets the first boundary with a flashing cut stroke off Lakmal.
2nd over: England 4-1 (target: 249; Roy 2, Root 2) Angelo Mathews will bowl his wicket-to-wicket wobblers from the other end. His first over is an affront to a culture of instant gratification, though Root does get off the mark with a flick into the leg side for a couple.
1st over: England 1-1 (target: 249; Roy 1, Root 0) The out-of-form Root almost falls as well, clunking a pull just short of midwicket.
“By my reckoning he has conceded only two boundaries in his last two ODIs,” says Gareth Fitzgerald. “Parsimonious effort.”
He’s having quite the summer. A lot of people, including this one here, owe him an apology.
WICKET! England 1-1 (Hales c Chandimal b Lakmal 0)
They are going to start, even though it’s still spitting in Bristol – and Hales has fallen to Suranga Lakmal for a golden duck! He tried to force a very wide short ball outside off stump with an angled bat and snicked it straight through to the keeper.
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“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “They’re all watching the football, aren’t they?”
Not any more, they are out in the middle. Even the rain has given up on Ireland’s chances.
Play will hopefully restart at 3.40pm. And, yep, it’s still 50 overs a side.
It’s raining again. Yes, it’s going to be one of those days.
Play will restart at 3.25pm, and it’s still 50 overs a side.
F.U.N. quiz part 2
Which Sri Lanka won a Test against England by hitting his first ball for six?
The umpires are still looking at the square, with the outer covers yet to be removed. As soon as there’s any news, you’ll read it here fourth.
Some news is good news The covers are coming off, so we might have a game after all.
“Aw put me out of my misery, Rob,” says William Hargreaves. “That one’s a tease-and-a-half. Eighty-four on daibooo and not called up again? But why?”
There were no ODIs for nine months because the India tour was cancelled, and at the start of the 1989 summer they had a lot of the big-hitters back: Gower, Gatting, Botham. That meant Barnett missed out, though he stayed in the Test team for a bit because of injuries to Botham and Gatting between the ODIs and the Tests.
“Kim Barnett,” says Josh Robinson, correctly answering the below question. I’ve just realised he didn’t hit a single boundary in that 84!
A quiz to pass the time
I was Man of the Match on my ODI debut for England after scoring 84 in a victory over Sri Lanka. It was my first and last ODI. Who am I?
On the plus side, you can watch France v Ireland, where something brilliant might be happening.
Hello. The good news is that England are in control of the match. The bad news is that the rain is probably going to win. The covers are on and it’s still raining, so I have no idea when England might start their run-chase. They need to face at least 20 overs to bring Duckworth/Lewis into play, so their innings would need to start by around 5.30pm. The ground is already on the damp side, so don’t be surprised if the game is abandoned.
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Without wanting to sound harsh, that was deeply uninspiring* from the Sri Lankan. Three got half-centuries but by the time Mathews became the third to do it felt inevitable he wouldn’t get many more. Eight of the nine wickets to fall did so to poor shots and the other one was a feeble run out. Sri Lanka hit three sixes and 15 fours – shared between just four batsmen – on one of England’s smallest international grounds.
Rob Smyth will guide you through the rest of this annihilation. I’ll be back for the fourth game on Wednesday, by which time England, weather permitting, should be dormie two. Bye!
*If I wanted to be honest I’d say “rubbish”.
End of Sri Lanka innings
50th over: Sri Lanka 248-9 (Pradeep 2, Lakmal 3) David Willey with the last over. Can this pair survive six balls? He begins with a dot, then Pradeep scuffs a chip back down the ground for one. Lakmal slaps the third to mid-on for another, the fourth is a full-toss that squirts off the bat to extra-cover for – you guessed it – a single, the fifth barely misses off stump and finally a slice out to mid-off for two.
49th over: Sri Lanka 242-9 (Pradeep 0, Lakmal 0) Two to Tharanga first ball, whipped through midwicket but the opening pair of Roy and Hales combine nicely for some relay fielding. A leg-bye and a few singles, before Maharoof becomes the sixth man to go caught off a big shot, before Woakes bowls Tharanga next ball to finish with 10-1-35-3. Very well bowled.
