Jonathan Liew: Dom Bess storms to centre stage after a whirlwind journey to the top
England’s Jack Leach says he is spurred on by his year in Test wilderness:
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Righto! That’s us done for the day; join me tomorrow for whatever happens happening! Enjoy the rest of the weekend, such that such thing is possible given the morning.
Here’s Ali Martin’s report...
Jack Leach says he found some good rhythm in the afternoon, trying to land it with fizz by bowling as fast as he could. He’s found it hard this game having not got much cricket behind him, and the wicket’s slow so there’s not much room for error. He’s pleased that he’s improved through the match and still has stuff to think about, and oh yes! He has to “Control the controllables!” You love to hear it.
He goes on to talk about the sepsis and illness that have caused him grief lately, then says he’s much happier now that Bairstow and Lawrence have settled things.
I suppose he’ll just give an interview to Sky if not. Maybe he’ll film it himself.
I already can’t wait for the second Test, and hopefully someone has the presence of mind to film the chat during which Broad learns he’s being rested.
By the way, this isn’t the only cricketing beauty currently blessing us. There’s something extremely affirming about how the game has cared for us these last few months.
I’m feeling slightly calmer now, but there’s no greater inquisitor of mettle than Test cricket. How can your captain, scorer of 228 majestic first-innings runs, get himself dismissed while colliding with the bowler?
It’s the repetitive nature of it I think, and a game that necessarily stops after piece of play, during which everyone has a chance to remind themselves how terrified and excited they are, before doing the same thing again and again and again.
“I’d have sent in Broad at five in this situation,” advises Felix Wood. “Good for a quick 20 runs to break the back of the chase. Why I’m still not England coach is baffling, to be honest.”
Stuart Broad is about the only thing in world cricket that could possibly elevate this incredible situation and I’m going to use you every time I hear an outlandish suggestion that makes perfect sense. “Well, Felix would.”
Oh my absolute days, what an absolute day of “Test-match cricket” that was. Can it be tomorrow already please?
“Imagine supporting any other Test playing nation,” tweets @AsNaturalAsRain, “knowing they’ll mechanically knock off the 74 runs for perhaps the loss of a single late wicket. God bless this England team; God bless this game!”
Bad light ends play for the day! England need 36 runs tomorrow morning!
16th over: England 38-3 (Bairstow 11, Lawrence 7) Target 74 We’re meant to finish in four minutes, but the umpires can decide on another half hour if they fancy we can finish tonight; I doubt they’ll come to that conclusion, and in fact we’re done for the day.
“TMS link,” says Richard Turner. Why do they hide it?”
It’s a test of love.
15th over: England 38-3 (Bairstow 11, Lawrence 7) Target 74 Lawrence is navigating this so well, cutting two, then Embuldeniya hurls him a grenade which he does really well to avoid; to quote the late, great MC Ruff, “Rush, move, step inside”. Not until this day did I realise he was talking about cricket, and the ball rushes away for four leg byes. A single to cover follows, and this pair have done really to calm themselves.
14th over: England 31-3 (Bairstow 11, Lawrence 4) Target 74 Nice from Bairstow, who takes a single to leg, then Lawrence blocks before shovelling in that direction himself. Imagine the state of his neck hairs right now; it’s actually pretty moving to consider. You work your entire life to play Test cricket and suddenly you’re in a situation that is its zenith, apex and apotheosis. I’ve no idea how you process such thing; I’m half gone just thinking about it.
13th over: England 29-3 (Bairstow 10, Lawrence 3) Target 74 Bairstow is actually a pretty useful man to have out there at the moment – good against spin, quick between the wickets, confident in his ability, a point to think he’s proved. He takes two to cover, then a further single to retain the strike.
“I live in Italy and if I remember the last couple of seasons correctly, the overseas link is only available during UK based Test matches,” laments Richard Harman.
12th over: England 26-3 (Bairstow 7, Lawrence 3) Target 74 Bairstow gets down to reverse Perera and the turn takes the ball past bat, pad, shoulder, keeper, and pandemic, racing away for four byes! He’d’ve took it! A single follows via sweep, and this is a huge over for England, er ... five from it. Forty-eight required.
11th over: England 21-3 (Bairstow 6, Lawrence 3) Target 74 Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh! Embuldeniya has Lawrence dancing, crouching and shaking his tailfeather, properly working him over. First, he wears one on the glove, then he retreats at half-mast as one passes off stump with him nowhere near, then a forward defensive. Maiden, and oh my absolute days, I adore Test cricket.
“Inspired by your Sounds of Silence and Kim Thonger’s earlier magnificence,” says Brian Withington, “can I offer a humble ode to YDL, the only Essex boy in Galle”
‘Dan get your pads on in time, I know your part’ll go fine
Fly down those steps
Doh-n-doh-de-doh-n-doh
And here you are
The only Essex boy in Gal-le.”
With apologies to Paul Simon.
10th over: England 21-3 (Bairstow 6, Lawrence 3) Target 74 Dan Lawrence, though; coming in at 14-3 after your captain, scorer of a first-innings doubleton, has been run out in hilarious circumstances. This is what you dream of and he’s looking good out there, missing with a slog-sweep but getting well outside the line so to do; they run a leg bye which brings Bairstow onto strike. And of course he looks to cut hard, missing entirely when Perera extracts some extra bounce; it’s just the way he plays.
9th over: England 20-3 (Bairstow 6, Lawrence 3) Target 74 Embuldeniya has two slips and a short leg as he wheels in; Lawrence knocks his first delivery towards cover, where a field ricket allows him a single. Five dots follow, and we’ve got scope for an extra half-hour when play finishes in 25 minutes, but the light will likely intervene to prevent that.
“What did they put in the drinks at the interval?” asks Charles Sheldrick; I’m not sure but I wish someone had slipped a valium in mine.
8th over: England 19-3 (Bairstow 6, Lawrence 2) Target 74 The fielders are getting progressively louder, as you would, but this is a quieter over in terms of action; Lawrence looks pretty composed out there, and takes a single to leg after Bairstow pokes around the corner. Nothing – nothing – comes close to Test cricket like this.
