Reaction
We have a match report for you to peruse, so I’ll leave you with that. The great Tim de Lisle will be here tomorrow morning to describe the end of this marvellous Test match. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
Superstar fielder Keaton Jennings is being interviewed on Sky Sports
“It’s been a good day’s work. The last four days have been amazing to watch and it’s set up for a bit of a thriller. We need to control the scoring rate the morning session but that hasn’t been easy. It has been the kind of game where wickets fall in clusters. Tea came at a good time for us as it halted their momentum.
“I really enjoy being at short leg on this kind of surface as you feel in the game all day. With the first catch, I just stuck out a mitt and the ball stuck. With the second way I was just trying to get in the way – I’d love to say I deliberately parried it to Foakesy but I was trying to catch it!”
If England do win this game, they will move up to second in the ICC Test Rankings. Not bad for a team who were perceived to be in disarray when they lost the first Test of last summer to Pakistan.
“Ref Mr. Hurley who clearly hasn’t done much homework. Bancroft was Yorkshire’s overseas player the previous season and Bairstow was asked to help him settle in, so no he was not someone that he “hardly knew”, although I would agree that it may have been a little naïve,” says David Horn. “Also anyone who thinks that it was a “head but” hasn’t spent much time in Yorkshire and certainly not in Leeds on a Friday night during the 70s or 80s.”
I suppose it wasn’t exactly Red Riding.
Sri Lanka will resume tomorrow morning needing 75 runs to win with three wickets remaining. The forecast is dodgy for the afternoon but there should be enough time for one of these sides to wrap up a famous victory.
Play abandoned for the day
It’s still pouring down, so the umpires have called it off.
It looks very unlikely that there will be any more play today. In case you have just stirred, Sri Lanka are 226 for seven, needing another 75 runs for victory, after another twisti-twosti day in this classic match.
“Still reeling at news that you are allowed to wager on the outcome of matches in which you are OBOing,” says Brian Withington. “Surely this breaches ICC or Guardian guidelines and/or creates potential for disruption in the mockers/reporting continuum? Not quite Headingley 1981 value-based punting but potentially troubling nevertheless. Discuss.”
You got nothin’ on me.
Here’s my personal troll, Ian Copestake “My justification for the abuse I give you btl and outside your cottage is that It keeps you sharp, on the edge, where you gotta be.”
Play has finally got under way in the Tiger Moth country of Carrara, where South Africa and Australia’s T20 match has been reduced to 10 overs per side. You won’t believe the score!
“Your comment at 10.06,” says Robert Smithson, “was the cricketing equivalent of this.”
My influences are nothing if not contemporary.
“I thought the btl reaction to your Bairstow piece was insane - other than Root and Anderson, which England players *aren’t* one bad series away from scrutiny?” says Phil Harrison. “But everything gets very emotional and overheated around Jonny due to the tragedy of his father. I get it, I like Jonny too. But top-level cricket isn’t sentimental. Foakes is the better keeper and at the moment, Buttler is the better batsman. He needs to tighten up and rebuild himself as a top three batter - the worry is that he won’t be able to play enough red ball stuff to get it happening.”
In this age of squad rotation (another piece I got pelters for!), he’ll get plenty of chances, and he’ll take them. This might actually be a blessing in disguise both for him and England, because it wouldn’t take that great an improvement in his shot selection for him to be a formidable No3.
If we’re doing best-case scenarios, and optimism is how Bob rolls, imagine an in-form top eight of Burns, Hameed, Bairstow, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes and Moeen. Sod it, let’s have Woakes at No9 and Curran No10 as well.
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“With regard to Niall Mullen’s comment, 57th over,” begins Bill Hargreaves, “I thought that’s why they called him ‘Beefy’.”
The forecast is for thunderstorms tomorrow. It would be a dreadful shame if this classic match ended in a draw. On the plus side, I had £2 on the draw at 50-1 a few hours ago.
“Well- or less well-argued disagreements or actual abuse, threats and stuff?” asks Andrew Benton. “That would never do. Now we know why you keep away from Twitter.”
Mainly just mild abuse. The era of death threats has passed, alas.
Rain stops play
The covers are coming on. England don’t look entirely happy but I’m not sure the umpires had much choice. I suspect that will be it for today.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 226-7 (Perera LBW b Leach 2)
Perera has gone this time. He tried to drive a nice delivery from Leach which drifted and dipped to beat the bat and hit him on the toe. That looked plumb. As Perera walks off, the rain starts to get heavier. I think the players will be going off very soon.
