Right then: here’s Vic Marks’ report of today’s play. Cheerio.
Ravi Bopara, who played with Ben Foakes at Essex, says that he’s the best keeper England have, but we’ll see about his batting when the ball swings at home. He’s good against spin, though, so should be in the team when they tour the sub-Continent.
The horns in this are so, so good. Gotta love Mr Fabulous and Blue Lou.
the phrasing of this is...... unfortunate pic.twitter.com/JzAc7spXq9
— Tom Lloyd (@tomwLL) November 14, 2018
I discussed this with myself earlier, but Willis and Colville reckon it’ll be just Moeen as the spinner in the summer. I guess he’s good in English conditions and can bat, but I’d love to see Rashid in.
Bob Willis notes that Leach doesn’t bowl enough maidens, though he managed five and Moeen and Rashid just two and one respectively. It’s for that reason that Root can’t attack with the fields - they’re too easy to milk.
Apparently the stats say that batting fourth at Kandy ain’t no thing, which is obviously worth paying attention to given it’s not England who’ll be doing it. Still, they’re more than capable of taking it out of the equation by collapsing in the third innings.
Ravi Bopara is on the verdict; I’m pretty sure he could do a job at the top of the order...
The more I think about it, the more this is a match for Joe Root. He looked great in the first innings before getting himself out, and he’s got precisely the kind of supple technique and scoring rhythm that does the necessary on a track like this one. He’s overdue a definitive innings as well.
So what’s a good total for England? I guess they’ll want to set a minimum of 250 - they’ll have to bat well to get there, but they’ve just see Sri Lanka do it. And the Lankan attack is decent in these conditions, but not loads more than that.
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Leach doesn’t think he put enough balls in the correct areas, and doesn’t feel more pressure when the wicket turns because it means he’s in the game. He says that the pitch is consistent, but when the ball’s hard some skid and some don’t.
Jack Leach is amused and pleased to have opened for England. Rory Burns said he’d waited a career for that, and he’s looking forward to telling Marcus Trescothick that they’re in the same club. He confesses that England thought they might have a lead, but that Sri Lanka are under pressure because it’ll be them batting last.
Athers disagrees with me - he’s obviously never played the game - saying that there’s enough in the pitch to mind the ball that gets you out. So he reckons England won’t bat time, but will look to attack.
In fact we’re not quite done yet! Athers reckons it made sense to send out Leach, to take losing a front-line batsman out of the equation.
The pitch doesn’t look to be deteriorating, so should play much as it played today - a little slower than yesterday, says my intimate encounter with it from a box-room in north London. I wonder if England will be more circumspect than in the first innings because the pitch is not so vicious as to demand all-out attack; it’s the sort of pitch on which you’d expect a major contribution from Joe Root. We shall see! Join us tomorrow for more of the same! Ta-ra.
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Another great one it was, was it, it was. Sri Lanka will claim it as theirs, coming back brilliantly in the second half to establish not only a lead but themselves in the series. England won’t be happy with how they bowled, but you have to credit Roshen and the tail for getting the balance between stick and stickability just right.
1st over: England 0-0 (Leach 0, Burns 0) There’s a party around the bat as Perera leaps in, Leach snapping down the bat just in time to keep out the loosener. He defends the second, leaves the third, and this is intense; can we have a few mores please? No we cannot, as another man comes in close on the offside - that’s four - and Leach blocks nicely, then again, before leaving the final delivery. And that’s a DAY.
Right then, here we go. Leach is coming out with Rory Burns because he’s had an easy day; Jennings is having a little relax. Leach, I imagine, has the honour of facing - lucky man - which makes sense because England can’t be losing a wicket, but if they do, it may as well not be a batsman.
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That’s some recovery from 165-6; the pitch, reckon our experts, is a slow turner, and there’s no excuse for acting like it’s anything more. I wonder how Burns and Jennings are sorting out who faces - “You have the honour, I couldn’t possibly....”
So Sri Lanka lead by 46 - they’d have taken that three hours ago - and England must see out an over before the close.
WICKET! Roshen c Ali b Rashid 85 (Sri Lanka 336 all out)
And there it is! Lakmal leaves him the final ball of the over to negotiate, is that really too much to ask of him? Yes it is! He drives straight to mid on, and that’s the end of an absolutely terrific innings, measured, skilful and vital. Only in because of injury to Dinesh Chandimal, I think he might keep his place after this.
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102nd over: Sri Lanka 332-9 (Roshen 84, Lakmal 12) Leach returns as, in commentary, they say that the pitch is no different to what you’d expect at Kandy and though you can’t score freely, batsmen who apply themselves will make runs. I wonder if we’ll see unusually high scores in the second innings - not for the track, but relative to what we’ve seen in the first. Maiden.
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100th over: Sri Lanka 332-9 (Roshen 84, Lakmal 12) A full over of Roshen facing Rashid - perhaps he wants to keep him away from Lakmal, perhaps he trusts Lakmal. A googly clipping the pad earns two byes, then a carve to backward point earns two more. England look out of of ideas, but Ben Stokes still hasn’t had a shy with the new ball. I don’t quite get that, because he’s just one of those kids to whom things happen.
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99th over: Sri Lanka 328-9 (Roshen 82, Lakmal 12) Lakmal has been solid so far, and when Moeen serves him one on the pads, he cracks it to square leg where Currance dives in installments, allowing it under his body like he’s Bobby Mimms. These are the only runs off the over - that’s 100 overs in the day - and I was incorrect in saying that we were done when they’d been completed. There’s more!
