Reaction and analysis
Match report
Actually, that was the second-last word, as an email has landed from Rob Smyth which is well worth passing on. “The last time England won five away Tests in a row,” he reports, “was between 1911 and 1914.” So it hasn’t happened since before the war – the first world war. Impressive stuff, even if South Africa and Sri Lanka, for different reasons, were not at their best when Root’s England turned up. It all whets the appetite nicely for the series in India. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will be back, so will Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, and so will we – see you on 5 February.
Root has had the series from heaven – hell, he even took two for none today. But a few other England players have distinguished themselves too. Jonny Bairstow is back – making a difference, reminding us how well he plays spin – even if he still appears to be taking a plane home tonight, in the interests of rotation. Jos Buttler has kept better than before in Asia and carried on batting as well as he did last summer. He too will be a loss, when he heads home after the first Test in India, although he has a silky-smooth understudy in Ben Foakes.
Jimmy Anderson leaves Sri Lanka, probably for the last time, with yet another memento to lob into the wicker basket he has at home for all the balls with which he has taken a five-for. And Stuart Broad has finally managed a three-for in Sri Lanka. Between them, they took nine for 80 in the series, without even appearing together.
Mark Wood, who played in both Tests, put in a far greater shift than his figures (three for 154) show. The spin twins, Dom Bess and Jack Leach, scraped off the rust and alternated between finding it hard and finding it all too easy. Bess was somewhat flattered by his 12 wickets at 21, Leach rather insulted by his 10 at 35.
Dom Sibley battled back from three flops to make an ugly fifty. And Dan Lawrence followed a sparkling debut with our old friend, the difficult second album – which Zak Crawley knows all about, after making successive Test scores of 267, 9, 8, 5 and 13. The 13 was actually pretty good, setting the tone for a positive chase.
Thanks for your company, which has been excellent as always, and we’ll see you soon – very soon, as the first Test in Chennai is on Friday week. The last word goes to Matt Cast. “Just got up,” he says. “Have I missed anything?”
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More honesty from Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain, who says simply: “We were outplayed today.” He feels they made the same mistakes as on the first day of the serie. “We need to learn how to bat like Root.”
Spare a thought for Lasith Embuldeniya, who produced one of the all-time great displays and still ended up on the losing side. He took seven for 137 in the first innings to give Sri Lanka the lead. Then he came in at 78 for eight and belted 40 to give them a decent chance of a win. And finally he removed three of England’s top five for the second time in the match, and kept on bowling even when you could see how tired he was. He finished with match figures of 62-9-210-10. If Root wins the Player of the Match award again, he should really hand it to Embuldeniya.
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That bucket of whitewash, into which Jonny Bairstow hit the ball earlier, now stands as an emblem of England’s performance in the series. They’ve followed their 3-0 in Sri Lanka two years ago with a 2-0 here. Joe Root’s record as a Test captain in Asia is spectacular: played five, won five. Now that’s what you call a clean sweep.
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Dom Sibley is giving an interview. Asked how good it feels, he says, “Relief, to be honest. Had a bit of a stinker in the series so far. After working so hard on spin before we came out here, I was beginning to doubt myself a little bit. Obviously had a bit of luck today with reviews.” Watching Root play so well, he says, “makes you feel inadequate”. Full marks for honesty, and modesty.
The England players exchange the traditional fist-bumps with the Sri Lankans and then, in a nice gesture, go over to the fort to thank their supporters. I was wrong to say that Randy Caddick was a one-man Barmy Army: they’re out in force today, at least five of them.
“Sibley opposite of masterclass,” says Brian Withington, picking up on the 35th over. “Grafterclass?” Absolutely, though in future he may not want to rely quite so heavily on umpire’s call.
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It’s been a personal triumph for Joe Root. The man who couldn’t make a hundred last year starts this one with a series average of a hundred – 426 for four times out. If he can just sort out his running between the wickets, he’ll be very useful.
England win! By six wickets
England 164-4 (Sibley 56, Buttler 46) A six from Buttler would have been nice, but the winning run just had to be a nudge to leg by Sibley. These two have wrapped it up with an impressive partnership of 75. And England have their fifth successive win on the road (three in South Africa, two here) – the first time they’ve done that for more than a century.
43rd over: England 161-4 (Sibley 54, Buttler 45) Buttler sweeps Embuldeniya so well that Root, on the balcony, mimics the shot – a superstar turning into a tribute act.
“Nerve-endings aside,” says Guy Hornsby, “this has been another outstanding Test, headed by the OBO of course.” Thanks! “Fascinating chat on TMS too about England finding so many singles. Cook has been such a refreshing mate-free presence, talking honestly about the difficulties of captaincy.” A subject on which he speaks with some authority.
42nd over: England 152-4 (Sibley 50, Buttler 40) Sibley gets his single, and his fifty, with his umpteenth nudge into the on side. Well done that temperament.
41st over: England 151-4 (Sibley 49, Buttler 40) Embuldeniya is still on, but there’s no sign of a Red Bull and Buttler helps himself to a cut for two. His 40 has come off only 42 balls, while Sibley’s 49 has taken 135. If Sibley could just take a single, they can both collect a fifty.
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40th over: England 149-4 (Sibley 49, Buttler 38) Buttler cover-drives Mendis for another crunching four and holds the pose, as well he may.
Here’s Brian Withington, taking a break between Paul Simon pastiches. “There was some OBO discussion earlier in this Test,” he says, “about wicket sharing and various football formations. It’s just occurred that England’s three spinners have served up a tribute to Kipling quoting Mike Bassett’s immortal England line up – four, four, f’ing two!”
39th over: England 143-4 (Sibley 48, Buttler 33) Embuldeniya has the energy to muster five dots against Sibley, but can’t stop him pushing into the covers for a single. And that’s drinks again, with England apparently cruising now. Can someone please give Embuldeniya a can of Red Bull?