Wicket! Tharanga b Woakes 40
Big slog, misses, and Woakes hits middle.
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Wicket! Maharoof c Bairstow b Woakes 9
Another high catch. Back of a length from Woakes, Maharoof slogs it into the air and Bairstow jogs in from midwicket to hold the catch.
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48th over: Sri Lanka 237-7 (Tharanga 37, Maharoof 8) Jordan’s last over then and he nearly gets a wicket first ball: Tharanga goes on to the back foot and lifts a drive up and over Root at extra-cover, who can’t quite get to the ball turning and running back. He still doesn’t look entirely comfortable with his knee does Root. There’s an appeal for lbw against Maharoof and given not out; the umpire gives it as a run so Morgan, who didn’t hear an edge, reviews. It’s missing leg though I think and snicko suggests a tiny edge. Not out it remains. Seven runs, all run from the over. Jordan finishes with one for 49.
47th over: Sri Lanka 230-7 (Tharanga 32, Maharoof 6) Woakes comes back to bowl this and, presumably, the 49th over. He’s taking an age between deliveries to the point where the umpire has to ask Eoin Morgan to hurry his side up a bit. A wide on height and five singles come from the first five balls before Tharanga rifles the last one straight back past the bowler for two.
46th over: Sri Lanka 224-7 (Tharanga 30, Maharoof 3) Short from Jordan and Tharanga crunches him through midwicket for four. It is ludicrous that he’s batting at seven. Looking back at that run out, Tharanga was never interested in the run – Sri Lanka have been decidedly mediocre between the wickets in this series. Rain coming down more steadily now and Jordan is having to dry it between deliveries. Maharoof gets a well-run two from the last, punched off the back foot through mid-off.
45th over: Sri Lanka 215-7 (Tharanga 24, Maharoof 0) The single Shanaka took off the final ball of Jordan’s over means he’s on strike against Rashid, who is bowling his final over. He gets a full toss second ball and clunks it out to long-on for one. Then, after Tharanga runs a short single, they get a couple of overthrows as no one was backing up Root’s throw from square leg. Better from Root final ball though, as he steals Dasun from Sri Lanka’s hearts.
Yes he's out!
Shanaka was millimetres short of his ground when the bail left its groove! Root was the sharp fielder.
Wicket? Shanaka run out 2
Run down to point and he set off for the single before turning back. This is really, really tight.
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44th over: Sri Lanka 211-6 (Tharanga 21, Shanaka 1) Jordan returns and removes Mathews straight away. Another settled partnership that now needs resetting after the captain falls for 56 from 67 – so many similar innings in this series from Sri Lanka. Dasun Shanaka comes in as the drizzle continues to fall. Apparently it’s going to get heavier in the next half an hour or so.
Wicket! Mathews c Buttler b Jordan 56
Mathews follows a short one down the leg side and top-edges a woolly pull. Up it goes and Buttler runs round to get underneath yet another high catch.
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43rd over: Sri Lanka 209-5 (Tharanga 20, Mathews 56) No, Eoin Morgan hasn’t forgotten about Rashid’s remaining two overs because here he is! His first eight were less impressive than the 20 in the previous two matches, leaking as they did 50 runs without recompense in the form of wickets. Mathews turns one round the corner to the fielder at short leg and sets off; the throw comes in but hits Buttler on the foot before the keeper breaks the stumps with his gloves, meaning Tharanga is safe. Tharanga tries to go big over midwicket but doesn’t hold of it and finds the fielder on the bounce. He tries again, inside out over mid-off but essentially the same thing happens.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 203-5 (Tharanga 16, Mathews 54) In the slot from Willey and it’s dropped in the crowd after Tharanga launches a six over cow corner. That’s pretty damn shoddy from the bloke beyond the boundary, if I’m honest, straight in then out again and to compound his misery he fell over too. The total moves past 200 in even more ignominious fashion: a waist-high full-toss, slapped inelegantly by Mathews in the air and just past the tumbling Morgan at mid-off with one hand off the bat.
