Rob Smyth's Blog, page 137
November 18, 2018
England 2-1 Croatia: Nations League – as it happened
Jesse Lingard and Harry Kane scored late goals to give England a dramatic victory over Croatia - and a place in next summer’s Nations League Finals
4.04pm GMT
Dom Fifield’s live report from Wembley has landed. so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - bye!
Related: Harry Kane strikes late to take England through to Nations League finals
3.59pm GMT
“That,” says Waqas Mir, “was the real quiz.”
3.56pm GMT
Harry Kane speaks “The lads kept going – we showed character, stayed calm and deserved to win. We were disappointed that we didn’t take our chances in the first half, but in games like this you have to stay calm and keep playing. The World Cup was great but we want to keep progressing and the only way to do that is by beating big opposition.”
3.54pm GMT
England are going to the inaugural Nations League Finals in Portugal next summer. They were facing relegation until Harry Kane’s 85th-minute winner. It’s hard to know what to make of all that, but the reaction of the players on both sides - not to mention the coaches - suggests this really does matter. We’ll worry about burnout later.
3.51pm GMT
It’s only bloody coming home again!
3.48pm GMT
90+1 min Modric’s deflected long-range shot is claimed by Pickford.
3.48pm GMT
90+1 min Three minutes of added time. The official Man of the Match is Harry Kane.
3.47pm GMT
90 min “Somewhere,” says Niall Mullen, “Tony Pulis is allowing himself a wry smile.”
3.46pm GMT
89 min Lovren is booked for dissent.
3.46pm GMT
88 min For all their impressive attacking in open play, England have scored from a long throw and a free-kick. But I doubt anyone will quibble about that right now.
3.44pm GMT
87 min This means so much to the England team. Southgate is more animated than he was almost throughout the World Cup and has completely abandoned his poker face. Kane was buried at the bottom of a bundle when he scored.
3.44pm GMT
86 min As I was saying about Harry Kane...
3.43pm GMT
What an unlikely twist. Chilwell’s excellent low free-kick from the left flashed past everyone at the near post, and a gleeful Kane slid the ball into the net from 10 yards!
3.42pm GMT
Harry Kane has given England the lead!
3.41pm GMT
84 min Croatia also need a goal if they are to reach the semi-finals, so the match is lurching from end to end. I don’t know what to make of this.
3.40pm GMT
83 min England are playing with a last-day-of-the-season desperation, charging around like headlines chickens. I didn’t think the Nations League would become so competitive so soon.
3.39pm GMT
82 min Vida’s header from a corner is kicked off the line by Lingard!
3.37pm GMT
80 min England will still be relegated if it stays like this. But one goal would put them into the semi-finals. As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said: The Nations League, bloody hell.
3.36pm GMT
79 min Croatia make their final change, with Rog replacing Vlasic.
3.36pm GMT
Gomez’s long throw from the right was headed on by Stones towards Kane, who stabbed the ball past Kalinic from close range. Lovren blocked Kane’s shot on the line but could only divert it to Lingard, who ran it into the net from closer than close range.
3.35pm GMT
Jesse Lingard scores from 0.0001 yards!
3.34pm GMT
77 min Alli’s low cross towards Kane is put behind for a corner. Sancho’s delivery is poor and Croatia clear.
3.34pm GMT
76 min Dier is robbed by Brozovic, who leads yet another Croatia counter-attack. Eventually Vlasic’s close-range is crucially blocked by the recovering Dier.
3.31pm GMT
74 min Saying which, I think Rashford is injured. He limped straight down the tunnel after leaving the field.
3.30pm GMT
73 min England make their final substitutions: Jadon Sancho and Jesse Lingard replace Fabian Delph and Marcus Rashford. That’s harsh on Rashford, who has been England’s liveliest attacker.
3.30pm GMT
72 min Croatia look in control at this juncture. England are having loads of the ball but only Rashford has offered any penetration since half-time, and most of that was before the goal. Croatia, by contrast, look extremely dangerous on the counter-attack. Perisic leads another break before his shot is blocked by Gomez.
3.29pm GMT
70 min “I realise that this may be considered akin to heresy but is Gareth Southgate allowed to substitute Harry Kane?” says Keith Sanderson. “Is he looking dangerous? Does he look as though he might score? Is he giving the Croatian defenders (one of whom is Lovren for goodness sake) a torrid time? Maybe Lingard could be brought on to add more pace? Just a thought.”
I would bring on Sancho and move Rashford central. I’d have considered leaving Kane out of the World Cup semi-final. He looked shattered then, and he’s played another 20-odd games since that match.
3.27pm GMT
68 min At this stage of their development, this England team are not great when they go behind. Their heads go down fairly easily. I suppose that’s why experiences like this are so useful.
3.25pm GMT
68 min Walker’s well-struck shot from 30 yards is comfortably held by Kalinic.
3.25pm GMT
66 min Brozovic is booked for a foul on Rashford, with Brekalo also booked for something or other.
3.24pm GMT
65 min “It’s not bad Raheem,” says David Hindle. “But it’s not good Raheem either, is it? And Harry Kane. I know. But you’re still left asking the question, ‘What’s he doing on the pitch?’, and ‘Is he really any good?” which is quite ridiculous when you think about it. Get Sancho on. And Winks.”
Kane’s form is weird. I still can’t get my head around his World Cup, when he was both disappointing and the Golden Boot winner. He looks like he needs a month off.
3.21pm GMT
63 min England make their first change, with Dele Alli replacing Ross Barkley.
3.19pm GMT
62 min As things stand, Croatia will be going into the semi-finals and England will be relegated. For shame.
3.18pm GMT
61 min Another chance for Croatia! Perisic scorches away from Gomez and drives wide of the far post from a tight angle.
3.17pm GMT
59 min A mistake from Barkley allows Croatia to break five on four from an England corner. Brozovic plays a one-two with Perisic down the left before hitting a first-time shot into orbit from 18 yards.
3.16pm GMT
That goal isn’t just against the run of play; it’s an affront to the run of play. The substitute Brekalo played a fine pass infield to Vlasic, who crossed low on the turn to Kramaric at the near post. He kept the ball for what felt like an age, twisting and turning as he tried to work some space to shoot. Eventually he hit a hopeful drive from 15 yards which deflected off Dier and looped over Pickford.
3.14pm GMT
England have been mugged on the counter-attack!
3.14pm GMT
56 min Walker’s deflected cross almost falls for Rashford, who was shaping to volley when Jedvaj cleared. Moments later, Barkley low shot from 15 yards was blocked excellently by Vida.
3.12pm GMT
55 min England need to get the ball to Rashford, who has been electric since half-time.
3.10pm GMT
52 min Lovely play from Rashford, who charges 40 yards down the left and flicks a pass to Sterling with the outside of his right foot. Sterling can’t decide whether to shoot first time or control the ball and is challenged on the edge of the area by Milic. His tackle diverts the ball towards his own goal, forcing a slightly desperate diving save from the outrushing Kalinic.
3.08pm GMT
51 min Modric launches a Croatia counter-attack with an insouciant outside-of-the-foot pass to Kramaric. He plays in the overlapping Perisic, whose low cross from the left of the area is put behind by Gomez.
3.06pm GMT
49 min A couple of confident surges from Rashford enliven the crowd. At the moment he is a much better player for England than he is for Manchester United.
3.04pm GMT
47 min “Re: Stones and Gomez’s partnership, did we make the most of the recent golden era of English centre-backs?” says Jarrell Anthony. “Despite having John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher and Sol Campbell, amongst others, to choose from, I can’t remember a consistent, stable partnership that was lauded in the manner of Pique/Ramos, for instance. Thoughts?”
I think they did make the most of their ability, yeah, certainly at the World Cup in 2002 and 2006. Euro 2004 was slightly different because Ferdinand was suspended and Terry had a bit of an iffy tournament, but generally the problem with that team was that they didn’t score enough and that Wayne Rooney kept getting injured at the worst possible time. As for a stable partnership, from memory it was usually Ferdinand and Campbell from 2001-03, then Ferdinand and Terry from 2004-06.
3.03pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! England begin the second half. Croatia have made their second substitution, with Rebic replaced by Josip Brekalo.
2.51pm GMT
Half-time business
2.47pm GMT
Peep peep! England should be ahead, but they aren’t. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
2.47pm GMT
45+1 min With the last touch of the half, Modric clips a sweet pass over the defence which just evades Perisic.
2.44pm GMT
44 min Rebic wafts wastefully over the bar from 25 yards.
2.44pm GMT
43 min Stones sprays a fine crossfield pass to Walker, whose low cutback towards the penalty spot is taken off the toe of Dier by the recovering Brozovic. That was a crucial interception which denied Croatia a goalkick.
2.41pm GMT
40 min Chilwell’s deep cross is headed up in the air by Milic at the far post, and Barkley waits patiently for it to drop before swishing a volley into the side netting at the near post. That was a pretty tricky chance.
2.39pm GMT
40 min Croatia have calmed the match down after a torrid spell earlier in the half.
2.38pm GMT
38 min Gomez is a bit fortunate not to concede a penalty for a late tackle on Kramaric. It would have been soft, in the sense that Kramaric was going nowhere, but on balance it was probably a foul.
2.37pm GMT
37 min England have been much the better side - though we said that at the same stage of the semi-final, and they had a 1-0 lead then. Croatia are almost comically resilient and shouldn’t be written off.
2.35pm GMT
35 min Rashford dances confidently past Modric before being taken out by Jedvaj on the edge of the area. The referee plays the advantage, though nothing comes of it.
2.34pm GMT
33 min Joe Gomez looks very solid in defence. His partnership with John Stones is really promising.
2.31pm GMT
30 min A quiet few minutes, nowt to report.
2.26pm GMT
26 min Croatia’s first subsitution: Antonio Milic replaces the presumably injured Vrsaljko.
2.26pm GMT
25 min Barkley’s corner is half cleared to Chilwell, who has a pop from 22 yards. The ball bounces up awkwardly in front of Kalinic, who can only push it out in front of goal. Vida reacts faster than Sterling to head clear. Croatia break and Barkley is booked for a foul on Modric.
2.25pm GMT
24 min Croatia killed England in Moscow by switching play constantly in the second half. That hasn’t yet been a problem today.
2.22pm GMT
22 min Pickford’s long goalkick finds Rashford, who moves into the area before being tackled crucially by the sliding Vrsaljko. Rashford, who was unusually indecisive, might have done better there.
2.21pm GMT
22 min Perisic’s dangerous low cross is put behind at the near post by Stones. This is a cracking game.
2.20pm GMT
21 min This rejigged England side look far more dangerous in open play than they did in Russia.
2.18pm GMT
18 min Rashford skins Jedvaj, forcing Modric to come across and concede a corner. This is excellent, high-octane stuff from England.
2.17pm GMT
16 min Two more chances for Kane! Delph played a fine pass over the top towards Sterling, forcing Kalinic to run out of his area to head clear and flatten Sterling in the process. The ball came to Kane, whose instinctive half-volley towards the open goal was headed away by Vida. It came back to Kane, and his follow-up shot was pushed behind for a corner by the recovering Kalinic.
2.15pm GMT
14 min Those were two excellent chances. If anything, Sterling had too much time and Kane not enough.
2.13pm GMT
11 min Great chance for Sterling! Kane turned Lovren majestically on the halfway line and slid a lovely through pass to Sterling in the inside-right channel. He thought about squaring it to Rashford but instead hit a slightly unconvincing shot that was blocked by the keeper Kalinic. It wasn’t a great finish. The resulting corner was headed on by Stones to Kane, who missed an equally good chance from five yards at the far post. He was in all sorts of space but sliced his half-volley wide of goal.
2.10pm GMT
10 min England are looking sharper after a sluggish first few minutes. There’s certainly a competitive edge to this game.
2.09pm GMT
9 min Chilwell’s left-wing corner flashes right across the face of goal before being cleared by Brozovic.
2.08pm GMT
8 min Barkley’s adroit backheel finds Sterling, who makes a penetrative run across the field before underhitting his through pass to Rashford.
2.06pm GMT
7 min Barkley clips a good pass over the top for Walker, whose volleyed cross is claimed decisively by Kalinic.
2.05pm GMT
5 min Croatia have started strongly and are pressing England really high up the pitch. Aside from one nice run from Rashford, England haven’t really got going yet.
2.04pm GMT
3 min England almost concede in mildly farcical circumstances. Delph, under pressure, plays a loose backpass which the sliding Pickford chests towards Rebic just outside the area. He lofts the ball over Pickford but also over the bar. That was an excellent chance - and a strange piece of play from Pickford, who decided to chest the backpass rather than hoof it clear.
2.00pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Croatia begin the match. They are in their black and midnight navy (sic) away strip; England are all white on the afternoon.
1.58pm GMT
The players emerge from the tunnel on a crisp, sunny afternoon in north London. There’s a full house, too, and a decent atmosphere.
1.47pm GMT
If you’d like to read about England 2-3 Croatia on this ground in 2007, you are advised to click this at your earliest convenience.
1.46pm GMT
Heeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Gareth
“Jordan has been carrying a bit of an injury and I had to make a decision. Fabian is in the team to balance the midfield. In the summer we were maybe a bit open against Croatia. He’s very good at pressing the ball and he gives us leadership as well.
1.45pm GMT
“Why is Southgate picking Delph, do you think?” asks Oliver. “Not only is he not getting many minutes for City - something that I recall Southgate saying would likely mean players wouldn’t be selected - he’s also been largely used as a left back recently, no? He was good against an awful USA! USA!! USA!!! side the other day, granted, but...don’t we have any other choices? Is there someone missing from the squad? Or is it a tactical decision to not use Alli or Winks in favour of trying to stifle the Croatian midfield?”
He’s played pretty well in midfield for Southgate. I suppose he’s more dynamic than Winks and better defensively than Alli. Henderson would probably be playing if he hadn’t missed so much football lately.
1.33pm GMT
“I hope I’m wrong but that midfield looks a bit stodgy,” says Football Thanksalot. “For all the Barkley-is-learning talk, he’s got mistakes in him. The other two are just a bit average. Happy if I’m wrong.”
Yes, I think that’s the area that needs most improvement. I’d go so far as to say that Luka Modric might get a game in this England team.
1.30pm GMT
This isn’t the only live football on the site this afternoon - Nick Ames is following Everton v Arsenal in the WSL
Related: Everton v Arsenal: Women's Super League – live!
1.12pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Dele Alli: ‘We don’t look back on the Iceland defeat with such anger now’
Related: Wayne Rooney: some ex-players cannot come to terms with this England team
Related: Gareth Southgate using Croatia’s ‘favourites’ claim against them
12.43pm GMT
Only five of the team that started the World Cup semi-final are in the England XI today; they are also playing a different formation. Gareth Southgate’s restless development of the side is really interesting.
England (4-3-3) Pickford; Walker, Gomez, Stones, Chilwell; Barkley, Dier, Delph; Sterling, Kane, Rashford.
Substitutes: Butland, McCarthy, Alexander-Arnold, Lingard, Dunk, Keane, Sancho, Shaw, Winks, Alli, Loftus-Cheek, Wilson.
10.25am GMT
Don’t call it a payback. Nothing England achieve today will realistically assuage the everlasting pain and regret of their World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia. But victory would still be pretty sweet. This game has plenty of edge, as much because of the old testosterone as the new Nations League.
An England win would satisfy the competitive urges that have surely been stimulated by the increasing needle between these two sides. And a place in the semi-finals would be a nice way to end the national team’s most exciting year since at least 2001. Those of use who smugly dismissed the Nations League as an abomination may yet be required to ingest humility in pie form.
Continue reading...
November 17, 2018
Sri Lanka v England: hosts seven down chasing 301 to win second Test – as it happened
Four wickets from Jack Leach and some spectacular fielding from Keaton Jennings moved England within sight of a famous series victory in Sri Lanka
2.00pm GMT
Related: Keaton Jennings’ close encounters help change momentum of second Test
11.24am GMT
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!
Related: England spin their way to within three wickets of series win in Sri Lanka
11.23am GMT
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.
11.08am GMT
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.
10.42am GMT
“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.
10.37am GMT
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.