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38th over: England 142-4 (Sibley 47, Buttler 33) Buttler’s enjoying this now. He cover-drives Mendis, handsomely – two parts MCC manual, one part silken-wristed genius. The fifty partnership is up, the target is down to 22, and there should be time to reach it tonight.
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37th over: England 132-4 (Sibley 45, Buttler 25) Poor old Embuldeniya is back again. Buttler, sensing tiredness, jumps on a not-that-bad ball and cuts it for four. His 25 has come off only 30 balls.
“Hi Tim from a beautifully sunny and cold Rochester!” says William Vignoles. “Thanks for your sterling work as ever.” It’s a pleasure, as ever. “While Crawley and (until this innings) Sibley haven’t had a great series, it’s encouraging seeing how they’re obviously working hard to correct what’s been getting them out. It still might not be enough but I’d rather that than seeing them getting out the same way again and again, as with someone like Travis Head slashing to gully or Bairstow getting bowled by pacers. Still dreading a mullering in India though!”
36th over: England 126-4 (Sibley 44, Buttler 20) And Buttler is dropped! He played that slightly uppish off-drive of his, and the bowler, Mendis, did everything right with his dive, only to spill the ball once he’d got there. That may be the last chance gone for the Sri Lankans. Buttler rubs it in with a pull for two, whittling the target down to 38.
35th over: England 124-4 (Sibley 44, Buttler 18) There are two games being played out there: a comfortable one, when Buttler is facing, easing into the gaps for one or two, and a tricky one when it’s Sibley’s turn. He’s giving the opposite of a masterclass, but again he makes it through the over, and the target is down to 40.
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34th over: England 121-4 (Sibley 44, Buttler 15) And England need only 43. Even they can’t blow this one, can they?
Review! Sibley escapes again
For the third time, Sibley escapes on umpire’s call! Different bowler – Mendis, replacing Embuldeniya – but the same thing keeps happening. He goes back, he plays too square, he misses, the cry goes up, the ump isn’t quite sure, and Sibley somehow survives. Groundhog Dom.
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33rd over: England 119-4 (Sibley 43, Buttler 14) Perera bamboozles Sibley with his arm ball. That’s a good over, but Sibley survives. What he lacks in technique, he makes up for in temperament, and he’s surely inked himself into the XI for Chennai.
Meanwhile we have more correspondence from Turkey. “From 517 kilometres away, it’s also raining hard in Istanbul, Mr Wilson,” says Rob Lewis. “What a shame the game can’t be decided in a sledging contest. This cricket lark is bad for my nerves, even when I’m not working ‘cos it’s university holiday time in Turkey.”
32nd over: England 118-4 (Sibley 42, Buttler 14) Embuldeniya’s rest lasts precisely three minutes as Chandimal brings him on from the other end. But he’s a bit weary, and there for the milking. Five singles off the over, 46 needed to win, and England (whisper it) are back in the driving seat.
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31st over: England 113-4 (Sibley 39, Buttler 12) Embuldeniya finally gets a breather. With figures of 15-3-50-3 in the innings, and ten for 187 in the match, he has some laurels to rest on. Buttler eases into double figures with a reverse sweep off Perera, before pushing into the covers for two more. England need 51.
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30th over: England 109-4 (Sibley 39, Buttler 8) More singles off Mendis, who’s been too leaky (7-0-34-1). Chandimal needs to change the bowling and the mood.
“Afternoon Tim from a very rainy Side, Turkey,” says Ian Wilson. “I suppose the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman [Dickwella] backs up his chirping with great glove work and batting, but what the England batsmen lack in technique against the spinners, they do have some verbals to give back to him, now that Buttler is at the crease. He is England’s best sledger as well as probably the best bet to get the winning runs. The next hour can be critical as well as there being some interesting dialogue between the two best wicketkeeper-batsmen currently playing Test cricket.” Are you, by any chance, sledging Rishabh Pant?
29th over: England 105-4 (Sibley 37, Buttler 6) Embuldeniya bowls his 15th over on the trot: there’s no rest for the excellent. He beats Sibley outside off, then has an LBW appeal as Sibley offers no stroke, but he’s coming over the wicket and the ball pitched outside leg.
28th over: England 104-4 (Sibley 36, Buttler 6) The big wicket now is Buttler, the expert chaser who loves it when the scoreboard tells him exactly what is needed. He nurdles Mendis for a single, twice, and so does Sibley, so the target is down to 60.
“I’ll level with you, Tim,” says Steve Pye. “I’m a bit scared.”
Drinks: too close to call
27th over: England 100-4 (Sibley 34, Buttler 4) Sibley edges a cut for four – by nutmegging Dickwella. That should keep him quiet for at least five seconds. And they go to drinks, with the final act beautifully set up and the past hour belonging to Sri Lanka. England need 64, Sri Lanka need six wickets, and Embuldeniya probably fancies the lot of them.
Meanwhile David Reynolds is back in his role as counsel for the prosecution. “I take your point about Bairstow being a good player of spin, but India’s crucial dangermen are now quickies. And, particularly if he’s at number 3, Bairstow’s far more likely to come in to face Bumrah and Sharma than Ashwin – and those are exactly the sort of the bowlers that Bairstow has a long track record of being bowled by while playing wildly extravagant drives.” Fair point. Shall we agree to differ?
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26th over: England 94-4 (Sibley 28, Buttler 4) Jos Buttler cover-drives Mendis for four, wristily. He could get the job done fast here, if Sibley can just give him the strike. The camera finds Root on the England balcony, picking his nails: the only surprise is that he’s not biting them.
Wicket!! Lawrence c Dickwella b Embuldeniya 2 (England 89-4)
Yes, caught behind. Dan Lawrence comes down to earth. And Embuldeniya has ten wickets in the match! He’s been phenomenal, with the ball, then the bat, then the ball again, and thanks to him we could have a cliffhanger.