Plunkett took 10 years, 199 days to take 50 wickets in ODIs. Swann took 10 years, 230 days for the same. #ENGvSL
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) June 26, 2016
41st over: Sri Lanka 191-5 (Tharanga 8, Mathews 50) Singles from Plunkett’s first two balls and two down to fine leg from the third. That takes Mathews to 49 and a flick through mid-on takes him to 50 with three fours and a six, from 61 balls. He’s the third player to make a half-century in this innings and, if the pattern in the series so far is to be followed, he’ll be out pretty soon. Plunkett finishes with an excellent three for 46 from his 10.
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40th over: Sri Lanka 186-5 (Tharanga 7, Mathews 46) Still no sign of Rashid returning, which you assume has to happen at some point. There is a return for Willey though. Mathews drives one back at him and the bowler uses his football skills to stop it with his boot, only to discover that a cricket ball driven by Angelo Mathews is a fair bit harder than a football. Well done, David. He sends a wide down the leg side, Mathews takes a single then Tharanga swishes nicely through mid-on for four.
It’s raining a bit heavier now.
39th over: Sri Lanka 178-5 (Tharanga 2, Mathews 44) “David, David that’s awesome mate!” shouts someone close to the stump mic, as Willey sends in a regulation return throw from Tharanga’s single. It’s raining now a tiny bit, too. Mathews gets the wedge out and knocks an excellent bumper out to the gap at midwicket for two.
38th over: Sri Lanka 174-5 (Tharanga 1, Mathews 41) England can scent blood now, even if Sri Lanka’s two best batsmen are at the crease. It does seems a bit ludicrous to have Tharanga, who has 13 ODI centuries as an opener, shielded from the new ball down at seven. He gets off the mark with a thick inside edge square on the leg side. Just two from the over.
37th over: Sri Lanka 172-5 (Tharanga 0, Mathews 40) Prasanna swings and misses at a bouncer and looks rather indignant about it. In fairness to the batsman, it did pass well above his head and could easily have been called wide. Out in the, er, outfield, Joe Root is hobbling a bit. Another short one and this time it is a wide, flying as it does down the leg side. Short once again and Prasanna top edges miles up in the air ... but it lands safely inside the fine-leg boundary where Rashid does very well to field it on the bounce and keep them to two. Prasanna chances his arm again next ball and his luck runs out.
Wicket! Prasanna c Bairstow b Plunkett 2
Good length from Plunkett and Prasanna slogs it straight to Bairstow in the deep at cow corner. That’s a third wicket for the Yorkshire bowler.
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36th over: Sri Lanka 168-4 (Prasanna 0, Mathews 39) Chandimal looks to smash it down the ground, fails and bottom edges into his own pad. He gets hold of the next one, smearing it through midwicket but only to the sweeper in the deep. That’s a lot of effort put into those two balls for just one run. Mathews gets a single of his own and then the stat below becomes a jinx as Chandimal goes for 62 from 77. The big hitting Prasanna replaces him in the middle.
This is interesting and, as Rob to my left points out, a good job for Sri Lanka given how [bad word] everybody else is.
@guerillacricket 5th consecutive 50+ partnership between Chandimal and Mathews in ODIs
— Saravanan (@iSaravanan_) June 26, 2016
Wicket! Chandimal c Jordan b Woakes 62
Chandimal attempts a lazy swish into the leg-side but instead gets a leading edge that sends it looping down towards Jordan at third man. A fielder that good isn’t going to drop that.
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35th over: Sri Lanka 165-3 (Chandimal 61, Mathews 37) Thanks Rob. I feel much better now, refreshed. As should Liam Plunkett, who is back on after a short rest. He drifts down the leg side with his third ball – an attempted off-cutter, Sir Iron Bottom reckons – and Chandimal just tickles him away for four. He’s a lucky boy from the final ball though is Chandimal, pulling with no great control into the deep where the ball just bounces into the sprawling Bairstow’s palm and out again. That’s technically a drop but he was at full stretch.
