And with that I shall take my leave. England will be favourites to win from here, and if England can add even another 20 runs for the final wicket to take the required total beyond 300 even more so, but there will probably be some tension and drama along the way. Play tomorrow will start a little earlier than usual, at 4.15am GMT/9.45am local. Til then, then. Bye!
Joe Root dodges the downpour and has a chat:
That was a thoroughly enjoyable one today. Obviously quite challenging on that surface. We ask the guys to play in a certain manner in these conditions, you want to set an example and you want to lead from the front. When it comes off as it has today, that’s really pleasing.
You look at the group of players we’ve got, it suits most of the guys’ natural games. You’ve got to play to your advantage and we’ve done that this tour so far with the bat. We’ve given ourselves a chance in this game.
To start I felt a bit all over the place. I felt quite calm underneath but the legs were flapping on the outside. It’s about taking a few risks early, get the bowlers bowling in the areas you want them to bowl in. As the innings went on, you sort of figure out a really good method of how to play on that surface.
The best thing about it was, we kept the score going at a really good rate. The temptation is to go into your shell and think, it’s going to be really hard, this, but the guys played with a lot of freedom and a lot of courage.
It’s hard to say [if England have enough runs on the board]. It’ll be interesting how the pitch plays with this amount of rain. Whether it spins a bit more, or holds together a bit more. The most important thing is we recognise how it’s going to be like and adapt very quickly. We might have to be a little bit more patient and attack the stumps a little bit more often.
There will be more cricket later today, though. Here’s Adam Collins on England’s quest for a place in the final four of the Women’s World T20:
STUMPS: England 324-9
England lead by 278 with one second-innings wicket remaining
It is the kind of rain that roars and whooshes as it thunders to earth with extreme violence. With the covers on and this kind of nonsense falling from the skies, there is no chance of further action and play has now been officially abandoned for the day.
I’m sure Sri Lankans are always hositable people but this is above and beyond the call of duty - chaotic scenes in parliament today* as people demand a vote of no confidence in the prime minister, the kind of goings-on which will make England feel right at home.
* If I’m classlessly making light of significant, complex and upsetting political upheaval, it’s only because I’m completely ignorant. Sorry.
It’s raining! As Sky go to the ground people in the background are running for cover, and the groundstaff have very nearly got the entire outfield under wraps.
England lead by 278 runs with one wicket remaining
England will feel they haven’t quite made the most of an excellent position, as the score slipped from 301-6 to 305-9. Having lost those wickets they would probably have liked to have had 20 minutes with the ball at the end of the day, but as the covers come on it’s not looking likely.
The lightmeter is out, and the players are off!
At the end of the over lightning illuminates the sky, and the players are taken from the field!
Updated
76th over: England 324-9 (Foakes 51, Anderson 4) A lengthy delay before Dilruwan’s over has the crowd yelping and hollering, and then a field change a couple of deliveries in has them baying once more. After five dots the field comes in, and Foakes smites it over the lot of them and into the stands to bring up his 50!
75th over: England 318-9 (Foakes 45, Anderson 4) After four dots from Pushpakumara the field comes in stop the single again. Foakes immediately gets a single. There’s still time for a loud lbw appeal against Anderson, but the umpire is unmoved and Sri Lanka don’t have any reviews either. The ball pitched just outside leg, so it wouldn’t have mattered.
74th over: England 317-9 (Foakes 44, Anderson 4) The groundstaff have gone into war footing, with talk of imminent rain circling the ground like so much thick cloud. Foakes clouts the ball through midwicket for a meaty four. The field closes in to stop him scoring a single off Dananjaya’s final delivery, and fails.
73rd over: England 310-9 (Foakes 37, Anderson 4) Anderson gets off the mark with a tasty reverse sweep for four! Rashid and Moeen would both have been saved had they been able to review their lbw decisions (and chosen to do so), and may have a few choice words to share with their team-mates as a result. Pushpakumara rips one past Foakes’ bat, the pitch suddenly turning and fizzing as the bowlers approach it with a bit more confidence.
72nd over: England 305-9 (Foakes 36, Anderson 0) England lead by 259 as Anderson comes out. “Surely England’s cream whites are more authentic?” says Jeremy Gostick. “I seem to remember them switching to the white-whites a year or two back and getting fearful stick for it.”