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65th over: Sri Lanka 226-6 (Dickwella 27, Perera 2) Perera is given out, caught at leg slip by Stokes off Moeen, only for the decision to be overturned by the third umpire. It definitely bounced just in front of Stokes, who was involved in a similar incident in the first Test. Only Stokes will know whether he cheated. I doubt he did, but it’s hard to be certain when you’re 6,000 miles away.
64th over: Sri Lanka 223-6 (Dickwella 25, Perera 0) Leach replaces Root. England have endured and eventually enjoyed a few nail-biters this year: they beat India by 31 runs at Edgbaston and by 60 runs at the Ageas Bowl. This is equally tense. Dickwella, who looks frantic even by his standards, makes a mess of a reverse sweep and is hit on the arm. He survives an LBW appeal next ball - it was missng off stump by a mile. It’s suddenly very dark in Pallekele.
“Morning Rob,” says Brian Withington. “Fell asleep after the fourth wicket cabaret act, only stirring to witness some round the wicket filth from Rashid. The early, heady promise of Leach’s ‘three before cornflakes’ (8th over) feels like a distant memory. The situation is crying out for another improbable piece of fielding magic from the likes of Stokes, especially given his lack of bowling and runs in this match. Or a YJB swoop in the deep. Or an LBW from Moeen ...”
63rd over: Sri Lanka 221-6 (Dickwella 24, Perera 0) “Bairstow has more reason than most to want to be a wicket-keeper and to right a few perceived wrongs,” says Andy Wilson. “Also his Test average would be higher if he hadn’t played the situation several times (England needing quick runs). I think now he should come back in as a top order batsman and either make it work or come back to Yorks and win us the CCC. Although he may find we have already started the cloning process and we have the Young Jonny ginger wicket-keeper batsman already filled.”
He’ll be fine, he’s far too good not to get back in the team and stay there. More importantly in the short term, England need him to be happy and in punishing form during the World Cup.
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That’s a huge wicket for England in the first over after tea. It turned a long way but the angle from around the wicket meant was hitting the top of leg stump. It was umpire’s call so the on-field decision was vital. Mathews played an immense innings and deserved a hundred.
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WICKET! Sri Lanka 221-6 (Mathews LBW b Moeen 88)
Mathews is given out LBW to Moeen - but he reviews it immediately. It was a fine delivery, which turned sharply from around the wicket, and this looks really close. There’s no inside edge. Here comes Chisholm ball-tracking... he’s out!
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Tea
62nd over: Sri Lanka 219-5 (Mathews 87, Dickwella 23) Root slows things down to ensure his fifth over is the last before tea. The break has come at a very good time for England, who are in a bit of bother. Dickwella’s cameo has put England under so much pressure, especially with Mathews looking immovable at the other end. One of the many worries for England is that there are still 18 overs until the second new ball is available. Sri Lanka will resume after tea needing 82 to win. For the first time perhaps in the whole match, I would make them favourites.
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61st over: Sri Lanka 217-5 (Mathews 86, Dickwella 22) Dickwella sweeps Moeen for another single. He has already played a lot of sweeps and reverse sweeps. England are being hoist by their own, erm, broom. And now Root has given away four overthrows! He tried to run Dickwella out from short fine leg and the ball reared viciously over Foakes’s head.
“Good morning Rob,” says Richard Crabtree. “Given that average runs per wicket at Pallekele rise from 25 in the first two innings to 35 in the third and 40 in the fourth, don’t you think Joe Root might have put Sri Lanka in to bat first?”
Not for me. The pitch looked like a raging turner, not a typical Pallekele surface at all, so it was absolutely the right decision to bat first.
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60th over: Sri Lanka 209-5 (Mathews 80, Dickwella 20) Dickwella drives Root for four more. He is such a dangerous player and has raced to 20 from 17 balls. This is all starting to feel a bit Headingley 2017.
59th over: Sri Lanka 204-5 (Mathews 79, Dickwella 16) Mathews tries to reverse sweep a ball from Moeen which gets very big and hits him on the chest. Dickwella then carts a slog sweep for four to bring Sri Lanka’s target below 100. This match is ever so tight now. I’d be tempted to give Anderson a go at Root’s end, just to see if the ball reverses. Tea is 10 minutes away, and England look in need of a timeout.
58th over: Sri Lanka 197-5 (Mathews 79, Dickwella 10) Joe Root replaces Adil Rashid. England are trying to give Dickwella sufficient rope to hang himself but he plays sensibly enough in that over - two from it.