7th over: England 17-3 (Bairstow 5, Lawrence 1) Target 74 I’m standing up! A leading edge from Bairstow drops shy of gully, they run, and a direct hit, he’s gone! But the ball whizzes past the stumps and England have got this under complete control. Tow more singles follow.
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6th over: England 14-3 (Bairstow 3, Lawrence 0) Target 74 How are your nerves Daniel Lawrence?!
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WICKET! Root run out (Dickwella) 1 (England 14-3)
A glorious moment of pure, uncut England! Bairstow calls Root through for a quick single, he collides with the bowler and is run out well short of his ground. Just when we think we’ve seen it all, they show us that we’ve seen nothing! What more can this team do to amaze us?!
6th over: England 14-2 (Bairstow 3, Root 1) Target 74 Bairstow takes one to leg, then Root clumps a sweep to midwicket........
“Could England snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?” is Ian Foorth’s entry into the OBO’s rhetorical question competition. “There are three recentish precedents for them scoring under 74 in a fourth innings run chase (though the targets were considerably larger on each occasion). NZ, Wellington 1978: target 137, scored 64. WI, Port of Spain 1994: target 194, scored 46. Pakistan, Abu Dhabi 2012: target 145, scored 72.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m excited! History has its eyes on us!
5th over: England 12-2 (Bairstow 2, Root 0) Target 74 The ball is doing plenty, but here’s Joe Root, poised to join the list of those to have faced balls on all five days of a Test.
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WICKET! Crawley c Mendis b Embuldeniya 8 (England 12-2)
Hello darkness my old friend! Crawley plays a nondescript drive and edges to gully. Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains.
5th over: England 12-1 (Crawley 8, Bairstow 2) Target 74 Have a look! Embuldeniya absolutely rags one past Crawley’s outside edge; that’s the ball Sibley thought he was getting.
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4th over: England 12-1 (Crawley 8, Bairstow 2) Target 74 Bairstow gets underway with a reverse for one; I’m looking forward to his reaction when he seals the win with an edge for four to finish on a 27 not out that really shows everyone. Crawley then pokes a single before Bairstow finds himself totally square in the French cricket fashion – that doesn’t seem like a wise tactic – ticking off one more with another reverse, Crawley doing likewise with an edge.
3rd over: England 8-1 (Crawley 6, Bairstow 0) Target 74 This is a great opportunity for both these batsmen, Crawley seeking to establish and Bairstow to re-establish. Embudeniya’s third ball gets the former face on and he wears it on the pad; there’s an appeal which is rejected. But this is intense stuff now, and Crawley top-edges the next one, which drops to where gully isn’t.
2nd over: England 8-1 (Crawley 6, Bairstow 0) Target 74 Perera deceives Crawley with another which holds its line and he’s nicked it! But Dickwella can’t hang on, and Crawley takes advantage, standing on stilts to drive four through point before gloving past leg slip for one. This is great stuff; it’s a shame Sri Lanka don’t have another 70 or so.
1st over: England 3-1 (Crawley 1, Bairstow 0) Target 74 This is fun!
WICKET! Sibley b Embuldeniya 2 (England 3-1)
Hello old friend! After finding healthy turn, Embuldeniya slings down the arm ball and Sibley confidently allows it to go past, losing his off peg in the process! That is extremely well bowled and also extremely amusing.
1st over: England 3-0 (Crawley 1, Sibley 2) Target 74 Given the weather, I wonder if England will try to finish this here and nar, and Crawley takes Embuldeniya’s loosener for one to cover, then Sibley nudges two into the on side.
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Back to England’s spinners, we’ll get a truer gauge of where they’re at from the India tour. But afternoons like this will get them closer to where they want to be for that. Right, here we go...
“Given the comment about Sri Lanka’s being one of the worst batting displays he’s ever seen,” says Richard Hirst, “England have a high (or low) bar to aim for in the second innings, but I reckon they should be up to the job.”
Over the years, I’ve had the naches of narrating some absolutely sensational collapses, but to do this one would be the rarest of pleasures.
The forecast tomorrow is not good, by the way.
“Three more wickets in the day and Joe Root has a big incentive to be not out overnight,” says Phil Russell.
Here’s the answer, for once you’ve had a think about what that might be.
“It’s been a couple of Tests now that the TMS overseas link no longer appears at the top of the bbc.com live feed,” emails Jem Bosatta. “The Guardian used to fish it out - has any listener fished it out for you?”
Help a brother out?
That’s a really good effort from both sides. Sri Lanka fought back well but ultimately you can’t get rolled for 135 and expect to get very far. England, meanwhile, came back really well this afternoon, their spinners especially. Both Bess and Leach have a bit of something; can they use what they’ve done and what they’ve learnt to take the next step/
WICKET! Mathews c Root b Leach 71 (Sri Lanka all out 359) England need 74 to win!
Fifer for Leach! Mathews looks to guide his fifth ball down to third man for one, but instead he feathers a catch to Root at one! I’m not sure the light will stick around for that to be sorted tonight, but even England will struggle to ruin this. Imagine if they do though!
136th over: Sri Lanka 359-9 (Mathews 71, Fernando 0) Wood begins his 21st over with some short stuff from around the wicket. It’s hard to tell from norf Landan, but I’m wondering if the light has dropped so maybe he’s getting it in while he can. Mathews, who hasn’t always looked comfy against short stuff, sends the fourth ball to midwicket for one, and again Fernando survives. Surely we’ll shee Shtuart shoon? Anyway, that’s drinks.
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135th over: Sri Lanka 358-9 (Mathews 70, Fernando 0) Mathews is into reverse-sweeping stance as Leach releases the ball, sending four through gully; Leach responds by beating the outside edge and appealing for another stumping, but not this time. Mathews eases his fifth delivery behind square on the off side, and Fernando, with two slips and a short leg crowding his personal space, survives the final ball of the over.
134th over: Sri Lanka 353-9 (Mathews 65, Fernando 0) Mathews is looking to go, having a fat swing then refusing a single after pulling a bouncer to deep square. In commentary they’re still re-umpiring the stumping but it’s pretty clear to me that there was nothing behind the line, while back in the middle, Mathews pulls another short one and this time he does take the run, leaving Fernando two balls to see away; he does.