10.35am GMT
It’s still pouring down, so the umpires have called it off.
10.28am GMT
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.
10.26am GMT
“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.
10.26am GMT
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.”
10.20am GMT
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!
Related: Australia v South Africa: Twenty20 international – live!
10.18am GMT
“Your comment at 10.06,” says Robert Smithson, “was the cricketing equivalent of this.”
My influences are nothing if not contemporary.
10.14am GMT
“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.
10.10am GMT
“With regard to Niall Mullen’s comment, 57th over,” begins Bill Hargreaves, “I thought that’s why they called him ‘Beefy’.”
10.06am GMT
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.
10.05am GMT
“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.
10.03am GMT
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.
10.02am GMT
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.
10.00am GMT
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.
9.55am GMT
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 ...”
9.51am GMT
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.
9.50am GMT
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.
9.48am GMT
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!
9.26am GMT
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.
9.21am GMT
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?”
9.17am GMT
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.
9.12am GMT
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.
9.09am GMT
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.
9.06am GMT
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.”
9.03am GMT
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..).”
8.58am GMT
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.
8.54am GMT
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.
8.53am GMT
That’s a great review from England and a vital wicket!
8.53am GMT
England think Roshen has been caught at slip via bat and pad. We’re about to find out.
8.50am GMT
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.
8.47am GMT
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.
8.46am GMT
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.
Related: Impressive England thrash South Africa to close in on World T20 semi-finals
8.43am GMT
In other news...
Related: Australia v South Africa: Twenty20 international – live!
8.42am GMT
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.
8.39am GMT
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.”
8.36am GMT
50th over: Sri Lanka 159-4 (Mathews 61, Roshen 28) One from Rashid’s over. Sri Lanka need 143 to win.
8.32am GMT
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.
8.29am GMT
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.
8.27am GMT
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.
8.26am GMT
Roshen survives a huge LBW appeal from Rashid. England are going to review... I reckon this is umpire’s call at best.
8.24am GMT
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.”
8.21am GMT
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.
8.20am GMT
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?
8.18am GMT
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.
8.15am GMT
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...
8.13am GMT
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.
8.10am GMT
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.”
8.06am GMT
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.
8.02am GMT
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.
7.59am GMT
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.
7.57am GMT
39th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Roshen 18, Mathews 49)
7.53am GMT
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.
7.50am GMT
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.
7.45am GMT
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.
7.42am GMT
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.
7.39am GMT
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.
7.35am GMT
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?”
7.31am GMT
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.
7.28am GMT
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.
7.25am GMT
30th over: Sri Lanka 103-4 (Roshen 0, Mathews 35) Rashid has Roshen in all sorts of tangles, England sensing blood once more.
7.23am GMT
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.
7.22am GMT
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!
7.19am GMT
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
7.15am GMT
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.
7.05am GMT
Zaph writes from Oregon:
“Hi Tanya
6.45am GMT
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.”
6.38am GMT
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.
6.32am GMT
The ball pitched and turned too much for Rashid to get Karunaratne.
6.30am GMT
On the stroke of lunch...
6.30am GMT
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.
6.28am GMT
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.
6.23am GMT
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.”
6.19am GMT
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?
6.14am GMT
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.
6.11am GMT
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?
6.07am GMT
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.
6.04am GMT
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.
6.00am GMT
17th over: Sri Lanka 58-3 (Karunaratne 35, Mathews 12) Moeen tight this over. Karunaratne watchful - a precise cut brings him a couple.
5.59am GMT
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.
5.55am GMT
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.
5.51am GMT
14th over: Sri Lanka 43-3 (Karunaratne 26, Mathews 6)
5.50am GMT
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.
5.45am GMT
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?
5.41am GMT
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.
5.38am GMT
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?”
5.31am GMT
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.
5.26am GMT
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.
5.24am GMT
Mendis sweeps to the wrong ball and Leach has three before cornflakes. Umpire’s decision overturned by the review.
5.22am GMT
A huge lbw appeal from Leach ....
5.20am GMT
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”
5.15am GMT
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.
5.11am GMT
A fabulous catch at short leg from Keaton Jennings, snatched from the air at shin height with his left hand.
5.09am GMT
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.
5.05am GMT
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.
5.02am GMT
What a lovely piece of work by Foakes! Leach tosses it high, Kaushal dances down the pitch and is comprehensively five-card tricked.
4.59am GMT
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.
4.54am GMT
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.
4.49am GMT
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.
4.47am GMT
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
4.40am GMT
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.
4.36am GMT
Dilruwan takes the new ball mid-way through the over, it skids on a little more and Anderson is bowled
4.33am GMT
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.
4.29am GMT
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. “
4.24am GMT
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.
4.18am GMT
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.
4.15am GMT
Actually play is just about to start right now. England lead by 278.
4.14am GMT
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..
2.36pm GMT
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.
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
Continue reading...Sri Lanka v England: hosts five down chasing 301 to win second Test – live!
9.26am GMT
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.
9.21am GMT
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?”
9.17am GMT
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.
9.12am GMT
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.
9.09am GMT
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.
9.06am GMT
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.”
9.03am GMT
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..).”
8.58am GMT
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.
8.54am GMT
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.
8.53am GMT
That’s a great review from England and a vital wicket!
8.53am GMT
England think Roshen has been caught at slip via bat and pad. We’re about to find out.
8.50am GMT
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.
8.47am GMT
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.
8.46am GMT
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.
Related: Impressive England thrash South Africa to close in on World T20 semi-finals
8.43am GMT
In other news...
Related: Australia v South Africa: Twenty20 international – live!
8.42am GMT
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.
8.39am GMT
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.”
8.36am GMT
50th over: Sri Lanka 159-4 (Mathews 61, Roshen 28) One from Rashid’s over. Sri Lanka need 143 to win.
8.32am GMT
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.
8.29am GMT
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.
8.27am GMT
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.
8.26am GMT
Roshen survives a huge LBW appeal from Rashid. England are going to review... I reckon this is umpire’s call at best.
8.24am GMT
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.”
8.21am GMT
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.
8.20am GMT
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?
8.18am GMT
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.
8.15am GMT
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...
8.13am GMT
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.
8.10am GMT
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.”
8.06am GMT
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.
8.02am GMT
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.
7.59am GMT
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.
7.57am GMT
39th over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Roshen 18, Mathews 49)
7.53am GMT
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.
7.50am GMT
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.
7.45am GMT
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.
7.42am GMT
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.
7.39am GMT
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.
7.35am GMT
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?”
7.31am GMT
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.
7.28am GMT
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.
7.25am GMT
30th over: Sri Lanka 103-4 (Roshen 0, Mathews 35) Rashid has Roshen in all sorts of tangles, England sensing blood once more.
7.23am GMT
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.
7.22am GMT
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!
7.19am GMT
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
7.15am GMT
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.
7.05am GMT
Zaph writes from Oregon:
“Hi Tanya
6.45am GMT
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.”
6.38am GMT
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.
6.32am GMT
The ball pitched and turned too much for Rashid to get Karunaratne.
6.30am GMT
On the stroke of lunch...
6.30am GMT
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.
6.28am GMT
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.
6.23am GMT
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.”
6.19am GMT
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?
6.14am GMT
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.
6.11am GMT
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?
6.07am GMT
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.
6.04am GMT
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.
6.00am GMT
17th over: Sri Lanka 58-3 (Karunaratne 35, Mathews 12) Moeen tight this over. Karunaratne watchful - a precise cut brings him a couple.
5.59am GMT
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.
5.55am GMT
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.
5.51am GMT
14th over: Sri Lanka 43-3 (Karunaratne 26, Mathews 6)
5.50am GMT
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.
5.45am GMT
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?
5.41am GMT
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.
5.38am GMT
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?”
5.31am GMT
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.
5.26am GMT
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.
5.24am GMT
Mendis sweeps to the wrong ball and Leach has three before cornflakes. Umpire’s decision overturned by the review.
5.22am GMT
A huge lbw appeal from Leach ....
5.20am GMT
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”
5.15am GMT
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.
5.11am GMT
A fabulous catch at short leg from Keaton Jennings, snatched from the air at shin height with his left hand.
5.09am GMT
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.
5.05am GMT
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.
5.02am GMT
What a lovely piece of work by Foakes! Leach tosses it high, Kaushal dances down the pitch and is comprehensively five-card tricked.
4.59am GMT
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.
4.54am GMT
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.
4.49am GMT
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.
4.47am GMT
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
4.40am GMT
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.
4.36am GMT
Dilruwan takes the new ball mid-way through the over, it skids on a little more and Anderson is bowled
4.33am GMT
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.
4.29am GMT
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. “
4.24am GMT
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.
4.18am GMT
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.
4.15am GMT
Actually play is just about to start right now. England lead by 278.
4.14am GMT
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..
2.36pm GMT
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.
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
Continue reading...November 14, 2018
Sri Lanka v England: second Test, day one – as it happened
Two more wonderful innings from Jos Buttler and Sam Curran helped England to a competitive but not imposing score on a pitch that ragged from the start, setting up what could be a thrilling Test
Day one report from Vic Marks12.11pm GMT
Read Vic Marks’s report from the ground:
Related: England fight back against Sri Lanka thanks to Sam Curran’s rearguard action
11.48am GMT
Still, Sri Lanka might find batting easier as the ball gets softer - might - and if they can get some momentum, we’ve seen that there are runs to be had. Join us tomorrow to find out if they do!
11.46am GMT
What a day’s play that was! Sri Lanka bowled pretty well, the pressure they imposed at least partly responsible for the loose shots which cost wickets. But then Sam Curran intervened, and as things stand, you’d bet on that being the crucial period of the match.
11.44am GMT
12th over: Sri Lanka 26-1 (Karunaratne 19, Pushpakumara 1) Another first-ball single to Karunaratne, leaving Pushpakumara to face the final five balls of the day. He’s immediately beaten but one which spins big, then a drive hits Buttler at short extra - even he couldn’t catch that - and then another pearler dips, grips and jazzes past the edge. The last two deliveries are dots, but this pitch looks an absolute minefield now, and Sri Lanka are in all sorts.
11.42am GMT
11th over: Sri Lanka 25-1 (Karunaratne 18, Pushpakumara 1) Moeen, so cool he looks windswept in a place distinctly shy of wind, lollops in and this is getting nervy. He’s bowling an attacking line, just outside off so also threatening the stumps, so Karunaratne leaves Pushpakumara to deal with it, getting down the other end off the first delivery; he survives, but that’s all he does.
“Maybe we should produce five bunsens and play all three,” tweets Adrian Foster. “Spin the Aussies out.”
11.37am GMT
10th over: Sri Lanka 24-1 (Karunaratne 17, Pushpakumara 1) Turns out that appeal was a good one - the ball wasn’t going down, but it was umpire’s call on height. “Open the door for him, Leachy,” advises Joe Root; what a nickname that is, how do they think of these things? The batsmen take a single apiece.
11.35am GMT
9th over: Sri Lanka 22-1 (Karunaratne 16, Pushpakumara 0) Four dots from Moeen to Karunaratne, and then one straightens, clunking the pad! There’s an appeal but it was going down; another dot completes the maiden. Three overs to go in the day.
11.32am GMT
8th over: Sri Lanka 22-1 (Karunaratne 16, Pushpakumara 0) Pushpakumara is the nightwatchman and Leach beats him with another beauty; there are all sorts of shouts and the bat clips the turf and Foakes takes the bails off, but nothing doing. So here’s a question: who is or are England’s spinners in the summer?
11.29am GMT
Silva never looked comfortable, and Leach, who looks like the patronised policeman in an Agatha Christie, finds a peach! A peach from Leach! The ball slants in, grips on middle, straightens, beats the edge, and kisses the top of middle stump!
11.27am GMT
7th over: Sri Lanka 21-0 (Karunaratne 16, Silva 6) Ali into the attack, and Karunaratne slides his first delivery to cover for two. Them after two dots, an edge ... but just short of slip ... and a single. This is going well for Sri Lanka, and I wonder if Root might give Rashid a g before the close to see if he can find a magic ball.
“This might turn into a full-on, wine-fuelled, over-hyphenated rant,” says Tim Maitland, so wine-feulled as to have forgotten what the OBO is, “but why is cricket (and why are other sports) getting the concept of video review so wrong? Atherton (I think?) was crapping on about ‘how can the umpires give a soft signal when they’re so far away’, but the whole issue should be based (in cricket) on the benefit of the doubt. Curran should have had the benefit of the doubt, so the soft signal should always be not out.
11.22am GMT
6th over: Sri Lanka 16-0 (Karunaratne 10, Silva 6) Leach into the attack and Karunaratne comes down ... misses .. and takes it on the back pad. England contemplate a review when Umpire Erasmus rejects their appeal, but he was too far down. And a replay shows that the ball was going over the top, so well done all concerned; three singles follow.
11.19am GMT
5th over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Karunaratne 8, Silva 5) Anderson goes again - it might be done after this - and Silva is squared up by one, but manages to tilt the face so that the ball runs across it and past third man for four. Anderson responds beautifully, a lifter off a length that Silva gets nowhere near, another that pushes him back, and a third that raps the pad. It’s taken him three overs to get going, but he might not be allowed another.
11.15am GMT
4th over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Karunaratne 8, Silva 1) Lovely shot from Karunaratne, stepping down as Curran overpitches and driving four to long on. He’s started well, and will be desperate to still be out there tomorrow morning. In the outfield, Jack Leach is warming up.
11.10am GMT
3rd over: Sri Lanka 5-0 (Karunaratne 4, Silva 1) Jaffa from Anderson first up, 86mph and and shaping away, beating the outside edge. Foakes appeals, but nothing doing. Karunaratne then bangs a single to point, and that’s another over ticked off.
To my gross chagrin, Duncan Wiles is back: “I feel compelled to inform you that Dave has been in touch to dispel the myth of his ippon on Putin in Bearpark... So maybe you need to watch your back and perhaps your wife may be right after all (inevitably).”
11.06am GMT
2nd over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Karunaratne 3, Silva 1) Gosh, Curran almost nabs one second ball! Karnaratne anticipates swing, leaves a gap, and Curran finds it ... but not off stump. Karunaratne is batting outside his crease and also coming down as Curran comes in, looking to cover any swing, and gets one to square leg, the only run from the over.
11.03am GMT
Here’s Sammy....
11.03am GMT
1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Karunaratne 2, Silva 1) Anderson doesn’t quite find the range first up, forcing Foakes to take a couple down leg side; obviously he does, with consummate ease. Karunaratne then gets off the mark to third man, Silva does likewise to leg, and another single makes this a fair start for Sri Lanka.
11.00am GMT
Right then, off we go. How many down will Curran have Sri Lanka at close? Twelve overs to go...
10.58am GMT
Most sixes in first 50 runs of Test innings without a 4:
5 Sam Curran today
3 Martin Guptill NZ v Bdesh Hamilton 2010
10.57am GMT
“Selfish Curran there denying Jimmy his nailed-on century,” tweets Andy H. In the studio, they’re discussing that he isn’t especially strong, he just times it beautifully. I’m absolutely certain he could take Vladimir Putin.
10.53am GMT
In the meantime, there’s great cricket going on elsewhere in the sub-Continent. I’m pretty sure that hyphen is correct, and the upper case C certainly is....
Related: Amy Jones looking to seize World Twenty20 chance with both gloves
10.51am GMT
Sri Lanka will have to tell themselves they’d have taken this position at the start, because if they don’t they’re in danger of crumbling. I’ll be back in five to see what happens next.
10.50am GMT
Curran whacks to long off and this time the catch is taken. But what an innings that was - what an individual he is, movingly brilliant and brave, youthfulness incarnate, and with the most phenomenal timing you could ask for.
10.48am GMT
Chris Gaffaney is saying it looks like fingers under the ball as we can see it bounce, then another angle is clearer still, and yes it bounced. Of course it bounced, Sam Curran told it to. NOT OUT.
10.46am GMT
Matthews isn’t sure, but I don’t think that’s out - I think the ball bounces into his hands. The picture isn’t that clear, but.