57th over: Sri Lanka 195-5 (Mathews 78, Dickwella 9) Dickwella chips Moeen over extra cover and just wide of Leach, running round from mid-off.
“I wonder if this has ever been tried in cricket as an alternate form of sledging,” says Niall Mullen. “Who do you think would have been ‘best’ at it? Personally I’d go for David Boon after a transcontinental flight.”
Nobody comes to mind to be honest.
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56th over: Sri Lanka 192-5 (Mathews 77, Dickwella 7) Dickwella reverse sweeps Rashid just wide of Stokes at slip. It was a bump ball. Rashid goes around the wicket to Mathews, who slams consecutive boundaries through extra cover and midwicket. A rare poor over from Rashid today.
“A penny for Bairstow’s thoughts?” says Andrew Hurley. “Foakes will continue keeping wicket and Buttler inked in too. As we discussed at the time, he should have accepted the wish of the management to play as a batsman - he has been a little silly/stupid the past 18 months (head butting for fun an opposition player you don’t know) on and off the field (getting bowled first few balls all summer, refusing the obvious..).”
I’m saying nothing. I wrote a piece two weeks ago saying he had gone from irreplaceable to vulnerable in slightly strange circumstances, and received all sorts of abuse. For what it’s worth, I think he’ll get back in the side next summer at No3.
55th over: Sri Lanka 182-5 (Mathews 68, Dickwella 6) The new batsman is the hyperactive Dickwella, who hits his first two balls for two and four. The pace of the game is about to change.
Roshen flicked across the line at a flighted delivery which shaved the inside-edge before hitting the pad and deflecting to Root at slip. Foakes was insistent they should review - a brave call given they only have one left - and Ultra-Edge confirmed that Roshen was out.
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WICKET! Sri Lanka 176-5 (Roshen c Root b Moeen 37)
That’s a great review from England and a vital wicket!
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ENGLAND RISK THEIR LAST REVIEW!
England think Roshen has been caught at slip via bat and pad. We’re about to find out.
54th over: Sri Lanka 176-4 (Mathews 68, Roshen 37) “I know it’s Saturday morning and we’re all a bit old and knackered, but this feels a bit flat,” says Guy Hornsby. “England are letting the game drift. What price a few overs from Jimmy or Stokes, just to get the batsmen thinking? You can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting something to happen, no? Or I’d have had a great England career, rather than writing this email.”
I think there’s enough happening, certainly at Rashid’s end, to keep going with spin. But if they get to 190-200 without losing a wicket, I suspect England will have a look to see if there’s any reverse swing.
53rd over: Sri Lanka 173-4 (Mathews 67, Roshen 35) Mathews hammers a reverse sweep for four off Moeen, a really brilliant stroke. A matchwinning century would be quite a story after all his recent woes. He survives a stumping referral after a clever piece of work from Foakes, who collected a delivery down the leg side and threw down the stumps. Mathews did lift his back foot but only after the bails were broken.
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Meanwhile, in case you missed it last night, England all but ensured a semi-final place at the World T20 with a thumping win over South Africa. Anya Shrubsole took a hat-trick and Nat Sciver returned absurd figures of 4-1-4-3.
In other news...
52nd over: Sri Lanka 167-4 (Mathews 62, Roshen 34) Oh my. Hawkeye suggests that delivery from Moeen was hitting leg stump, so Roshen would have been out had England reviewed it. You can understand why they didn’t, especially with only one remaining. Meanwhile, Roshen Silva is now picking Rashid’s googly, which wasn’t the case earlier in the innings. This has been a memorably intricate Test match.
51st over: Sri Lanka 165-4 (Mathews 62, Roshen 33) Leach is replaced by Moeen Ali, whose second ball is a half-volley that Roshen drives beautifully for four. He then survives another big LBW appeal from a ball that pitches a long way outside off stump and turns so viciously that it would have missed leg.
“Hello there Rob,” says Rob Lewis. “Having a drink in a hotel overlooking the Golden Horn last night with Wayne Trotman, as Istanbul met Izmir. A slightly frazzled-looking American gentleman who strongly resembled Waldorf from the Muppets approached us. Where are the nightclubs around here buddies? We looked at each other. Sorry, you’re asking the wrong blokes... we have to be up at 7 for the cricket. He looked properly bemused and left us to our talk of Rashid and Leach.”
I bet he still isn’t back at his hotel. Imagine the state of that bloke’s self-esteem right now.
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50th over: Sri Lanka 159-4 (Mathews 61, Roshen 28) One from Rashid’s over. Sri Lanka need 143 to win.