133rd over: Sri Lanka 352-9 (Mathews 64, Fernando 0) Mathews will sure have to go now. Sri Lanka lead by 66, and even England will struggle to collapse for that.
WICKET! Perera st Buttler b Leach 24 (Sri Lanka 352-9)
That’s a great piece of work by Buttler – Sarah Taylor would’ve took that! – and his first stumping in Test cricket! Leach sent down his usual off break but it gripped and spun a bit harder; Buttler appealed for the catch, then noticed the foot moving and removed the bails! Micky Arthur is the opposite of elated but I think that’s a really good decision from the third umpire.
REVIEW IN PROGRESS...
The boot is definitely down, but is any of it behind the line? I’m not sure!
133rd over: Sri Lanka 352-8 (Mathews 64, Perera 24) I wonder if England’s batsmen are re-evaluating their work; those not called Root made 193 between them. But what’s this?! Leach deceives Perera into swishing and missing; Buttler removes the bails and asks the square leg umpire to have a look. The foot looks down and on the line to me, but I can why he thinks it wasn’t....
132nd over: Sri Lanka 351-8 (Mathews 63, Perera 24) It surely won’t be long before we see Broad at Wood’s end; in the tea break, Athers said he’d expect him to play in the next match too, but I wonder if someone who’s struggled with injury will be flogged through five more days in these conditions. He doesn’t look especially delighted out there, and England have gone a little flat; three singles increase the peace lead to 65.
131st over: Sri Lanka 343-8 (Mathews 61, Perera 23) So what were Sri Lanka doing in their first innings? When someone who captained and opened for England in the 90s says it’s up there with the worst batting displays he’s ever seen, well, there are fewer higher compliments. Mathews cuts Leach’s first ball for one, then Perera sweeps hard for four; he’s enjoying this. In commentary they suggest Leach go around, but I wonder if he might vary his spin; he seems to bowl a lot of off breaks, when maybe one to go straight on might do the trick.
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130th over: Sri Lanka 343-8 (Mathews 60, Perera 19) Hello! There looked to be a hint of reverse in Wood’s last over and out of nowhere he finds some lift, the ball whizzing past the edge just outside off. Next, a bump-ah under which Perera ducks, and four more dots follow to complete a maiden.
“With regard to Kim Thonger’s Hamilton-based Cook tribute,” says Phil Withall, “I have a daughter that is obsessed with that musical and got her to sing the new lyrics. ‘That doesn’t work,’ she told me before copying Kim’s lyrics and saving them to her phone...”
Kids, never satisfied.
129th over: Sri Lanka 343-8 (Mathews 60, Perera 19) The partnership is 29 as Leach begins his 38th over and Mathews plays him sensibly. The fluctuations in fortune today, not just for the teams but for the individuals, have been great, and Leach, who had a miserable morning, encapsulates that. Maiden.
128th over: Sri Lanka 343-8 (Mathews 60, Perera 19) And that good little passage costs Mark Wood’s knees just a little more damage; he returns to the attack in place of Bess, to see his loosener reflected back past him for four; Perera is a helluva number 10 to have. And he sees off the rest of the over comfortably enough.
“Leach has started to find his mojo finally and the ball is turning corners,” reckons Colum Fordham.” The pitch is now a Steinbeckian dustbowl worthy of the American midwest in the Depression. This is going to make for a fascinating contest with Mathews and Perera as they (have to) launch an attack on the England bowlers to set up some sort of total, however meagre. And they have begun their ‘onslaught’ thanks to courageous batsmanship and outrageous good fortune. I think they would have to set England at least 100 to have any chance but our batters are probably just too good.”
Yes, a line-up with SJ S obers Broad at 11 is decent, but never overestimate England’s ability to be sensible.
127th over: Sri Lanka 339-8 (Mathews 60, Perera 15) The last six overs have yielded 31 runs and one more arrives when Mathews cuts, then Perera jabs and somehow sends another four between Buttler’s legs. England appeal for leg before but don’t review, and this is a good little passage for the home side who now lead by 53.
126th over: Sri Lanka 333-8 (Mathews 59, Perera 10) Eesh! Mathews tries to turn Bess away and the ball sneaks under his toe-end, megging Buttler and running away for four. I don’t think there was any bat involved, but a clean take and the stumping is there for him; Buttler’s been tidy here, but Sarah Taylor behind the stumps and he’s dead.
125th over: Sri Lanka 328-8 (Mathews 58, Perera 10) “Don’t just let them bowl.” You hear that said of spinners a lot, and these two have said it to each other; Perera shmices Leach’s first ball against the turn and for four. They’re the only runs of the over, but we’ll not be seeing the quantity of maidens that we did in the afternoon.
124th over: Sri Lanka 324-8 (Mathews 58, Perera 6) There you go! Perera twinkles down the track and clatters four over the top and down to long on, for a one-bounce four! Yep, Sri Lanka are looking to score now, and after a single to Perera Matthews reverse-swipes four through point. The lead is 38, and in comms, Sanga reckons a minimum of 150 is necessary.
“Entirely unrelated to the state of this game,” emails Kim Thonger, “I hear persistent rumours that the song My Shot from hit musical Hamilton was in fact inspired by the early life of Alastair ‘Chef’ Cook:
I am not throwin’ away my wicket
I am not throwin’ away my wicket
Hey yo, I’m just like my county
I’m young, scrappy and hungry
And I’m not throwin’ away my wicket
I’ma get a scholarship to Bedford School
I probably shouldn’t brag, but dang, I amaze and astonish
The problem is I got a lot of brains but no polish
I gotta holler just to be heard
With every word, I drop knowledge
I’m a diamond in the rough, a shiny piece of coal
Tryna reach my goal my batting average, unimpeachable
Only nineteen but my mind is older
These St John’s Wood streets get colder, I shoulder
Every burden, every disadvantage
I have learned to manage, I don’t have a bat to brandish
I walk these streets famished
The plan is to fan this spark into a flame
But damn, it’s getting dark, so let me spell out my name
I am the A-L-A-S-T-A-I-R we are meant to be.”