10.45am GMT
76th over: England 285-9 (Curran 64, Anderson 7) Curran drives flat to long on, and Matthews takes what might be a brilliant catch. The soft signal is not out - how can the umpires see from there - and upstairs we go...
10.43am GMT
75th over: England 285-9 (Curran 64, Anderson 7) Dananjaya to carry on ... er, ok ... and it takes Anderson exactly one ball to get down the other end. Curran it is, then, and after six sixes but no four - that must be some sort of record - he redresses the balance with a luscious sweep to the fence. Two balls left, in comes the field, and out to square leg goes the ball. This is ragged from the Lankans, and reminds me of how England allowed Kohli to farm the strike in the first innings of the first Test last summer.
10.39am GMT
And that’s drinks; Sri Lanka will hope theirs is a stiff yin.
10.35am GMT
74th over: England 279-9 (Curran 59, Anderson 6) Who wants the ball? Perera continues, and Curran plays five dots, pathetic. The field comes in - will Curran back Anderson, who’s defending well, and go for the rope, or take the one? The answer is neither; this time he can’t find a gap and Sri Lanka now have an over at the Burnley Boycott.
@DanielHarris apologies to spoil the fun, but there germans to play cricket, and the laws can be easily found here: https://t.co/Watp3FHuBr world of good technical terms!
10.30am GMT
73rd over: England 279-9 (Curran 59, Anderson 6) So here’s a question: Curran is clearly good enough to bat in the top six, but is there any point him going there when this is what he does from here? Imagine how demoralising it must be for someone so good to turn up at number 8. And, well, oh dear me. Curran twists to long on, doesn’t go hard enough, and it’s a dolly’s dolly for Pushpakamara. He watches, arms by his side, gets down, and casually grasses the chance ... and you know what’s coming next! YES YOU DO! Six more frasked down the ground, Curran equalling Kevin Pietersen’s record of six sixes in a Sri Lankan Test innings in the process. A leg-bye follows for the fifty partnership, and Anderson has one ball to survive.
10.25am GMT
72nd over: England 272-9 (Curran 53, Anderson 6) Dilwuran has a go ... good luck mate. I’m not sure what the bowlers could’ve done here; Brad Hogg explains that when Curran doesn’t get to the pitch, he just trusts his eyes and his hands. But the fielding has exerted no pressure, allowing the batsmen to ro-tate the strike at will ... and they do it again, Curran taking one off the penultimate delivery, and Sri Lanka will be feeling this match slipping away; being slipped away.
10.22am GMT
71st over: England 270-9 (Curran 52, Anderson 6) The field spreads for Curran, men guarding the rope as though he can’t just go over them whenever he wills it. This is so, so silly ... Curran is batting badly, as I said ... but then Dananjaya drops shot, so Curran shmices him for six to square leg! That’s his fifty! Behind him, Dickwella gently and inadvertently facepalms; what can you do. And the single comes next; yet again Curran has taken the Test match onto his knee and is tweaking its nose, pinching its cheek and stealing its dinner money.
10.17am GMT
70th over: England 264-9 (Curran 45, Anderson 6) Dickwella will be rueing that drop when Anderson was on 0, all the more so when Curran plays a hoik to midwicket, misses, and the turn beats yerman to the tune of four byes! You cannot beat lower-order runs v- as opposed to lower order-runs, which sounds masochistic in the extreme. Off Perera’s fifth delivery, Curran finds another gap for one - Sri Lanka have not been good enough at making that hard enough - and Anderson survives the final ball.
10.14am GMT
69th over: England 259-9 (Curran 44, Anderson 6) Sri Lanka have Anderson where they want him, so he takes a four and one! Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Sam Curran Sam Curran Sam Curran! Dananjaya gives him width, looking to keep him on strike ... so he carves six over extra cover! I swear it! He did! Then another easy single to point, for another over of affirmation and mortification! The partnership is 34.
“Whether cricket is too esoteric for the German language is debatable,” reckons John Atherton, “but Harold Pinter’s play The Birthday Party with the line ‘who watered the wicket in Melbourne’, was certainly incomprehensible to one translator who rendered the line in German as ‘who pissed on the city gates of Melbourne?’”
10.10am GMT
68th over: England 247-9 (Curran 37, Anderson 1) SAM CURRAN IS A STAR! He goes again, striking six down the ground next ball! What he’s doing - making Test cricket look pips, immediately and almost all the time - is very, very special. Lap it up, drink it in, slurp it down, because you do not see gear of this ilk very often.
10.08am GMT
This is really close ... from the off side he looks out, his back foot off the ground ... but from behind he’s in!
10.06am GMT
68th over: England 241-9 (Curran 31, Anderson 1) Perera fires them in at Curran, not really trying to spin him out, rather stop him from scoring to get a shy at Anderson. But then Curran misses one, off come the bails ... and is his foot up! Upstairs we go...
“As an Austrian, I object to your long German word.” emails Sophie Frühling. “The organisation is
called (or was) Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft, so you have to put that at the beginning and then you can put whatever comes to mind.”
10.03am GMT
67th over: England 241-9 (Curran 31, Anderson 1) Now he goes! Curran comes down and paggas Dananjaya back over his heed for six! Two defensive shots follow, then another zetz, over long on! Surely the fielders will come in now, but Curran finds a way, tucking off his pads for one. He is rrrrridiculous.
10.00am GMT
66th over: England 228-9 (Curran 18, Anderson 1) Curran still isn’t going for it, taking a single to point ... which allows us to enjoy Anderson unveiling his reverse-sweep to point for none. The ball is doing absolutely loads now, but the Burnley Buttler sweeps to square leg for one anyway, and then Curran takes a single. How was that allowed so easily?
9.57am GMT
65th over: England 225-9 (Curran 16, Anderson 0) Anderson presses forward - can’t believe he didn’t go back - and edges ... but Dickwella drops!
9.55am GMT
And it probably did too much too. “He’s missed it by miles” was a nice shtech from the third umpire though.
9.55am GMT
Another one that pitches on middle and shoots off towards off, another batsman going back, but I wonder if this is hitting .... England review...
9.52am GMT
This is a lovely delivery, finding flight, dip and rip, pitching on middle and clipping the edge of off. The track is doing bits, but Leach is another who perish going back.
9.50am GMT
64th over: England 225-8 (Curran 16, Leach 7) It’s funny to think that this is one of Sam Curran’s less impressive Test knocks, as he sticks in there for 16 not out; what a man. He goes back again and finds cover for one, then Leach taps to point and retains strike. It’s hard to see England getting to Mahela’s par of 300, but another 30 or so and they’ll feel that they’re in the game.
“Why don’t Germans plays cricket,” asks Kim Thonger. “I’ve been working out the number of words Germany would need to add to their language to play cricket seriously. I’m already over 100. For example ‘deep backward square leg’, using four existing short English words, would require a new German word ‘tiefesrückwärtigesquadratischesbein’
9.46am GMT
63rd over: England 223-8 (Curran 15, Leach 6) At what point, if any, does Curran start whacking it? This has actually been one of his less assured Test knocks - I assume that if I know he needs to go forward, so does he, but obviously that’s easier said than done. Apparently. How dare he. Useless. Anyway, he makes do with a single, then Leach edges another ... just short of slip ... then as the field comes in, he gets down on one knee and clatters Perera through midwicket. The counter-attack is on!
9.43am GMT
62nd over: England 218-8 (Curran 14, Leach 2) Leach is bamboozled by his first ball, but edges it past slip for two.
“An ex-colleague of mine by the name of David Aitken practised judo to a high standard in his spare time,” emails Duncan Wiles. “When Putin visited the North East a number of years ago he included a visit to the dojo, namely Bearpark Judo Club. It was here that Dave proceeded to put Putin on his back... This I was assured was gospel and that the rumours that he was also the fourth best Call of Duty player in the world were unfounded. Some guy......and Dave wasn’t a big guy, so in relation to your question if you’re over about 5’ 8” and of reasonable build I reckon you’d take him...”
9.39am GMT
Was there ball-locks. It was plumber than the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Off he goes, after an important and enjoyable innings.
9.38am GMT
Rashid goes back - don’t do that! - and wears it on the back pad, in front of the stumps. But was there bat? He reviews immediately!
9.36am GMT
61st over: England 216-7 (Curran 14, Rashid 31) A sedate start to the session and a good one for England, four singles keeping them ticking along.
9.33am GMT
Luckily there is no need to ponder that teaser: the players are back with us.
9.32am GMT
Ok, I’m going to try and move on from grammarbantzschaft and ask you to settle an argument between my wife and me that’s not about crumbs in the hummus (of course I can’t scoop it out onto a plate and then dip into it, I’m not a monster). So here goes: Vladmir Putin is 66 but ex-KGB. Could I have him? Could you have him? How many of your mates would it take?
9.27am GMT
9.26am GMT
9.26am GMT
“To further the musings on the Lower Middle-Order style,” emails Damian Walsh, “here in FR we would sniff at the somewhat negative aspect of ‘Lower’ and just drop it altogether. We would however insist on the ‘Upper’ to differentiate the Upper Middle-Order from the Middle-Order. This principle can clearly be seen in the (Bas) Medoc and the Haut Medoc when one is drinking one’s claret.”
Easily one of my favourite Hi-de-Hi actors.
9.22am GMT
Ok, let’s try and deal with hyphens during the interval: “Surely the German compound noun formations are simply cheating when it comes to long words?” asks Steve Hudson. “Just describe anything you want to in detailed enough terms, remove spaces, et voila! Norris McWhirter comes a-running. Nothing to match up to antidisestablishmentarianism, which is a good, honest, useful word.”
I’m more a floccinaucinihilipilification man; oh the things we found funny in the 80s. I blame Thatcher.
9.16am GMT
That’s another pretty even session. On the one hand, England’s batsmen have got starts; on the other, the pitch is doing a lot, so you might expect that. On the one hand, the batsmen haven’t been done by great balls; on the other, Sri Lanka have bowled well, so you might expect that. In the studio, Mahela reckons 300 is par, and England are still well short of that, so Sri Lanka will be the happier team.
9.14am GMT
60th over: England 212-7 (Curran 12, Rashid 29) Curran flows a single to cover then Rashid turns one to leg; very nicely done. Danajaya then beats Curran again, on the back foot again - he needs to come forward and try to cover the spin, is what those of us who’ve played Test cricket are telling him - and a single later, it’s tea.
“We could simply adopt the German approach and create a new word,” says Kim Thonger on hyphengate or hyphen-gate, “‘lowermiddleorder’, simply shunting all three words into one longer one. It would be nowhere near as extreme as this, at 80 letters, the longest word ever composed in German, Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, the ‘Association for Subordinate Officials of the Head Office Management of the Danube Steamboat Electrical Services’.”
9.09am GMT
59th over: England 209-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 28) Lakmal’s looking for reverse – good luck old mate, it’s always in the last place you look, can you remember where you had it last – and struggling to extract the necessary pace. Maiden.
9.07am GMT
58th over: England 209-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 28) If England can just sneak to tea without further damage, they’ll consider this a fair session. Rashid takes another single to leg, but then, two balls later, Curran is beaten by grip and lift ... too much grip and lift. I think Dananjaya hit that one too well. This pitch reminds me a little of the one in Mumbai where KP scored that 186 - he told me that it was so vicious you didn’t really need to worry about the spin and bounce so much, as it stopped the bowlers attacking the stumps. Yeah, easy.
9.03am GMT
57th over: England 208-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 27) Sri Lanka will feel this should be closer to over than it is, but the reality is that you rarely knock over a team with this many good batsmen for below 200 (ok, yes you do, when it’s this team). L’havdil elef havdalot, if you nailed West Indies top order, Logie and Dujon would make runs, and we all remember Andy Bichel. Anyway, Rashid batters Lakmal’s loosener through cover for four, then tries again and ends up with one.
“Does dress attire determine the email address your given at the Guardian (eg flip-flops and shorts)” emails Sam Barratt. “Could a trilby and slacks see an end to your suffix?”
8.57am GMT
56th over: England 203-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 22) Curran eases onto the back foot and drives ... tries to drive ... and edges high towards first slip! Who can’t snaffle! It would’ve been a screamer, high into the left hand, and instead it yields three. Rashid then flicks a single to leg, and that’s another useful over for England.
8.54am GMT
55th over: England 199-7 (Curran 7, Rashid 21) A single apiece, and this is now z more than nifty partnership, 28 off 54.
“John Starbuck is right,” reckons Adrian Armstrong . “No need for hyphens when using ‘lower middle
order’ as a noun phrase. It’s like ‘late Middle Ages’. But if it’s used as an adjective, hyphens all round: ‘a lower-middle-order batsman’.”
8.52am GMT
54th over: England 197-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 20) Deirdre is enjoying this, the muscles around his clavicles doing all sorts. He comes down again, getting right to the pitch, and drives hard through cover and to the fence. He then adds a single, and Dananjaya squirts one out of the side of the hand rather like a ball delivered by a mate of mine at university - it goes nowhere near the batsman, but unlike that mate, he saves himself 20 years of abuse by holding it down and getting the next one down the other end.
8.50am GMT
53rd over: England 192-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 15) Rashid has a look at Pushpakumara, then twinkles down the track and clouts him down the ground for six! “Havsummathat”, he’d have said were he in a comic. Yerman almost comes back with the final ball of the over, pushing one through, but Curran’s inside edge - into the pads - saves him.
8.47am GMT
52nd over: England 185-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 8) Dananjaya into the attack, replacing Perera, and two of England’s real top-order milk him for three singles.
“I’d go with lower-middle order,” tweets Simon Evans. “Compound adjective I reckon. In other news, do you think 230 or so would be a decent hit on this wicket?”
8.41am GMT
51st over: England 182-7 (Curran 5, Rashid 6) Rashid looks pretty comfy here – I wonder if, as a spinner who can bat, he mids facing spin less than other batsmen. Curran takes one to leg, then he bunts to cover.
8.39am GMT
50th over: England 180-7 (Curran 4, Rashid 5) England up the tempo, Curran taking two singles and Rashid one before the latter whips a brace away to backwards square. He does not wait to be asked, a trait especially useful on a track such as this. At what point do we reckon this is a decent score? I think we might be close.
8.37am GMT
49th over: England 175-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) Pushpakamura wheels through a further maiden.
“How easily doth monotony become pure joy?” asks Finbar Anslow at the Rogoredo Station - is that somewhere from This Is a Low? Apparently not. “A dull, foggy Milanese morn transformed into pure pleasure by a student cancelling, a great cappuccino and a West countryman at the crease.”
8.34am GMT
48th over: England 175-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) The pitch is offering a heady mix of turn and skid, and when Cuzza – surely that is his nickname, just as Rashid’s is Deirdre – leaves Perera’s fourth delivery, he’s exceedingly relieved to see it pass off stump. Maiden, but with a leg-bye.
8.31am GMT
47th over: England 174-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) Rashid is quickly off the mark, coming down to bang to long on, then Curran adds another and he responds.
“You don’t need hyphens at all for ‘lower middle order’,” reckons John Starbuck, “but you could initialise it as LMO, pronounced Elmo. This will save you valuable typing time.”
8.28am GMT
An uge wicket! Another sweep from Buttler, this time a reverse ... but Pushpakumara took pace off, and he can only impart the top edge, picking out backward point! This isn’t a “that’s just the way I play” scenario - he’s played a brilliant innings that the rest will do well to match, on a pitch which demands you get your runs quick, before it gets you.
8.26am GMT
46th over: England 171-6 (Buttler 63, Curran 1) NOT OUT! Curran, who is clearly just one of those lucky expletives - Joe Root is another - to whom good things just happen - kept his foot down long enough, only overbalancing once the bails were off, getting back before Dickwella could get middle stump out of the ground. As it were.
8.24am GMT
46th over: England 171-6 (Buttler 63, Curran 1) Perera finds more turn! Loads of it! And Curran, reaching and stretching, can’t find the pitch, pressing forward, face over pad, overbalancing, and off come the bails! Stumping review imminent...
8.21am GMT
45th over: England 170-6 (Buttler 62, Curran 1) One off the over again, shoved to cover by Buttler.
“May I humbly suggest a new team song for England in Sri Lanka?” emails Kim Thonger. “The Mary Poppins Dick van Dyke classic... ‘Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee. A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be’.”