Also that’s drinks, so it turns out I could have waited. Sorry, Rob.
“I agree with Dave Brown (not Keith),” writes Damian Clarke. “It happens on telly with the football too. Every time a player under 5’9” does anything good, it’s all ‘Great play from the little man there’. As a bloke of 5’5” who’s never done anything of note in his entire life, it makes me sad.” As a bloke of 6’4” I can’t say I’ve ever really thought about it.
34th over: Sri Lanka 157-3 (Chandimal 54, Mathews 36) Hello, Rob here. Chris Woakes replaces David Willey, bowls six balls, concedes three runs. Dan’s back. Bye!
33rd over: Sri Lanka 154-3 (Chandimal 51, Mathews 36) Mathews goes on the charge again and looks to smear it over extra-cover, but doesn’t time it and his shot is only worth one. That gives Chandimal the strike and the wicketkeeper moves to 50 with a flick into the leg-side. That’s come from 65 balls with four fours.
Rob Smyth is going to take you through the next over because, er, I need a comfort break.
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32nd over: Sri Lanka 148-3 (Chandimal 49, Mathews 32) Chandimal gives it the charge and looks to smear it to the long-off boundary, but doesn’t time it and only gets the one. Just two off the over.
“Is is me or is it getting a bit tiring that every time James Taylor takes the mic in the TMS box Dagnall et al have to comment on his size?” asks Dave Brown (not Keith). I would imagine so, yes, although as I’ve been doing this entire series off the TV I can’t say I’ve heard any of the radio coverage.
31st over: Sri Lanka 146-3 (Chandimal 48, Mathews 31) For the first time in this series, Rashid is taken off. Jordan replaces him. A wide down the leg-side and a couple of quick singles, to cover and mid-off respectively, all that he offers up here.
30th over: Sri Lanka 143-3 (Chandimal 47, Mathews 30) Four more to Chandimal: Willey trying the slow cutter and drifting on to the thigh, whence Chandimal turns it round the corner to fine-leg. That’s the 53 partnership from 49 balls and as such exactly what Sri Lanka needed.
“I’ve never watched cricket in Bristol, but I’m disappointed by Gary Naylor’s assessment,” writes Matt Dony. “The city itself has a great atmosphere, both football grounds are enjoyably ramshackle and raucous; it’s a shame that spirit doesn’t translate to the cricket. There’s not much worse than a big sporting event without the big sporting atmosphere. Being from the far-flung reaches of West Wales, Bristol is one of the closest links we have to, yknow, things actually happening. Swansea barely counts, Cardiff is first choice, Bristol a close second. Newport? Don’t make me laugh.”
29th over: Sri Lanka 135-3 (Chandimal 41, Mathews 28) Another outside edge from Mathews but this pitch has so little pace it doesn’t even come close to carrying to Root at slip before dribbling down to third man for four. Out goes slip. A single, then Chandimal brushes a paddle-sweep round the corner for four more to fine-leg. Finally, Morgan brings a fielder in to stop the runs from leaking down there: Rashid is very unlucky to go for 10 from the over.
28th over: Sri Lanka 125-3 (Chandimal 36, Mathews 23) Willey is back on for Plunkett, perhaps a bit earlier than Eoin Morgan had hoped. As for Plunkett, he misfields at mid-off, allowing the ball to squirt beneath him and give the batsmen a second run.
27th over: Sri Lanka 121-3 (Chandimal 35, Mathews 20) Rashid into his seventh. He conceded just one fewer in his first six overs than he did in 10 at Edgbaston. And he goes past that tally when Chandimal works him away for a wristy two. He adds four to that with a slog-sweep over mid-on, which bounces just inches inside the rope. The batsman is struck on the pad when missing a lap-sweep, but the half-hearted appeal is turned down. One more from the last.