Might I suggest we alter “wicket” to “scalp”?
123rd over: Sri Lanka 315-8 (Mathews 54, Perera 1) Leach and Bess have been really good since lunch, but it was the introduction of the former which really got things going and there are now men around the bat - a slip, a gully and a short leg. Perera has a dart at one, and I think Bairstow puts it down low. Perhaps it didn’t carry but I think it did; perhaps the issue was how close the fielders are standing, necessary to give them a chance of catching but difficult when it comes to actually catching. Perera then gets off the mark with a single, and he can bat, so Sri Lanka needn’t panic quite yet – but it’s in the post.
WICKET! Hasaranga c Root b Leach 12 (Sri Lanka 314-8)
This is great stuff from England! Leach coaxes more turn out of the pitch and Hasaranga has a go, whacking the air for six but edging the ball behind; for a split second it looks like Buttler’s ball, but he’s too close, and Root takes an absolute jazzer, one-handed and shoulder-high. Can England finish this tonight?
122nd over: Sri Lanka 313-7 (Mathews 53, Hasaranga 12) On Friday, we were talking about good stuff we’ve watched, and in bed this morning I remembered that I forgot to recommend the dazzling Giri/Haji – originally on BBC but now on Netflix. Check it if you’ve not already. Anyway, Bess continues and Mathews shoves one to cover than Hasaranga cracks through point for four; that was a very pleasant shot. And have a look! Bess gives one some air so he comes down the track to clout four more back past the bowler!
“God, Test Cricket is the best,” tweets Guy Hornsby. “The subcontinental momentum shifts. The hosts in the thick stuff, then coming back, England’s nerves on chasing a total rising, now a couple of wickets and it’s back to us. Nothing else I know comes close. And we’re only at the start.”
121st over: Sri Lanka 304-7 (Mathews 52, Hasaranga 4) Mathews has a decision to make: does he trust the tail, or does he try to thrash a few while he still can? Hasaranga runs his second ball down for one but his fourth is an absolute jazzer, ripping off the pitch and way past Mathews’ prod. You’d not want to chase many on this, and Mathews increases the target from 17 to 18 with a single behind square on the off side.
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Right, off we go again; Leach, whose introduction swung the session, has the globule.
“If Broad does overtake Anderson’s tally,” tweets K Betteley, “and perhaps moves past his average as well which seems possible, do you think history will look back at him as the ‘better’ bowler? Much as I love Broad, not sure that’s anything but madness...”
I know what you mean. The thing about them that’s so beautiful is they have similar attributes but also different attributes, and each makes the other better. In some circumstances I’d prefer one, in others the other.
The clouds that were menacing us earlier have retreated somewhat, so we should be good for some play after the break. There’s a fair chance bad light intervenes somewhere along the line, but England will fancy themselves to break the back of this this evening. See you presently.
120th over: Sri Lanka 302-7 (Mathews 51, Hasaranga 3) Mathews takes a further single behind square on the on side, then Hasaranga prods for one more, and that’s tea. Sri Lanka lead by 16.
NOT OUT!
The ball was missing the stumps, which on reflection is fair enough – an off spinner bowling over the wicket on a track that’s doing something. Good luck old mate.
120th over: Sri Lanka 300-7 (Mathews 50, Hasaranga 2) Hasaranga, who I meant to note got off the mark in the previous over, takes another to long on, then after an aborted single, Mathews misses with another sweep and it cracks the pad! There’s an appeal, a rejection, and England go upstairs. That looked outish to me.
119th over: Sri Lanka 299-7 (Mathews 50, Hasaranga 1) Leach is all over this and his first ball is a jaffa, drifting through the air then springing off the pitch and beating the edge. Mathews, though, has seen it before and opens the face to glide the single which raises his fifty; he’s such a pro. His knock when Sri Lanka won at Headingley is one of my favourites by a visiting bat, just as Moeen’s, in the sae Test, is one of my favourites my an English bat.
118th over: Sri Lanka 297-7 (Mathews 49, Hasaranga 0) Mathews gets down on one knee to sweep Bess but can only drag the ball onto his pad. The next delivery goes to leg for one, the only run off the over, and England will want to finish this tonight.
117th over: Sri Lanka 296-7 (Mathews 48, Hasaranga 0) Sri Lanka are punkt back in trouble now; they lead by 10 and need at least another hunnert to make a game out of this.
“Was it not the case that Sri Lanka requested Moeen Ali isolates for a longer period, and this has ruled him out of the second Test?’ asks Andrew Benton.
I’m not sure, but England have more or less ruled him out anyway. I don’t know how badly he has corona, but I know the state I was in following my first run after it.
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WICKET! Shanaka b Leach 4 (Sri Lanka 296-7)
One brings two! That’s what happens in the subcontinent, slow slow slow, fast! Insert your third cliche here! Leach, coming around, entices Shanaka to come down, deceives him in the flight and yorks him! This is a very fine and potentially matchwinning spell from the England batsman.
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116th over: Sri Lanka 294-6 (Mathews 47, Shanaka 2) I wonder if that wicket might make it time for Broad to return, but while we ponder that we should also note that credit for that wicket doesn’t just go to Bess but to Leach, whose introduction at the other end changed the mood in the middle. Shanaka gets off the mark with a sweep for one, and when Mathews takes one into the on side, he adds another to cover.
WICKET! Dickwella c Buttler Bess 29 (Sri Lanka 291-6)
Bess comes back into the attack and his first ball is just outside off. It doesn’t look threatening so Dickwella plays a little run-down but doesn’t get enough of it, feathering a catch behind! That is a colossal breakthrough!
115th over: Sri Lanka 291-5 (Mathews 47, Dickwella 29) Leach is making things happen. He goes around to Mathews, finds a dead bit of pitch and the ball keeps low, taking the edge to beat, stumps and keeper; the resultant four puts Sri Lanka into the lead. Two singles then follow before another good one turns hard, far too good for Mathews’ cut; Buttler takes well.
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114th over: Sri Lanka 285-5 (Mathews 42, Dickwella 28) This is going very nicely for the Lankans now, and they take three more singles from Root as the drizzle begins to fall.