49th over: Sri Lanka 158-4 (Mathews 60, Roshen 28) Mathews plays a lovely shot for one, forcing Leach past extra cover. It might be worth having a look at Moeen at this end. There are two right-handers at the crease but that shouldn’t preclude the offspinner, especially someone who gets as much bounce as Moeen.
48th over: Sri Lanka 155-4 (Mathews 57, Roshen 27) The next ball after the appeal is a beauty which rips past Roshen’s outside edge and hits him on the thigh. He is bowling so well here and is England’s key man, certainly while these two are together.
ROSHEN SILVA IS NOT OUT
It was a good delivery from Rashid, which skidded on and kept low, but it pitched outside leg and that means England lose their first review.
ENGLAND REVIEW AGAINST ROSHEN SILVA!
Roshen survives a huge LBW appeal from Rashid. England are going to review... I reckon this is umpire’s call at best.
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47th over: Sri Lanka 152-4 (Mathews 56, Roshen 26) Leach continues after drinks and has a biggish LBW appeal against Roshen turned down by Marais Erasmus. That was surely going past leg stump. A good over form Leach though, who has a nice rhythm at the moment.
“You’d expect the spin trio to be competing against each other as well as for the team; it’s just the nature of the game,” says John Starbuck. “They should feel pretty safe, though, as there’s little sign of Ben Stokes coming on to knock a few caps off, and Anderson isn’t likely to be required until the new ball.”
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone. My money is literally on the draw, £2 at 50-1 based on the weather forecast. But assuming there is a result, I think England will win a nerve-biting, nail-shredding match by around 50 runs.
And that’s it from me... handing this intriguing game over to Rob Smyth who is bright-eyed, breakfasted and ready to go. He might even have some dogs nestling by his feet. Rob, where’s your money?
46th over: Sri Lanka 151-4 (Roshen 26, Mathews 55) No unplayable googlies from Rashid this time round and the worm turns: Sri Lanka now need 150 to win - less than they’ve already scored.
45th over: Sri Lanka 150-4 (Roshen 26, Mathews 54) Leach playing the straight man here to Rashid’s fireworks. Roshen playing behind his pads and leaving those he can. Tension slowly mounting...
44th over: Sri Lanka 150-4 (Roshen 26, Mathews 54) Three dot balls are followed by a spitter from Rashid that lands well outside off stump and turns like billyo - that was an impossible delivery. Mathews is suitably spooked.
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43rd over: Sri Lanka 148-4 (Roshen 25, Mathews 54) Matthews cuts Leach again, what style! to square cover but no boundary. Then a four, a thick edge from Roshan. This is a marvellous little partnership.
Ian Forth, holds forth (sorry Ian): “It could be that with three spinners in the side that, even subconsciously, each of them is trying to bowl too many magic deliveries and not relying on stock balls. Trying too hard, perhaps, with a view to who gets picked in the future.”
42nd over: Sri Lanka 143-4 (Roshen 21, Mathews 53) Mathews and Roshen have the measure of Rashid at the moment. And as I write that a leg-break fizzes in front of Roshen the width of a breakfast fruit platter. I know nothing.
41st over: Sri Lanka 141-4 (Roshen 20, Mathews 52) Leach losing his pinpoint accuracy this over - a shorter one, a full toss - then regains it with one that Roshen edges past gully.
40th over: Sri Lanka 139-4 (Roshen 19, Mathews 51) And with a cut to cover, off Rashid, Mathew has 50, a lovely one. Sorry not much detail over the last couple of overs, slight technical hitch with the telly.
39th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Roshen 18, Mathews 49)
38th over: Sri Lanka 133-4 (Roshen 15, Mathews 46) Both the Sri Lankan batsmen have caps on, lovely to watch. Ooooh and an absolute stunner from Rashid last ball, a googly which rips in and just bounces over leg stump. Roshen didn’t see that one coming.
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37th over: Sri Lanka 130-4 (Roshen 15, Mathews 46) Leach shouts “catch it, catch it, catch it” as Roshen turns the ball into his shoe, but also, it turns out the ground. Foakes doesn’t see it anyway. Then a beautiful cut behind square for four. Languid.
36th over: Sri Lanka 125-4 (Roshen 11, Mathews 45) Roshen and Mathews watchful of Rashid. He’s mixing it up, slider, legbreak but not quite on top of his length and line.
35th over: Sri Lanka 122-4 (Roshen 10, Mathews 43) Leach again. Beautiful from Roshen. Feet still, a short-armed drive through the covers for four. Then immaculate defence. He’s a fine looking batsman to watch, all liquid-smoothness and wrist.