Wicket? Lawrence in trouble
Looks like an inside edge onto the pad, and the soft signal is out.
24th over: England 88-3 (Sibley 26, Lawrence 2) Off-spin should suit Sibley down to the ground, as the ball is already going the way he loves to nudge it. He’s been out-scored two-to-one today by his four partners, but he’s slowly warming to the task and he picks up two more singles off Mendis. England need 76.
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23rd over: England 85-3 (Sibley 24, Lawrence 1) Lawrence, who made the rookie error of taking a single off the last ball of the previous over, just about gets through a maiden from Embuldeniya.
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22nd over: England 85-3 (Sibley 24, Lawrence 1) Root had just played a peach of a shot, a dancing off-drive, but he has to go, with just the 426 runs to his name in this series.
And here’s Em Jackson. “If I may hop on this cricket ground band-wagon at 09:55, I offer you Durham’s Chennai-le-Street.” Ha. It’s not a raging turner in my experience, but give it a few more years of global heating...
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Wicket! Root b Mendis 11 (England 84-3)
The big one! After missing those two sweeps, Root gloves this one and deflects it onto leg stump. That’s a triumph for the debutant Mendis. England need another 80, and wherever they go in the world, they always carry a collapse in their back pocket.
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21st over: England 78-2 (Sibley 23, Root 6) A play-and-miss from Sibley, lunging at Embuldeniya.
20th over: England 76-2 (Sibley 22, Root 5) Root misses a sweep! And another one. He’s human after all.
“I must quibble with your good self and Daniel Shepherd.” Quibble away, David Reynolds. “I think the madness more lies in pretending that Bairstow is any longer one of the best 11 or even 22 English Test match cricketers, or believing that scores of 47, 35 not out, 28, and 29 should change the selectors previous conclusion that he was not. Before those four innings, he had a very long record of reckless low scores, including an average of 18.4 in 20 Test match innings before Galle. Even though I do not agree with it, I can imagine a case for Bairstow, but the idea I keep encountering that he has suddenly become undroppable without even getting to 50 seems ridiculous to yours truly.” Two points. One, poor old Bairstow is always droppable. Two, you’re picking a top five to face India on a turning pitch, who do you want? I suspect we can all agree that it’s Root first, Stokes second. For me, right now, Bairstow is third in that queue. And let’s take the numbers with a pinch of salt: today’s 29, like the 47 and 35, was worth double.
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19th over: England 72-2 (Sibley 20, Root 4) Sibley uses his feet to clip Embuldeniya for two, and enjoys it so much, he tries it again next ball, adding a single. Twenty from an England opener! Riches.
18th over: England 66-2 (Sibley 16, Root 2) All Sibley has to do is give Root the strike, but he can’t find a way. That’s the first maiden from Perera in this innings. One more wicket and England will have the jitters.
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17th over: England 66-2 (Sibley 16, Root 2) Root is making it look easy again. Sibley is not, but he manages a shovel into the gap at midwicket. The target is in double figures now – 98 to go.
“If Taunton is Ciderabad,” wonders Geoffey Smith, “is Harrogate Bittergong?” Love it.
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16th over: England 64-2 (Sibley 15, Root 1) Root gets off the mark with a tuck into the on side. His reward is to be serenaded by Randy Caddick, the one-man Barmy Army up on the ramparts, with a chorus of Joe Root, to the tune of Hey Jude.
Here’s Daniel Shepherd. “A light Google reveals there are single air fares from Sri Lanka to India for not much more than $200. Considering a whip round for Jonny Bairstow’s seat. Anyone else keen to chip in? I’m assuming we can all agree it would be utter madness to allow him to go back to Blighty.” It would. Pull him out of the one-day series at the end! I wrote about this in yesterday’s Observer.
15th over: England 62-2 (Sibley 14, Root 0) That was a big wicket, and here comes an even bigger one: Joe Root. He starts by going back, as he has done a thousand times in this series. It’s becoming clear that he spent the November lockdown watching videos of Keith Fletcher.
Wicket! Bairstow LBW b Embuldeniya 29 (England 62-2)
Umpire’s call! It was an arm ball, pushed through at some pace, and it was clipping leg stump. A ninth wicket in the match for Lasith of the Rovers.
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Wicket? Bairstow given LBW
Pinned on the back foot, and the review is more in desperation than expectation.
14th over: England 62-1 (Sibley 14, Bairstow 29) Bairstow plays yet another reverse-sweep for four, off Perera, and Sibley chips in with a miss that goes for four leg byes. The target is down to 102.
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13th over: England 53-1 (Sibley 14, Bairstow 24) Bairstow had come out bristling, tucking the first ball from Embuldeniya for two and reverse-sweeping the second for four before that brush with mortality. He has 24 off only 20 balls, and England need another 111.
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Not out!
“No bat or glove involved,” says the third umpire. “Upper hand!” Well, yes, Bairstow does have the upper hand here. But I suspect the ump got that wrong, and there was a flick of the wristband section of the glove.
Review! And it's not Sibley
Bairstow misses a reverse sweep, and the Sri Lankans, unlike the umpire, detect a hint of glove.
And here’s Brian Withington. “As ever, Paul Simon has penned something wistful (if a little premature) for the occasion...
So long, Sri-lank-a
I can’t believe your series gone so soon
I barely learned the tune
So soon, so soon
I’ll remember Sri-Lank-a
All of the nights we’d OBO ‘til dawn
I never stared so long
So long, so long
Cricket tours may come, and cricket tours may go
And never change your point of view
When the runs dry
I’ll stop awhile and think of you
So long, Embuldeniya
All of the nights you’d spin the ball ‘til dawn
I never watched so long
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long
(So long already, Rootie!)
So long
Maybe it needs a bit more work.” Too modest! I hope Paul Simon realises what a big part he’s now playing in international cricket.
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A tweet from John Etheridge of The Sun. “If Sri Lanka can run out Root,” he reckons, “they have a decent chance.”