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98th over: Sri Lanka 324-9 (Roshen 82, Lakmal 8) What! Rashid drops short but gets lots of grip and spin, while Roshen chucks the spirit of his ancestors and their suitcases at it - his good fortune is that he misses everything with everything and plays out a maiden. Lakmal has strike for the final over.
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97th over: Sri Lanka 324-9 (Roshen 82, Lakmal 8) Moeen is finding plenty of turn but Roshen is cool with it, taking a single off his first ball to long off. Lakmal then takes one to leg, sprinting to make sure, before Silva leaves him one delivery to negotiate with another one - England haven’t bowled well with the new igneous, but Sri Lanka have batted very well, calm and decisive in their shot selection. Lakmal sees away the dot, and the day is nearly done.
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96th over: Sri Lanka 321-9 (Roshen 80, Lakmal 7) Here he is: Rashid to have a go. He’s not bowled well today, but has taken two wickets with deliveries beyond any other English spinner. Roshen takes a single with two balls of the over to go, and Lakmal handles the rest very nicely thanks you. Three overs left in the day.
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95th over: Sri Lanka 320-9 (Roshen 79, Lakmal 7) I wonder if Rashid is still out of the attack because runs are at a premium; Moeen continues and is milked, Lakmal looking assured in contributing a single and Roshen adding a two and two ones, easily walking down to drive to the final ball to long on and retain the strike.
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94th over: Sri Lanka 315-9 (Roshen 75, Lakmal 6) Anderson will fancy getting shot of Sri Lanka’s paceman and captain, but he gets down the other end with a single backward of square on the off side. Roshen then tucks one to midwicket, and Lakmal bottom edges a pull for four, behind the stumps; naturally, Anderson congratulates him on his good fortune before falling about clutching himself with laughter.
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93rd over: Sri Lanka 309-9 (Roshen 74, Lakmal 1) Huge turn for Moeen first up to Lakmal, and he hits the pad - but there’s no way that wasn’t going down if it pitched in line. I wonder if Roshen will go now - he’s seeing it well, and Lakmal is surely not long for this innings.
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WICKET! Dananjaya lbw b Ali 31 (Sri Lanka 308-9)
An excellent innings comes to an end. Moeen coaxes one to straighten and Danajaya plays for turn, wearing it on the kneeroll. He knows.
93rd over: Sri Lanka 307-8 (Roshen 73, Dananjaya 31) Dananjaya cuts and Roshen sets off, but Burns, at cover point, dives superbly to field and shy - so quickly that Anderson can’t get behind the stumps. Burns misses - perhaps he had longer than he thought to aim - and the chance goes. Maiden.
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92nd over: Sri Lanka 307-8 (Roshen 73, Dananjaya 31) Moeen replaces Curran, and Roshen inside-edges him for one; England are ticking out there now, and Dananjaya adds one more to cover. But HAVE A LOOK! Roshen sidesteps down and absolutely hammers Moeen over his head for six! Drinks!
“Will it be Rashid?
Graham Onions swings?
We’ll have to wait and see”, sings Mark Hooper.
If Test cricket has taught us one thing, it’s that it’s never Graham Onions swings.
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91st over: Sri Lanka 299-8 (Roshen 66, Dananjaya 30) Root and Stokes chat before Anderson continues - I’d not be averse to seeing him from one end and spin from the other. Anyway, Dananjaya edges four, then clatters a drive and Buttler, at cover, dives Ramprakash 1991-style ... but can’t hang on. England try and change the ball.
90th over: Sri Lanka 294-8 (Roshen 65, Dananjaya 26) Curran almost does something, swing suddenly materialising when Dananjaya is halfway through his shot and taking the ball straight, eliciting a leading edge that drops at extra cover. That was a very unusual delivery and a beaut, but it yields a run and Sri Lanka have the lead; without the pyrotechnics we saw from England, this is another useful late-order effort, and Dananjaya underlines that with two more to fine leg. At what point do England’s openers want to keep them out there to avoid having to bat tonight?
5 penalty runs! @Athersmike tries to explain why 5 penalty runs have been added to England's 1st innings total #SLvENG pic.twitter.com/nQk2zkJx0D
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 15, 2018
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89th over: Sri Lanka 290-8 (Roshen 64, Dananjaya 23) Thanks to those who’ve reminded me that Buttler can’t top score in the match because Curran has already outscored him; I was distracted by the country falling apart! Anderson to continue, and his first ball greets Roshen’s thigh, but high and leg side. Silva then takes two to leg, and levels the scores with two more via long leg and sprinting. The Lankans are now spieling with house money - another 50+ and we’re talking, as Anderson spirits another one past Roshen’s outside edge.
88th over: Sri Lanka 286-8 (Roshen 60, Dananjaya 23) The new ball hasn’t been well utilised so far, so Curran has a go and Dananjaya finds swing but offers enough width to go through the covers ... then goes straight enough to be twizzled to fine leg fo fo mo. Two more arrive via pads, and that’s not a good over from the man who can do no wrong - I’m sure he did it on purpose for reasons currently outside of our comprehension, or is that Brexit?