113th over: Sri Lanka 282-5 (Mathews 40, Dickwella 27) Ah, here’s Jack Leach, and Root brings the field in – there’s a slip and a short leg – to try and entice the release shot. And Dickwella tolerates just one ball, heaving at the second with a reverse sweep and missing by plenty. This is good stuff from Leach; he’s getting some movement through the air and Dickwella goes again, missing again, but they run two byes before this time he connects with a less wild effort, adding two more. Eventful over, four from it.
112th over: Sri Lanka 278-5 (Mathews 40, Dickwella 25) The groundstaff are poised now; this looks ominous. I’m a little surprised that, given such, Root hasn’t given Leach a go, but he twizzles through another over of his own which yields a pair of singles. The partnership is 35, and is showing signs of being the decisive one in the match.
111st over: Sri Lanka 276-5 (Mathews 39, Dickwella 24) The light seems to be changing – there’s that kind of glow you get before rain. Well that’s what I’m feeling through my screen. Wood is hurling everything he’s got into this, and after a single to Dickwella his third ball is what he might call a “lift-ah”; Mathews fends it off his hips, but there’s no one at leg slip to take advantage and they run another. England’s lead is down to 10.
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110th over: Sri Lanka 274-5 (Mathews 38, Dickwella 23) In comms, Sanga talks about his friendly rivalry with Mahela, who he says was a “genius when he was on song” but had more peaks and troughs. He’d have loved his skill, but appreciated his own consistency. Sanga isn’t too troubled by the clouds, and hopes that if there’s no rain, the spinners will mean that the light doesn’t intervene. Root’s latest over yields a single to Dickwella, swept behind him on the on side.
109th over: Sri Lanka 273-5 (Mathews 38, Dickwella 22) It’s not happening for Wood, who I imagine will be replaced by Curran in the near future. I’m wondering if he’s one of those bowlers who needs everything to be right to excel – I guess Mitchell Johnson is some kind of comparator – and I’m certain we’ll not be seeing him in the next Test. Two singles from the over, as Wardy notes some aggressive-looking crowds coming in off the ocean. There’s no rain scheduled, but round this way – ok, I’m in north London so round that way – you never know.
108th over: Sri Lanka 271-5 (Mathews 37, Dickwella 21) Root turns to himself, which tells you that England have a problem: they don’t have Ben Stokes. If these two can take Sri Lanka to 50 or so ahead, England will find themselves chasing something nasty.
107th over: Sri Lanka 268-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 20) Wood stays around to Dickwella, pursuing the novel tactic of seeking to hit the stumps; Bumble must’ve had a word. He tries a wider one ... an 81mph off-spinner ... and we’ve got that situation where Dickwella knows he’s trying to persuade the drive, but because he knows he’s trying to persuade the drive it’s alright for him to drive ... and he misses, with meat and edge. Maiden.
106th over: Sri Lanka 268-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 20) Crawley is in at short leg – an unusual position for someone as long as he – and after three dots, there’s an appeal when Mathews misses with a reverse sweep; the umpire rejects it with all the disdain demanded by a ball pitching well outside leg. Mathews then comes down the track ... to boot the ball away. Er, ok then. That reminded me a little of Good when he got out handling the ball – later that week, I was batting in my under 13s game and top-edged an attempted pull; as the fielder ran in for the dolly, I elbowed the ball into the ground; anger ensued. Maiden.
105th over: Sri Lanka 268-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 20) Wood goes around to Dickwella, and if there’s going to be any short stuff this is the time. In the middle of the over, England arrange the field to this effect, but it was a trick – a full cutter beats the outside edge! Then after five dots, Bess misfields at point and they run two; the lead is now just 18 and that’s drinks.
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104th over: Sri Lanka 266-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 18) Another Bess over, one from it; the highlight is its penultimate ball, sent down a little quicker to force Mathews back, and he edges onto his pad.
“Rather a drab morning in Naples but with snow on Vesuvius to make amends,” brags Colum Fordham. “Really interesting situation and England clearly in the driving seat but Anegelo Mathews and Dickwella could conjure up a lead of sorts.
Mathews is so resilient and key to Sri Lanka. A few years ago I went up to play cricket with my sons in the former royal park of Capodimonte. Lots of Sri Lankans flock there on Sundays to play cricket and elle, a sort of crazy baseball. A young Sri Lankan teenager came over and asked if he could play. He was very good and said he was on holiday in Naples with relatives and that Angelo Mathews was his cricket coach back in Colombo. He did very good imitations of international bowlers including mystery spinner Sunil Narine, the kind of bowler England need.
Having just sung Mathew’s praises, he goes and plays a ridiculous reverse sweep to Bess.”
A friend of mine played against Mathews in Jewish cricket, I forget how and why. He made a few as you might imagine.
102nd over: Sri Lanka 265-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 17) It’s amazing how often we hear this, but when Wood replaces Broad, Bumble asks that he bowl fuller, a refrain of Broad’s mid-career semi-stasis. Apparently it brings bowled and lb into play; who knew? Maiden, but of the less threatening variety.
“Well, it’s getting a bit edgy isn’t it?” tweets Guy Hornsby. “England are still in front but they need wickets and control and they can’t seem to get both. Broad has been exceptional again but I worry this spin attack will get picked off by India. Mo and Jimmy will surely be back.”
Agreed on all counts, with the added lament that Root doesn’t enjoy Adil Rashid a bit more. I’m not having that Bess and Leach are in the same postcode as him.
102nd over: Sri Lanka 265-5 (Mathews 35, Dickwella 17) Looking at the weather forecast, at least one site reckons no rain until the day is long done, so our only enemy is the light; that’s decent. Meantime, a misfield from Sibley Dom Dom allows Dickwella a single, and three more follow; this is growing into a very nifty partnership.
101st over: Sri Lanka 261-5 (Mathews 33, Dickwella 15) This is Broad’s fifth over, about as many as can be managed when it’s this hot and humid. And he sends down four sixths of a fifth consecutive maiden before Dickwella ruins his spell with a nurdle into the on side for one.