Oh yes, that’ll be right. “The game moves forward and we see all sorts of different shots being played but I think some parts of the game should always stay the same and classic creams and cable knit jumpers are a massive part of that,” said Joe Root.
WICKET! Rashid lbw b Akila Dananjaya 2 (England 305-9)
It looked like he got some bat on that, but England are clean out of reviews and their innings is unravelling at pace!
71st over: England 302-8 (Foakes 34, Rashid 4) A lesser-spotted maiden over, from Pushpakumara. Tim in Liverpool has some more Roman cricketers:
Authoritative: Umpirerasmus
Celebratory: Barmyarmycorus
Injury prone: Popadomfingus
70th over: England 302-8 (Foakes 34, Rashid 4) Root gives the crowd something else to clap about, hitting another excellent shot through midwicket, the start of an all-action over. He goes next ball, and then Curran gets a beauty first up, which somehow sneaks past the pad and kisses the very outermost edge of off stump, just enough to dislodge the bails.
What a performance from joe root and england on that surface ..one of the best test hundreds one will see on a pitch which is turning square .. @root66 @ParthJindal11 @ECB_cricket
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) November 16, 2018
WICKET! Curran b Akila Dananjaya 0 (England 301-8)
Curran’s gone first ball, and Akila is on a hat-trick!
WICKET! Root lbw b Akila Dananjaya 124 (England 301-7)
Er, not that comfortable. Root becomes the seventh England batsman to get out attempting to sweep (a reverse in his case) as the ball straightens, hits the pad and that is absolutely plum!
Updated
69th over: England 297-6 (Root 120, Foakes 34) Two singles off the over, the first of which tickles England’s lead to 250. England are scoring more slowly this session, but the batsmen look pretty comfortable.
68th over: England 295-6 (Root 119, Foakes 33) Why is it that Sri Lanka’s whites are so much whiter than England’s? Is this a deliberate sartorial decision, or are they using the wrong detergent? Here’s some photographic evidence. The difference really is stark.
67th over: England 291-6 (Root 117, Foakes 31) One run from Pushpakumara’s over. Root’s is now sixth on the list of England’s finest in Sri Lanka, with Kevin Pietersen top of the chart with his 151 in 2012. “This is imperious stuff from Root, the player we all know he is, and all the more joyous given the pitch and situation,” writes Guy Hornsby. “Also hugely important that we’re batting at a quick rate, given it’s only Day three. It’s batting for victory, not the hope of victory. Ruthless.”
66th over: England 290-6 (Root 116, Foakes 31) Foakes hits through midwicket, and though it’s well fielded near the boundary the batsmen nevertheless manage to run three. Meanwhile the Asterix/cricket crossover moment Jim Goldsmith was remembering a few overs back has been uncovered:
@Simon_Burnton pic.twitter.com/fz3t7diO51
— Ben Taylor (@mtega) November 16, 2018
65th over: England 285-6 (Root 114, Foakes 28) Pushpakumara bowls a beauty, sent down straight and spinning away from the batsman, fortunately for Foakes just past the bat. Meanwhile Phil Russell proposes some other Roman cricketers:
ODIous - a bad limited overs player.
Dubaious - not available following match-fixing scandal in the UAE.
Dinkum - Genuine Australian import.
Moveyourfeetus - All-rounder. Good against the spinners and also handy when it comes to making deliveries.
64th over: England 284-6 (Root 113, Foakes 28) Dananjaya comes on, and sends down some filth which Root clips through midwicket for four, a poor delivery but a delicious shot.
63rd over: England 279-6 (Root 108, Foakes 28) Root mishits a sweep into the air, but having pushed the field back with his free-scoring stylings there’s nobody around to catch it.
62nd over: England 276-6 (Root 106, Foakes 27) Lakmal bowls full and straight at Foakes, who clips it off his ankles and fine for four.
61st over: England 269-6 (Root 104, Foakes 22) Pushpakumara changes ends and the 50 partnership comes up, from 85 deliveries. “Catching up on the Asterix names, I always remember the book Asterix and the Magic Carpet, which I think was translated by the late, lamented, Anthea Bell,” writes Jim Goldsmith. “One of the bad guys was called Owzat. From memory, this lead to the gag where they spot him, Asterix shouts ‘Owzat!’ and Obelix quietly replies ‘Not out, I’m afraid.’”
60th over: England 264-6 (Root 103, Foakes 19) Lakmal starts the session, and Root opens the face of his bat and nicks one along the ground, well wide of first slip for four, completing a brilliant century. Is it a match-winning one?