“The real competition that is hotting up,” says Robin Hazlehurst, “is for Man of the Match. Root’s two wickets greatly enhanced the claim made by his batting and must leave him in pole position, but Embuldeniya’s batting cameo extended his claim from his bowling. How many second-innings wickets will he need to beat Root for the bubbly? Or will it simply be whichever of them ends up on the winning side?” Another five-for would be hard to argue with, but you’re probably right, it’ll be a case of to the victor, the spoils.
An email from Danny Eccleston. “Standing on the shoulders of giants,” he says, “or at least, Brian Withington (07.39): if Taunton is Ciderabad, then wouldn’t Chelmsford be Lagerabad?” It would!
Tea: England on top, just about
12th over: England 46-1 (Sibley 14, Bairstow 17) Aside from that one great delivery to Crawley, the only batsman who’s been in any trouble here is Sibley, whose quirky technique soon becomes a liability on a turning pitch. He would have been out to each of those LBW appeals if the on-field umpire had liked the look of them. But he survives and gets to enjoy a cup of tea with England sitting pretty-ish. The target is down to 118, Joe Root is still to come, and the top order has finally managed to give him a breather.
Another review!
Sibley? Check. LBW? Check? Not given? Check. Brushing leg? Check. Umpire’s call? Check. But this time the bowler is Perera.
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11th over: England 45-1 (Sibley 14, Bairstow 16) Before the review, there had been a couple more singles. England have been so positive, ticking along at four an over, even off the all-conquering Embuldeniya.
Not out!
And he was right, sort of – umpire’s call, brushing leg.
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Review! For LBW against Sibley
Not given, because the ump thought the ball, from Embuldeniya, was going down...
10th over: England 43-1 (Sibley 13, Bairstow 15) After that superb incident, the ball is changed. I do hope they give Bairstow the whitewashed one to put in his trophy cabinet.
“Root’s hat-trick,” says an email. “A joke? That is known as the Trump-bleach defence, and not entirely convincing.” Trump?! That’s a bit strong. “But you have the benefit of the doubt, since you have provided excellent service this morning as usual.” Phew. The signature says “John Moloney, enjoying the OBO in Denmark whilst ostensibly writing the definitive hiker’s guide to Ærø”.
9.1 overs: England 41-1 (Sibley 12, Bairstow 14) That funky guard is working for Bairstow, who sweeps Mendis for six. And to add insult to injury, he manages to land the ball in a bucket of whitewash. Well, he does prefer white-ball cricket.
9th over: England 35-1 (Sibley 12, Bairstow 8) Double figures for Sibley too! He gets there with his first attacking shot, a crisp sweep for four off Embuldeniya. Bairstow follows up with a reverse sweep, also for four, and the target is down to 129.
8th over: England 24-1 (Sibley 7, Bairstow 3) Chandimal replaces one off-spinner with another, Ramesh Mendis, but to no instant avail. Bairstow is taking guard on or even outside off, and it’s working for him.
7th over: England 21-1 (Sibley 5, Bairstow 2) Bairstow, who ran the little run chase in the first Test, is looking purposeful again. Four balls, two runs, two sweeps, no fuss.
“Oh, come now,” says John Starbuck, picking up on my line about Joe Root (8:22). “You know very well that a hat-trick sequence cannot be carried over to a different game, let alone one against a different opponent. It might still make Root’s day if it happens and persuade him to bowl a little more, but let’s get to that stage without cheating, eh?” Can I plead not guilty, on the grounds that it was an attempted joke?
6th over: England 19-1 (Sibley 4, Bairstow 1) The Sri Lankans have seen so little of Dom Sibley that they have three men in the deep for him. He’s a blocker! Which is a lot easier if the fielders are on the boundary rather than crowding round the bat.
5th over: England 17-1 (Sibley 3, Bairstow 0) The scorecard will say that Crawley failed for the fourth time out of four, but there wasn’t much he could do about that, and he gave this England innings some of the impetus it needed.
Wicket! Crawley c O Fernando b Embuldeniya 13 (England 17-1)
Embuldeniya bowls the perfect ball for the first time today, turning and bouncing from a length, and Crawley can only nick it – to the keeper, who fumbles it but passes the parcel to gully.
4th over: England 16-0 (Crawley 12, Sibley 3) Another milestone: double figures! Crawley gets there with a cut for two off Perera, then celebrates with a reverse sweep for two more. He has decided that attack is the best form of defence, and he’s surely right.
3rd over: England 12-0 (Crawley 8, Sibley 3) Two more singles, plus a no-ball (and a play-and-miss from Sibley), and this is now England’s highest opening partnership of the series. These two have managed 10, 3, 4 and now 12. They are good friends, and it would be great to see them put on 50 here.
2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 7, Sibley 2) Spin from both ends, with Dilruwan Perera’s off breaks joining Embuldeniya’s slow left-arm. No alarms, just a couple more singles.
1st over: England 7-0 (Crawley 6, Sibley 1) A positive start. Embuldeniya, perhaps still reeling form his success with the bat, gives Zak Crawley a freebie – a full toss, which he clips through midwicket. Then there are three singles, which is even more encouraging. Keep the scoreboard ticking, just like Joe Root.
Now. Can England’s openers do a bit better? They’ve made 28 for six between them in the series so far, and all six wickets have gone to Embuldeniya, who is, of course, about to open the bowling.
Well, that was a rollercoaster. Sri Lanka collapsed to 78 for eight, bounced back with a sparky stand of 48, and then resumed the collapse by losing two wickets in two balls. The game distilled itself into a duel. Lasith Embuldeniya, with a seven-for under his belt already, had a go and made a career-best 40. Joe Root, still not knackered after making 228 and 186, popped up with two for none. When he comes on to bowl next month in Chennai, he will be on a hat-trick.
All ten wickets in Sri Lanka’s second innings fell to spin, after all ten fell to seam in their first. Test cricket, the gift that keeps on giving.