“With Broad seemingly, maturing as a bowler and reaching that age where a fast bowler uses his head nearly as much as his body,” says Phil Withall, “can we reasonably expect him to surpass Anderson’s record at some point in the next few years? They have similar strike rates and with him being four years younger it seems a fair assumption.”
I was just thinking about this. There are more rivals for his position, so he’ll likely be rotated more than Anderson was, but he’s an absolute champion and an absolute monster, so nothing he does would surprise me.
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100th over: Sri Lanka 260-5 (Mathews 33, Dickwella 13) If Bess can hold down this end England have scope at the other, and after conceding one from his first five balls Mathews attempts a reverse-sweep and misses! He avoids being bowled by the width of a watchmaker’s nasal hair. Broad will give it one more.
“A good friend of mine came up with a way of defeating earworms,’ emails Pete Salmon. “When you have one, sing ‘Lisa it’s your birthday’ from the Simpsons. Within minutes you forget the earworm and the Lisa song. This actually works!”
This is my earworm of that last few weeks.
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99th over: Sri Lanka 259-5 (Mathews 33, Dickwella 14) This might be the time to ask Broad to force things, especially if he’s not playing in the second Test. There won’t be too many to come after this and this might be it, but England badly need one more wicket and in comms Nasser says if he was captain he’d be pleading for one more. Because his leadership style was very much one of supplication, as all who played for him will confirn,. Anyway, Broad beats Mathews with his penultimate delivery, the ball clipping the pad on its way through; naturally there’s an appeal, but as a matter of principle more than anything; it was missing high and side.
“Dickwella and Bess?” wonders John Starbuck. “You couldn’t get much more Dickens than that, could you? Could you?”
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98th over: Sri Lanka 258-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 13) I think both sets of players will recognise this as a crucial passage of play; England don’t have spinners likely to run through, so Bess in his best moment of the match plus Broad being Broad, while the ball’s hard, is likely to be as demanding as it gets. And Bess finds some significant grip in beating Matthews on the retreat; there’s a strangulated appeal, but I think there was bat in it.
97th over: Sri Lanka 257-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 12) Another useful over from Broad, who beats Mathews with more bounce and away movement off the pitch, incited via fingers sliding down the side of the ball. He is so good, and England could really do with him getting into a temper. Maiden, and this is getting intense.
“Morning from Side Turkey,’ says I Wilson. “Weather has turned a bit nasty today here thunderstorms and heavy winds and rain. I still believe Anderson would have made a difference with his repertoire of ball movement both ways, as you say Wood is bowling length which to batsmen of Sri Lanka’s quality is just cannon fodder and Leach is also expensive, we are chipping away but possibly still see a lead 150+ to deal with to win the game.”
I can see why they picked Wood – a little extra pace can be helpful, especially if it’s reversing – but yes, Anderson would be handy here. The real problem, though, is the absence of Stokes who I’m sure would’ve personalitied at least one breakthrough. .
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96th over: Sri Lanka 257-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 12) Bess is into this spell now, opening his over with three dots, and of course as I type that Dickwella gets down on one knee to absolutely cleanse him down to long on for four. They note in commentary that Bess won’t overly mind that because it’s a risk and he goes again next ball, top-edging ... just over Bairstow on the 45, well it’s just over Bairstow on the 45. Talking of earworms and all that. They run three, and a single follows.
95th over: Sri Lanka 245-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 1) Avsummadat! Broad finds some lift and shape – I say finds, menaces is probably a better verb – the ball leaving the beating Mathews. He thinks about appealing for a moral wicket, but settles for sending down a maiden. It really is incredible how good he still is, and how significantly he’s still improving. I look forward to his interview after he’s left out of the next Test.
“Just catching up on the day’s events,” says Kim Thonger. “Read the scorecard, as far as Fernando and then the ABBA song popped into my head and now I can’t shake the earworm or think about anything else. Do any of the OBO amateur sports psychologists have any tricks for clearing the mind?”
I certainly do. You’re welcome.
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94th over: Sri Lanka 249-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 5) Thanks Tim. Bess has another twirl at Dickwella, who hoists him over the leg for two, then comes down the track to create a full toss, turning it away for two more. This is better from Bess, who had a taxing morning.
93rd over: Sri Lanka 245-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 1) At the other end it’s Broad, who was denied the new ball earlier, and surely came close to giving an aggrieved interview during the lunch break. He starts, inevitably, with a maiden. Time for a change here too: I’m taking my floppy hat and handing over to Daniel Harris, to bring some spark to the afternoon’s play. Thanks for your company.
92nd over: Sri Lanka 245-5 (Mathews 32, Dickwella 1) Credit to Root, not just for a sharp catch, but for bringing on Bess, who now has seven wickets in the match and may be eyeing a rare feat: a jammy ten-for.
Wicket! Chandimal c Root b Bess 20 (SL 243-5)
Instant impact! Bess’s arm ball draws Chandimal forward and the nick just carries to Joe Root at slip. Sri Lanka are 43 behind with half their wickets gone.
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The players are back out there after lunch and the ball is in the hands of Dom Bess, who just needs to make sure he doesn’t keep following a good ball with a gimme.
Meanwhile, in Brisbane, India have been bowled out for 336, only 33 behind. Their last four wickets added a feisty 150. There’s rain forecast and the draw is the favourite, which would mean a shared series, but with David Warner out of form, Australia just might have a collapse in them. You can follow that game here with Scott Heinrich.
Lunch: honours even
91st over: Sri Lanka 242-4 (Mathews 30, Chandimal 20) Leach delivers a beauty, looping, turning and kicking. Chandimal manages to miss it, and Buttler takes it with the sort of aplomb you associate with Ben Foakes. And that’s lunch, with honours even. England have taken two wickets, including the adhesive Thirimanne. But the other was only the nightwatchman, so Sri Lanka still have senior batsmen to dig them out of their hole, and Mathews and Chandimal have gone about the job with calm intent.
With England’s lead down to 44, Joe Root is being conservative with his fields, if not with his bowling changes. He’s used seven bowlers, three of them off-spinners, but only Sam Curran, with his waspish medium pace, has offered much threat. It’s been intriguing stuff. See you in half an hour.