26th over: Sri Lanka 114-3 (Chandimal 28, Mathews 20) It doesn’t look to me like Mathews has too many problems with his mobility: he steps down the track to the second ball of the over and drives Plunkett cleanly over long-on for six. That’s a lovely shot. After a single, Chandimal works it through midwicket for a well-run couple.
If it’s your thing – and it should be – do give a listen to the latest Freelance Cricket Club podcast with yer men Vish and Will.
25th over: Sri Lanka 104-3 (Chandimal 25, Mathews 13) The thinnest of inside edges sends the ball trickling round the corner and down to fine-leg for the boundary that brings up the Sri Lankan hundred. Then an outside edge sends it along the floor and down to third man for two. That and a couple of singles make for a whopping eight off the over.
24th over: Sri Lanka 96-3 (Chandimal 24, Mathews 6) Down the ground comes Mathews and he slashes it up and over long-off for a one-bounce four. Not brilliantly timed but effective enough. Morgan though refuses to be cowed and keeps the field up, presumably with Mathews’ dodgy hamstring in mind. After a single and a leg-bye, Plunkett nibbles one away from the Sri Lankan captain’s nervous prod.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 90-3 (Chandimal 24, Mathews 1) Rashid continues to build the pressure on the semi-crocked pair: just a couple of singles on offer here, the second of which gets Cap’n Mathews off a blob.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 88-3 (Chandimal 23, Mathews 0) A change of bowling as Plunkett returns in place of Jordan. This partnership went past 50 in Jordan’s last over, to little fanfare. The sun’s out now so it should get easier for these two to continue the recov- Mendis is out. Mathews is the new batsman.
“Dear old Dan,” begins Robert Wilson. “Paris calling. Last night, I went out on the lash after the game in a very punishing display of bonhomie. At four in the morning, I remembered I had to go on French breakfast telly. Couldn’t remember if it was about Brexit or the footie (thank God Basile Boli was there as the biggest of big hints). I wish I could repeat the unprintable – and deeply wounding – exclamation of the make-up lady when I sat down. All I could think about was that I miss the cricket so much I could actually cry.”
Wicket! Mendis c Hales b Plunkett 53
Short and pulled straight down the throat of midwicket.
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21st over: Sri Lanka 87-2 (Chandimal 22, Mendis 53) Chandimal brings out the lap sweep for a single before Mendis pulls one that’s far too full for the shot, just wide of Morgan at mid-on. Another sweep from Chandimal – maybe get a leg-slip in for him, if only to deny him that easy release shot. Mendis hammers another sweep out to midwicket for one more.
Bristol is fine re transport (this morning), but there's no sense of place here at all. Grass + seats isn't enough really @DanLucas86
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 26, 2016
20th over: Sri Lanka 82-2 (Chandimal 19, Mendis 51) Apparently, on account of planning permission regulations, we can’t use the floodlights today. It’s pretty gloomy already so we can fully expect this to be a curtailed match. Four runs milked from this over.
19th over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Chandimal 16, Mendis 50) Mendis sweeps firmly and flat out through midwicket to the sweeper for the single that brings up his half-century from 61 balls, with five fours and a six. It’s been a decent effort from one of Sri Lanka’s more promising young batsmen.
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18th over: Sri Lanka 76-2 (Chandimal 15, Mendis 49) We’re back and Jordan to continue. There’s a chance of a run-out from the first ball as Chandimal looks to dash through, but Woakes is off balance when throwing from mid-on and misses the stumps. Chandimal was short too. A couple of balls later he raps Mendis on the pad but I reckon that’s going down leg and the umpire is similarly unconvinced by the appeal. Mendis larrups the fifth ball wide of mid-on for four runs uglier than your OBOer when he got up at 7.30 this morning. He does much better with the last ball, lifting a shorter ball sweetly over midwicket for six.
17th over: Sri Lanka 65-2 (Chandimal 14, Mendis 39) A first boundary for Chandimal, who slog-sweeps flat into the breeze and just inches over the leaping Jordan at mid-off. It looks like they’re not going to let Rashid, whose 20 overs in the first two matches went for just 70, settle. That’s drinks.