8.18am GMT
44th over: England 169-6 (Buttler 61, Curran 1) So this is the partnership really; England need a hunnert out of these two at the very least ... and that does not seem likely when Perera finds drift, spin, grip and leap. This Test is not long for this world. One from the over, a sweep from Buttles, and the pitch is turning so much the batsmen will feel they’ve no choice but to play shots.
8.13am GMT
Morning all. At what point do we credit England with reinventing the way we think about Test cricket, using their least reliable batsmen to accumulate quickly while lulling bowlers into a false sense of security, before releasing the real talent in the lower-middle-order? And where do the hyphens go in “lower middle order”?
8.10am GMT
43rd over: England 168-6 (Buttler 60, Curran 1) Buttler reverse sweeps yet again to move into the sixties. He has played a quite brilliant innings of 60 from 60 balls. That’s it from me for today. The great Daniel Harris will be with you for the rest of the day’s play – you can email him on daniel.harris.casual@theguardian.com. Bye!
8.07am GMT
42nd over: England 165-6 (Buttler 58, Curran 0) The strangest thing. We all assumed Foakes underedged that sweep, because he walked off without even discussing it with Buttler, but there was no spike on Ultra-Edge and no obvious deviation. Had he reviewed, he would almost certainly have been given not out.
8.05am GMT
Foakes has gone, caught at slip off Perera. He underedged a vigorous sweep which hit his pad and then the keeper’s pad before deflecting to Dhananjaya at slip. Sri Lanka needed that wicket because England were looking really comfortable.
8.01am GMT
41st over: England 164-5 (Buttler 57, Foakes 19) A short ball from Pushpakumara is cracked square for four by Foakes, a shot of real authority. He has quietly moved to 19 from 27 balls. England are in a superb position here.
7.59am GMT
40th over: England 158-5 (Buttler 56, Foakes 14) Perera replaces Lakmal and has the usual LBW shout against Buttler turned down by S Ravi. Sri Lanka decide not to review, which is a surprise given that it’s Buttler and they have two remaining. It was a really good shout. It pitched on off and middle, from around the wicket, and turned a mile to hit Buttler on the rump as he missed a reverse sweep.
Ah, Hawkeye shows it would have bounced over the top of the stumps. Nothing to see here.
7.54am GMT
39th over: England 156-5 (Buttler 55, Foakes 13) Buttler takes another delivery from Pushpakumara on the full, pinging a reverse sweep to the cover boundary. England have swept so much today; Foakes joins the club with a firm sweep to the fence at square leg. He looks in excellent touch.
7.50am GMT
38th over: England 147-5 (Buttler 50, Foakes 9) Buttler pulls Lakmal for a single to reach a coruscating run-a-ball fifty, an innings full of invention and authority. Foakes drives the next ball sweetly through extra cover for his first boundary.
“Buttler really is a ridiculous batsman isn’t he?” says Guy Hornsby. “His reading of the game, pitch and situation is without equal in England. You feel the innings will hinge on his score with Foakes and Curran still relatively fresh to the pressure of international cricket. I haven’t seen so many sweeps since 1984.”
7.45am GMT
37th over: England 141-5 (Buttler 49, Foakes 4) There have been a lot of LBW appeals today and Buttler survives another after an attempted reverse sweep. I think it hit him outside the line and it ma have hit the glove as well. That aside, he was plumb.
7.41am GMT
36th over: England 139-5 (Buttler 48, Foakes 3) Buttler is averaging 48 since his recall to Test cricket, and that includes a couple of declaration dismissals. This has been another excellent knock. Foakes has started calmly at the other end.
7.36am GMT
35th over: England 134-5 (Buttler 46, Foakes 0) The new batsman is Ben Foakes, who defends the last four balls of the over.
7.32am GMT
Moeen Ali survives a big shout for LBW from Pushpakumara after missing a whip across the line. Lakmal decides on a review. This is close - and it’s out! It was hitting leg stump halfway up and that meant Marais Erasmus’s on-field decision was overturned. I don’t think Moeen or Sri Lanka expected that to be given out.
7.31am GMT
34th over: England 134-4 (Buttler 46, Moeen Ali 10) Moeen has started carefully, happy to play a supporting role to Buttler. He has 10 from 21 balls, Buttler 46 from 44.
7.26am GMT
33rd over: England 130-4 (Buttler 43, Moeen Ali 9) Buttler smashes a slog-sweep for four off Pushpakumara, another different stroke to add the lap sweep, orthodox sweep and reverse sweep in this innings. He has 43 from 42 balls.
7.21am GMT
32nd over: England 124-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 8) Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka’s sole seam bowler, returns to the attack and bowls a good over - one from it.
7.16am GMT
31st over: England 123-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 7) Malinda Pushpakumara starts the afternoon session to Moeen, who continues the sweepathon with a couple of runs to fine leg.
6.35am GMT
30th over: England 120-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 4) Dilruwan Perera comes on for the last over before lunch and is lapped for two by Buttler. I can’t remember an England batsman playing as many sweeps since Graham Gooch’s masterpiece in the 1987 World Cup semi-final. A handful of singles make it another good over for England, who have had a terrific session. Don’t be fooled by things like “the scoreboard” - England have done very well on a pitch that is already doing plenty for the spinners.
See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
6.30am GMT
29th over: England 115-4 (Buttler 35, Moeen Ali 2) A dipping full toss from Pushpakumara is swept ruthlessly for four by Buttler, who is playing a gem of an innings: 35 from just 30 balls. He ends the over with yet another sweep for four. All bar five of his runs, I think, have came from a variety of sweeps and laps.
6.25am GMT
28th over: England 103-4 (Buttler 25, Moeen Ali 0) Terrific batting from Buttler, who nails consecuive sweeps for four off Dananjaya. That shot, in its various guises, has been England’s best friend this morning. Buttler demonstrates the point by breezily reverse sweeping his third boundary in as many balls.
6.20am GMT
27th over: England 90-4 (Buttler 12, Moeen Ali 0) This looks like a carbon copy of the first day at Galle, when England lost five wickets before lunch, but I think they have played much better this morning in pretty tricky circumstances. The main frustration is Root’s absent-minded dismissal; he was looking very good.
6.17am GMT
26th over: England 89-4 (Buttler 11, Moeen Ali 0) The new batsman is Moeen Ali.
6.15am GMT
Akila Dananjaya strikes in his first over! Burns pushed at a difficult delivery which turned a long way to take the edge, and Dhananjaya de Silva took an excellent low catch at slip. Burns will be frustrated to miss out on a first Test fifty but he played very well to make 43 from 81 balls.
6.11am GMT
25th over: England 87-3 (Burns 41, Buttler 11) Both batsmen are trying to manipulate the field by sweeping and reverse sweeping Pushpakumara. It’s an interesting tactical battle; at the moment, Burns and Buttler are winning.
6.06am GMT
24th over: England 81-3 (Burns 36, Buttler 10)
6.04am GMT
23rd over: England 79-3 (Burns 35, Buttler 9) Buttler laps Pushpakumara for consecutive twos before being beaten by a slower delivery that rips past the edge. He responds with two more two from a reverse sweep and a lap sweep. England were criticised for their skittish approach on the first morning at Galle but I think they’ve judged it very well here. There are booby traps everywhere on this pitch so they can’t just try to bat time.
5.59am GMT
22nd over: England 71-3 (Burns 35, Buttler 1) Perera (10-3-31-1) is replaced by Dhananjaya de Silva, another offspinner. Burns continues his impressive knock with a single to deep cover and then Buttler gets off the mark with a clip wide of leg slip.
5.57am GMT
21st over: England 69-3 (Burns 34, Buttler 0) Buttler survives a stumping referral after being beaten by a gorgeous delivery from Pushpakumara. He did leave his crease but dragged his foot back in plenty of time. A maiden. The first session of a Test is often sedate but this has been thrilling.
5.53am GMT
20th over: England 69-3 (Burns 34, Buttler 0) Burns sweeps Perera for four and then survives a big LBW shout. Too high.
5.52am GMT
19th over: England 65-3 (Burns 30, Buttler 0) Jos Buttler is the new batsman.
5.48am GMT
This is a huge wicket. Root has gone, cleaned up by a straight delivery from Pushpakumara that somehow sneaked between bat and pad. It looked like a straightforward defensive stroke from Root but he left a bit of a gate and paid the price. He inside edged the ball onto the pad, from where it deflected onto the stumps. That’s a strangely soft dismissal, not least because Root had started brilliantly.
5.45am GMT
18th over: England 60-2 (Burns 29, Root 10) Root is sticking to his positive approach from Galle. That doesn’t just mean big shots; he and Burns have also been busy between the wickets.
5.42am GMT
17th over: England 58-2 (Burns 28, Root 9)
5.39am GMT
16th over: England 55-2 (Burns 27, Root 7) Oof. Burns is almost run out for the second time in his short Test career. He pushed Perera towards short leg, leaving his crease in the process, and was still out of his ground when Mendis gathered the ball and whistled a throw just past the stumps.
5.35am GMT
15th over: England 51-2 (Burns 24, Root 6) That’s a beauty from Pushpakumara, which turns past Root’s attempted drive and prompts an optimistic shout for caught behind from Dickwella. Root responds emphatically, charging down the ground to thump a boundary back over the bowler’s head. This is fascinating stuff.
5.31am GMT
14th over: England 45-2 (Burns 23, Root 1) Almost another one for Perera, with Burns edging short of slip.
5.27am GMT
Stokes survives another huge LBW appeal from Perera. Sri Lanka have reviewed again, and this one looks very close. It was another wicked delivery, which curved onto middle stump and turned a long way to hit the flap of the back pad. I reckon this will be out. Here we go... yes, he’s out! It was hitting the top of off stump and Stokes has gone. He made a promising start to his new role, making a positive 19 from 27 balls.
5.25am GMT
13th over: England 42-1 (Burns 23, Stokes 17) The left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara, the replacement for Rangana Herath, comes into the attack. He has an absurd record at domestic level, with a bowling average below 20 in all three forms, but this is only his fourth Test. He starts with a maiden to Burns.
5.21am GMT
12th over: England 42-1 (Burns 23, Stokes 17) A short ball from Perera is cut confidently for four by Burns. There’s a clarity and a certainty to his batting that is very exciting if you’re an England fan. Both he and Stokes have got the balance between attack and defence spot on so far.
5.18am GMT
11th over: England 35-1 (Burns 18, Stokes 15) Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous from Ben Stokes, who drives Lakmal immaculately through mid-off for four and holds the pose at the end of his followthrough.
“Looking at that list of England’s No3s,” says Steve Underhill, “it’s fair to say that the most experienced player by far, one JM Anderson, really hasn’t been given a fair go to nail down the spot. He certainly knows what the new ball is all about...”
5.12am GMT
10th over: England 28-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 10) Stokes survives a big LBW appeal after being turned round by a delivery from Perera that pitches on middle stump and straightens dramatically. Sri Lanka are going to review. It’s close but I think it might be too high. Stokes was a long way back, mind you. Here comes ball-tracking... it’s umpire’s call and Stokes survives.
5.08am GMT
9th over: England 28-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 10) Stokes hooks Lakmal in the air but well short of deep square leg. Stokes is England’s tenth No3 in Tests since the start of the 2013-14 Ashes tour, which was the beginning of the end of Jonathan Trott’s international career. And the man with the highest average is...
5.02am GMT
8th over: England 27-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 9) Burns sweeps Perera for four, another decisive shot. He looks very clear-headed at the crease.
4.58am GMT
7th over: England 20-1 (Burns 11, Stokes 7) Stokes steers Lakmal wide of gully for three. He looks in positive mood.
“Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “By a strange quirk of fate I have finished work for the day and have the next four days off. I look forward to enjoying some good, engrossing, attritional cricket. Or failing that some woeful batting on an evil wicket.”
4.53am GMT
6th over: England 17-1 (Burns 11, Stokes 4) Burns sweeps Perera solidly through backward square leg for four. I suspect England will play fairly aggressively and try to get their runs before the pitch gets them.
4.51am GMT
5th over: England 11-1 (Burns 5, Stokes 4) Ben Stokes is the new batsman, and he gets off the mark with a swaggering flick through square leg for four. I’m getting hopelessly carried away at 4.48 in the morning, but it already feels like this match could become a sensational dogfight.
4.48am GMT
Told you Lakmal’s bowling was filler. This is an excellent breakthrough for Sri Lanka. From the moment Lakmal went around the wicket, Jennings looked less certain. He played and missed in the previous over and now he has gone, caught behind by Dickwella. The length was perfect, just full of good, and it straightened enough to take the edge as Jennings pushed rigidly outside off stump.
4.45am GMT
4th over: England 7-0 (Burns 5, Jennings 1) Perera’s first ball keeps very low and hits Burns on the pad. Thankfully for him it was going down leg. Two balls later Burns survives a very good shout for LBW. Sri Lanka decide not to review, presumably because they thought it was bouncing over the stumps. Replays confirm it was umpire’s call so the decision would not have been overturned. But batting already looks fiendishly difficult against Perera. This isn’t a fourth-over pitch; it’s a fourth-day pitch.
4.42am GMT
3rd over: England 7-0 (Burns 5, Jennings 1) The (very) early impressions are that 250 would be a strong first-innings score for England. We’ve only had 10 minutes of the Test but already the seam bowling of Lakmal feels like filler between Perera’s overs. Saying which, he goes around the wicket to beat Jennings with a lovely straightener.
4.37am GMT
2nd over: England 5-0 (Burns 4, Jennings 0) Dilruwan Perera, who is Sri Lanka’s senior spinner now that Rangana Herath has retired, shares the new ball. His first delivery is more than a little ominous, a lovely curving off-break that beats Jennings’ outside edge. There are seven left-handers in this England side, including the top three, so Perera should enjoy himself in this game. He ends his first over with a vicious delivery that beats Burns all ends up. Breaking news: you won’t be watching Test cricket from Sri Lanka on Saturday and Sunday.
4.32am GMT
1st over: England 4-0 (Burns 4, Jennings 0) The Sri Lanka captain Suranga Lakmal opens the bowling to Rory Burns, who gets off the mark with a wristy clip between midwicket and mid-on for four. That’s a nice, confident start.
4.21am GMT
“Morning Rob,” says Simon Richards. “Not sure about Rooty’s beard. Good toss to win though. An early wicket and then a stoic Stokes 20 to make it 85-1 at lunch?”
I suspect the pitch will turn from the off. If it does, I wonder whether England might attack from the start like they did at Galle.
4.05am GMT
Of course they will. That’s an excellent toss to win on what looks like a spinners’ paradise.
Sri Lanka K Silva, Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Mendis, Mathews, R Silva, Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Perera, Lakmal (c), Dananjaya, Pushpakumara.
3.46am GMT
Pre-match reading
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3.41pm GMT
Forget “Brexit”. There’s a far more pressing and important issue that we need to discuss: is there such a thing as momentum in sport? Fifty per cent say it clearly exists and is collective confidence by another name; the other fifty per cent think the first fifty per cent are talking one hundred per cent nonsense.
If momentum does exist, England are in a heckuva position going into the second Test in Pallekele. They won with almost disturbing ease in Galle - their sixth victory in seven Tests - and have named an unchanged XI, if not an unchanged batting order. Win this match and they wil secure a landmark series victory: the first overseas since 2015-16, the first in Asia since 2012-13, and the first in Sri Lanka since the wonderful winter of 2000-01.
Continue reading...Sri Lanka v England: second Test, day one – live!
9.36am GMT
61st over: England 216-7 (Curran 14, Rashid 31) A sedate start to the session and a good one for England, four singles keeping them ticking along.
9.33am GMT
Luckily there is no need to ponder that teaser: the players are back with us.
9.32am GMT
Ok, I’m going to try and move on from grammarbantzschaft and ask you to settle an argument between my wife and me that’s not about crumbs in the hummus (of course I can’t scoop it out onto a plate and then dip into it, I’m not a monster). So here goes: Vladmir Putin is 66 but ex-KGB. Could I have him? Could you have him? How many of your mates would it take?