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Wicket!!! Fernando b Root 0 (SL 126 all out)
Two in two! Fernando tries to offer a dead bat outside off stump, but succeeds only in playing on. Bowling, Rooty – 11 balls, no runs, two wickets. And England need 164 to win.
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Wicket!! Embuldeniya c Bairstow b Root 40 (SL 126-9)
Got him! Root’s faith in himself pays off as he bowls a full one, doing nothing much, and Embuldeniya, flummoxed by the simplicity of it, gives a catch to Bairstow at slip. That was the gentle practice Bairstow could have done with before the previous over. End of a cavalier cameo that grew into a game-changer.
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35th over: Sri Lanka 126-8 (Lakmal 11, Embuldeniya 40) Now Lakmal has come to the party, going down the track to Bess and mis-timing it beautifully to the long-off boundary. The lead is 163, and Sri Lanka are surely thinking they can square the series, though they may need Embuldeniya to bowl from both ends.
34th over: Sri Lanka 120-8 (Lakmal 6, Embuldeniya 39) Root does do something: he brings himself on. And he draws the edge... but it’s dropped at slip. Any other spinner would have Root there, whereas Root has Bairstow – but it went fast, no blame attached.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 120-8 (Lakmal 6, Embuldeniya 39) Another slog-sweep, off Bess this time. This is now Embuldeniya’s highest first-class score, beating his previous best, 26, by a good 50 per cent. Root needs to do something sharpish – a bit of Anderson, maybe?
32nd over: Sri Lanka 115-8 (Lakmal 6, Embuldeniya 34) Unlike his supposed superiors, Embuldeniya has a plan. And the plan is: have a mow. He slog-sweeps Leach for four, then thwacks him into the covers for four more. He has faced just 26 balls, the same as his partner Lakmal. The lead is over 150 now. Game on!
31st over: Sri Lanka 106-8 (Lakmal 6, Embuldeniya 25) Bess restores order – a couple of edges, but suddenly they won’t go to hand. Embuldeniya’s cameo has changed the script.
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30th over: Sri Lanka 104-8 (Lakmal 5, Embuldeniya 24) Thanks Daniel and hello everyone. Embuldeniya emboldened! He swings Leach for four, bisecting two fielders on the rope, and then he goes the whole slog and hits a straight six. Not content with taking a seven-for, he is now the top scorer in this innings. And he is giving himself something to play with in the fourth innings: the lead is 141.
29th over: Sri Lanka 92-8 (Lakmal 5, Embuldeniya 12) Embuldeniya drives, edging between keeper and slip for four; a single follows.
“Where has the declaration gone from the modern game?” asks Niall Mullen. “Sri Lanka clearly have more than enough runs already but there’s absolutely no sign of them being called in.”
I love that. The match is won and it’s the last of the series, but they’re going to grind England into gristle nonetheless. Hard cricket at its best. Anyhow, that’s it from me – here’s Tim de Lisle to soothe you through what is going to be a deliciously comforting soul-shredder.
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28th over: Sri Lanka 87-8 (Lakmal 5, Embuldeniya 7) Sanga reckons that Sri Lanka’s batsmen saw Root’s success with the sweep so decided to deploy their own, without grasping the need to use it at the right time. They also made the fatal error of trying to bat like Root without being Root - let’s be real, we’ve all done it – so here we are. Two singles off the over.
27th over: Sri Lanka 85-8 (Lakmal 4, Embuldeniya 6) It’s a funny thing, this. England’s spinners will now go to India with renewed confidence, which is a good thing. But might this effort persuade Joe Root to trust them prematurely? There’s not a chance Kohli, Rahane and pals turn up into the middle with no apparent plan as to what they might do once they arrive, but in the meantime, a pair of singles precede Embuldeniya driving four through cover.
“I almost don’t know whether to hope for a further rapid fall of Sri Lanka’s last four wickets,” says Brian Withington, “or some evidence that the pitch is still relatively benign. England must channel their inner Essex, who have recently thrived on turning first innings deficits into plucky wins at the home of the raging Day 4 bunsen that is Chelmsfordabad. Not so YJB and ever so YDL to the fore, and no-one run out the skipper!
I feel a Paul Simon lyric stirring ...”
26th over: Sri Lanka 79-8 (Lakmal 3, Embuldeniya 1) This has been another performance of extreme shoddiness from Sri Lanka’s batsmen, though England have bowled better than they did in the first innings of the first Test. A flick to mid on gets Embuldeniya off the mark, the only run from the other.
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WICKET! Mendis c Buttler b Leach 16 (Sri Lanka 78-8)
Four apiece for the world-famous spin twins! Mendis’ sweep did indeed hit boot but not ground and if anyone was going to spot that, it was Joseph Buttler, first not out then out doing that yesterday. I believe they call that irony – in sport, at least. In real life, they call it a coincidence, but either way Sri Lanka are 115 ahead and they’ll not be adding many more.
25th over: Sri Lanka 78-7 (Mendis 16, Lakmal 3) Bess sees Mendis come forward, sweep, and there’s an appeal for a catch! Not out says the umpire but Buttler requests the review – Root must be off the pitch – and was that boot and out caught? Shirley not!
24th over: Sri Lanka 78-7 (Mendis 16, Lakmal 3) I almost feel like it doesn’t matter what happens in the next bit (I do not feel like it doesn’t matter what happens in the next bit) because if England are going to ruin this, Sri Lanka already have enough runs and they aren’t, then another 50 aren’t going to matter. Two singles off the over.
24th over: Sri Lanka 76-7 (Mendis 15, Lakmal 2) “I’ve just been catching up on the morning’s OBO and stumbled across your link to the Ace song,” says Tom van der Gucht. “It’s one of those tunes that I love, but only seem to remember it on the rare occasions that I stumble across it – before it drifts into the dark recesses of my mind until I randomly hear it again. But on this occasion, I’m adding it straight on Spotify. Since no good music has seemingly been produced since 1995, I’m finding it increasingly challenging to discover new tunes (or old ones I’ve never heard) that are half-decent.”