Updated
The players are back out. Root will be on strike, and two away from his century.
TEA: England 259-6
England lead by 213 with four second-innings wickets remaining
And that is tea. It’s been an excellent session for England, and their lead is growing quickly, though none of their bowlers will be particularly encouraged by what they’re seeing. Back in a bit.
England score 131 for 4 before lunch, then 128 for 2 before tea. Brilliant to watch. And they lead by 213, with Root on 98. It's starting to get tough for Sri Lanka.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) November 16, 2018
Updated
59th over: England 259-6 (Root 98, Foakes 19) Root has had enough of being stuck in the 90s. He reverse sweeps for a single, and when back on strike hits a delicious shot through midwicket that is brilliantly fielded on the rope and thus yields only two runs. He’ll go into tea still a couple short.
58th over: England 254-6 (Root 94, Foakes 18) Two Lakmal overs, two runs. Every other Sri Lanka bowler who has bowled more than four overs (discounting Dhananjaya de Silva, in other words) is bleeding at least 4.4 an over.
57th over: England 253-6 (Root 93, Foakes 18) After four dot balls Foakes goes for a sweep and nearly adds another number to today’s most eye-catching statistic as he top-edges powerfully into the skies, but there’s nobody there to catch it!
New Zealand are 81 for 3 off 37 overs at lunch v Pakistan. After 37 overs, England were 165 for 4.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) November 16, 2018
Updated
56th over: England 251-6 (Root 93, Foakes 16) Lakmal does his first bowling of the innings, a welcome change of pace
Root has only left two balls since lunch (both went down the leg-side) and has primarily attacked a long way out of his crease. #SLvEng pic.twitter.com/6a9HA44RvZ
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 16, 2018
55th over: England 250-6 (Root 93, Foakes 15) Dilruwan Perera, the most economical bowler in England’s first innings and the least economical bowler in their second, returns. There’s a loud lbw should against Root, but the ball was certainly clearing the stumps. “Belatedly responding to Ben Heywood’s Asterix-based lunchtime challenge, in the absence of any suitable Roman players, could I suggest Gotitinforus and Triggafingus as the Castor and Pollux of umpiring twins to be avoided?” I think you probably could.
54th over: England 247-6 (Root 92, Foakes 13) Three runs from Pushpakumara’s over takes England’s lead beyond 200.
53rd over: England 244-6 (Root 91, Foakes 11) Dananjaya bowls, and Root advances to thwack his first delivery straight down the ground for six. That’s a fabulous shot! “Many people are saying (to quote a contemporary personality) that it’s extraordinary that all six wickets have been as a result of attempted sweeps,” notes Ian Forth. “But if all the wickets had come from attempted vertical shots, and England had scored many fewer runs, we wouldn’t think that was extraordinary.”
52nd over: England 236-6 (Root 84, Foakes 10) One remarkable delivery from Pushpakumara, which hits something helpful in the pitch, leaps into the air and turns sharply, passing Foakes at almost shoulder height. The next pitches in a very similar spot but does entirely the opposite, keeps straight, bounces low, and Foakes does well to push it to safety.
51st over: England 231-6 (Root 82, Foakes 7) “Sunny here in Istanbul, after filthy cold torrential rain yesterday,” writes Rob Lewis. “Your colleague mentioned that Lakmal hadn’t bowled himself today at all. Could it be that only one wicket has fallen to the quicks in the match so far?” It could indeed, Jennings in the first innings.
50th over: England 228-6 (Root 79, Foakes 6) A couple of singles off Pushpakumara’s over, only one of them a sweep.
49th over: England 226-6 (Root 78, Foakes 5) Again Root sweeps the first ball of the over for a single, leaving Foakes to deal with the rest of the over. The difference this time, though, is that Foakes hits a sweep of his own, this time for four, and then gets a single off the last. You’ll never guess how. 38% of England’s scoring shots - after the first ball of this over, so the number has gone up since - have been sweeps.
48th over: England 220-6 (Root 78, Foakes 0) A sedate over from the hitherto expensive Pushpakumara, with Foakes spending the final five-sixths of it carefully getting his eye in.
47th over: England 219-6 (Root 77, Foakes 0) All six wickets to fall in this innings have come from attempted sweeps, four of them lbw. That’s a remarkable statistic.