9.27am GMT
9.26am GMT
9.26am GMT
“To further the musings on the Lower Middle-Order style,” emails Damian Walsh, “here in FR we would sniff at the somewhat negative aspect of ‘Lower’ and just drop it altogether. We would however insist on the ‘Upper’ to differentiate the Upper Middle-Order from the Middle-Order. This principle can clearly be seen in the (Bas) Medoc and the Haut Medoc when one is drinking one’s claret.”
Easily one of my favourite Hi-de-Hi actors.
9.22am GMT
Ok, let’s try and deal with hyphens during the interval: “Surely the German compound noun formations are simply cheating when it comes to long words?” asks Steve Hudson. “Just describe anything you want to in detailed enough terms, remove spaces, et voila! Norris McWhirter comes a-running. Nothing to match up to antidisestablishmentarianism, which is a good, honest, useful word.”
I’m more a floccinaucinihilipilification man; oh the things we found funny in the 80s. I blame Thatcher.
9.16am GMT
That’s another pretty even session. On the one hand, England’s batsmen have got starts; on the other, the pitch is doing a lot, so you might expect that. On the one hand, the batsmen haven’t been done by great balls; on the other, Sri Lanka have bowled well, so you might expect that. In the studio, Mahela reckons 300 is par, and England are still well short of that, so Sri Lanka will be the happier team.
9.14am GMT
60th over: England 212-7 (Curran 12, Rashid 29) Curran flows a single to cover then Rashid turns one to leg; very nicely done. Danajaya then beats Curran again, on the back foot again - he needs to come forward and try to cover the spin, is what those of us who’ve played Test cricket are telling him - and a single later, it’s tea.
“We could simply adopt the German approach and create a new word,” says Kim Thonger on hyphengate or hyphen-gate, “‘lowermiddleorder’, simply shunting all three words into one longer one. It would be nowhere near as extreme as this, at 80 letters, the longest word ever composed in German, Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, the ‘Association for Subordinate Officials of the Head Office Management of the Danube Steamboat Electrical Services’.”
9.09am GMT
59th over: England 209-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 28) Lakmal’s looking for reverse – good luck old mate, it’s always in the last place you look, can you remember where you had it last – and struggling to extract the necessary pace. Maiden.
9.07am GMT
58th over: England 209-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 28) If England can just sneak to tea without further damage, they’ll consider this a fair session. Rashid takes another single to leg, but then, two balls later, Curran is beaten by grip and lift ... too much grip and lift. I think Dananjaya hit that one too well. This pitch reminds me a little of the one in Mumbai where KP scored that 186 - he told me that it was so vicious you didn’t really need to worry about the spin and bounce so much, as it stopped the bowlers attacking the stumps. Yeah, easy.
9.03am GMT
57th over: England 208-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 27) Sri Lanka will feel this should be closer to over than it is, but the reality is that you rarely knock over a team with this many good batsmen for below 200 (ok, yes you do, when it’s this team). L’havdil elef havdalot, if you nailed West Indies top order, Logie and Dujon would make runs, and we all remember Andy Bichel. Anyway, Rashid batters Lakmal’s loosener through cover for four, then tries again and ends up with one.
“Does dress attire determine the email address your given at the Guardian (eg flip-flops and shorts)” emails Sam Barratt. “Could a trilby and slacks see an end to your suffix?”
8.57am GMT
56th over: England 203-7 (Curran 10, Rashid 22) Curran eases onto the back foot and drives ... tries to drive ... and edges high towards first slip! Who can’t snaffle! It would’ve been a screamer, high into the left hand, and instead it yields three. Rashid then flicks a single to leg, and that’s another useful over for England.
8.54am GMT
55th over: England 199-7 (Curran 7, Rashid 21) A single apiece, and this is now z more than nifty partnership, 28 off 54.
“John Starbuck is right,” reckons Adrian Armstrong . “No need for hyphens when using ‘lower middle
order’ as a noun phrase. It’s like ‘late Middle Ages’. But if it’s used as an adjective, hyphens all round: ‘a lower-middle-order batsman’.”
8.52am GMT
54th over: England 197-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 20) Deirdre is enjoying this, the muscles around his clavicles doing all sorts. He comes down again, getting right to the pitch, and drives hard through cover and to the fence. He then adds a single, and Dananjaya squirts one out of the side of the hand rather like a ball delivered by a mate of mine at university - it goes nowhere near the batsman, but unlike that mate, he saves himself 20 years of abuse by holding it down and getting the next one down the other end.
8.50am GMT
53rd over: England 192-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 15) Rashid has a look at Pushpakumara, then twinkles down the track and clouts him down the ground for six! “Havsummathat”, he’d have said were he in a comic. Yerman almost comes back with the final ball of the over, pushing one through, but Curran’s inside edge - into the pads - saves him.
8.47am GMT
52nd over: England 185-7 (Curran 6, Rashid 8) Dananjaya into the attack, replacing Perera, and two of England’s real top-order milk him for three singles.
“I’d go with lower-middle order,” tweets Simon Evans. “Compound adjective I reckon. In other news, do you think 230 or so would be a decent hit on this wicket?”
8.41am GMT
51st over: England 182-7 (Curran 5, Rashid 6) Rashid looks pretty comfy here – I wonder if, as a spinner who can bat, he mids facing spin less than other batsmen. Curran takes one to leg, then he bunts to cover.
8.39am GMT
50th over: England 180-7 (Curran 4, Rashid 5) England up the tempo, Curran taking two singles and Rashid one before the latter whips a brace away to backwards square. He does not wait to be asked, a trait especially useful on a track such as this. At what point do we reckon this is a decent score? I think we might be close.
8.37am GMT
49th over: England 175-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) Pushpakamura wheels through a further maiden.
“How easily doth monotony become pure joy?” asks Finbar Anslow at the Rogoredo Station - is that somewhere from This Is a Low? Apparently not. “A dull, foggy Milanese morn transformed into pure pleasure by a student cancelling, a great cappuccino and a West countryman at the crease.”
8.34am GMT
48th over: England 175-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) The pitch is offering a heady mix of turn and skid, and when Cuzza – surely that is his nickname, just as Rashid’s is Deirdre – leaves Perera’s fourth delivery, he’s exceedingly relieved to see it pass off stump. Maiden, but with a leg-bye.
8.31am GMT
47th over: England 174-7 (Curran 2, Rashid 2) Rashid is quickly off the mark, coming down to bang to long on, then Curran adds another and he responds.
“You don’t need hyphens at all for ‘lower middle order’,” reckons John Starbuck, “but you could initialise it as LMO, pronounced Elmo. This will save you valuable typing time.”
8.28am GMT
An uge wicket! Another sweep from Buttler, this time a reverse ... but Pushpakumara took pace off, and he can only impart the top edge, picking out backward point! This isn’t a “that’s just the way I play” scenario - he’s played a brilliant innings that the rest will do well to match, on a pitch which demands you get your runs quick, before it gets you.
8.26am GMT
46th over: England 171-6 (Buttler 63, Curran 1) NOT OUT! Curran, who is clearly just one of those lucky expletives - Joe Root is another - to whom good things just happen - kept his foot down long enough, only overbalancing once the bails were off, getting back before Dickwella could get middle stump out of the ground. As it were.
8.24am GMT
46th over: England 171-6 (Buttler 63, Curran 1) Perera finds more turn! Loads of it! And Curran, reaching and stretching, can’t find the pitch, pressing forward, face over pad, overbalancing, and off come the bails! Stumping review imminent...
8.21am GMT
45th over: England 170-6 (Buttler 62, Curran 1) One off the over again, shoved to cover by Buttler.
“May I humbly suggest a new team song for England in Sri Lanka?” emails Kim Thonger. “The Mary Poppins Dick van Dyke classic... ‘Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee. A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be’.”
8.18am GMT
44th over: England 169-6 (Buttler 61, Curran 1) So this is the partnership really; England need a hunnert out of these two at the very least ... and that does not seem likely when Perera finds drift, spin, grip and leap. This Test is not long for this world. One from the over, a sweep from Buttles, and the pitch is turning so much the batsmen will feel they’ve no choice but to play shots.
8.13am GMT
Morning all. At what point do we credit England with reinventing the way we think about Test cricket, using their least reliable batsmen to accumulate quickly while lulling bowlers into a false sense of security, before releasing the real talent in the lower-middle-order? And where do the hyphens go in “lower middle order”?
8.10am GMT
43rd over: England 168-6 (Buttler 60, Curran 1) Buttler reverse sweeps yet again to move into the sixties. He has played a quite brilliant innings of 60 from 60 balls. That’s it from me for today. The great Daniel Harris will be with you for the rest of the day’s play – you can email him on daniel.harris.casual@theguardian.com. Bye!
8.07am GMT
42nd over: England 165-6 (Buttler 58, Curran 0) The strangest thing. We all assumed Foakes underedged that sweep, because he walked off without even discussing it with Buttler, but there was no spike on Ultra-Edge and no obvious deviation. Had he reviewed, he would almost certainly have been given not out.
8.05am GMT
Foakes has gone, caught at slip off Perera. He underedged a vigorous sweep which hit his pad and then the keeper’s pad before deflecting to Dhananjaya at slip. Sri Lanka needed that wicket because England were looking really comfortable.
8.01am GMT
41st over: England 164-5 (Buttler 57, Foakes 19) A short ball from Pushpakumara is cracked square for four by Foakes, a shot of real authority. He has quietly moved to 19 from 27 balls. England are in a superb position here.
7.59am GMT
40th over: England 158-5 (Buttler 56, Foakes 14) Perera replaces Lakmal and has the usual LBW shout against Buttler turned down by S Ravi. Sri Lanka decide not to review, which is a surprise given that it’s Buttler and they have two remaining. It was a really good shout. It pitched on off and middle, from around the wicket, and turned a mile to hit Buttler on the rump as he missed a reverse sweep.
Ah, Hawkeye shows it would have bounced over the top of the stumps. Nothing to see here.
7.54am GMT
39th over: England 156-5 (Buttler 55, Foakes 13) Buttler takes another delivery from Pushpakumara on the full, pinging a reverse sweep to the cover boundary. England have swept so much today; Foakes joins the club with a firm sweep to the fence at square leg. He looks in excellent touch.
7.50am GMT
38th over: England 147-5 (Buttler 50, Foakes 9) Buttler pulls Lakmal for a single to reach a coruscating run-a-ball fifty, an innings full of invention and authority. Foakes drives the next ball sweetly through extra cover for his first boundary.
“Buttler really is a ridiculous batsman isn’t he?” says Guy Hornsby. “His reading of the game, pitch and situation is without equal in England. You feel the innings will hinge on his score with Foakes and Curran still relatively fresh to the pressure of international cricket. I haven’t seen so many sweeps since 1984.”
7.45am GMT
37th over: England 141-5 (Buttler 49, Foakes 4) There have been a lot of LBW appeals today and Buttler survives another after an attempted reverse sweep. I think it hit him outside the line and it ma have hit the glove as well. That aside, he was plumb.
7.41am GMT
36th over: England 139-5 (Buttler 48, Foakes 3) Buttler is averaging 48 since his recall to Test cricket, and that includes a couple of declaration dismissals. This has been another excellent knock. Foakes has started calmly at the other end.
7.36am GMT
35th over: England 134-5 (Buttler 46, Foakes 0) The new batsman is Ben Foakes, who defends the last four balls of the over.
7.32am GMT
Moeen Ali survives a big shout for LBW from Pushpakumara after missing a whip across the line. Lakmal decides on a review. This is close - and it’s out! It was hitting leg stump halfway up and that meant Marais Erasmus’s on-field decision was overturned. I don’t think Moeen or Sri Lanka expected that to be given out.
7.31am GMT
34th over: England 134-4 (Buttler 46, Moeen Ali 10) Moeen has started carefully, happy to play a supporting role to Buttler. He has 10 from 21 balls, Buttler 46 from 44.
7.26am GMT
33rd over: England 130-4 (Buttler 43, Moeen Ali 9) Buttler smashes a slog-sweep for four off Pushpakumara, another different stroke to add the lap sweep, orthodox sweep and reverse sweep in this innings. He has 43 from 42 balls.
7.21am GMT
32nd over: England 124-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 8) Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka’s sole seam bowler, returns to the attack and bowls a good over - one from it.
7.16am GMT
31st over: England 123-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 7) Malinda Pushpakumara starts the afternoon session to Moeen, who continues the sweepathon with a couple of runs to fine leg.
6.35am GMT
30th over: England 120-4 (Buttler 38, Moeen Ali 4) Dilruwan Perera comes on for the last over before lunch and is lapped for two by Buttler. I can’t remember an England batsman playing as many sweeps since Graham Gooch’s masterpiece in the 1987 World Cup semi-final. A handful of singles make it another good over for England, who have had a terrific session. Don’t be fooled by things like “the scoreboard” - England have done very well on a pitch that is already doing plenty for the spinners.
See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
6.30am GMT
29th over: England 115-4 (Buttler 35, Moeen Ali 2) A dipping full toss from Pushpakumara is swept ruthlessly for four by Buttler, who is playing a gem of an innings: 35 from just 30 balls. He ends the over with yet another sweep for four. All bar five of his runs, I think, have came from a variety of sweeps and laps.
6.25am GMT
28th over: England 103-4 (Buttler 25, Moeen Ali 0) Terrific batting from Buttler, who nails consecuive sweeps for four off Dananjaya. That shot, in its various guises, has been England’s best friend this morning. Buttler demonstrates the point by breezily reverse sweeping his third boundary in as many balls.
6.20am GMT
27th over: England 90-4 (Buttler 12, Moeen Ali 0) This looks like a carbon copy of the first day at Galle, when England lost five wickets before lunch, but I think they have played much better this morning in pretty tricky circumstances. The main frustration is Root’s absent-minded dismissal; he was looking very good.
6.17am GMT
26th over: England 89-4 (Buttler 11, Moeen Ali 0) The new batsman is Moeen Ali.
6.15am GMT
Akila Dananjaya strikes in his first over! Burns pushed at a difficult delivery which turned a long way to take the edge, and Dhananjaya de Silva took an excellent low catch at slip. Burns will be frustrated to miss out on a first Test fifty but he played very well to make 43 from 81 balls.
6.11am GMT
25th over: England 87-3 (Burns 41, Buttler 11) Both batsmen are trying to manipulate the field by sweeping and reverse sweeping Pushpakumara. It’s an interesting tactical battle; at the moment, Burns and Buttler are winning.
6.06am GMT
24th over: England 81-3 (Burns 36, Buttler 10)
6.04am GMT
23rd over: England 79-3 (Burns 35, Buttler 9) Buttler laps Pushpakumara for consecutive twos before being beaten by a slower delivery that rips past the edge. He responds with two more two from a reverse sweep and a lap sweep. England were criticised for their skittish approach on the first morning at Galle but I think they’ve judged it very well here. There are booby traps everywhere on this pitch so they can’t just try to bat time.
5.59am GMT
22nd over: England 71-3 (Burns 35, Buttler 1) Perera (10-3-31-1) is replaced by Dhananjaya de Silva, another offspinner. Burns continues his impressive knock with a single to deep cover and then Buttler gets off the mark with a clip wide of leg slip.
5.57am GMT
21st over: England 69-3 (Burns 34, Buttler 0) Buttler survives a stumping referral after being beaten by a gorgeous delivery from Pushpakumara. He did leave his crease but dragged his foot back in plenty of time. A maiden. The first session of a Test is often sedate but this has been thrilling.
5.53am GMT
20th over: England 69-3 (Burns 34, Buttler 0) Burns sweeps Perera for four and then survives a big LBW shout. Too high.
5.52am GMT
19th over: England 65-3 (Burns 30, Buttler 0) Jos Buttler is the new batsman.
5.48am GMT
This is a huge wicket. Root has gone, cleaned up by a straight delivery from Pushpakumara that somehow sneaked between bat and pad. It looked like a straightforward defensive stroke from Root but he left a bit of a gate and paid the price. He inside edged the ball onto the pad, from where it deflected onto the stumps. That’s a strangely soft dismissal, not least because Root had started brilliantly.