16th over: Sri Lanka 58-2 (Chandimal 8, Mendis 38) After a couple of singles, Mendis calls for a change of bat. He’s going to have to wait though, it seems. One more ball, in fact, from which Chandimal works a single to long-leg.
More on Bristol from John Starbuck: “Bristol isn’t so much hard to get to by road, as difficult to get into. I found driving via motorways, from the north, east or south, was direct enough, just clogged with traffic. When you manage to get into the city, the directions to the ground have a habit of running out at crucial points, and the sat-nav option is often misleading too. What they need, as most cities do these days, is a widespread smart-city service of transport information - public transport real-time data plus adequate notice of congestion spots. This is just a general grumble though. My niece lives there and has shown us round the nightlife which is not bad at all.”
15th over: Sri Lanka 55-2 (Chandimal 6, Mendis 37) Time for some spin, Adil Rashid replacing Plunkett. Sri Lanka aren’t going to be able to get after him as there’s a very strong breeze coming in from behind the bowler’s arm according to Ian Ward on Sky. Mendis waits and muscles one out through midwicket but there’s a sweeper out there to cut it off; that brings up the team 50. A couple of balls later he repeats the trick but this time clubs it through mid-off and past Jordan, to the boundary for four.
14th over: Sri Lanka 47-2 (Chandimal 4, Mendis 31) A single each and a leg-side wide against Jordan.
Andrew Benton has a question: “How is it that Bristol has never really hit he spot as a venue for International cricket? With the WG Grace legacy, you’d have thought it’d be the home of, well, something of international cricket importance, but seems not to be. Why not a test venue ... must be better than Durham - at least closer to more potential spectators in the SW region.”
I think the problem is that Bristol is a bit of a pain in the arse to get to. My parents live in Devon so I tend to commute via Bristol to visit them and the cost of train tickets is prohibitive.
13th over: Sri Lanka 44-2 (Chandimal 3, Mendis 30) Two singles and a couple driven through extra-cover off the final ball. Whoop.
In more exciting news, the OBO’s own Will Macpherson is lucky enough to actually go to the cricket today. Bad news for him is he actually has to do some work and write for the County Cricket Live Blog.
12th over: Sri Lanka 40-2 (Chandimal 2, Mendis 27) Chris Jordan is on and Chandimal gets his second run straight away, nudging it into the on-side for a single. Mendis has a wild swish at the next, looking to go through extra-cover but doesn’t connect as the ball – not for the first time – grubbers through to the keeper. Two singles in total from another enthralling over.
11th over: Sri Lanka 38-2 (Chandimal 1, Mendis 26) One of the England physios is doing a bit of work with Bairstow on his elbow. Back in the middle this is excellent stuff from Plunkett, beating Mendis with a couple of short balls and bowling four dots on the spin. The batsman does get hold of the fifth, pulling it through wide mid-on and beating Bairstow’s despairing chase to the rope.
10th over: Sri Lanka 34-2 (Chandimal 1, Mendis 22) Chandimal cuts his first ball in the air just wide of the flying Jason Roy at backward point for one. The Surrey man went after the ball to his left with his right hand – had he gone with his left at full stretch then he might have got there but it really is an instinctive thing in that position; he is probably England’s best fielder. No Collingwood, mind. Mendis gets a single via the outside edge, completing a powerplay that was most definitely England’s.
9th over: Sri Lanka 32-2 (Chandimal 0, Mendis 21) If you’re interested, Woake’s reaction time on that drop was 0.449 seconds. Anyway, David Willey is getting a rest and Liam Plunkett a bowl now. He strikes second ball, ending Perera’s frustrated innings on nine from 24 balls and giving Jos Buttler his 100th dismissal behind the stumps. Chandimal, one of the few Sri Lankan batsman in anything resembling form but carrying a hamstring strain, is the new batsman.
Wicket! Perera c Buttler b Plunkett 9
Full and straight from Plunkett. Perera looks to lift him over square leg but can only send it miles up in the air. Buttler holds the catch.