Updated
WICKET! Moeen Ali lbw b Akila 10 (England 219-6)
Moeen tries to sweep, misses the ball and the umpire’s finger goes up! The ball looked to have hit him just outside the line, but neither team has any reviews left so he’ll just have to lump it.
Updated
That’s drinks, which seems like a good time to hand things over to Simon Burnton for the rest of the day. Be kind to him, and send your emails to Simon.Burnton@theGuardian.com, and tweet @Simon_Burnton
46th over: England 218-5 (Root 76, Moeen 10) As Root again advances and smears a six between mid-wicket and long-on, once again we wonder why Lakmal hasn’t given himself an over or two, just for the sake of change really. Is he injured? Too modest? Has low self-esteem so just assumes he’ll be rubbish? He needs to try something, because England have scored 87 in the hour since lunch, the lead is 172 and the run rate for the innings is creeping towards five an over.
45th over: England 208-5 (Root 67, Moeen 9) A rare beast, as Root skips down and plays a straight drive for four so classic you could get a first from Oxford in it.
“In response to Ben Heywood’s challenge,” responds Tim Sanders, “the Romans could select Circus Maximus if he’s not too busy as a six-hitting mercenary in the various global T20 competitions. If he can find protective equipment in the right size, Biggus Dickus has to play.”
44th over: England 202-5 (Root 62, Moeen 8) Root does a little dance (but resolutely does not make a little love, nor get down tonight) down the pitch and flaps Perera over mid-wicket, only getting a single but that ticks England over the 200 mark.
43rd over: England 199-5 (Root 60, Moeen 7) Akila gets away with a stinky full toss, Root only managing to get a single down to long-on. Now here’s Moeen, who casually slog-sweeps his second ball in front of mid-wicket for six. An extraordinary shot from an extraordinary, if sometimes frustrating player. The noise that hit made, just a little click as it sailed over the boundary, told you he’d nailed it.
The view from the top of the Pallekele scoreboard is, understandably, spectacular 😍#SLvENG pic.twitter.com/klmYSZE99Q
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) November 16, 2018
42nd over: England 190-5 (Root 58, Moeen 0) Looking at the Buttler wicket again, maybe a bit more credit should be given to Akila, who took lots of pace off the delivery which meant Buttler had to wait for it, give it a bigger swipe and thus came unstuck. Root’s not discouraged from the concept of the reverse sweep though: he hits three in the over, one for a couple, another perfectly-timed in front of point for four, and one more for luck, bringing him a single.
41st over: England 183-5 (Root 51, Moeen 0) “I like the idea of Root’s Edge,” writes John Swan. “Can I suggest Buttler’s Elbow (a nasty turn on a mountain track), Gaffney’s Finger (a column of rock thrusting uncompromisingly into the sky behind Christchurch) and, the ultimate terror for seafarers, Stokes’ Cap.”
WICKET! Buttler b Akila 34 - England 183-5, lead by 137
Sweet mercy, another wicket goes to a sweep. Buttler, bouyed by a perfectly-timed reverse earlier in the over, tries again with one that - like Jennings before him - was too short and leg side for the shot. Still, he’s out in improbable fashion, somehow managing to under-edge onto the stumps.
40th over: England 179-4 (Root 50, Buttler 31) Root goes for a sweep but it nutmegs the wicketkeeper, which should tell you it didn’t go exactly to plan. Still, he got two runs for it, and redeems himself from an aesthetic point of view with the most beautiful cut from the next ball, placed perfectly backward of point. Then he goes to 50 with a back-cut, which Lakmal keeps to three with a good chase and stop on the boundary. The 11 runs from that over take England’s lead to 133. Sri Lanka need a wicket, lickety-split.
39th over: England 168-4 (Root 41, Buttler 29) Two runs from that over, meaning England have 37 from nine since lunch, without really taking that many risks. They’ve stopped looking quite so skittish too.
38th over: England 166-4 (Root 40, Buttler 28) The brilliant thing about Test cricket, as you know, is that the feeling of which way the game is tilting can alter with the slightest thing, and in particular this Test. At lunch you got the sense Sri Lanka were winning, since then England seem to have the edge, but you know it could go back the other way in an instant. It’s like a giant weeble.