87th over: Sri Lanka 276-8 (Roshen 60, Dananjaya 13) The standard of concentration demanded of an umpire is something, never mind the quantity of standing still. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? I don’t suppose I can go beyond being a trainee lawyer, though I did once do schlepping for a travel agent moving office, who shouted at me a lot. And on one notable occasion, sent me out to get breakfast: “Get the money from my pocket, I know how much is there, don’t steal any, get something for yourself; then, when I returned: “You didn’t want that chocolate croissant did you?” Worst of all, the job wasn’t mine, I was sitting in for a mate who was away, so never got to educate him as to himself. Maiden.
86th over: Sri Lanka 276-8 (Roshen 60, Dananjaya 13) Leach goes short and Roshen cuts posthumously ... they run a single and then the umpires meet for a yachne, appearing first to signal dead ball, then deduct the run for absent-minded non-grounding of the bat by Roshen. Well, that’s a bit of excitement! Roshen quickly restores his score, then Dananjaya drives two square on the off side. Ah ... England have been awarded five penalty runs.
85th over: Sri Lanka 273-8 (Roshen 59, Dananjaya 11) Anderson comes from over this time, and his third ball is a dish, banged in, slanted across, and Dananjaya is desperate to edge but it’s just too pretty for him. Two singles follow, and what an innings this is from Roshen. I wondered yesterday if Buttler’s score would be the highest of the match, but that looks exceedingly unlikely now.
84th over: Sri Lanka 271-8 (Roshen 58, Dananjaya 10) Oh it’s Leach, it’s Leach, oh we ope it’s Leach, it’s Leach. Single to Dananjaya, then Roshen leaves a goodun and cuts hard at the next ... Stokes parries what was a twentieth of a chance, a tenth to him. Anyway, isn’t it nice to have this cricket to absorb ourselves with, lucky there’s nothing else going on in the world.
83rd over: Sri Lanka 270-8 (Roshen 58, Dananjaya 9) Anderson starts from around to the left-handed Dananjaya, who gets down the other end thanks to a leg bye. The next delivery is well outside off, but the third is a beaut, moving away off middle and almost taking the edge with it. Roshen then turns two into the leg side, a dot follows, and who will be given the spheroid from the other end. Me, I’d like to see Rashid, but more likely it’s Leach.
82nd over: Sri Lanka 267-8 (Roshen 56, Dananjaya 9) Leach to continue, with a leg slip and a short leg, so Dananjaya goes down the ground for two. Two balls later, though, prodigious turn beats him all ends up, an inside edge squirting past those two fielders and earning him one. Two more singles follow, and now we have our fresh meteorite. Here’s Jimmy!
81st over: Sri Lanka 262-8 (Roshen 55, Dananjaya 5) Er, actually that’s not the new ball; Moeen will have a twiddle with the old one. And he starts with a loose one, offering width and and time - Dananjaya cuts for three, allowing Roshen to reverse for four despite Stokes anticipating the shot from slip. Moeen improves thereafter, beating the bat with better length and more turn, but two singles make this an expensive over, nine from it.
80th over: Sri Lanka 253-8 (Roshen 50, Dananjaya 1) Ok, it was hitting leg stump dead one, two thirds of the way up. Dananjaya sends his first ball to square leg for one and that’s the new ball; will Root see if the new man can move his feet and use spin from both ends?
WICKET! Perera lbw b Leach 15 (Sri Lanka 252-8)
Leach sends one straight on with the arm, Perera misses his flick, and off he pops! Looking at it again, it was closer to going down leg than it seemed, but I can see why the batsmen didn’t review.
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80th over: Sri Lanka 252-7 (Roshen 50, Perera 15) Leach to bowl the final over with the old globule, and Roshen shoves his second ball to cover for the one which gives him an excellent 50. He needs this innings - he’s only in the team because Chandimal is injured, remember - but not as much as his team.
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79th over: Sri Lanka 251-7 (Roshen 49, Perera 15) Root continues, as we wonder what’l happen at the new ball. Scurran hasn’t bowled today, so we’ll discover if he has a problem - perhaps not immediately, as England might go with spin from one end, but surely he’d replace Anderson at the very least. Silva takes two to fine leg, then a single to square leg, before Perera raises the 250 when Root drops short, stepping away to cut to the fence at cover.
Right, our players have returned...
Away from cricket but tangentially linked, I’m really looking forward to checking Brin-Jonathan Butler’s book on Magnus Carlsen and his series against Sergei Karjakin. Currently, I’m really enjoying his pod with Brian Koppelman, which is about obsession, darkness, writing and such. Recommended.
“It’s all very well to say that you’d not be interested in what worked, or didn’t, in the past before deciding your policy,” chides John Starbuck, “but this is exactly what the present government has been castigated for lately. The way they (don’t) run the railways is a prime example of gut thinking with no lessons learnt. This is what proper project management is all about, but classical economic theory is allowed to over-ride rationality.”
It’s not about gut thinking. It’s about appraising what you have and working out how best to deploy those resources according to the particular circumstances of now.
“Is it possible that we might conceivably see 100 overs in a day?” emails Chris Moore.
I don’t think we’re allowed to are we? Isn’t it 90 and done?
78th over: Sri Lanka 244-7 (Roshen 46, Perera 11) In what might be the last over before tea, Roshen, who’s batted very nicely, decides that it’s the right time to live a little, trying a reverse off Moeen that he gets naewhere near; Foakes takes it beautifully. I wonder what he has to do, or not do, to keep his place through the winter and for the summer, because the keeping is right there. One more big innings? Anyway, one run from the over, the partnership is 33, and and the deficit is 41. See you in 15 for the final session.