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8th over: Sri Lanka 31-1 (Perera 9, Mendis 20) Short from Woakes and Perera top-edges the pull; it bounces a couple of yards in front of Bairstow, who slips on the wet outfield and they get a bonus second run. A couple of balls later the left-hander absolutely smashes one back at Woakes, who technically drops it above his left shoulder in his follow-through but you’d have to be Spiderman to hold that one.
“Hello from Shanghai Dan,” writes Alex Butler. “With David Willey now opening bowler for the ODI team and a fairly regular wicket taker from my sporadic watching, how far can he be from a bowl in the Test team?”
I’d say a fair way yet. I haven’t seen much of him in the County Championship since he turned traitor moved to Yorkshire but he hasn’t done a lot in the long form, has he?
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-1 (Perera 7, Mendis 20) Again Perera plays the Jayasuria-like short-arm-jab through midwicket but again he can only pick out Jordan, gaining just one for his efforts. One, one, one, one, one, four goes the over: the final ball too wide and cut hard through point by Mendis to the fence.
6th over: Sri Lanka 20-1 (Perera 4, Mendis 14) Mendis drives the first ball straight back down the ground and Woakes gets a hand on it, but perhaps too much as it slows the ball down on its journey towards the non-striker’s stumps, allowing Perera to comfortably regain his ground. Two singles from the first five balls before Mendis gets tired of this and tries to go aerial, slicing it a yard or two over Bairstow at cover for two runs luckier than a 1997 War Child single by Radiohead.
5th over: Sri Lanka 16-1 (Perera 3, Mendis 11) Chance! Mendis drives to Hales at extra-cover and the fielder makes an excellent diving stop. With both batsmen stranded mid-crease he has a shy at the striker’s end, but misses with his throw. Either end would have done had he hit. Two balls later Willey swings one past the right-hander’s outside edge. We go up to 11 successive dot balls before the final ball is turned to midwicket for a single. Four runs from the past three overs for Sri Lanka.
4th over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Perera 3, Mendis 10) Just the one slip for Woakes. He has Perera in a bit of discomfort with a bouncer first up. A couple of balls later they go up for an appeal when Woakes fires one into the knee-roll, but it’s too high and probably pitched just outside leg too. Maiden.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Perera 3, Mendis 10) There’s a touch of movement for Willey out there, getting one past Perera’s outside edge. The opener pulls through midwicket aggressively but just for a single, then Mendis gets a quick one to mid-on. One more from the final ball, punched to mid-off.
“You know that thing where you mentioned the weather prospects for the late afternoon?” begins Ian Copestake, wise to my ploy for getting to the pub by lunchtime. “Top trolling for ensuring this thing ends in about 20 minutes. I was going to ask you if you thought Sri Lanka had improved their batting under English “summer” conditions, but Willey then provided a fairly succinct answer.”
2nd over: Sri Lanka 12-1 (Perera 1, Mendis 9) The in-form Chris Woakes from the other end. Mendis defends the first two balls then punches the third past backward point for a couple. He whips a fuller ball beautifully off his ankles and through midwicket, where Willey dives and makes an excellent stop to keep them to two – that should have been three. He gets four next ball though, with a back-foot drive through cover point.
1st over: Sri Lanka 4-1 (Perera 1, Mendis 1) David Willey, as at Edgbaston, to open the bowling with a couple of slips in place for the left-handers. He raps Perera on the pads with his first ball but it’s not swinging back enough and they take a leg-bye. There’s no real pace in this pitch either – it’s not going to be a high-scoring one, this. The batsmen exchange singles into the leg-side before Gunathilaka goes to a nothing ball. Mendis is off the mark first ball, edging wide of second slip for a single.
Wicket! Gunathilaka b Willey 1
Full and outside off, Gunathilaka shapes to drive then thinks better of it and tries to pull his bat out the way. Alas, it’s too late and the ball flicks the inside edge and caroms into off stump.
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The players are out. The clouds have rolled over and there’s a bit of a breeze, so it could be pretty tricky batting out there.