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34th over: Sri Lanka 118-4 (Roshen 5, Mathews 43) Rashid rips a leg break past Mathews, who watches and leaves. He works the next one through cover. The Sri Lankan pair knock him for four singles.
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33rd over: Sri Lanka 114-4 (Roshen 4, Mathews 41) Leach. Mathews knocks a full-toss for four, flicking through mid-wicket. Then he steps back and drives one through the off-side. Roshen beaten though by the last ball of the over.
Guy Hornsboy tweets in: “Interesting chat on Talksport over lunch @tjaldred. Mark Nicholas & Gareth Batty saying that England’s spinners are looking a little out of sorts after Leach’s early breakthrough, and talking of “4th innings syndrome” where they’re expected to sweep up. Any truth in that?”
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32nd over: Sri Lanka 109-4 (Roshen 4, Mathews 36) Rashid, testing, testing. Mathew pulls out another one of his classy back-foot cover drives. Roshen pushes the ball into his boots and it bounces perilously close to the stumps.
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31st over: Sri Lanka 107-4 (Roshen 3, Mathews 35) Leach has Roshen proding and poking. An attempted sweep, then a finer one which takes gets him some runs.
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30th over: Sri Lanka 103-4 (Roshen 0, Mathews 35) Rashid has Roshen in all sorts of tangles, England sensing blood once more.
29th over: Sri Lanka 103-4 (Roshen 0, Mathews 35) Root turns immediately to Leach and the last ball of the over drifts in, turns and lifts and has MAthews in all sorts of trouble.
28th over: Sri Lanka 103-4 (Roshen 0, Mathews 35) Yes, as Karunaratne swept, Jennings moved intuitively to his left at short leg and parried the ball to Foakes who was alert enough to follow the ball into his gloves. Astonishing!
WICKET! Karunaratne c Foakes b Rashid 57
Still not quite sure what happened there! I think... Karunaratne swept, and it bounced off Jennings who parried it to Foakes who smartly snaffled it
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27th over: Sri Lanka 97-3 (Karunaratne 56, Mathews 30 ) Joe Root bowls the first over after lunch. A lovely back-foot glide from Karunaratne for a single is the shot of the over.
Zaph writes from Oregon:
“Hi Tanya
Not knowing which Sri lankan batsmen are left handed and with three spinners it gets confusing to imagine - which is a leg spinner, off spinner or (left handed version of either) can you tell us before the afternoon session - ta. I’m in Oregon and it’s well past opening time… so any help gratefully received.
PS: I’m assuming Rashid is leg spinner - I was a leg spinner -( Bob Willis guested for us once - lethal at half pace), I’d come on bowl a leg wide, get hit for 4, 4, 6, wicket, wide, 4, wide, 6, wicket and be taken off next over…”
Ok so...
Rashid: legspinner
Leach: slow left arm
Moeen: right-arm off break
Matthews: RHB
Karunaratne: LHB
But before I do, some news for Samanda from helpful OBO readers - what a lovely lot you are.
“I think Samanda’s problem might have more to do with the dispute between Sony tv and Tata Sky than the BCCI,” writes Chris Morris. “I’m happy watching the match in Bangladesh on an Indian satellite feed for Sony ESPN.”
Tapan Panya is watching too, in India....“It’s very much on Indian TV, browse if you will…Depends on the subscription though.”
Ian Ward doesn’t think that Sam Curran will bowl in this innings and that he sustained it during his six-hitting bonanza. Might not even be fit to bowl for the next Test. Will they play Curran as a batsman in the next Test? Will they bring him up the order? Or does YJB get in as a batsman? And how about Broad? Stone? Something to ponder over lunch/breakfast...
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26th over: Sri Lanka 93-3 (Karunaratne 54, Mathews 28 ) OOOH an eventful last over before lunch from Rashid. Two huge lbw shouts - the first one the better one, outside off stump, spinning back but quite not enough; the second given out by umpire Ravi, but decision turned over on review, the ball spinning too much. Root puts his arm round Rashid and they all potter off the field. A great morning for England, and Jack Leach, but hope for Sri Lanka in the shape of Karunaratne and Mathews who have put on 67 and look ready for a long stay. They go for something delicious in the pavilion, I’m going for a coffee in the kitchen.
Sri Lanka’s target is 208 runs away.
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Not out!
The ball pitched and turned too much for Rashid to get Karunaratne.
REVIEW!
On the stroke of lunch...
25th over: Sri Lanka 90-3 (Karunaratne 53, Mathews 26 ) Root brings himself on as the pre-lunch joker. A bit of whizz and grip and a couple of runs from it.