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77th over: Sri Lanka 243-7 (Roshen 45, Perera 11) Root returns and goes around, Roshen nurdling him to leg for a brace. A single follows from the final ball, and I think we can have Steve Waugh for our socialist XI too.
“Before we come down on one side or the other on rotation of players,” emails John Starbuck, “we need to see some evidence. Can any statistically numerate OBOer demonstrate the win-loss rate of teams known for regular rotation, or do such data not exist?After that, we have to assess what effects a rotation policy has on the outputs of individual players. In England, it seems to be the case that bowlers are liable to rotation more often than batsmen, so maybe a subset of bowlers - perhaps by type - is also required.”
You see, I’m not so fussed about how it’s worked before - I’m wondering whether it’d be the best way of maximising what England have now.
76th over: Sri Lanka 240-7 (Roshen 42, Perera 11) Thinking about Kim’s cabinet, who are our socialist cricketers? Michael Vaughan, obviously; it’s the way I tell em. Jack Russell, Learie Constantine... and there’s one I’m having for the cause, Moeen Ali, spinning one into Perera. The ball rolls up the pad and to short leg; England appeal for something, and somehow Marais Erasmus cusses them down without changing one single thing about his face. One off the over.
75th over: Sri Lanka 239-7 (Roshen 41, Perera 11) Roshen is looking good now, forcing Rashid’s first ball over mid off, hard enough for four - he doesn’t get it out of the middle, but does enough. Three singles follow, then Perera makes room when he sees a short one, crunching over long on for four. This isn’t great from Deirdre, and I’d expect the thanks are imminent.
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74th over: Sri Lanka 228-7 (Roshen 35, Perera 6) And there’s that natural variation, Leach beating Perera with one that goes straight on ... but he gets an inside edge on it. Maiden.
“I’ve been munching toast and working on a replacement cabinet,” emails Kim Thonger. “The current one seems to be frozen on 0 on a sticky wicket. Mine is entirely composed of ex-cricketers obvs.
Prime Minister - Rachel Heyhoe-Flint
Foreign Secretary - David Gower
Home Secretary - Henry Blofeld
Chancellor - Geoffrey Boycott
International Development - Basil D’Oliviera
Defence - Chris Tavaré
Health - Dr W G Grace
Media, Culture, Digital and (also) Sport - Mark Nicholas.”
I’d probably have Sarah Taylor in there, in about six positions, bit if I’m honest, I probably don’t share many policy ambitions with that lot. Strange to think, were I not a bitter man with a long memory, I’d contemplate thinking about possibly, im, ulai, efshar, allowing John Major. No I wouldn’t.
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73rd over: Sri Lanka 228-7 (Roshen 35, Perera 6) Bare turn for Rashid - his first ball is taken by Stokes at slip. And his third is very nice, turning off middle and off but drawing Perera’s bat with it like a magnet. He needs to go a little straighter, forcing the batsman to play, because otherwise most balls can be left - though there’ll always be the fear of natural variation, and you can never quite legislate for what a tailender will do, especially under pressure. One off the over, and Sri Lanka trail by 57.
72nd over: Sri Lanka 227-7 (Roshen 35, Perera 5) Where do we stand on rotation in cricket? Which is to say, should England pick their team according to conditions, or should they have more or less a first XI, into and out of which they swap a bowler when an extra spinner is required? Roshen and Perera swap singles then, to Leach’s final ball, the former twinkles down the track and caresses a drive over the bowler’s heed for a one-bounce four.
71st over: Sri Lanka 221-7 (Roshen 30, Perera 4) Rashid returns for Root, and he reverts to old Deirdre, dragging one down that Perera carts away - but there’s a fielder at midwicket so he only cedes one. Ian Ward, channeling Shane Warne, is advising him to land the leg break every time - to be defensive with the delivery and attacking with the field because the pitch is doing so much there’s no need to force it. One more single follows.
70th over: Sri Lanka 219-7 (Roshen 29, Perera 3) A maiden for Leach. Roshen is batting very sensibly here, refusing to be rushed into narishkeit. He looks very calm and well-organised, forcing the bowlers to get him out all by themselves.
NOT OUT! That pitched well outside the line - so much so that someone really should’ve known - and England are out of reviews now.
70th over: Sri Lanka 219-7 (Roshen 29, Perera 3) Leach replaces Moeen and his third ball rips, clunking Roshen on the arm as he goes down to sweep ... there’s a big shout, a conference when it’s rejected ... and a REVIEW!
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69th over: Sri Lanka 219-7 (Roshen 29, Perera 3) Root ambles through another over, Roshen taking two to leg. He’s getting a fair bit of turn here, and Perera edges one very close to short leg for one, before a bye and a two complete what I guess will be the end of Root’s spell; Rashid is in the time partly to bowl at the tail, and Leach turning it away from the bat also sounds like something that might work.
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68th over: Sri Lanka 212-7 (Roshen 26, Perera 0) It’s ridiculous really, when you look at the options England have. They’ve still plenty of work to do - they need runs at the top of the order and at least one quick, but I’m beginning to sense that something is happening. One off this latest Moeen over, Roshen coming forward to bunt down the ground.
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67th over: Sri Lanka 211-7 (Roshen 25, Perera 0) Looking again at the wicket, Dickwella tried to sweep a little too fine, trying to get four rather than ro-tate the strike, and that’s what did for him. Inspired change from the captain.