It seemed to turn up a lot on Capital Radio at the start of the 90s, and I suppose it’s not often played because the band don’t have that much of a cannon. There’s been loads of good gear since 1995 – or Nutty 95, Nutty 9T5 and Nutty 9E5, as my group of school-leaders graffitied all over north London – though I maintain that if Supergrass and Super Furry animals were in their prime now, they’d be the best bands in the world, whereas then, they were well behind some of the greats.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
The ball came off the forearm.
24th over: Sri Lanka 71-7 (Mendis 11, Lakmal 1) Lakmal takes a single then Mendis batters a sweep for four. But what’s this?! Mendis paddles again, misses, and when a top edge goes to short leg, there’s an appeal! Leach thinks it’s out, Buttler knows it’s out, and upstairs we go....
23rd over: Sri Lanka 71-7 (Mendis 11, Lakmal 1) Basically, England are daring themselves to lose from here.
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WICKET! Perera D c Crawley b Bess 4 (Sri Lanka 70-7)
Ollie Pope is going to have to fight Crawley for the right to get hit and feel generally terrified, because yerman has taken another fine catch at short leg, staying low again to hang on again when the batsman connects well again. Sri Lanka are in all sorts, the lead just 107, and England are closing in on a series victory! Sort of.
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22nd over: Sri Lanka 70-6 (Mendis 11, Perera D 4) Leach continues and after three dots “Don’t just let him bowl” rings around Perera’s swede and he moseys down to carve over cover for two. A single follows.
Right, we’re ready to go again. This is going to be a session.
“Waking up to find Sri Lanka 66 for 6 seems a very good excuse to have Buck’s Fizz with my toast and Marmite,” says Kim Thonger, “but then I remember it’s my friend George Solt’s funeral today. He almost made his century but a peach of a delivery sent him back to the pavilion at 93 and a quarter. Still, a good and entertaining knock, with many fine strokes and importantly, NO sledging. Cheers George, here’s to you.”
As often, we return to Ryan Giggs and surmise that “He’d’ve took it”. And so would we.
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“Ruddy Nora,” begins Guy Hornsby. “I did not expect this when my alarm went off. But hands up who is seeing this score and feeling mortal terror about what will happen when we bat? Cricket, you fickle mistress.”
It’s going to be extremely taxing watching, which is absolutely everything we’re after. I can’t wait to feel dreadful.
Lunchtime correspondence: “Anderson really is a freak,” tweets Gary Naylor. “That was a young man’s catch – for 38 year-old eyes to sight that ball out of a clear blue sky all the way into the hands, is quite something.”
And not for a second did we expect him to drop it because he’s not just a phenomenal bowler, he’s a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal competitor.
Did a pair of England spinners just take three wickets apiece in 17 overs, did someone spike my lemon water, or both?
21st over: Sri Lanka 67-6 (Mendis 11, Perera D 1) Bess and Leach now have three wickets each, off 9 and 8 overs respectively; of course they do. Credit needs to go to Joe Root, who didn’t hang about to see how his pacemen did even though there’s a hint of swing out there ... but just as I type that, he fails to hang onto to another edge, this time by Perera, who offers bat to one which doesn’t spin. This time, Root dives left and gets a hand on it, but the ball doesn’t stick. Still, that’s a fantastic morning for England, who now trail by 104. This match and this series are beautifully poised – join me in 40 minutes to find out what happens next, because that is lunch.
WICKET! Dickwella c Lawrence b Bess 7 (Sri Lanka 66-6)
England’s spin twins are dominant! Bess entices Dickwella to drive, and at cover Lawrence hangs on on the half-dive. England have caught really well this morning, and they’re on a roll!
20th over: Sri Lanka 66-5 (Dickwella 7, Mendis 11) No, I’m not sure Ace constitute a rock band either, but here we are. Leach finds some dip and spins one across Mendis, who edges ... between slip and gully, past Root’s dive. That was a chance – a difficult one, but nevertheless - and two singles follow. Sri Lanka lead by 103.
19th over: Sri Lanka 60-5 (Dickwella 6, Mendis 6) Mendis takes one into the on side, then Dickwella reverse-sweeps with the spin for four. A single apiece follows.
“‘How Long’ I’ve always found strange,” says Ian Forth. “Great song, but its lead singer Paul Carrack complained that the bass player Terry Comer had been in secret talks with another band, Quiver. And yet, on the video, there’s Terry, singing about his own double-dealing on backing vocals. An oddity.”
Seventies rock bands were unreal.
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18th over: Sri Lanka 53-5 (Dickwella 1, Mendis 4) Dickwella sweeps, misses, and just about avoids being bowled. They run two.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
No bat, and missing the stumps. I’m surprised Root went for that, because only bowler seemed interested.
18th over: Sri Lanka 51-5 (Dickwella 1, Mendis 4) There’s not much batting to come after these two and Sri Lanka will want at least another 80, but that’s a minimum requirement they’ll have hoped to declare when they were happy, which looks a forlorn hope now. Anyhow, after two dots, Dickwella misses with a glance, the ball rears up to short leg and there’s a shout! Not out, says the umpire, and after some deliberation Root reviews!
17th over: Sri Lanka 51-5 (Dickwella 1, Mendis 4) Mendis, also on a pair, shmices a sweep for four – his first runs in Test cricket – then, full of good vibrations, misses with a cut which gives the fielders momentary excitations. The lead is 88.
“Good morning, Daniel,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Wow, this one is getting hotter.”
Yup. However few Sri Lanka are skittled four, they’ll set a nasty little chase that it’ll be our pleasure to watch.