24th over: Sri Lanka 88-3 (Karunaratne 52, Mathews 23 ) A nice start from Rashid, full and fairly accurate. But Sri Lanka keep the runs ticking over, no desire to get bogged down before lunch.
And a nudge by Karunaratne past Foakes brings him his second fifty of the match - his 19th in Test cricket. And very well played. Calm in a storm.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 82-3 (Karunaratne 48, Mathews 23 ) Three from Moeen’s over. The Sri Lankan batsmen in no real trouble
Amod Paranjape has an answer for Samanda “BCCI and Common Sense are poles apart.”
Ten minutes to lunch. And lo, we have Rashid...
22nd over: Sri Lanka 79-3 (Karunaratne 47, Mathews 21 ) Karunaratne and Mathews rotating the strike nicely, sweeping and reverse-sweeping sensibly to the field. Dictating, a little, to Leach and Root. The fifty partnership comes and goes.
Root is having a chat with Rashid. Will he get the ball before lunch?
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21st over: Sri Lanka 71-3 (Karunaratne 41, Mathews 19) An ugly, bottom edged, reverse-sweep from Mathews is by far the worst shot of the over to a ball from Moeen that spins more than he expects. It brings him nothing.
20th over: Sri Lanka 70-3 (Karunaratne 40, Mathews 19)An inside edge to fine leg, a nurdle, a clip, a drive and suddenly six have come from Leach’s over.
Samanda Black writes from India: “I would love to know why this series is not being televised in the sub-continent?
“It looks like a pretty good contest from notifications, but it would have been way better to watch a good test series.
“I am not supposing you know what goes on in the minds the fearless leaders at BCCI, but I would have thought there would be a bit more interest in this than reruns of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
“There are lots of Brits, Sri Lankans and test cricket devotees here in India that will watch any cricket at all - although the Pakistan vs Australia match up was a bit too much for my Australian brain to comprehend. It did implode.
“It’s not bloody Zimbabwe U19 vs Ireland U19. It’s some English champs for the love of!
I find it an odd, stupid and an utterly ridiculous call and it would be just good if anyone knew the why of it?”
Samanda, I’m afraid I can’t help - does anyone out there know? I suspect money, rights and power are your enemies.
19th over: Sri Lanka 64-3 (Karunaratne 38, Mathews 15) Two from the over as Moeen keeps the Sri Lankan bastmen in check, but the pressure is easing. You can sense it.
18th over: Sri Lanka 60-3 (Karunaratne 36, Mathews 13) Four singles from Leach’s over as Sri Lanka start to breathe a little more easily. One turns so prodigiously that Mathews go backs to cut but ends up reaching wide and bottom ending it for an inelegant one.
17th over: Sri Lanka 58-3 (Karunaratne 35, Mathews 12) Moeen tight this over. Karunaratne watchful - a precise cut brings him a couple.
16th over: Sri Lanka 56-3 (Karunaratne 33, Mathews 12) Sri Lanka decide to get the blood flowing a little and attack Leach. Three singles and a lofted four from Mathews who tips him over mid-on.
15th over: Sri Lanka 49-3 (Karunaratne 31, Mathews 7) Karnaratne swings at Moeen and flicks him off his hip for four. Then, ah! A drop! From Ben Stokes! Mathews pushes and the ball goes very hard, very quick, to his right hand at slip and he can’t quite close his paw around the ball.
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14th over: Sri Lanka 43-3 (Karunaratne 26, Mathews 6)
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13th over: Sri Lanka 42-3 (Karunaratne 26, Mathews 5) Moeen not providing quite the pressure that Anderson did - three off his over.
Just mulling over YJB again. A boy so prodigiously talented he could probably have played international rugby too, finds himself a substitute fielder Meanwhile Leach, the speccy spinner, who had to remodel his action after it was found to be dodgy, is the new hero. Cricket, eh.
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12th over: Sri Lanka 39-3 (Karunaratne 25, Mathews 3) Leach, again, marvellous. Easy, repeatable action, no stress, utter confidence. One from the over.
And YJB comes on as substitute fielder for Anderson, presumably off for a rub-down. How, he might ask, has it come to this?
Paul tweeting from Yorkshire (that’s important) also has empathy: “Good morning. Surely there will be more batting slots available when we’re not fielding six frontline bowlers in the XI? YJB seems a more reliable batting choice than Moeen/KJ when it comes to facing Australia next summer, no?”