5.45am GMT
18th over: England 60-2 (Burns 29, Root 10) Root is sticking to his positive approach from Galle. That doesn’t just mean big shots; he and Burns have also been busy between the wickets.
5.42am GMT
17th over: England 58-2 (Burns 28, Root 9)
5.39am GMT
16th over: England 55-2 (Burns 27, Root 7) Oof. Burns is almost run out for the second time in his short Test career. He pushed Perera towards short leg, leaving his crease in the process, and was still out of his ground when Mendis gathered the ball and whistled a throw just past the stumps.
5.35am GMT
15th over: England 51-2 (Burns 24, Root 6) That’s a beauty from Pushpakumara, which turns past Root’s attempted drive and prompts an optimistic shout for caught behind from Dickwella. Root responds emphatically, charging down the ground to thump a boundary back over the bowler’s head. This is fascinating stuff.
5.31am GMT
14th over: England 45-2 (Burns 23, Root 1) Almost another one for Perera, with Burns edging short of slip.
5.27am GMT
Stokes survives another huge LBW appeal from Perera. Sri Lanka have reviewed again, and this one looks very close. It was another wicked delivery, which curved onto middle stump and turned a long way to hit the flap of the back pad. I reckon this will be out. Here we go... yes, he’s out! It was hitting the top of off stump and Stokes has gone. He made a promising start to his new role, making a positive 19 from 27 balls.
5.25am GMT
13th over: England 42-1 (Burns 23, Stokes 17) The left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara, the replacement for Rangana Herath, comes into the attack. He has an absurd record at domestic level, with a bowling average below 20 in all three forms, but this is only his fourth Test. He starts with a maiden to Burns.
5.21am GMT
12th over: England 42-1 (Burns 23, Stokes 17) A short ball from Perera is cut confidently for four by Burns. There’s a clarity and a certainty to his batting that is very exciting if you’re an England fan. Both he and Stokes have got the balance between attack and defence spot on so far.
5.18am GMT
11th over: England 35-1 (Burns 18, Stokes 15) Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous from Ben Stokes, who drives Lakmal immaculately through mid-off for four and holds the pose at the end of his followthrough.
“Looking at that list of England’s No3s,” says Steve Underhill, “it’s fair to say that the most experienced player by far, one JM Anderson, really hasn’t been given a fair go to nail down the spot. He certainly knows what the new ball is all about...”
5.12am GMT
10th over: England 28-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 10) Stokes survives a big LBW appeal after being turned round by a delivery from Perera that pitches on middle stump and straightens dramatically. Sri Lanka are going to review. It’s close but I think it might be too high. Stokes was a long way back, mind you. Here comes ball-tracking... it’s umpire’s call and Stokes survives.
5.08am GMT
9th over: England 28-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 10) Stokes hooks Lakmal in the air but well short of deep square leg. Stokes is England’s tenth No3 in Tests since the start of the 2013-14 Ashes tour, which was the beginning of the end of Jonathan Trott’s international career. And the man with the highest average is...
5.02am GMT
8th over: England 27-1 (Burns 16, Stokes 9) Burns sweeps Perera for four, another decisive shot. He looks very clear-headed at the crease.
4.58am GMT
7th over: England 20-1 (Burns 11, Stokes 7) Stokes steers Lakmal wide of gully for three. He looks in positive mood.
“Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “By a strange quirk of fate I have finished work for the day and have the next four days off. I look forward to enjoying some good, engrossing, attritional cricket. Or failing that some woeful batting on an evil wicket.”
4.53am GMT
6th over: England 17-1 (Burns 11, Stokes 4) Burns sweeps Perera solidly through backward square leg for four. I suspect England will play fairly aggressively and try to get their runs before the pitch gets them.
4.51am GMT
5th over: England 11-1 (Burns 5, Stokes 4) Ben Stokes is the new batsman, and he gets off the mark with a swaggering flick through square leg for four. I’m getting hopelessly carried away at 4.48 in the morning, but it already feels like this match could become a sensational dogfight.
4.48am GMT
Told you Lakmal’s bowling was filler. This is an excellent breakthrough for Sri Lanka. From the moment Lakmal went around the wicket, Jennings looked less certain. He played and missed in the previous over and now he has gone, caught behind by Dickwella. The length was perfect, just full of good, and it straightened enough to take the edge as Jennings pushed rigidly outside off stump.
4.45am GMT
4th over: England 7-0 (Burns 5, Jennings 1) Perera’s first ball keeps very low and hits Burns on the pad. Thankfully for him it was going down leg. Two balls later Burns survives a very good shout for LBW. Sri Lanka decide not to review, presumably because they thought it was bouncing over the stumps. Replays confirm it was umpire’s call so the decision would not have been overturned. But batting already looks fiendishly difficult against Perera. This isn’t a fourth-over pitch; it’s a fourth-day pitch.
4.42am GMT
3rd over: England 7-0 (Burns 5, Jennings 1) The (very) early impressions are that 250 would be a strong first-innings score for England. We’ve only had 10 minutes of the Test but already the seam bowling of Lakmal feels like filler between Perera’s overs. Saying which, he goes around the wicket to beat Jennings with a lovely straightener.
4.37am GMT
2nd over: England 5-0 (Burns 4, Jennings 0) Dilruwan Perera, who is Sri Lanka’s senior spinner now that Rangana Herath has retired, shares the new ball. His first delivery is more than a little ominous, a lovely curving off-break that beats Jennings’ outside edge. There are seven left-handers in this England side, including the top three, so Perera should enjoy himself in this game. He ends his first over with a vicious delivery that beats Burns all ends up. Breaking news: you won’t be watching Test cricket from Sri Lanka on Saturday and Sunday.
4.32am GMT
1st over: England 4-0 (Burns 4, Jennings 0) The Sri Lanka captain Suranga Lakmal opens the bowling to Rory Burns, who gets off the mark with a wristy clip between midwicket and mid-on for four. That’s a nice, confident start.
4.21am GMT
“Morning Rob,” says Simon Richards. “Not sure about Rooty’s beard. Good toss to win though. An early wicket and then a stoic Stokes 20 to make it 85-1 at lunch?”
I suspect the pitch will turn from the off. If it does, I wonder whether England might attack from the start like they did at Galle.
4.05am GMT
Of course they will. That’s an excellent toss to win on what looks like a spinners’ paradise.
Sri Lanka K Silva, Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Mendis, Mathews, R Silva, Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Perera, Lakmal (c), Dananjaya, Pushpakumara.
3.46am GMT
Pre-match reading
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3.41pm GMT
Forget “Brexit”. There’s a far more pressing and important issue that we need to discuss: is there such a thing as momentum in sport? Fifty per cent say it clearly exists and is collective confidence by another name; the other fifty per cent think the first fifty per cent are talking one hundred per cent nonsense.
If momentum does exist, England are in a heckuva position going into the second Test in Pallekele. They won with almost disturbing ease in Galle - their sixth victory in seven Tests - and have named an unchanged XI, if not an unchanged batting order. Win this match and they wil secure a landmark series victory: the first overseas since 2015-16, the first in Asia since 2012-13, and the first in Sri Lanka since the wonderful winter of 2000-01.
Continue reading...November 11, 2018
Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened
Ilkay Gundogan’s late goal sealed an ultimately emphatic win for City, who were not at their best but outclassed United in the Manchester derby
8.37pm GMT
6.29pm GMT
Jamie Jackson’s match report has dropped so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!
Related: David Silva sparks Manchester City’s precious derby victory over United
6.28pm GMT
City are only two points clear at the top but it’s becoming increasingly hard to make a case for anyone else winning the league. And it’s impossible to make a case for United winning it.
6.24pm GMT
If you want to follow a genuinely competitive derby...
Related: Boca Juniors v River Plate: Copa Libertadores final first leg – live!
6.22pm GMT
Peep peep! After some showboating from Raheem Sterling, who is told off by Juan Mata afterwards, the referee puts United out of their misery by blowing the final whistle. City move back to the top of the table with an ultimately emphatic derby victory. They were and are much better than a diligent but limited United.
6.20pm GMT
90+2 min The magnificent David Silva gets a standing ovation as he is replaced by Phil Foden.
6.19pm GMT
90+1 min Young’s deep cross is flapped away by Ederson, an important interception with Fellaini waiting behind him. There will be three added minutes.
6.17pm GMT
90 min There were - and you’ll like this - 44 City passes in the build-up to that goal. They weren’t just passing the time after all.
6.17pm GMT
88 min David Silva plays a through pass towards Sane, who is flattened by Smalling just outside the area. The referee waves play on. I thought that was a foul, though you could also argue it was a legitimate hand-off.
6.15pm GMT
City kept the ball for an age before the goal. Eventually Bernardo Silva coaxed a nice pass over the defence to find Gundogan, who escaped the negligent Matic near the penalty spot. His first touch was lovely, killing the ball dead, and with his second he forced the ball past De Gea.
6.14pm GMT
City have won the derby!
6.14pm GMT
85 min Few teams are as good at passing the time at City, and United’s desperation to win it back is such that Romelu Lukaku breaks into a jog.
6.11pm GMT
83 min A bit of pressure down the left from United. Mata’s snapshot is blocked by a defender and then Matic loses the ball for once.
6.09pm GMT
81 min City pass the time for about 90 seconds before Gundogan shoots well wide from 25 yards.
6.08pm GMT
80 min City continue to frustrate United by keeping the ball away from them. Not even a Jose Mourinho side can score a late equaliser without the ball.
6.07pm GMT
77 min The crowd’s discomfort is more because of last year than how this game is going. United haven’t really created anything all day, with the penalty coming from an Ederson mistake.
6.04pm GMT
76 min Sterling’s superb through pass towards Sane is vitally intercepted by the sliding Ashley Young.
6.03pm GMT
75 min Another City change: Ilkay Gundogan comes on for Sergio Aguero. Sterling will go to centre forward and Bernardo Silva to the right.
6.03pm GMT
74 min Sanchez is fouled by Mendy, which allows United to send all their big lumps forward. City clear the free-kick and break four on four. Sterling finds Sane, who wafts wastefully over the bar from 20 yards.
6.01pm GMT
73 min United keep the ball for over a minute, probing for an opening. When the ball goes out of play, they make a double change: Mata and Sanchez replace Herrera and Rashford.
5.58pm GMT
70 min Fernandinho’s placed long-range shot is easily saved by De Gea. United are struggling to get out when they have the ball.
5.58pm GMT
70 min United have decent options on the bench, including Mata and Sanchez. I’m sure both will come on if it stays at 2-1.
5.57pm GMT
69 min Sane’s free-kick is nutted away by Lukaku.
5.56pm GMT
68 min Ederson’s aimless hoof finds Sane, who is fouled near the corner flag by Young.
5.55pm GMT
67 min City had a wobble after Martial’s goal but they are controlling the match again now. Sane beats three players and finds Fernandinho, whose stinging, deflected shot is beautifully held by De Gea as he plunges to his right.
5.53pm GMT
66 min “How many fouls does Fernandinho have to commit before referees card him, commentators mention him or MBMers point it out?” sniffs Sachin Paul. “Never seen a player get away with stopping so many counter attacks through fouls.”
It’s a shame we didn’t mention it twice in the first half.
5.53pm GMT
65 min The next goal in this game isn’t big, it’s bloody epochal.
5.53pm GMT
64 min An excellent spell for City, with Lindelof making a couple of important clearances at the near post.
5.51pm GMT
63 min “Anyone like Aguero’s new hair colour?” says Ezra Finkelstein. “Trying to channel Neymar I think.”
I thought he was trying to channel Martin Crane.
5.51pm GMT
62 min City try to calm everything down with some patient possession. They are also making a change, with Leroy Sane replacing Riyad Mahrez. I suspect Sterling will move across to the right.
5.48pm GMT
60 min All of a sudden the City fans - who were oléing at 2-0 - sound extremely nervous.
5.46pm GMT
I think that was Lukaku’s first touch. It was really poor goalkeeping from Ederson, who came a long way from his line to make a needless challenge. Lukaku was going nowhere.
5.46pm GMT
Martial sends Ederson the wrong way, a very calm penalty.
5.45pm GMT
Martial plays a fine through pass to Lukaku, who goes round Ederson and is taken down.
5.44pm GMT
57 min United make their first substitution, with Romelu Lukaku replacing Jesse Lingard. Rashford will move to the right wing.
5.44pm GMT
55 min: Sterling misses a great chance. Fernandinho put him through with a brilliant half-volleyed pass over the top. Sterling took the ball down nicely but then tried to turn back inside on the corner of the six-yard box and was crowded out.
5.42pm GMT
53 min United were 2-0 down on this ground last season and won the game. But - insight time - it’s not really a sustainable model.
5.40pm GMT
50 min “Neutral for this game but have to say I could watch David Silva play football all day,” says Colin Livingstone. “Not sure I’ve seen any player in the PL with quite the same combination of intelligence and ability.”
What’s even more impressive is that he’s playing like this in a relatively new position.
5.38pm GMT
49 min I suppose De Gea could have saved that - it went straight above his head - but he was hit with ferocious power from reasonably close range.
5.37pm GMT
This is a sizzling finish from Sergio Aguero. He collected the ball 40 yards out and charged towards the United area, moving slightly to the right in the process. Then he fronted up Lindelof, played a neat one-two with Mahrez and thundered a rising drive that went straight through the hands of De Gea at the near post.
5.36pm GMT
Pick that out!
5.34pm GMT
47 min “Mahrez doesn’t quite fit, he holds the ball too long and isn’t quick enough in his passing,” says Will Oliver. “Or am I wrong?”
I know what you mean. He’s a glorious player but he’s not a perfect fit for a Pep Guardiola team. But then nor was Raheem Sterling, and looky what a couple of years’ training did for him. It’ll be really interesting to see how Mahrez develops in the next year or two.
5.33pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! United get the second half under way.
5.27pm GMT
“Since that whack to the head, Herrera has been all over the place,” says Benjamin Yeo. “I wonder if he the cursory check by the Utd medical crew was really enough. Herrera had to hold on to the referee to stay upright after his knock and he has been a mess since his on-field ‘check-up’. What do you think about the on-field concussion procedures?”
I’m no expert – I know! – but they seem almost entirely inadequate. That said, I don’t think he’s concussed today, he’s just having a bit of a Karius.
5.18pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: Jordan Pickford and resolute Everton frustrate Chelsea in stalemate
5.18pm GMT
Peep peep! City lead through the majestic David Silva’s early goal. The match was painfully one-sided in the first 15 minutes but since then United have had a decent share, albeit without really threatening an equaliser. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
5.16pm GMT
44 min Bernardo Silva plays an imaginative pass behind Smalling for Aguero, who crunches a shot into the side netting from a very tight angle.
5.15pm GMT
44 min City’s fans appeal for a penalty when Fernandinho’s header hits a United defender in the area. We haven’t seen a replay so - I’ll be honest - I haven’t a clue what happened.
5.13pm GMT
42 min Shaw is booked for an inappropriate wrestling manoeuvre on Mahrez.
5.12pm GMT
40 min It’s an odd thing to say given the scoreline but I think United will be the happier team at half-time if it stays like this. They are right in the game, which looked unlikely after the first 15 minutes.
5.11pm GMT
39 min Rashford plays a fine reverse pass for Martial, who takes a fraction too long on the ball and allows Fernandinho to block his shot. That was half a chance.
5.09pm GMT
38 min “‘Fernandinho is fortunate to get away without a yellow card for a cynical foul’,” says Rob Glynn. “Copy this to save time for the next Man City game.”
You’re just jealous of Project Longbow mate.
5.07pm GMT
36 min As Gary Neville points out on Sky, the pace of the game has really dropped. That’s a surprise as a quicker pace suits City rather than United.
5.06pm GMT
35 min Sterling plays a one-two with Aguero and hits an instinctive shot that deflects off Lindelof and through to De Gea. Sterling has been City’s best player so far along with David Silva.
5.04pm GMT
33 min Bernardo Silva is booked for a lunge at Rashford.
5.04pm GMT
32 min “That entry in the 25th minute,” says Michael Garton. “’Deep dross’ is the perfect term for the type of football United have been playing in recent years.”
I’m nothing if not unwittingly poetic.