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WICKET! Chandimal c Anderson b Leach 9 (Sri Lanka 47-5)
Jimmy Anderson is an absolute freak of nature! Chandimal goes again, slogging across the line and top-edging towards mid on. The ball goes higher than the sun but Anderson has lived, he has tasted, fantastical places, his soul an oasis, and running away from the ball, looking over his shoulder and into the light, he hangs on to an absolute beauty! This is running away from Sri Lanka and fast.
16th over: Sri Lanka 47-4 (Chandimal 9, Dickwella 1) Leach starts well, spiriting a beauty past Chandimal’s late forward press, but his second delivery is muck, short, wide and begging to be battered, so off it goes fo fo through cover. And after a single apiece, Chandimal hurls everything at a flighted one, reaching, stretching, and mullering four over midwicket! His intentions are apparent.
In the last break, this was the ad’s jingle. It elevated my morning.
15th over: Sri Lanka 37-4 (Chandimal 0, Dickwella 0) That really is a huge wicket for England, and while Dickwella surveys the scene, Bairstow reminds him of his unflattering stats – “Forty games, no hundreds”. I’m sure, as a fan of on-pitch mouth – as we all are – he’ll appreciate that, and in response he wonders why Bairstow spent most of the last year dropped. Lovely stuff.
WICKET! Mathews b Bess 5 (Sri Lanka 37-4)
Have a look! Bess executes to perfection, his line and length cramping Mathews who, after three dots, decides he needs to move things along. He gets down on one knee to haul a sweep from outside off, the ball spins, he misses, and the only thing he’s moving along is himself! Interesting! Very interesting!
14th over: Sri Lanka 37-3 (Mathews 5, Chandimal 0) Sri Lanka lead by 74 when the captain takes guard – that’s still a pretty healthy state of affairs for them – and he defends his first ball, the final one of the over.
WICKET! Thirimanne c Crawley b Leach 13 (Sri Lanka 37-3)
This is belting grab from Crawley, who stays low when Thirimanne clips one to short leg - off the meat – and holds on on his way down! That is superb work because it came so quickly, and Sri Lanka are in trouble! England aren’t working them over, but every now and again they do something good and most of the time, it’s yielding a reward!
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14th over: Sri Lanka 37-2 (Thirimanne 13, Mathews 5) A single apiece off the first two balls of Leach’s over.
13th over: Sri Lanka 35-2 (Thirimanne 12, Mathews 4) Bess continues with the lead at 70, and Mathews knocks a shortish one into the on side. Bess’ best balls are looking decent this morning, he just needs to keep sending them down, but a wider one allows Thrimanne to get off strike with a shove to cover.
12th over: Sri Lanka 33-2 (Thirimanne 11, Mathews 3) Leach will want to respond to that Bess wicket – there was nothing shamanic about it, he just bowled the right line and the right length at the right pace; easy, right? He’s not quite there yet, three singles coming from the over and taking us into drinks.
“CricViz could do a Result Investment Stat,” says Ian Forth. “How much the average supporter is invested in a win, taking into account historic rivalry, state of series, relative team strengths, etc. Sri Lanka away, having already won one of two, is on the lower end of the scale, I should imagine. The highest ever would have been The Oval 2005.”
How does one calculate such a thing? I think we also need to reckon with the bizarre, terrifying and incredible mentalities of the players, who are equally rabid to win every time – when Sri Lanka won that 2014 series, no less a monster than James Anderson cried on the pitch. I’ve not seen him do that against Australia.
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11th over: Sri Lanka 30-2 (Thirimanne 10, Mathews 1) This wicket and the next are the bigguns. Mathews scored a ton in the first innings, as he did when Sri Lanka won at Headingley – to secure the series – in 2014. He has quality and he has timing, turning to mid on to get off the mark.
WICKET! Fernando c Crawley b Bess 3 (Sri Lanka 29-2)
Hello! This is a terrific delivery from Bess, not just full but fullest, right on the money and yanking Fernando forward before the bounce and turn get just a little big on him. The ball takes the inside edge, maybe a bit of pad too, and loops up to short leg. Well bowled.
11th over: Sri Lanka 29-1 (Thirimanne 10, Fernando 3) Thirimanne sends one into the on side.
10th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Thirimanne 9, Fernando 3) Thirimanne squirts one away on the on side and they run one, then Fernando can’t help but unload the suitcase at a fuller one, hoping a stray pair of pants connect and somehow send the ball hurtling to the fence. They do not, but missing with everything constitutes a result.
9th over: Sri Lanka 26-1 (Thirimanne 8, Fernando 3) This is a decent over from Bess, offering Thirimanne no width to cut or glance a release-shot. But its final delivery drifts onto the pads and is duly knocked away for one.
8th over: Sri Lanka 25-1 (Thirimanne 7, Fernando 3) A single apiece from the over, Leach a little short to Fernando which enables him to play off the back foot.
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7th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Thirimanne 6, Fernando 2) I wonder if England will go back to pace now that there’s a right-hander at one end; perhaps they’ll wait to see who’s facing. But in the meantime, Bess beats Thirimanne’s edge before he adds one to point and Fernando gets off his pair with one to square leg. Two further singles follow.
“CricViz has England as slight favourites,” emails Michael Meagher. “Any thoughts on why?”
Mathematics way beyond my comprehension will be the answer, but I guess the algorithm has arrived at that conclusion because it thinks England will dismiss Sri Lanka relatively cheaply before one of their batsmen finds a decent enough knock. It’s plausible, but I’d still have Sri Lanka in front.
6th over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Thirimanne 4, Fernando 0) “He’s on a pair, let’s bring two up,” Root says in a loud voice to remind everyone of what everyone already knows; lovely stuff. There’s something in this for Leach, who twice finds bounce and turn past the edge of Fernando’s bat; great start for him and for England, because a couple of hours of Perera could’ve taken Sri Lanka well clear.
REVIEW! OUT!
The new-ball bounce had an effect but it was still clipping the top of middle so umpire’s call in that aspect.