37th over: England 165-4 (Root 39, Buttler 28) Buttler connects with a reverse-sweep that would have comfortably missed leg stump, but sends it out to deep point for two. Root peeks over his shoulder and copies him, just for a single though. Then a boundary, Buttler cutting an absolutely dog-plops short one from Perera to the cover fence. The 50 partnership came up somewhere in that over. England lead by 119.
36th over: England 156-4 (Root 37, Buttler 21) England have calmed down a bit in the last two overs. Where’s the fun in that? Come on lads, it’s early - need to keep our attention with the vague sense you’re about to do something ill-advised.
35th over: England 154-4 (Root 36, Buttler 20) Perera pushes through a quicker one that beats Root’s edge. Root’s Edge sounds like a particularly tricky climbing route on an intimidating mountain. “Yeah, it was all going well but they ended up stranded on Root’s Edge. Had to be choppered out.” Three singles and a leg-bye from the over.
34th over: England 151-4 (Root 35, Buttler 19) Both batsman still look a bit more frantic than they’d like: the difference between these two and Jennings and Burns earlier is that they don’t consistently look in control. That said, Root hits a beautifully controlled sweep to the mid-wicket boundary, and England are going at five-an-over since lunch.
33rd over: England 145-4 (Root 30, Buttler 18) Another sweep, another loud shout for lbw, this one against Buttler: that was close, but Perera’s angle from around the wicket means it was just missing off stump. Splendid umpiring from Erasmus, and it’s just as well: remember neither team have any reviews left due to some scrambled decision-making this morning.
32nd over: England 140-4 (Root 28, Buttler 17) Buttler gets a grubber from Pushpakumara - a proper grubber too, nearly bouncing twice before it reached him, but mercifully for England it was legside rather than straight. Of course, if that’s a sign that the pitch is going then England will not be displeased.
31st over: England 137-4 (Root 27, Buttler 17) Drop? Erm, sort of. Buttler comes down the track to Perera and hits one at pace to the left of Kusal Mendis at short mid-on, he dives and gets fingertips to it but that would have been a near-miraculous take if he’d held on. Buttler then escapes again, taking another step missing an inside-out drive that rips back through his gate and through some miracle of physics doesn’t hit the stumps. Geez that was close.
The players are back out. Hopefully the afternoon will live up to the morning.
Can’t say I’m entirely sure what’s going on here, but enjoy this email from Ben Heywood:
“As England closed in on victory in the first test Simon Burnton invented a new shot - the “pok”, which he then likened to the sound made by Asterix as he knocks out a few Romans. This in turn reminded me of the puntastic names created by translators Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge - Roman sentries Appiandglorius and Sendervictorius, Greek merchant Neveratalos, bard Cacofonix and of course, the splendidly fat centurion Surplus Dairiprodus. It got me wondering what names they might have thought of for “Asterix plays Cricket”, which also ties in nicely with the OBO readership’s penchant for creative punning. So far I’ve come up with gun fielder Hitthestix, enthusiastic - ahem - fan Spotfix, strangely underwhelming English batsman Graemehix, West Indian fast-bowler Takesomlix and agricultural middle order slogger Tonkforsix for the indomitable Gauls, but confess I’m having trouble finding appropriate puns for the Roman side they’d inevitably be playing against. Well, it is lunch in Kandy (and breakfast here in Montenegro)...”
“It’s bloody early,” amens Gareth Frith. “What sort of score would Sri Lanka not like to chase? 200? Or would England want more?”
I reckon 180-200 is where it starts getting ticklish, more than that and England will fancy their chances, but so much depends on their spinners being more consistent than they were in the first innings.
Also, England have lost four wickets to the sweep, but scored nearly half their runs - 58 - with it too.
Good fun that both teams have managed to jazz their cumulative four reviews inside 29 overs. We’ll have some retro cricket for the a bit, with decisions made by - get this - people, and people alone.
Lunch - England 131-4, lead Sri Lanka by 85 runs
An absolutely stonking morning of Test cricket. England played positively and looked in total control when Jennings and Burns were together, but gave away at least a couple of the four wickets with some shots that Australians would use their harshest negative adjective about: ordinary. They’ve gone along at a clip of 4.37 runs an over, but while Sri Lanka haven’t really bowled that well, I would say they’re just about level, maybe even a little ahead at this stage. Stick around for the afternoon session. Should be belting.
30th over: England 131-4 (Root 26, Buttler 14) England kindly think of frantic over-by-overers thousands of miles away and make the last over before lunch a quiet one, with three singles from it.