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11th over: Sri Lanka 38-3 (Karunaratne 25, Mathews 2) Moeen into the attack. His final ball spun and caught Karunaratne’s outside edge and flew between Foakes and Stokes at slip to the boundary for four.
And that’s drinks.
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10th over: Sri Lanka 30-3 (Karunaratne 16, Mathews 2) Leach varying his length and attacking the stumps, I’ll probably be proved wrong but these two have an air of impermanence.
Christopher Seymour writes:”Have a look at the title of the OBO. I know time flies when you’re having fun, but it’s not the third Test already, is it?”
Ah, you’re right. Christopher, thank you. But I don’t think I can fix it from this end. Far too many keen-eyed readers up at this early hour, surely you shouldn’t all be so alert...
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9th over: Sri Lanka 28-3 (Karunaratne 16, Mathews 1) Unrelenting accuracy from Anderson. Stokes moves out of slip and Mathews nudges the ball with soft hands straight through where he was standing, for a single.
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8th over: Sri Lanka 26-3 (Karunaratne 15, Mathews 0) Not a pretty dismissal by Mendis who swept with his pads in line with the stumps. A sensible review by Root. And the 13th lbw of the match. England well, well, on top.
WICKET! Mendis lbw Leach 2
Mendis sweeps to the wrong ball and Leach has three before cornflakes. Umpire’s decision overturned by the review.
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REVIEW!
A huge lbw appeal from Leach ....
7th over: Sri Lanka 23-2 (Karunaratne 12, Mendis 1) Sri Lanka are jittery, going for a couple of tight runs just to keep the excitement levels up for England’s fielders. Anderson doing just the job Root will have wished from him.
So many dogs watching OBO - who knew? “Morning Tanya,” writes Adam Levine. “I’m watching the cricket with Snoop Dogg, my Shnoodle who, incidentally, thought that the Jennings catch was the shizznits”
Nor is Brian Withington alone, “Tanya In the interests of full pet disclosure, our three ex-Guide Dog Labrador cross Retrievers are currently sound asleep but would stir for breakfast at a moment’s notice, although possibly not quite as swiftly as a Ben Foakes stumping (and that’s praise indeed to some seriously good hands on that man).”
6th over: Sri Lanka 20-2 (Karunaratne 10, Mendis 0) That really was a super catch by Jennings, the more you see it, the better it looks. Dhananjaya should have swept it, says Athers, instead he just steered it into Jennings’ paws. Four byes from the over as one of Leach’s spins past batsman, keeper and Stokes at slip.
WICKET! Dhananjaya de Silva c Jennings b Leach 1
A fabulous catch at short leg from Keaton Jennings, snatched from the air at shin height with his left hand.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Karunaratne 10, Dhananjaya 0) An ode to Anderson, ball after ball in the right spot as Karunaratne watchfully waits. A maiden, of course.
Sam Curran is off the field with “discomfort on the right side”. Joe Denly his substitute fielder.
And Andrew Sparrow is watching with his pug
“If you want more dogs, I’m watching with Bert (my pug). He thought that was a very smart piece of work by Foakes.”
Woof!
4th over: Sri Lanka 15-1 (Karunaratne 10, Dhananjaya 0) Leach, fiddling, fiddling with the ball at the top of his run, makes the breakthrough. He and Foakes, who played together here on that Lions tour a couple of years ago, combining together beautifully.
Meanwhile Brian Withington is feeling empathy for YJB in Dorridge.
“Greetings from not so sunny Dorridge. Sparing a thought for YJB watching even younger Foakes reinforce his cemented place in the England team. Straight fight between him and Ben Stokes for the floating specialist batsman and gun fielder slot now?”
WICKET! Kaushal Silva st Foakes b Leach 4
What a lovely piece of work by Foakes! Leach tosses it high, Kaushal dances down the pitch and is comprehensively five-card tricked.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Karunaratne 10, Kaushal 2) A smart maiden by Anderson. He roars an appeal to the fourth delivery, one that swings in and brushes Karunaratne’s pad before being caught behind. Root hums and hahs and looks very pained by the whole thing, but makes the right decision in not reviewing.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Karunaratne 10, Kaushal 2) And Root turns to spin straight away. Leach is on the money, but with a little bit of this, a little bit of that, Sri Lanka milk four from the over. Sri Lankan school children are chanting enthusiastically in the background.
It is pet’s corner on the OBO this morning. Kim writes from his sofa. He (I’m going to get it right this time) is having problems with his dog.