WICKET! Perera lbw b Leach 14 (Sri Lanka 17-1)
The angle works for Leach! He sends one down on middle and leg which straightens a little, but Perera can’t help but get down on one knee to mow a slog-sweep. He misses, wears it on the pad, and the finger goes up. It looked good to me, but I’m sure he’ll review.
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6th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 (Perera 14, Thirimanne 4) Leach, coming around, replaces Curran and Perera turns his loosener away for two.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Perera 12, Thirimanne 4) Rooty has seen enough already, bringing Bessy into the attack; this is a huge day for him and he should be feeling confident having justified his selection yesterday. He starts well too, finding immediate turn but missing the outside edge; Buttler can’t gather cleanly and the batsmen run a bye. A single to Perera follows, cut away towards point.
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4th over: Sri Lanka 15-0 (Perera 11, Thirimanne 4) Three dots, then Perera clatters Curran through cover for four. So Curran goes fuller ... and Perera clatters him through cover for four again! That’s very nice indeed, and Sri Lanka are away.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Perera 3, Thirimanne 4) Anderson comes around to Perera, looking to deny him width. He nurdles a single to backward square, then Thirimanne clips two towards the same area, and Sri Lanka will be happy with this start. They’ll know that if they don’t give it away, the match is there for them, and they lead by 44.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Perera 1, Thirimanne 2) Curran arranges his angry face and bustles in; he’ll have noticed that Anderson found some movement through the air and will fancy using that himself. He slings down five dots, then Perera bunts to mid off and scurries one.
“Joe Root has made a strong case in front of the Cricketing Gods to reintroduce the legality of his membership card into the Fab Four,” says Abhijato Sensarma, “which I can only presume is an actual club where the world’s best willow-wielders go out to hang after stumps every day.
He never was a member of the Cool Captains’ Club, though. But if he can muster up something special collaborating with his below-par spin department and a grumpy Anderson, he might just have another membership on his hands by the time we’re done.”
His captaincy is improving, at roughly the same rate his players are improving. He’s not a natural, but ultimately the most crucial element to captaincy – even in cricket where there are proper decisions to make – is leading from the front. I think he’s doing alright in that department.
1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Perera 1, Thirimanne 2) Anderson’s right there from the off, moving it away from Perera, who had a hilarious hoik at him in the first innings. And his second ball is even better, closer to off-stump; Perera shoulders arms and watches it zoom past his bails by very little indeed. There’s a little bit of swing out there, one tailing in as Perera comes down and drives for one – off the bowler’s shin – which brings Thirimanne onto strike. Anderson has him on toast, but he takes the final delivery for two when Bess fails to stop his cut.
Sri Lanka know they need to find a way against England’s greatest-ever bowler. They played his reputation in the first innings – though generally that’s not so different from playing each ball on its merits.
England have lost each of their last ten overseas Tests in which they've been behind after the first innings. The last time they avoided defeat after being behind was in Auckland in 2013 and they last time they won was in Karachi in 2000. #SLvEng
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) January 25, 2021
The players are back out. These are the moments they train for...
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How do Sri Lanka approach this? They’ll want to leave as much time as possible to bowl England out tomorrow so need to keep things moving, but won’t want to give it away. They’ll want to score at least 200, but even if they can only muster 120, they’ll back themselves to defend it.
Embuldeniya finishes with 7-137 off 42, an absolutely brilliant performance. Thing is, there’s a strong chance he needs to find something similar in England’s second innings, because his mates did not look at all threatening.
England 344 all out! Sri Lanka lead by 37!
Right then. We’re off.
REVIEW IS OUT!
Three reds, hitting middle three-quarters of the way up.
WICKET! Leach lbw b Perera 1 (England 344 all out)
Leach goes down on one knee, missing with his sweep and wearing the ball on the pad. It looks out and it’s given out, but England may as well review so do.
116th over: England 344-9 (Leach 1, Anderson 4) The track looks lively this morning and Leach is circumspect in defending Embuldeniya’s first four balls before turning a single away square on the on side. This brings Anderson onto strike, and naturally he unfurls his reverse sweep, ploughing all the way through a wider one and earning four. Good shot.
115th over: England 339-9 (Leach 0, Anderson 0) Anderson sees off three dots to complete the over from last night.
Here we go! Perera has the ball.
Jack Leach and Dom Bess will be feeling under pressure this morning and rightly so. They’ve not bowled that well on this tour but today and tomorrow they’ve the chance to redeem themselves. England go to India after this, where bad spin is given the absolute treatment. If they can’t do it here, there’s no chance they do it there.
@danielharris Jingles, fun, not geo-blocked. RT @guerillacricket: Follow EVERY BALL LIVE anywhere in the world.
— markzip (@markzip) January 25, 2021
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Apparently, in the sub-continent, the game can move slowly, before accelerating quickly through the final two days. Good to know.
Preamble
Morning everyone. When writing about sport – when writing about most things – it’s best to omit pronouns, the point of interest being the event not the person conveying it. But sometimes that experience is telling, and now is one such.
When setting up the day’s play – even after a decade of doing so – it’s usually possible to identify a thematic factor or two that distinguishes what’s going to happen from what’s happened. But since the summer, every time I sit down with my thoughts, all I want to talk about is how dazzled I am by the brilliance of what we’re about to see. I’ve turned into a fanboy of fanboying.
And in this moment I feel no different because what we’ll see over the next eight hours will likely define the series. Provided England’s final pair don’t add something silly, Sri Lanka will be into this in a big way – even if they’re bowled out again for relatively little, they’ll still fancy themselves to dismiss England for less on an increasingly erratic pitch. But, similarly, the visitors will also fancy their chances of arranging and then chasing a low target – especially given the form of their captain.
Real talk, though, Sri Lanka are strong favourites – but there’s a lot that can happen over the next bit and what an absolute buzz it’s going to be checking it out.
Play: 10am local, 4.30am GMT
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