29th over: England 128-4 (Root 25, Buttler 12) Perera nearly pins Root right back onto his stumps, but the England captain just keeps it out. One down leg illicits another colossal appeal for caught behind, but that was thigh pad at best.
I'm going to be very angry at the first Englishman to be dismissed not sweeping today.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) November 16, 2018
28th over: England 125-4 (Root 24, Buttler 10) Not long before lunch, but Buttler isn’t going to turn down free runs and he threads a v v v ropey Pushpakumara long-hop through the covers to the boundary. Four more to Root with a strong sweep from way outside off - slightly risky choice of shot perhaps, but he looked in full control of that one.
27th over: England 114-4 (Root 18, Buttler 5) All four wickets so far have come via variants of the sweep: the old chestnut of it being England’s big strength and big weakness, in this innings anyway. Buttler is the new man and gets a boundary straight away - it might have made it anyway, but it was helped by some slapstick via Angelo Mathews, who lost track of where the long-on ropes were, and slipped over on them as he tried to stop Buttler’s shot, a strong whack from a full-toss.
WICKET! Stokes lbw b Perera 0 - England 109-4
Two awful reviews in the over. If Stokes didn’t think he hit it - which Snicko suggests he didn’t - surely Root should have sent him on his way there. It was hitting middle and leg - more middle than leg - about halfway up, and looked dead. No more reviews for England either.
Review!
Another one! Stokes goes down for a sweep, the finger goes straight up and it looks very out, but they go upstairs...
Not out!
...and indeed it was outside the line! Sri Lanka have now burned their two reviews. Could be key.
Review!
This one looks a bit giddy. Perera is back, Root goes back and is hit on the leg but looks outside the line of off...
26th over: England 108-3 (Root 17, Stokes 0) Root is retaining the positivity of his opening pair but does look a smidge skittish, but he’s the senior partner now Stokes is in.
“One of those innings where it feels like England are in control,” writes Ian Forth, with the terrific subject line ‘vibe’. “Yet Sri Lanka would be happy with 62-3. Who’s winning?”
That wicket tilts it very marginally in Sri Lanka’s favour, for me. But it’s close. It’s brilliant sport. Well, it’s sport, so obviously it’s brilliant. But it’s brilliant sport.
WICKET! Burns lbw b Pushpakumara 59 - England 108-3
Ach, what a shame. It was certainly worth reviewing, but the replays showed it was comfortably hitting middle and leg. A good knock, but Burns has to go.
Review!
Burns goes for the sweep, big stride forwards, hits the pad and the finger goes up. After a long chat with Root, he makes the T...
25th over: England 101-2 (Burns 54, Root 15) Akila comes around the wicket to Root, and he and Dickwella go absolutely bananas for an lbw shout that on first look appears extremely close. Possibly a hint of inside edge, might have been going over.
Updated
24th over: England 100-2 (Burns 54, Root 14) There’s something about Joe Root - and not just that he’s England captain - that makes me want him to get runs more than anything. Maybe it’s that look of disgust and existential despair on his face when he gets out - makes you want to give him the biggest cuddle possible. Three of those runs come from two very different sweeps, one a controlled lap for a couple, the other a bit of a hoik that he top-edges over keeper and slips, but that single brings up England’s 100. They lead by 54.
23rd over: England 96-2 (Burns 53, Root 11) Turns out it was just a change of ends for Akila, replacing Dhananjaya which does seem odd considering how well he was bowling. Burns goes to his first Test half-century with a strong sweep to the mid-wicket boundary that has the fielding side briefly excited, but it was always landing safely. Root almost gives a chance to short-leg but some smart running next ball turns a single into two.
Meanwhile, although I maintain his wicket was the wrong ball for Jennings to play the reverse-sweep, you can see why he trusts the shot...
That was the first time Jennings has been dismissed playing the reverse sweep in Tests. The 50 shots he's played have brought him 77 runs to date. #SLvEng pic.twitter.com/vt3YR4uo6F
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 16, 2018
22nd over: England 89-2 (Burns 48, Root 9) Akila’s reward for breaking the partnership is to be hooked from the attack, but it makes sense for the left-armer Pushpakumara to come in against righty Root. But Root gets four with one of those slightly odd, jabby sweeps well in front of square - basically through mid-on, in fact.