“Morning Tanya
“What sort of topsy-turvy world do we now live in? Why would anyone, especially a hitherto apparently sensible chap like John Starbuck feed a cat at 0415ish? It’s like offering cricketers egg sandwiches and sausage rolls and Victoria sponge for breakfast. Oh, wait, that would probably work.
“Anyway, I’m only awake because Dakkers the dachshund sat on my head briefly, but now he won’t get off my feet so I can’t make coffee which is probably why I’m grumpy. He thinks we should declare by the way, to make a psychological point.”
Ah, a bit late on that sorry Kim. Tell Dakkers it wasn’t a bad idea.
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1st over: Sri Lanka 8-0 (Karunaratne 8, Kaushal 0) That’s the way to do it! Sri Lanka get 8 off the over. Anderson getting early swing but Karunaratne deflecting a couple of fours down the leg side.
In the Sky studio, they think England have enough. Carolos Brathwaite and Mahela Jayawardene making a tall and short double act about which Nick Knight has already made two light-hearted quips . Enough with the short jokes Nick!
Meanwhile, Tone White writes from France
“I thought of this as soon as I read your preamble [AH, THANK YOU!], do you know it? She’s the lead singer with the Be Good Tanyas!
I do know them! I love a famous Tanya! I’d never heard this before but I love the song and I now love this version and the tremble in her voice. Right enough loving, England are out on the pitch and Jimmy has the new ball.
80.4 overs: England 346 all out (Anderson 12, Foakes 65) Anderson had just attempted to slog-sweep Dilruwan and Dickwella appealed for a non-existent caught behind before Sri Lanka took the new ball. It did the trick straight away and England walk off with a lead of 300 - another classy innings from Foakes and good sweeping-stoicism from Anderson.
WICKET! Anderson b Dilruwan 12
Dilruwan takes the new ball mid-way through the over, it skids on a little more and Anderson is bowled
80th over: England 346-9 (Anderson 12, Foakes 65) A change of bowling as Pushpakumara takes the cherry. First five deliveries are meticulously played dots, then Foakes takes England’s lead to 300 by wristily stepping backwards and driving over cover. New ball available now. Anderson to face the new over.
79th over: England 342-9 (Anderson 12, Foakes 61) Akila keeps it tight but Foakes gets his single to the fifth ball of the over with a wristly little glide to short mid-wicket. Then Anderson sweeps! He’s dealing only in fours on one knee this morning.
Good to hear that faithful OBO reader John Starbuck isawake. “Good morning Tanya. “
Good morning John!
“I’ve fed the cat and put the coffee on, so am well primed for a good day. What is England’s score going to be to be competitive. We won’t ask what the ideal score is (when I say ‘we’ that’s me and the cat).”
Famous last words but I reckon they’ve got enough already....
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78th over: England 337-9 (Anderson 8, Foakes 60) Some off spin from Dilruwan Perera from at the other end. Sri Lanka faff about setting the field for an age but what of it? Foakes takes a fancy to his second ball, shimmies, and wellies it over said fielders for six. England’s lead now 291.
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77th over: England 328-9 (Anderson 8, Foakes 51) Five dots from Akila Dananjaya’s over but some comedy fielding by Sri Lanka on the boundary, misreading the spin on a sweep from Anderson, and England get four.
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Actually play is just about to start right now. England lead by 278.
Hello! Sorry I wasn’t here on the dot of four - when I poured the dregs of the milk jug into my tea, it curdled. I’m blaming Brexit. Anyway, the good news is that it is hot and sunny at the Pallekele stadium and play will start on time..
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Good mid-November morning and welcome to the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka, and what a cracker it should be. Sweeping was the verb of yesterday - getting England the majority of their runs, and Sri Lanka the majority of their wickets - (seven). Joe Root’s broom was particularly vigorous in the course of his century - “brave and brilliant” in the words of Vic Marks. He put on 82 with Ben Foakes, who is still there and reached his fifty with a six just before the heavens opened. England’s lead is 278 - any runs Foakes and Anderson can garner will be gratefully received in the England camp.
Statty-stician-stuff (below) suggests that the pitch is likely to spin more today than it did yesterday - good news for England - though Sri Lanka’s batsmen must be more than competent sweepers themselves; and who knows what yesterday’s downpour has done to conditions.
If England do win today, or tomorrow, it would be their first series win in Sri Lanka for 17 years.
An intriguing day ahead.
In the middle session, Sri Lanka's spinners found 4.3° of turn. Since tea, that's gone up to 5.3°. England have still scored at 3.60 runs per over and their spinners will be encouraged by the changing nature of the pitch. #SLvEng
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 16, 2018
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