Another emailer! Tom van der Gucht has been around on the OBO long enough to know better than to actually talk about cricket – novice mistake, Tom – but let’s indulge him.
“With Anderson possibly injured; Woakes on the rise; Ali dropped from the ODI team today; Stokes maybe returning from injury; Rashid’s stock going up; and Finn’s going down - who will line up for the first test against Pakistan?”
Moeen should keep his place for the Tests – he’s far better in the long-form game than in the short stuff I reckon and I’d say that today he’s only been left out because of the conditions; Sri Lanka have dropped a spinner too. The question really is who replaces Anderson so I guess Ball is the next cab off the rank. That’s assuming they keep faith with Finn, mind. If not then I’d like to see Plunkett back in the side.
The teams in full
England
JJ Roy, AD Hales, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, JM Bairstow, JC Buttler†, CR Woakes, CJ Jordan, DJ Willey, LE Plunkett,AU Rashid
Sri Lanka
MDKJ Perera, MD Gunathilaka, BKG Mendis, WU Tharanga, LD Chandimal†, AD Mathews*, MD Shanaka, MF Maharoof, S Prasanna, N Pradeep, RAS Lakmal
Dear Ian Copestake, welcome to my inbox. Population: you.
“My perceived early birdness is actually night-owl related as it is 2am in Los Angeles. At the UCLA campus today I watched an impromtu cricket match being played by Indian guys on a paved square flanked by various libraries, one of which featured as the backdrop to where Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor taught. I heard this fact announced as part of a UCLA campus tour for prospective students. The US like the UK is in safe hands.
“As this dead rubber is in Bristol what about some Bristol-based music. You know who I mean.”
I’ve got a few candidates in mind for the latter part. I’m off to see these on Friday though.
Toss and team news
England win the toss and will, huh, bowl first. There’s been a bit of rain around so they reckon they can chase on a small ground. Moeen Ali is out, Chris Jordan in.
Angelo Mathews would also have bowled first, showing what how much know. One change for them, Shanaka comes in for the spinning all-rounder Randiv. They’re still unsure whether or not Chandimal will keep or whether Mathews can bowl.
An email! Blimey, didn’t think anyone would be up and reading this early on a Sunday morning. But Ian Copestake is! “Morning, Dan. Did Guardian style also tell you it was acceptable to wear those jodhpurs with that Blur t-shirt? I think not.”
Having just googled jodhpurs, I can confirm I’m not wearing them. And I have a Radiohead t-shirt on, not Blur.
Weather watch
There’s rain due late afternoon/early evening. Bristol looks pretty clear at the moment though so surely you’d bat first.
Meanwhile Vic Marks has written beautifully as ever on Adil Rashid.
Preamble
Morning/afternoon/whatever it is where you are, folks. Hark back, if you will, to the heady days of last Tuesday. A side riding high on the back of their Test form against one belatedly gaining confidence and starting to look handy. It was a thrilling draw, with both sides rescuing dire situations and playing out the tightest of thrillers. What a series this promised to be! The two sides couldn’t be closer... oh.
Yes the second ODI on Friday was as pulverising a win as any England fan can surely remember against a Test-playing nation. It saw the biggest partnership in English ODI history and the highest ever successful run chase without losing a wicket. As contests go, it was akin to the fight between John Matrix and Bennett at the end of Commando.
Ostensibly then this is a dead rubber. England have won the, ugh, Super Series (Guardian style apparently says we have to cap this up) already, after all. Nonetheless, they can secure an unassailable lead today in the ODIs against a team who, down the years, have dished out some of the more brutal thrashings among many suffered by English limited overs sides.
I expect England will be unchanged, as the current line-up is doing pretty well and the only out of form player is the captain, while Sri Lanka have concerns over the fitness of Angelo Mathew and Dinesh Chandimal.
Play begins at 10.30am, which I did not realise when I agreed to do the first innings. That’s 4pm Sri Lankan time by my reckoning, so it’s almost certainly something else. Toss and team news half an hour before that. In the meantime, music!
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