21st over: England 84-2 (Burns 47, Root 5) Dhananjaya continues to be tight, but almost gets a wicket with the worst ball he’s bowled: a long-hop gets stuck in the pitch, Burns changes his mind halfway through the shot and spoons it up to roughly where a wide mid-off would have been.
Updated
20th over: England 83-2 (Burns 46, Root 5) A change in the order, as Joe Root rather than Ben Stokes comes in: the psychology of batting at four, even though it’s sort of really three, is strong. The skip at least looks like he’s going to continue the positive approach, sweeping his first ball strongly to fine leg, then treating a horrible full toss - an attempted leg-spinner from Akila - with the disdain it deserves, thwacking to the square-leg ropes.
Updated
WICKET! Jennings c Dhananjaya b Akila 26 - England 77-2
Oh Keaton! And just like that, a wicket. Maybe a trifle unlucky but it was a poor choice of shot, the ball not full enough and too far down leg for the usually trusty reverse sweep. The ball flicked up off his glove, hit his abdomen then just about carried to slip. England’s brilliant start is curtailed.
19th over: England 77-1 (Burns 45, Jennings 26) It’s a neat summary of the morning that Sri Lanka can consider an over from which they only concede one run as a significant victory. Dhananjaya has been their best bowler so far, something that should give the others pause for thought, at least.
Updated
18th over: England 76-1 (Burns 45, Jennings 25) England appear to be hitting the thing where they like at the moment: Burns whacks a sweep confidently to the mid-wicket boundary, and Sri Lanka need to think of a more proactive way of stopping these runs. They’re coming far too easily and although the lead us only 30, the game could get away from them in a hurry - a change in pace, perhaps?
Updated
17th over: England 69-1 (Burns 40, Jennings 23) Athers reckons this has been England’s best batting of the series, and that’s good enough for me. Burns almost makes a mockery of that by leaving one from Dhanajaya outside off that probably would have hit a fourth stump. Still, he’s comfortable....
Rory Burns, on “40-odd” (39*), propping his bat up against the stumps as he takes drinks.
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) November 16, 2018
Is there anything more Alpha, @gradecricketer? pic.twitter.com/edEQpcWeTw
Updated
16th over: England 67-1 (Burns 39, Jennings 22) Oh, lovely delivery by Akila, which he’d been looking for all over, flighted and it rips past Jennings’s edge. A rare moment of threat for Sri Lanka. That’s drinks.
15th over: England 65-1 (Burns 39, Jennings 20) As an added kick in the pants for Sri Lanka, that ball went to the boundary off Burns’s pads for four leg-byes.
Not out....
...but it hit Burns comfortably outside off stump. They reviewed that one with their hearts, not their heads.
Review!
Perera gets the hook after that last over, and Dhananjaya de Silva has a go. And possible success: Burns plays for spin where there is none, it hits the front pad and after the appeal is turned down they go upstairs...
14th over: England 58-1 (Burns 37, Jennings 19) Burns produces a rare bad shot, missing with a big sweep, but makes up for it a couple of balls later by nailing a cover drive to the boundary, helped rather by a fielding effort on the fence from Puskpakumara that you can file under ‘half-hearted’.
13th over: England 53-1 (Burns 33, Jennings 18) Akila gets one to spin loads and bounce more from absolutely nowhere: on the TV Bumble is convinced that those balls are the exception rather than the rule on this pitch, and on this evidence he looks about right. Perera then spoils things with two full balls on poor lines, and Burns sweeps them both for four, putting England into the lead. Those 46 runs could have put England in serious mither, but they’ve wiped out the deficit in under an hour. Another ropey delivery down leg produces a wild appeal for a catch from the excitable Dickwella, but that doesn’t even look like it hit Burns’s pads, never mind the bat. Lakmal carries the look of a man who’s been cried wolf to a few too many times, and mercifully doesn’t refer it.
12th over: England 45-1 (Burns 25, Jennings 18) A thousand apologies to all England fans for the flamboyant fate-tempting, but these two really do look excellent. In control, sensibly positive, good shot selection, maybe one false stroke apiece so far. Three singles from that over takes them to within one run of Sri Lanka’s total.
11th over: England 42-1 (Burns 22, Jennings 18) Perera has changed his line a bit, aiming more at Jennings’s pads with fielders at short leg and leg slip. But he’s not consistent enough and the two batsmen pick him off at ease.
Further to my point in the previous over...