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Three reds! Dickwell is yisgadeil! Off he goes, and this is now a serious problem for Sri Lanka, who don’t have a whole lot of batting left. The next two hours might well settle the series.
WICKET! Dickwella lbw b Root 26 (Sri Lanka 211-7)
But what if your gabbai sings like a nightingale! Dickwell gets down to sweep a straight one that straightens, misses, and receives and immediate finger! It looks plumb, he knows it does, but as the last batsman, he reviews anyway...
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66th over: Sri Lanka 209-6 (Roshen 24, Dickwella 25) Roshen looks comfortable out there, and he goes back to shove Moeen through cover for two. Then he twists to midwicket for one before Dickwella sweeps for one more.
“Am watching on Foxtel in Australia, emails Ian Forth. “They seem to have forgotten to sell any advertising. I’m enjoying not hearing from Holden Commodore (‘the car which has always turned heads is now changing minds’. Like, what?). But I’m also worried that advertisers aren’t interested in Test cricket any more.
65th over: Sri Lanka 205-6 (Roshen 21, Dickwella 24) “Thank you Adil,” says Joe Root, bringing himself on to bowl. I always wonder about this - it’s like when the shul gabbai, also known as the synagogue warden, decides that of all the people in the community, only he is fit to lead them in prayer on the high holydays. For all those wondering, and I’m sure you are copious, this is a phenomenon known as “amud chapping”, “amud” meaning the place from which prayer is led and “chapping” meaning “snatching rudely”. Anyway, I find it hard to see why Root is a better option that Stokes or Anderson, who might find some reverse, and he’s taken for two - although Dickwella top-edges a sweep that drops safe.
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64th over: Sri Lanka 203-6 (Roshen 20, Dickwella 23) Roshen looks comfortable enough facing Moeen, and after Dickwella takes a single from his first ball, a two to cover and five dots see out another over.
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63rd over: Sri Lanka 200-6 (Roshen 18, Dickwella 22) In comes Rashid - he’s funny one, him. Has he only recently become worth the bother, because he sends down more magic balls and less dross, or could he have been doing this for time? I’ve still no idea what England do in the summer, but I very much liked the notion emailed in yesterday that England regain the Ashes on dust-bowls. anyway, Dickwella forces a reverse away for three, Anderson kriching after it to save one. Two singles follow, raising the 200; how many do Sri Lanka need to make a serious game of this? Perhaps this is the pitch, and it won’t become any more venomous, but 150 is probably at the bottom end of what they need.
62nd over: Sri Lanka 195-6 (Roshen 17, Dickwella 18) Single to each batsman; how do they go about this? They’ll know that it’s more or less on them, and Dickwell in particular like to put some stick about ... but won’t want to give it away.
Morning all! This is poised, then. Hard to see how the Lankans make a fist of this without a first innings lead, so they’ve a way to go...
61st over: Sri Lanka 193-6 (Roshen 16, Dickwella 17) A couple of singles off Rashid’s over, and as the players take drinks I’ll hand you over to Daniel Harris. Emails to him here, please.
“To Brian Withington’s excellent point, if we’re bringing David Lloyd home to sell the withdrawal agreement to a ‘grateful’ nation, let’s fly Ben Foakes back to be PM,” suggests Kim Thonger. “Couldn’t be a safer pair of hands. While we’re at it, how about umpire Marais Erasmus as backstop arbitrator?”
60th over: Sri Lanka 191-6 (Roshen 15, Dickwella 16) Moeen bowls, and the ball flicks off Roshen’s bat, into his pad and then loops gently just out of Foakes’ reach and straight to leg gully, where there is no fielder.
59th over: Sri Lanka 189-6 (Roshen 14, Dickwella 15) Roshen Silva gets his first boundary, cut past point. “Sadly I’m going to miss the rest of the match as I’m just about to fly out to Cuba,” sniffs John Withington. “It’s going to be interesting to experience life on a culturally time warped island, isolated from its more developed neighbours by social and economic barriers that leave its government struggling to provide the people with the most basic of needs ... so we thought we needed the holiday first!”
58th over: Sri Lanka 184-6 (Roshen 9, Dickwella 15) Moeen Alli, who dismissed Dickwella twice in the first Test, returns. There’s no immediate breakthrough, though, and instead Dickwella reverse sweeps well for four.
57th over: Sri Lanka 178-6 (Roshen 8, Dickwella 10) Rashid bowls, and Dickwella chips limply towards cover and gets away with it!
Rashid has been much more of a threat since lunch, drawing more false shots and picking up two wickets. He's found a sweet spot, pitching the ball in line with the stumps around 4m from the batsman's stumps. #SLvEng pic.twitter.com/vbpL3yltB1
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 15, 2018
56th over: Sri Lanka 175-6 (Roshen 7, Dickwella 10) A lovely reverse sweep brings four runs for Dickwella, who isn’t hanging around.
Could watch Ben Foakes keep all day ! #SLvENG @SkyCricket
— Sarah Taylor (@Sarah_Taylor30) November 15, 2018
55th over: Sri Lanka 170-6 (Roshen 6, Dickwella 5) It’s just as well that Foakes eventually took that catch, because had he left it alone the ball would have flown straight to Stokes at slip. Then there’s a loud lbw appeal, but the umpire’s not convince and Foakes persuades Root not to review it. Rightly, I think, as that looked to be heading well down leg. Oh, and off the inside edge as well.