5.03pm GMT
31 min Laporte wafts a long-range shot into orbit. City haven’t been at their best in the last 15 minutes or so.
5.00pm GMT
29 min Fellaini is having an outstanding game defensively.
4.58pm GMT
26 min Stones is down. He blocked that Martial shot with, well, his stones. After a minute or so on his haunches, he’s fine to continue.
4.57pm GMT
25 min Martial’s shot from 20 yards is blocked by Stones. Moments later, Smalling loops a header onto the roof of the net from Lingard’s deep dross. It wasn’t much of a chance, with no real pace on the ball. United are looking better after a torrid start.
4.56pm GMT
25 min Fernandinho is fortunate to get away without a yellow card for a cynical foul on Lingard.
4.56pm GMT
24 min Herrera again has his pocket picked, this time by Aguero on the halfway line. Aguero runs to the edge of the area before slipping as he tries to shoot.
4.53pm GMT
22 min The game has calmed down slightly after that blistering start. City are still very much in control.
4.53pm GMT
21 min I can understand why Mourinho preferred the mobility of Lingard, but United are missing Juan Mata’s composure in possession. It looks like a hot potato whenever they get it.
4.51pm GMT
20 min “City may be money dopers,” says Ian Copestake, “but they sure work hard for their inflated coin.”
4.50pm GMT
18 min United enjoy a bit of possession for the first time before Martial loses the ball to Walker.
4.48pm GMT
17 min Sterling nicks the ball off Herrera, who redeems himself with a fine challenge in his own area. This has been the most exhilarating start from City.
4.47pm GMT
16 min Fellaini wins a corner for United. Rashford’s inswinger is headed away by Fernandinho.
4.46pm GMT
13 min Mahrez finds Bernardo Silva, whose shot is blocked desperately by Smalling. United are in serious danger of being taken apart here.
4.44pm GMT
The goal was created by Sterling, who teased Young on the left and curled a superb deep cross that bounced up behind Shaw to find Bernardo Silva. He helped the ball back across goal towards Aguero, who fell over under challenge from Smalling. City were in the process of appealing for a penalty when David Silva collected the loose ball and rammed it into the net from close range.
4.43pm GMT
It’s been coming.
4.42pm GMT
12 min City have had 87 per cent of the possession so far.
4.42pm GMT
11 min I’m not sure Martial or Rashford have had a kick yet. Fellaini, meanwhile, is doing some vital defensive work for United.
4.40pm GMT
9 min Aguero’s header is cleared off the line by Young, though he’d been penalised for a foul on Herrera.
4.39pm GMT
8 min Mahrez teases Shaw and wins a corner. United are under so much pressure already.
4.39pm GMT
7 min City look in the mood to not just beat United but give them a hiding.
4.38pm GMT
6 min David Silva clips a lovely pass over Young to find Sterling, who takes the ball down nicely on the run and hits a shot that is deflected behind by Smalling. That move started with a chipped pass over Martial by the keeper Ederson.
4.37pm GMT
6 min The match has started exactly as we expected, with City completely dominating possession.
4.36pm GMT
4 min That was a chance for City. A sweet first-time pass from Fernandino released David Silva on the left of the box. He squared the ball perfectly for Aguero, who got his feet in a tangle and completely missed the ball 10 yards from goal.
4.34pm GMT
3 min “Come on, Jose!” says Matt Dony. “It’s a rare day I find myself supporting Everton and United. Very happy with Chelsea being limited to one point, now I’d love to see a Jose special; frustrating Pep and pooing merrily all over the idea of entertainment, before flipping off the entire stadium and attributing the victory to the fact that Pogba wasn’t playing. Ok, so maybe none of that will happen. But, it’s Jose. You just never know...”
We’ll miss him when he’s gone.
4.34pm GMT
2 min City keep the ball for the first 75 seconds before Bernardo Silva lashes a long-range shot just wide. De Gea had it covered I think but that’s quite a start from City. United’s first touch (I think) will be a De Gea goalkick.
4.31pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! City kick off from left to right. They are in blue; United are in red.
4.29pm GMT
“Correction....” says David Hackwood. “David Moyes did not buy Phil Jones. It was Sir Alex who bought Mr Jones, who was a very promising centre back at the time.”
Thanks David. Me and my memory!
4.27pm GMT
Sir Alex Ferguson is at the game today and looks in good form. He actually bought more members of this United starting XI than Jose Mourinho.
4.25pm GMT
The players emerge from the tunnel to the usual strains of Fatboy Slim’s Right Here, Right Now. Before the match, everyone in the ground will pay tribute to those who died during the First World War.
4.23pm GMT
Brazen pluggery
Have you seen this film about football’s greatest fraud? If not, do yourself a favour.
4.23pm GMT
“That is an expensively assembled set of bums warming the United bench,” says Phil Grey. “Phil Jones «only» cost £16.5m seven years ago, but what about the others?”
I still can’t believe David Moyes spent that much on Phil Jones.
4.04pm GMT
An email! “The Manchester Derby, and not even the derby match I’m looking forward to most today,” says Adam Hirst. “If you want a real atmosphere, don’t miss this one!”
Oh I’ll be watching, counting the red cards with a guilty grin on my big dumb coupon.
3.39pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Fernandinho: ‘I always listen to Pep, even at my age I can improve’
Related: Mourinho still rankled by Agüero while Guardiola backs Sterling before derby
Related: Manchester City v Manchester United: match preview
3.37pm GMT
If you want some pre-match action, Daniel Harris is following Chelsea v Everton. You’ll not believe the score!
Related: Chelsea v Everton: Premier League – live!
3.34pm GMT
Paul Pogba is out with injury, while Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez are on the bench. City’s team is as expected.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3) Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy; Fernandinho; B Silva, D Silva; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Substitutes: Muric, Kompany, Gundogan, Delph, Foden, Sane, Jesus.
1.49pm GMT
The build-up to this Manchester derby has the perfect balance of excitement and fear for both teams. City will hope to beat United at home for the first time in four years, and perhaps to give them a rare old hiding. United will hope to win consecutive league games at City for the first time since the mid-90s, when City had a seemingly incurable case of Cityitis.
City and United have demonstrated their health in different ways of late. For United, ‘late’ is the operative word. In the last month they have come from behind to beat Newcastle, Bournemouth and Juventus with last-minute goals. City, by contrast, have been so superior that most of their matches have been over after half an hour.
Related: Play the United way: how Mourinho can unhinge Manchester City in derby | Jonathan Wilson
Continue reading...Liverpool 2-0 Fulham: Premier League – as it happened
Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri scored either side of half-time to give Liverpool a comfortable win over Fulham at Anfield
2.05pm GMT
Liverpool 2-0 Fulham
I’ll leave you with our match report from Anfield. Thanks for your company - bye!
Related: Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri pounces to heighten Fulham misery
2.03pm GMT
Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were up for the post-match interviews. They said nothing of note, though there was a nice bit of craic about their competition to see who gets the most assists this season. Both got one today; Robertson leads 5-2.
1.53pm GMT
More live football
Related: Chelsea v Everton: Premier League – live!
Related: England v Sweden: women's international football friendly – live!
1.50pm GMT
Peep peep! Liverpool go top of the table – for a couple of hours at least – with an ultimately comfortable win over Fulham. The match hinged on an unusual incident just before half-time: Aleksandar Mitrovic had a goal dubiously disallowed, and 14 seconds later Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead at the other end. The impressive Xherdan Shaqiri added a lovely second goal just after the break, and the rest of the match was a training exercise.
1.47pm GMT
90 min Three minutes of added time.
1.46pm GMT
88 min Firmino’s shot kicks up awkwardly in front of Rico, who shovels it away. Moments later, Salah’s curler hits the head of Mawson.
1.46pm GMT
87 min “I don’t think football culture in England is the problem,” says Johny Bennett. “The atmosphere in the Championship is absolutely fine. I’m a Norwich fan and the difference in noise when we intermittently get promoted to the top flight the difference in the noise levels is striking. Too many tourists and entitled supporters I imagine, with lots of fans priced out of the game.”
1.44pm GMT
86 min This match is being played at walking pace, in a noise-free stadium. It’s the best league in the world!
1.41pm GMT
85 min Mitrovic blooters high and wide from 25 yards.
1.40pm GMT
85 min “Agree that Firmino ties the Gegenpressing Room together for Liverpool and that he’s had a bit of a World Cup hangover,” says Scott Oliver, “but this raises several questions: (1) Who peed on said rug? (2) Should Klopp go back to Dortmund in the January window, claiming to Brandt (there must be a Brandt there) that he’s been told he can take any rug in the house? (3) If he took ‘Rolls’ Reus, would someone quickly reclaim it on the basis that it holds sentimental value for them? (4) Is it true that Klopp’s faith in the off-colour Bobby because all he ever wanted was his rug back?”
1.40pm GMT
84 min Another Fulham change, Johansen for Anguissa.
1.38pm GMT
82 min Vietto has come on for Schurrle.
1.38pm GMT
81 min The impressive Xherdan Shaqiri is replaced by James Milner. He’s a really good option for Liverpool, especially at home.
1.37pm GMT
80 min There is precisely bugger all to report. Liverpool are keeping the ball without any trouble.
1.34pm GMT
78 min “Is Ben Jordan saying that Mitrovic’s foot was over the line?” says Niall Mullen.
1.33pm GMT
77 min Henderson finds the relentless Robertson, who plays a one-two with Mane and stands up a cross that is headed away by Odoi. Fulham break and Gomez is belatedly booked for another cynical foul on Mitrovic.
1.29pm GMT
73 min “So,” says Ben Jordan. “If Firmino is the rug, is Klopp the Dude?”
He will be when he patrols the technical area in a dressing-gown.
1.28pm GMT
71 min Both sides know the match is over, and in the last 10 minutes it has had the intensity of a Nations League game.
1.26pm GMT
70 min “Given, well, everything about City Liverpool are not allowed any missteps if they want to make any sort of title challenge,” says Niall Mullen. “Reminds me of the restaurant owner in Goodfellas who has to pay the mob regardless: ‘Oh you have some injuries? F@&* you, 3 points. Oh there was a poor refereeing decision? F@&* you, 3 points. Oh you had 6 matches in 2 weeks? F@&* you, 3 points.’”
1.25pm GMT
69 min A Liverpool change: Jordan Henderson replaces Georginio Wijnaldum.
1.25pm GMT
68 min Alexander-Arnold slams the free-kick into the wall - specifically the face of Seri, who is leaving the field for treatment.
1.24pm GMT
67 min Salah is fouled in the D by Mawson. Unlucky, Alf. Salah and Shaqiri, the goalscorers, are over the ball, and now Alexander-Arnold has joined them...
1.23pm GMT
67 min This game is over. The rest is detail.
1.22pm GMT
65 min “Might want to point out the reason that Chambers tackle could be a red in the ‘current climate’ is it could easily be a broken ankle regardless of the weather,” says Thomas Johanessen. “It was a horrible tackle.”
1.21pm GMT
64 min “Hi Rob,” says Patrick. “If you have a look at this screenshot of the Mitrovic goal [which I can’t upload because I just can’t – Smyth], see where the imposed offside line starts on the near touch line is wider than when it finishes at the top. This is a problem of perspective! I’m no mathematician, but think this is a well-known problem in geometry and especially map making - there are no straight lines in the universe! In conclusion: Mitrović was offside.”
VAR’s going to be great fun next season.
1.19pm GMT
63 min A Fulham change, with Jean Michael Seri replacing Tom Cairney.
1.19pm GMT
62 min Liverpool break through Firmino, who waits and waits and waits some more while Robertson makes a storming run to his left. Eventually Firmino lays it nicely into his path, and Robertson hits a first-time shot across goal that is palmed away by the diving Rico. He’s had a fine game and that was another excellent save.
1.17pm GMT
61 min “As long as we’re talking about the Anfield atmosphere,” says Garth Travers, “we need to point out that it’s a midday kickoff on a Sunday.”
Good thing we didn’t point that out in the third minute of the match.
1.16pm GMT
59 min Chambers is booked for a lunge at Salah. His studs were showing and in the current climate that might have been a red card.
1.15pm GMT
59 min Firmino, not for the first time this season, has been very quiet. He is the key to this Liverpool team, the rug that really ties the room together. There’s no logical reason why this 4-2-3-1 system shouldn’t suit him - he could play anywhere - but perhaps it has affected him in ways I’m not intelligent enough to spot.
1.14pm GMT
57 min Fulham know it’s over, still they cling, they don’t know where else they can go, until 1.45pm anyway.
1.13pm GMT
56 min “It’s a good point re the Bundesliga,” says Tim Woods. “I have also been to Bundesliga II games (Union Berlin), which also kick off on Sunday lunchtime sometimes, and the atmosphere is always excellent. Apart from cheaper ticket (and beer) prices, I don’t really know why though. I can assure you Germans aren’t naturally more vivacious or prone to singing than us in their everyday life.”
Ticket prices is the big thing but there’s also a much better football culture.
1.11pm GMT
55 min Fulham have done a lot of good things in this game but this could get messy for them now.
1.10pm GMT
That was a lovely finish. It came when a corner was only partially cleared by Fulham. Van Dijk played the ball back to Robertson, who hit a deep, booming cross to find Shaqiri in loads of space at the far post. He finished superbly, cushioning a volley across Rico and into the corner.
1.09pm GMT
For a few hours at least, Liverpool are going back to the top of the league.
1.09pm GMT
53 min: Great effort from Mane! He danced away from Chambers and struck a ferocious rising drive from 25 yards that was excellently palmed away by the leaping Rico.
1.08pm GMT
52 min Gomez is lucky not to be booked for a cynical foul on Mitrovic.
1.07pm GMT
51 min There’s a very flat atmosphere at the start of the second half. You can hear the players shouting to each other, which is astonishing really. This is Anfield.
1.06pm GMT
48 min “Rob,” says Mark Lomas. “You’re not seriously comparing the atmosphere at the biggest game in German football with a bog-standard home game between second in the league and bottom of the league? For big games, the atmosphere at grounds in the UK more than holds its own.”
I don’t agree with that at all, unless you’ve been time-travelling. I’d also argue the atmosphere for bog-standard home games in the Bundesliga (and many other leagues) is miles better.
1.02pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.
12.54pm GMT
Replays on BT Sport suggest Mitrovic’s shoulder was offside, but they also point out that the linesman couldn’t see properly because his view was blocked - and that the ball was moving when Alisson took the free-kick that ultimately led to the goal. So the moral score is probably Liverpool 0-0 Fulham.
12.52pm GMT
“Hi Rob,” says Woolie Madden. “Hope you’re having a nice Sunday. It has to be said that Anfield is embarrassingly quiet today. I know this game doesn’t have quite the same import, but I watched Dortmund-Bayern last night and there’s just a world of difference - even when Dortmund were behind the crowd were giving it their all. You can actually hear the photojournalists’ camera shutters going off, which is pretty bad for a stadium of 55,000 people.”
Yeah, and what’s worse is that it’s the norm for English grounds. What have they done to English football?
12.49pm GMT
That was a lively end to the half, eh. See you in 10 minutes for the second half. Meantime, here’s something to read.
Related: Play the United way: how Mourinho can unhinge Manchester City in derby | Jonathan Wilson
12.46pm GMT
Peep peep!
12.46pm GMT
45+1 min That end-to-end swing brought to mind one of the great moments in modern football: Troy Deeney’s orgiastic goal for Watford against Leicester in 2013.
Related: Golden Goal: Troy Deeney for Watford v Leicester (2013) | Nick Miller
12.45pm GMT
45 min Fulham have been excellent, particularly going forward, and will still think they can get something out of this. That said, you’d fancy Liverpool to score at least one more in the second half.
12.44pm GMT
44 min Another chance for Fulham! Cairney takes a poor touch on the edge of the area but recovers to find Mitrovic, whose unconvincing low shot is saved by the diving Alisson.
12.42pm GMT
Fulham should be 1-0 up; instead they are 1-0 down. Mitrovic had a smart header disallowed - wrongly, I think - after a well-worked short corner. Alisson took a quick free-kick to Alexander-Arnold, who curled an excellent pass behind the defence for Salah. He ran through on goal and slotted the ball calmly past Rico. To compound Fulham’s frustration, Mitrovic was probably onside. It was very close and I think he was level with Robertson.