Is Lakmal waiting for the skipper to give him the signal to warm-up or what?
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) November 16, 2018
10th over: England 38-1 (Burns 21, Jennings 15) Akila is the most threatening of the bowlers so far, but you wonder why one of the quicks isn’t on, particularly against Jennings. Dickwella, behind the stumps, loudly appeals for lbw from one that Jennings middled. So bad was the appeal that it provoked laughter in the crowd.
9th over: England 35-1 (Burns 21, Jennings 12) Singles, singles, singles. More singles than a Football Lads’ Alliance march. Well, four from that over. So, much like a Football Lads’ Alliance march, then. Burns then spoils the pattern a little by nailing a controlled sweep to the fine leg boundary. He looks confident.
8th over: England 27-1 (Burns 15, Jennings 10) England have played Pushpakumara with Geoff Boycott’s stick of rhubarb thus far, so a change in the bowling as Akila Dananjaya replaces him. There’s threat straight away, as Jennings nicks one to first slip - nobody’s sure if the ball carried so they go upstairs, Jennings shakes his head and the third umpire agrees, as the ball bounced a fraction before the hands. Still, promising start for Akila.
7th over: England 25-1 (Burns 14, Jennings 9) Keaton Jennings can look like a hideously ugly batsman some of the time, but definitely not when he reverse sweeps. He cracks out an absolutely textbook example to bring England their first boundary of the knock, and boy oh boy I could watch that all day. Good stuff this from England so far - the lead is already halved.
6th over: England 17-1 (Burns 11, Jennings 4) Burns takes a sharpish single that he regards rather casually, not grounding his bat in a manner that will presumably send his youth coach into paroxysms. It all works out this time as the throw hits the stumps and they take a buzzer. More semi-rapid accumulation, five from the over.
5th over: England 12-1 (Burns 8, Jennings 3) You can sort of see why Rory Burns hasn’t been picked for England before this. There are a lot of moving parts in his technique, so you can talk yourself into thinking it will go wrong somewhere, but he’s fine for now. Three singles from the over, England taking the positive caution approach so far.
4th over: England 9-1 (Burns 6, Jennings 2) Jennings is straight on the reverse sweeps, and why not? Like driving in Colombo, it’s one of those things that still looks quite risky but if you know what you’re doing, you’re fine. He and Burns help themselves to five singles.
3rd over: England 4-1 (Burns 3, Jennings 0) Actually it was just leg stump, but still - extremely out. Jennings is the new man in and Perera almost does him with the old two-card trick, pitching consecutive balls just back of a length with one turning about 45 degrees, the second skidding on. Daryl Cullinan will tell you all about that one.
WICKET! Leach lbw b Perera 1 - England 4-1
And it is extremely out, thunking into middle and leg about halfway up. Bit of a hoy from Leach, and his brief career as an England opener is over, for now.
Review!
Double spin for Sri Lanka, unsurprisingly, as Dilruwan Perera gets the very first ball to rag square to Leach, pitching outside leg and ripping past the edge. Then Leach tries to sweep a similar delivery, it hits his back leg and looks extremely out, but Marais Erasmus says no. They go upstairs instantly...
2nd over: England 4-0 (Burns 3, Leach 1) Burns has the sweep out early on, but he gets a touch lucky with one that he top-edges, but with enough juice on it to send over leg slip and for a couple of runs.
The players are out. The sun is shining and it looks like there’s a gentle breeze. Rory Burns will face up first for England - his opening partner...*checks notes*...Jack Leach at the other end - and has the unusual task (for him) of being bowled to by a spinner, Malinda Puskpakumara starting for the hosts.
What do we think then? What sort of total will give England a puncher’s chance? And do you think they’re capable of getting it?
Preamble
This is the very definition of a finely-poised match. Clearly Sri Lanka have their noses ahead, that crucial lead of 46 giving them the advantage for the first time in the series. But the pitch is ragging, England’s spinners won’t bowl as badly in the hosts’ second innings as they did the in first, and if they can post anything close to a 200-odd lead going into the final knock, the last couple of days will be thrillers.
Now would be a good time for England’s top order to put some runs on, lead by new opener Jack Leach. This calendar year has been characterised by the lower-middle order putting on runs after the theoretical big scorers leaving them in a hole. Not that is has mattered hugely in the last few Tests, but it would be nice for the top three in particular to not look quite so shaky.
Let’s see what the day holds. Should be good.