WICKET! Mathews c Foakes b Rashid 20 (Sri Lanka 165-6)
Reward for Rashid, and good work from Foakes behind the stumps! A lovely leg-break rips off Mathews’ edge and fair flies at Foakes, who diverts it into the air and takes it at the second time of asking!
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54th over: Sri Lanka 165-5 (Mathews 20, Roshen 6) Turn and bounce for Leach, but no joy.
53rd over: Sri Lanka 164-5 (Mathews 19, Roshen 6) Howzat? Rashid bemuses Roshen with a googly, and the ball raps him in the pad. England’s appeal is loud and long. Not out! Says the referee. Yeah, you’re probably right, conclude England. Still, close.
“Splendid commentary reversal from David Lloyd,” notes Brian Withington, “one moment complaining about there being no deterrent on batsmen encroaching in the red zone and in the same breath admitting that there is (a five run penalty mandate). With that sort of narrative flexibility the PM should get him back home to UK selling the Brexit deal”
52nd over: Sri Lanka 162-5 (Mathews 18, Roshen 5) Ooooh! Roshen Silva pushes forward, the ball turns a lot less than expected and it misses the outside edge by the smidgeist smidgen.
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51st over: Sri Lanka 156-5 (Mathews 16, Roshen 1) Nice stuff here from Rashid, who’s getting some serious turn at times.
50th over: Sri Lanka 155-5 (Mathews 15, Roshen 1) Mathews defends, and then takes a single from the last. I’d be wary of predicting imminent collapses: this has been a pretty steady innings from Sri Lanka, and those predicting wild wicket binges before the start of play were I think underestimating them a bit.
@Simon_Burnton prediction game revised 211 all out.
— Zaph Mann (@ZaphMann) November 15, 2018
49th over: Sri Lanka 154-5 (Mathews 14, Roshen 1) No great consistency from Rashid, but he’s making up for it with occasional beauties, one of which befuddles Mathews here.
48th over: Sri Lanka 151-5 (Mathews 12, Roshen 0) Mathews hits high over mid-off, completely safe but unexpectedly extravagant, for four.
47th over: Sri Lanka 146-5 (Mathews 7, Roshen 0) A wicket maiden from Rashid. He probably needed some encouragement and now he’s had some. “I’ve been watching this game closely for 45 years and the more I watch, the less I understand,” says Gary Naylor. “I’d have bowled anyone ahead of Rashid to start the session, but, well, there you are. What a game is Test Cricket!”
WICKET! Dhananjaya c Foakes b Rashid 59 (Sri Lanka 146-5)
And Rashid makes the breakthrough! The first delivery of his over is a beauty, heading towards leg stump before spinning away and just missing off! Then the next entices Dhananjaya to prod his bat forwards, and it just caresses the edge of his bat on the way through!
46th over: Sri Lanka 146-5 (Mathews 7, Roshen 0) Leach has bowled as many overs as Anderson, Rashid, Stokes and Curran combined. One run from this one.
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45th over: Sri Lanka 145-4 (Dhananjaya 58, Mathews 7) Rashid starts the afternoon session, and finds some sharp turn to send the ball zinging past Dhananjaya. By then, though, Mathews had already plundered five runs.
The players are back out and ready for action!
An email! “I’m disappointed to announce I’ve examined the Elton John John Lewis Xmas video thoroughly and can find no reference at all to Sam Curran’s cricketing prowess,” rages Kim Thonger. “A terrible omission. I shall be shopping elsewhere this festive season.” I haven’t seen it yet, but am certain it will meet all my festive sentimentality needs.
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LUNCH: Sri Lanka 139-4
Sri Lanka trail England by 146 runs with six first-innings wickets remaining
That was a fine session of Test cricket. Sri Lanka controlled almost all of it, but England leave the field the happier after Ben Stokes brilliantly turned the tide towards its end. I’ll be back in a bit.
44th over: Sri Lanka 139-4 (Dhananjaya 57, Mathews 2) Leach can’t quite create another opening, and that’s the morning done.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 138-4 (Dhananjaya 57, Mathews 1) A quick over from Rashid, just about quick enough to allow one more before lunch. He gets some sharp turn, particularly with his final delivery, and Sri Lanka score just a couple, bringing his economy rate down to a reasonable five (the next most expensive bowler, of those who have bowled more than a single over, is Moeen, going at 3.09)
42nd over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Dhananjaya 56, Mathews 0) After an excellent opening 90 minutes for Sri Lanka, Ben Stokes has turned this session on its head with two acts of bravura, virtuoso fieldsmanship. Just brilliant. There’s the faintest sniff of another wicket too, but Mathews’ edge lands a foot short of Stokes this time.
WICKET! Mendis c Stokes b Leach 1 (Sri Lanka 136-4)
Stokes does it again, taking a brilliant one-handed catch at slip! It’s the gentlest tickle of an edge off Mendis’s bat, Stokes throws out his left palm and it sticks!
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41st over: Sri Lanka 136-3 (Dhananjaya 56, Mendis 1) Stokes, having created England’s one moment of genius and inspiration today, and with the whiff of luncheon floating towards his nostrils, starts a short spell. He bowls short to Dhananjaya, who pulls away for four to bring up his half-century, from 79 balls, and the same batsman slaps the last ball of the over past mid-on for four more!