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90th over: Sri Lanka 241-4 (Mathews 29, Chandimal 20) A couple more to Chandimal. steering past gully. Wood is bowling with his usual pace and heart, but he’s mostly bowling length, which is Broad’s job. On this slow surface, Wood might be better off mixing bouncers and yorkers – chin music and toe balls. Easier said than done, of course.
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89th over: Sri Lanka 239-4 (Mathews 29, Chandimal 18) And now back comes Leach, replacing Curran, and managing a maiden to Mathews. But no breakthrough, which is what England need before the ball goes soft.
88th over: Sri Lanka 239-4 (Mathews 29, Chandimal 18) Back comes Wood and Chandimal responds with more of his controlled uppishness, going over cover this time.
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87th over: Sri Lanka 234-4 (Mathews 28, Chandimal 14) Curran keeps Mathews quiet until the last ball, which is guided for three. The deficit is down to 52. Meanwhile, in Brisbane, a thrilling partnership has just come to an end as Indian’s fearless young understudies stand up to Australia’s pace aces. If that doesn’t whet the appetite for the Ashes, and for England’s two meetings with India beforehand, I don’t know what will.
Here’s Brian Withington. “Shocked to see the chewy Malbec-munching Mac Millings sloping off to bed without so much as an amusing team list to leave us chuckling over – for shame, sir.” Ha. “On other fronts, is Stuart Broad ticking enough yet?” Hard to say, but here’s Wood again.
86th over: Sri Lanka 231-4 (Mathews 25, Chandimal 14) Another surprise change of bowling as Wood is taken off and his replacement is not Broad but Leach. As usual in this match, he is three parts tidy, one part sloppy, although the inevitable short ball goes for just a single.
85th over: Sri Lanka 226-4 (Mathews 23, Chandimal 11) It’s Mathews’ turn to edge Curran, but he keeps it down and picks up two. As long as he stays in, Sri Lanka have a chance of turning the tables. Chandimal gets a nick too, also harmless, and trickling away for four. And then Curran finds some lift – that’s Wood’s job – and beats the bat. Curran now has two for 34 from ten overs, the only wickets to fall to seam in this innings. What a competitor he is.
84th over: Sri Lanka 219-4 (Mathews 20, Chandimal 7) Chandimal looks up for the fight. He cuts Wood, uppishly but deliberately, over the slips, and then plays tip-and-run with a push into the covers.
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83rd over: Sri Lanka 212-4 (Mathews 18, Chandimal 2) The stand-in captain, Dinesh Chandimal, joins the former captain, Mathews. He gets forward to Curran and opens the face to open his account. They have work to do: Sri Lanka are, in effect, minus 74 for four.
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Wicket! Thirimanne c Buttler b Curran 111 (SL 210-4)
Gone at last! Curran bowls an inswinger to the left-hander and Thirimanne gets an inside edge, well held by Buttler. Curran’s gift for making things happen strikes again, and that’s the end of a very fine innings.
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82nd over: Sri Lanka 210-3 (Thirimanne 111, Mathews 18) Wood starts by getting some swing. That’s Curran’s job! He’s bowling to Mathews, at 89mph, and there’s still nobody at bat-pad – which helps him get a maiden, when it’s surely more important to get a wicket.
81st over: Sri Lanka 210-3 (Thirimanne 111, Mathews 18) After bringing on Lawrence, Root is still feeling funky: he’s going to give the new ball to Sam Curran and Mark Wood, not Stuart Broad – perhaps in a bid to get Broad riled up, in a miniature replay of the start of last summer. Curran begins with a maiden to Thirimanne.
80th over: Sri Lanka 210-3 (Thirimanne 111, Mathews 18) The last over with the old ball (I presume) goes to Leach, who keeps it tight enough, conceding a single to each batsman.
“Dearest Tim,” says Mac Millings, sounding like my mum writing a letter, “I may have had a couple of glasses of Malbec too many, but as a citizen of the United States, ‘He may be surprised, but he’s not remotely bothered’ (68th over) is both the exact opposite of how I felt on January 6th, and also the perfect calming sentiment with which I now go to bed. Goodnight, everyone.” Goodnight Mac, and thanks for giving us food for thought.
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79th over: Sri Lanka 208-3 (Thirimanne 110, Mathews 17) Lawrence is given a second over as England await the new ball. He’s coming round the wicket, with three men round the bat for Mathews and just the slip for Thirimanne. And Lawrence bowls a ripper! Pitching on a length on off, turning, spitting, lifting – far too good to take the edge of Thirimanne’s bat. Then, with a touch of bathos, Lawrence bowls a no-ball, to bring up the fifty partnership.
78th over: Sri Lanka 206-3 (Thirimanne 110, Mathews 16) Leach continues, flying the flag for orthodoxy, and draws a nick out of Mathews which goes to the right of slip. There’s no gully. The commentators are saying that’s because the bowlers haven’t been consistent enough – but it’s also because Root hasn’t placed much faith in them. His field for Leach here is less attacking than his field for Lawrence. And that’s drinks, with Sri Lanka having the better of the first hour and a quarter. They have lost only the nightwatchman and whittled the deficit down to 80. And Thirimanne has that longed-for ton.
77th over: Sri Lanka 203-3 (Thirimanne 109, Mathews 14) Lawrence is an off-spinner, like Bess, whom he replaces now, but quite unlike him too. He seems to bowl off the wrong foot, while looking the wrong way. But his first ball in Test cricket turns and takes the edge! Perhaps because Thirimanne has never seen anything like it. That’s as good as it gets for Lawrence, who lets slip a high full toss, duly shovelled for four. Ah well.
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Dan Lawrence is coming on!
Root turns to England’s newest, and quirkiest, bowler. John Starbuck, you were right and I was wrong.
76th over: Sri Lanka 195-3 (Thirimanne 103, Mathews 12) You wait ages for a maiden from Jack Leach, and then he bowls two in a row.
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Hundred for Thirimanne!