40th over: Sri Lanka 127-3 (Dhananjaya 48, Mendis 0) Leach instantly returns, starts with a beauty at De Silva and keeps up the pressure from there. Maiden.
39th over: Sri Lanka 127-3 (Dhananjaya 48, Mendis 0) Anderson continues his search for swing, but while he does so a leg-cutter finds De Silva’s edge! The ball flies well wide of the solitary slip, though, and away for four. A couple of balls later, the last of the over, Stokes conjures a breakthrough and England are back in the hunt!
WICKET! Karunaratne run out 63 (Sri Lanka 127-3)
That’s phenomenal fielding from Stokes, who collects the ball on the run and sends it towards the stumps in an instant, and with only one to aim at it’s a direct hit and Karunaratne’s gone!
38th over: Sri Lanka 123-2 (Karunaratne 63, Dhananjaya 44) Moeen keeps going. One run off the over.
37th over: Sri Lanka 122-2 (Karunaratne 63, Dhananjaya 43) Karunaratne drives Anderson to the long-off boundary, a very handsome shot, but then the last ball of the over is slanted across the left-hander, who pushes out his bat. He’s nowhere near the ball, but he lost control momentarily there.
36th over: Sri Lanka 117-2 (Karunaratne 59, Dhananjaya 42) Root has had enough of bowling, and Moeen returns.
35th over: Sri Lanka 112-2 (Karunaratne 58, Dhananjaya 38) England have had a couple of half-chances and not-quites this morning, but the batsmen have taken few risks, made good decisions, and scored runs when they’ve been available. It has been precisely the required approach. Another over from Anderson, who gets little encouragement from pitch or ball.
34th over: Sri Lanka 110-2 (Karunaratne 56, Dhananjaya 38) Root takes his sunglasses off his cap, takes off his cap, sends down six deliveries, redons his cap, and places the sunglasses back atop it. His cap doesn’t really need sunglasses. He could save a bit of time and effort and just leave them at home next time.
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33rd over: Sri Lanka 108-2 (Karunaratne 55, Dhananjaya 37) Given today’s heat (well, the people experiencing it tell me it’s hot) England are unlikely to eke any lengthy spells out of their pacemen. But they need to get these two batsmen out of their comfort zone, and ideally just get them out. No joy just yet.
Root and Anderson bowling in tandem 75 minutes into the second morning. This was not part of England's plan.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) November 15, 2018
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32nd over: Sri Lanka 106-2 (Karunaratne 53, Dhananjaya 37) “In a parallel universe, Monty has 350 Test wickets, but, alas, not in ours (I’ve been watching The Man in the High Castle),” writs Gary Naylor. “That said, Jack Leach shows every sign of gathering some of those for himself. Impressive.” I think both Leach and Moeen have been OK today, albeit without conjuring any periods of extended pressure, but Rashid has had a little less control. Root has now decided to try something different, and Anderson is about to do his first significant work of the day.
31st over: Sri Lanka 105-2 (Karunaratne 52, Dhananjaya 37) Rashid keeps going, as indeed do both batsmen.
30th over: Sri Lanka 101-2 (Karunaratne 51, Dhananjaya 34) It has, so far, not been the morning that England were hoping for. The captain decides to have a bowl himself, and gives us a glimpse of his legspin, but it’s easily dealt with.
Sri Lanka's batsmen have played so skillfully in the first hour of day two. But England's spin bowling...oh dear.
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) November 15, 2018
29th over: Sri Lanka 97-2 (Karunaratne 50, Dhananjaya 32) Karunaratne reverse-sweeps fine for four, and then again for the single that brings up his 50. At which point, the players adjourn briefly for drinks.
28th over: Sri Lanka 90-2 (Karunaratne 43, Dhananjaya 32) Leach bowls one full and straight, tempts Dhananjaya to push forward, and then turns it past the bat. Nice delivery, and he’s been a bit unlucky not to get some reward for his first hour’s work.
27th over: Sri Lanka 87-2 (Karunaratne 42, Dhananjaya 30) Karunaratne miscues his shot into the air towards midwicket, but it lands completely safe. Next ball is pulled away for four by Dhananjaya, and then the one after that snorts between bat and pad and misses the stumps by this much. Action-packed, that was.
26th over: Sri Lanka 80-2 (Karunaratne 40, Dhananjaya 26) Leach continues, and Karunaratne clips the ball straight to short leg, but it comes to him - as it tends to given how far away he’s standing - quickly, and he can’t get his hand (either of them) into position in time to catch it.
25th over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Karunaratne 39, Dhananjaya 25) England’s first bowling change of the day gives Rashid something else to do. He gets plenty of turn but his length is inconsistent and he presents a few easy scoring chances.
24th over: Sri Lanka 72-2 (Karunaratne 35, Dhananjaya 23) Karunaratne reverse-sweeps for a couple, Rashid - who seems to have been the man forlornly chasing after every decent shot the batsmen hit at the moment - getting to it just before the rope this time. He then reverse-sweeps the next as well, but straight to the fielder this time.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 68-2 (Karunaratne 32, Dhananjaya 22) Moeen bowls, and De Silva cracks the ball down the ground for four! Fine shot, that. He’s rollicking along here, his 22 coming off 29 balls.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 60-2 (Karunaratne 31, Dhananjaya 15) More big turn here for Leach, who convinces the ball to spin past the bat twice as Dhananjaya pushes forward to consecutive deliveries.
21st over: Sri Lanka 56-2 (Karunaratne 30, Dhananjaya 12) And four more! De Silva drives the first ball of Moeen’s over past mid-off. The over ends much more encouragingly, with a ripping, turning humdinger that zips past a bewildered Karunaratne.
20th over: Sri Lanka 51-2 (Karunaratne 30, Dhananjaya 7) A couple of balls into the over Stokes, the solitary slip, motions to the dressing-room demanding a helmet. Though when the ball isn’t carrying as far as his foot, his head would appear to be in little danger. When it arrives, though, Jos Buttler puts it on and settles in at leg slip. “I fielded there for 20 years and never got hit,” sniffs David Lloyd. Karunaratne cuts the last ball fine for four.
19th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Karunaratne 26, Dhananjaya 6) Moeen doesn’t continue the drip of near-misses, but he also only concedes one run.
18th over: Sri Lanka 45-2 (Karunaratne 26, Dhananjaya 5) Oooof! Leach finds De Silva’s edge but the ball doesn’t carry to Stokes at slip, who collects it on the bounce with a regretful shake of the head. The Karunaratne edges the last, but this one doesn’t make it to leg slip!
17th over: Sri Lanka 43-2 (Karunaratne 25, Dhananjaya 4) A nice sweep from Karunaratne yields a couple, and then he cuts the next for a single to stay on strike.
16th over: Sri Lanka 39-2 (Karunaratne 22, Dhananjaya 3) The ball spins past advancing batsman and keeper and trundles away for four byes, the first byes ever conceded by Foakes in Test cricket.
It's taken 1,013 balls, but Ben Foakes has now conceded his first bye in Test cricket. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) November 15, 2018
15th over: Sri Lanka 32-2 (Karunaratne 21, Dhananjaya 1) The nightwatchman blundered straight into a fairly obvious trap there. Here are some opinions:
England will win this series today if they dismiss Sri Lanka for less than 200...
— Scyld Berry (@scyldberry) November 15, 2018
If Sri Lanka – somehow – can get within 50 of England, we'll have one hell of a finish. #SLvEng
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) November 15, 2018
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WICKET! Pushpakumara c Burns b Moeen 2 (Sri Lanka 31-2)
Pushpakumara attempts a slog sweep, doesn’t get hold of it and the ball loops limply into the hands of Burns at midwicket!
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14th over: Sri Lanka 29-1 (Karunaratne 21, Pushpakumara 2) Leach bowls, and Pushpakumara edges, the ball flying wide of slip. It’s the start of an action-packed over, also featuring the failed lbw appeal and a last-ball quarter-chance for Jennings at short leg, the ball arriving just a little too low for a catch to be practical.
No he isn't!
The ball turned a little too much before hitting the pad, and would have missed leg stump by an inch.
REVIEW! Is Karunaratne out lbw here?
England appealed long and loud, but the umpire was unmoved. Root doesn’t take long to call for the review.
13th over: Sri Lanka 27-1 (Karunaratne 20, Pushpakumara 1) Cowabunga! The first ball of the day is an absolute ripper from Moeen! It rips past Karunaratne, and is a fine start to a very decent first over of the day. One off it.
The players are out, and Moeen Ali appears to be warming up with particular enthusiasm. Action imminent!
Today in Kandy: hot and sunny. A repeat is not forecast in the next few days, when rain is expected (though as we saw in Galle, weather forecasting is not a Sri Lankan strength).
Preamble
Hello world! Well then. Day two, and today we will discover just how decent England’s first-innings total of 285 was. What we already know about that total is this: it’s lot more decent than it would have been had Sam Curran not been there. Here’s a bit of early-morning/evening/afternoon/whatever-it-is-where-you-are reading about day one, starting with Vic Marks’ close-of-play report:
On a beige surface as dry and crumbly as a forgotten biscuit at the bottom of the tin England, with the considerable benefit of batting first, put some runs on the board – 285 of them. Whether that is enough to control the game we must wait to know for sure but the likelihood is that this is a highly satisfactory total.
Much more here:
Then continuing with more from Vic, after he grabbed a quick chat with the man of the moment:
You can see why they do not leave him out anymore and if he keeps batting like this he will soon be another contender to play at number three. Sam Curran top-scored for England – by one run – and yet again played a key role in bolstering a total alongside the tail.
This was his third half-century for England and he has reached every one of them with a six, a unique feat. He is no man mountain, the biceps do not bulge yet he smote six mighty sixes – on one of the world’s larger grounds – in a last wicket partnership of 60 with Jimmy Anderson that Curran himself described as “crucial” as it lifted England to 285. “We’ve got a nice score on the board now,” he said.
Much more here:
And here’s Tanya Aldred in this week’s Spin on the impact of previous Lions tours on England’s current Test team:
As the projected costs of The Hundred mount, tripling from the original estimate of £13m up to £40m – and counting – budgets are being slashed at ECB Towers. Gone is Andrew Strauss’s pet North-South series, gone is the not-so-mourned Pace Programme, gone are the Overseas Placements that so benefited Ollie Pope and Mason Crane in consecutive winters in Sydney. But still hanging on, whether by thread or rope, is the Lions Programme, perhaps English cricket’s most secret and deadly weapon.
Much more here:
Anyway, and most importantly, welcome. Let’s enjoy some cricket together, shall we? Oh, and also: send me funny emails. Thanks.
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