75th over: Sri Lanka 195-3 (Thirimanne 103, Mathews 12) You’re on 99. You haven’t scored a Test century for seven years. What would you like from the menu today? Ooh, something short and wide, please. Bess dishes it up, and Thirimanne slaps it away. He lifts both arms in triumph, as well he may. He’s been admirable, careful but positive, and he may just be dragging his team out of the mire.
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74th over: Sri Lanka 191-3 (Thirimanne 99, Mathews 12) Better from Leach, who finds his metronome, keeps Mathews quiet and collects a maiden, only his third in 23 overs.
73rd over: Sri Lanka 191-3 (Thirimanne 99, Mathews 12) Thirimanne clips Bess for a single, and then Mathews gives a quarter-chance as Rob Key calls it – off the face of the bat, hitting Crawley at short leg somewhere near the shoulder, too fast for him to get his hands in the way.
72nd over: Sri Lanka 189-3 (Thirimanne 98, Mathews 11) Thirimanne has only ever made one Test hundred, in 36 matches, and his nerves are showing now. He pops a testing ball from Leach off bat and pad, but it’s loopy enough to get past Zak Crawley at short leg. And yet again England follow a good ball with a bad one, a full toss that allows Thirimanne to take a grateful single. England are missing Moeen Ali.
“What are the odds that Dan Lawrence will be given a go before the new ball?” asks John Starbuck. “He was talked up before the match began, so ought to be given a chance to show us what he might do.” It’s a good idea, but it’s hard to see him elbowing out Joe Root, who bowled well yesterday.
71st over: Sri Lanka 187-3 (Thirimanne 97, Mathews 10) Another near-miss for Thirimanne off Bess as he top-edges a sweep and just eludes the man running back from midwicket. But, again, Bess follows his moral victory with a bad ball – another short one, another cut for four. “England need to be 10 per cent better,” says David Lloyd.
70th over: Sri Lanka 180-3 (Thirimanne 91, Mathews 9) Broad goes off and Jack Leach comes on, so it’s spin from both ends. After a year of illness and inaction, Leach is still scraping off the rust. He hands Mathews a freebie with a short ball outside off and that’s another cut for four.
Time for a word from Abhijato Sensarma. “Sri Lanka are in the process of winning hearts with this show of grit,” he reckons. “But no one remembers rearguards in the long run unless they actually alter the nature of the result. This is their chance to show the world they aren’t merely miracle men who rely on individual innings. Even the slightest sniff of victory from here, of course, shall be to the credit of the entire team.” Some of us might settle for being mere miracle men.
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69th over: Sri Lanka 175-3 (Thirimanne 91, Mathews 4) Mathews, facing Bess for the first time, brings the sweep out straightaway and takes a single. Thirimanne is tied down for the rest of the over as Bess continues to bowl fuller, and better, than he did yesterday.
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68th over: Sri Lanka 174-3 (Thirimanne 91, Mathews 3) Broad tries to surprise Mathews with a bouncer. He may be surprised, but he’s not remotely bothered. He just lets it go and waits for something pitched up, which duly arrives, on his legs, allowing him to get off the mark with a clip for three.
67th over: Sri Lanka 171-3 (Thirimanne 91, Mathews 0) Bess and Sibley almost grab another as Thirimanne is tempted into an uppish drive. Sibley dives to his left at short-extra but can’t quite get a touch, and the ball goes for four. After that moral victory, Bess follows up with a poor ball, a half-tracker crying out to be cut for four. Thirimanne is calm enough to oblige.
66th over: Sri Lanka 163-3 (Thirimanne 83, Mathews 0) Broad has an over at Mathews, who fell to him in the first innings. The first two balls are wide enough to leave; the other four are spot-on, and Mathews goes block, block, block, block, knowing the ball is too old to be doing anything. Still, Broad has his maiden.
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65th over: Sri Lanka 163-3 (Thirimanne 83, Mathews 0) A maiden from Bess, who lands one in just the right spot to Thirimanne – eight inches outside off, turning just enough. It’s blocked, uncertainly, and it makes you wonder why Root has only a slip in, with nobody there for the bat-pad.
64th over: Sri Lanka 163-3 (Thirimanne 83, Mathews 0) Thirimanne isn’t bothered: he cuts Broad for four, then nurdles a single behind square. If he was English, he’d be known as Sir Alastair.
63rd over: Sri Lanka 158-3 (Thirimanne 78, Mathews 0) Out comes Angelo Mathews, with a lot resting on his experienced shoulders. This partnership can’t afford to be the wrong side of 80.
Wicket! Embuldeniya c Sibley b Bess 0 (SL 158-3)
A breakthrough already! The nightwatchman Embuldeniya goes back and spoons a push straight to the man at short extra. Bess’s luck, which was outrageous on Thursday, is back for more.
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62nd over: Sri Lanka 158-2 (Thirimanne 78, Embuldeniya 0) Broad’s grin soon fades as Thirimanne cover-drives crisply, on the up, for two. Talk about ruining a guy’s figures. Broad now has 9-6-5-0.
Play!
The sun is half-out, as advertised. Stuart Broad has the ball in his hand, a bandana on his head and a grin on his face.
Preamble: a deal to seal
The third day of this Test belonged firmly to Sri Lanka, who managed to induce an England collapse and then avoid one of their own. But England had been so dominant before that that, as we go into the fourth day, they remain in charge.
They could still win by an innings, as Sri Lanka need another 130 to make their guests bat again. That said, England could end up losing the match. All the Sri Lankans have to do is bat as tenaciously today as they did yesterday and bowl about ten times better than they did on Friday.
If Thirimanne and co. can turn 156 for two into, say, 435 all out, England will be chasing 150 and all bets will be off. Joe Root, after all, is now due a failure. And the only experienced batters alongside him are Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, one of whom will be knackered from keeping wicket, the other battered after taking a few blows on the body at short leg. At last, Brian Close has his own tribute act.
Play starts at 9.45am in Galle (we think), which is 4.15am in the UK. The forecast is better – 29 degrees with sunny spells – whereas Monday is looking sodden. England should be looking to seal the deal today, which means that Root will need to set attacking fields, and back his spinners, Jack Leach and Dom Bess, to bounce back from a day of rusty frustration.