12.41pm GMT
And now Liverpool are ahead!
12.41pm GMT
41 min: Mitrovic has a goal disallowed for Fulham!
12.38pm GMT
38 min Mane escapes Christie and then overruns the ball, prompting groans from the crowd. It’s been a frustrating half for Liverpool.
12.38pm GMT
37 min “Rob, the BT commentators didn’t pick up on this and you haven’t mentioned it either, but maybe somebody can shed some light: why didn’t Liverpool get a corner when Salah’s shot was tipped wide by Rico?” says Seb Patrick. “I know it’s churlish to moan about not getting a corner fifteen minutes or so after the fact, I’m just worried I’ve missed a major rule change, because surely the ref didn’t think the keeper hadn’t touched it?”
Yes, that’s exactly what happened. In fairness to the referee, it’s not like he punched it out for a throw-in.
12.35pm GMT
35 min Mane’s cutback from the left deflects into the path of Shaqiri, who screws a shot just wide from the edge of the box.
12.34pm GMT
34 min Sessegnon moves smartly away from van Dijk before smashing high over the bar from a tight angle. He’s looking dangerous for Fulham.
12.32pm GMT
32 min ... and his free-kick hits the wall.
12.32pm GMT
32 min Anguissa fouls Fabinho 25 yards from goal, to the right of centre. This looks like one for Shaqiri...
12.31pm GMT
31 min Shaqiri and Salah have looked sharp for Liverpool; Firmino and Mane less so.
12.30pm GMT
29 min Another chance for Fulham! After nice play from Sessegnon and Cairney, Schurrle’s low shot from 20 yards is spilled by the diving Alisson, who is lucky that it lands at the feet of van Dijk rather than Mitrovic.
12.28pm GMT
29 min Rico is going to be booked for timewasting in a minute. He’s taking an age over every goalkick.
12.28pm GMT
28 min Mane makes space on the edge of the area and curls miles over the bar.
12.25pm GMT
24 min: What a chance for Fulham! Rico’s long goalkick was headed on by Mitrovic to Sessegnon, who bumbled past Gomez and through on goal. He struck a firm low shot from the edge of the area which beat Alisson and curled this far wide of the far post. He’ll feel he should have scored.
12.22pm GMT
22 min: Another chance for Liverpool! Shaqiri lifts a cute pass over the top for Salah, who whistles a half-volley towards goal from a tight angle with his right foot. Rico shows excellent reactions, moving smartly to his right to beat the shot away.
12.21pm GMT
21 min “And I’ve got Firmino as captain,” weeps Matt Dony. “Between the two of us, I think we’ve pretty much guaranteed another flat attacking performance. I hate Fantasy Football. But I keep crawling back to it, like the weak-willed loser I am.”
Don’t be so harsh on yourself. You’re not willed, etc.
12.20pm GMT
20 min Fabinho drives an angled pass over the top for Alexander-Arnold, who tries an imaginative lobbed header on the run which lands on the roof of the net. Rico had it covered. Yet again Alexander-Arnold got the wrong side of Sessegnon.
12.19pm GMT
18 min Fulham are working very hard defensively. It feels like a goal is going to come sooner rather than later, though.
12.16pm GMT
16 min: Rico makes a vital save from Salah! The build up between Firmino and Salah was gorgeous, a double one-two at speed just outside the area. Salah then slithered past Odoi before stabbing a close-range shot that was smothered by the keeper.
12.14pm GMT
14 min Liverpool have a ball on from left to right all the time, with Shaqiri and especially Alexander-Arnold constantly in space.
12.13pm GMT
13 min Firmino sweeps the ball across the field to Shaqiri, who moves forward and slams a fine low shot just wide from 25 yards. Rico had it covered - he might have got a touch in fact - but it was beautfully hit.
12.12pm GMT
12 min Fulham look mildly dangerous on the break. They haven’t come just to defend. Liverpool are dominating the game but could do with moving the ball a bit faster.
12.11pm GMT
12.10pm GMT
10 min Fulham win their first corner, to be taken by Schurrle. His outswinger is lumped away by Robertson at the near post.
12.09pm GMT
9 min It’s so quiet at Anfield.
12.06pm GMT
6 min Shaqiri delays before finding Alexander-Arnold, who flashes a rising cross over everyone. Liverpool are looking dangerous.
12.04pm GMT
4 min: Mane misses a great chance. Alexander-Arnold’s bouncing cross was miscontrolled by Firmino but fell nicely for Mane, who struck it well wide from 12 yards. Prat’s my Fantasy League captain an’ all.
12.04pm GMT
3 min It’s been a slow start on the field and a quiet one off it. I suppose early kick-offs don’t help in either regard. Remember that period from (I think) 1996-98 when some Sky games kicked off at 11.15am? That was a challenge for the alcohol-loving supporter.
12.02pm GMT
2 min It looks like both teams are playing 4-2-3-1 - Liverpool with Salah up front, Fulham with Cairney behind Mitrovic.
12.00pm GMT
1 min Fulham, in white, kick off from left to right. Liverpool are in red.
12.00pm GMT
After an immaculate minute’s silence to mark Armistice Day, the players assume their positions.
11.39am GMT
“A very fine morning to you,” says Armchair Ian Copestake. “My support of Liverpool is fear-based: the fear in particular of losing to the bottom side and losing ground on the impossibles above us while having a shedload of narratives plunge down upon us from tomorrow. That aside I’m optimistic.”
It’s weird, isn’t it? Liverpool haven’t even lost a league game yet it already feels like their title challenge is hanging by a thread because of City’s form.
11.38am GMT
“Performance?” sniffs Tim Woods. “Bah. As a Liverpool fan, I’d happily take 27 utterly, mind-numbingly tedious 1-0 wins if it handed us the title. I just want this long, agonising, self-entitled 29 year (and counting) wait to be over.”
11.37am GMT
Pre-match interviews
Jurgen Klopp
11.30am GMT
‘Remember when’ is the lowest form of conversation
11.16am GMT
Pre-match reading and that
Related: Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp: Uefa must take action if any club flouts FFP rules
Related: Liverpool v Fulham: match preview
11.05am GMT
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Shaqiri, Firmino, Mane; Salah.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Moreno, Lovren, Keita, Milner, Henderson, Sturridge.
Fulham (4-2-3-1) Rico; Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Le Marchand; Anguissa, Chambers; Schurrle, Cairney, Sessegnon; Mitrovic.
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Ream, Fosu-Mensah, Kebano, Johansen, Seri, Vietto.
8.01am GMT
Morning. It’s quite wrong to say football is a results business. It’s far more demanding and cut-throat than that. There is more focus on performances and style than ever before - as well as the same expectaton when it comes to results. The only way to keep everyone happy is to win the league with 100 points and some of the most stylish football ever seen in Britain, and even then they’ll moan about Project Longbow and sportswashing.
Even the neutrals have become entitled. Why aren’t you, Liverpool, entertaining me, Armchair Bob, like you did last season? On results alone, Liverpool have had a great start to the season, yet there is a slightly strange mood around the team. They could be top of the Premier League tonight, for flip’s sake. But they haven’t played the same spectacular football as last season due to the absence of their star man, Maurice Jo.
Continue reading...November 10, 2018
Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened
The impressive Juan Foyth’s header secured Spurs’ seventh away win of the Premier League season on a filthy night at Selhurst Park
7.40pm GMT
Paul MacInnes’ match report has landed, so it’s time for me to do one. Thanks for your company, bye!
Related: Juan Foyth scores first career goal to give Tottenham win at Crystal Palace
7.36pm GMT
Post-match interviews
Juan Foyth “The most important thing is that we played well. The first half was difficult for us but we won. I had to learn from the two penalties [at Wolves] and I think that experience has been good for me.”
7.23pm GMT
Peep peep! Spurs win away from home for the seventh time in the league this season. They had to work very hard on a filthy evening in south London, but the excellent Juan Foyth’s header gave them a deserved victory. They have sure learned how to win ugly this season.
7.20pm GMT
90+3 min There will be five minutes of added time. Spurs are wasting much of it down by the corner flag.
7.19pm GMT
90+2 min Spurs break superbly from the Palace corner, and Son looks set to score when Kelly appears from nowhere to make a fantastic tackle just inside the area.
7.19pm GMT
90+1 min: What a chance for Sorloth! Milivojevic’s long-range shot hit a Spurs defender and fell perfectlly for him in the area. He took a touch and smashed a left-footed shot from eight yards that was brilliantly blocked by Lloris. It was a great save but Sorloth should really have scored.
7.17pm GMT
89 min Palace are running out of time. They’re a solid, hard-working side but they have inevitably struggled without Wilfried Zaha.
7.14pm GMT
86 min Milivojevic’s whipped free-kick skims off the head of a Spurs defender and flashes across the face of goal. This is Palace’s most dominant spell of the match.
7.13pm GMT
85 min Ayew is fouled down the right, almost on the byline. Winks is booked for dissent.
7.13pm GMT
84 min Palace are starting to bombard Spurs with crosses. Van Aanholt plays a fine one-two with Ayew and hits a low cross-shot that deflects to Townsend near the penalty spot. He controls the ball with his chest and swivels to hit a volley that is comfortably saved by Lloris.
7.10pm GMT
83 min After hitting that shot Schlupp landed on Lamela, who has a gash on his forehead and a line of blood down his face and is receiving treatment. The Palace fans boo Lamela, who eventually walks groggily off the pitch to be replaced by Harry Winks.
7.08pm GMT
80 min Good save from Lloris! Schlupp hit one sweetly from 25 yards with his right foot, and Lloris plunged to his left to palm it away.
7.05pm GMT
77 min Palace have been unlucky in a few games this season but they can’t really complain about this score. Though they haven’t created many chances, Spurs have controlled the game almost throughout.
7.03pm GMT
75 min Schlupp’s crisp low cross from the left is bravely claimed at the near post by Lloris.
7.01pm GMT
74 min Palace are starting to look resigned to defeat.
6.59pm GMT
72 min A Spurs substitution: Son replaces the lively if sometimes wasteful Lucas Moura.
6.59pm GMT
71 min “Rob, are you staying on to guide us through Boca vs River, Libertadores final, at La Bombonera... on a waterlogged pitch?!?!” says Simon Cook. “Come on, you must be tempted!!”
I was very tempted to sit on the sofa with a nice booze and count the red cards, but it’s been postponed hasn’t it?
6.58pm GMT
70 min Palace make their final change, Alexander Sorloth for James McArthur.
6.56pm GMT
68 min Hennessey springs from his line to make two vital interceptions in the space of a minute, first from Moura and then Lamela.
6.55pm GMT
66 min Jeffrey Schlupp replaces the disappointing Max Meyer for Palace.
6.55pm GMT
What a lovely moment for the kid who gave away two penalties last weekend. Lamela’s corner from the left was met by Kane, whose stooping header hit McArthur in the six-yard box. The ball looped up in the air, and Foyth reacted quickest to head past Hennessey.
6.54pm GMT
The young defender Juan Foyth gives Spurs the lead!
6.52pm GMT
65 min Lots of Spurs possession again. They’ve had around 70 per cent in the match, but Hennessey hasn’t had any really difficult saves to make.
6.51pm GMT
63 min Despite the admirable endeavour of both sides, this hasn’t been the most entertaining of games.
6.47pm GMT
59 min Palace make their first change, with Martin Kelly replacing the injured James Tomkins.
6.45pm GMT
57 min Now it’s Spurs’ turn to win a couple of corners in quick succession. Nothing comes of either, but it’s the thought that counts.
6.42pm GMT
54 min Another chance from a set piece for Palace. Milivojevic drilled a right-wing corner beyond the far post, where Tomkins got away from Alli and headed wide from six yards. That was an excellent chance. As Chris Sutton says on BT Sport, he needed to go back across goal rather than aim for the near side.
6.40pm GMT
52 min This is a decent spell for Palace, who look especially dangerous from set pieces.
6.38pm GMT
50 min A chance for Palace. When a corner goes through Lloris’s hands, Tomkins loops a header towards goal. Lloris scrambles back towards his line and manages to flap the ball clear under pressure.
6.36pm GMT
49 min A quiet start to the second half. In fact I cannot think of a single thing worth mentioning, except that there’s nothing to mention.
6.36pm GMT
48 min Spurs appear to have moved Lamela behind Kane, with Alli moving deeper and Sissoko to the right.
6.35pm GMT
47 min “Hi Rob,” says Wayne Ziants. “This has probably been mentioned elsewhere, but the commentators on our Canadian feed have shared the fascinating fact that out of the last 26 goals scored in this fixture, 25 were scored in the second half. So, I’m staying tuned.”
6.33pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Spurs get the second half under way.
6.25pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: Salomón Rondón’s double against Bournemouth keeps Newcastle going forward
Related: Felipe Anderson strike earns West Ham draw after Huddersfield’s rapid start
6.17pm GMT
Peep peep! A half of few chances, though both sides have worked hard in dismal conditions. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
6.17pm GMT
45+1 min Moura is flattened by Kouyate, giving Spurs a free-kick on the right wing. Lamela’s inswinger is flapped away by Hennessey, and that should be that.
6.13pm GMT
42 min A chance for Moura. He arrived late at the far post to meet Aurier’s dangerous cross, but he has to stretch and could only head over the bar from four yards. Spurs are looking more threatening, particularly through crosses from the full-backs.
6.11pm GMT
40 min Tomkins is booked for a foul on Lucas Moura.
6.09pm GMT
38 min It’s still pouring down, as it has throughout the match.
6.08pm GMT
37 min After a lovely move from Spurs, Aurier’s chipped cross just clears the stretching Lucas Moura in front of goal.
6.08pm GMT
36 min “This is very predictable so far,” says Jeremy Dresner. “Low block and solid well organised defensive lines from CP. Spurs can’t break through or make hay with crosses. Lamela and Moura’s style suffers on a very heavy pitch. Dele is not fully back to match sharpness. The answer to unlocking this is on the bench. His name is Eriksen.”
Yes. Spurs have a terrific squad, full of technical players, but when Eriksen doesn’t play they have a slightly sexless beauty.
6.06pm GMT
34 min Apart from that one dodgy backpass, Foyth has been steady for Spurs. It’s been quite a nice game to be a defender, though, as Spurs have had around 70 per cent of the possession.
6.01pm GMT
30 min Milivojevic lets the ball run across his body and loses it to Kane, who moves forward and hits a wobbling shot from 25 yards that is palmed behind by the diving Hennessey. It was a fairly comfortable save.
5.59pm GMT
28 min Another terrific cross from Davies is headed tamely wide of the far post by Alli. That was the best chance so far. It looked like he tried to steer it back across towards Kane, but he is such a good finisher with his head that he should probably have gone for goal.
5.57pm GMT
26 min Trippier’s departure has ruined a good acronym - before he went off the defence was Davies, Alderweireld, Foyth and Trippier.
5.56pm GMT
25 min A beautiful cross from Davies just clears Kane at the far post. Aurier whacks it speculatively back into the area and Tomkins clears.
5.54pm GMT
23 min Another injury for Tottenham. Kieran Trippier is limping off with a leg injury and has been replaced by Serge Aurier.
5.53pm GMT
21 min This is a good game. That shot from Sissoko might have been swerving just wide of the far post but it was still a terrific block from Sakho.
5.52pm GMT
19 min Spurs restore calm by keeping the ball for a couple of minutes. Then Sissoko explodes into life with a thrilling run infield from the left. He runs straight through three players, neatly evades a fourth and smacks a close-range shot that is brilliantly blocked by Sakho.
5.48pm GMT
17 min An abysmal backpass from Foyth goes out for a Palace corner, but it comes to nothing.
5.47pm GMT
16 min A long ball forward from Sakho finds Townsend, who rattles a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.
5.47pm GMT
16 min “I know it’s been remarked on before (probably by you, Rob), but what a nostalgic pleasure to hear Roy Hodgson refer to Arsenal as The Arsenal,” says Charles Antaki. “At some point being true to yourself risks being seen as old and unadaptable, which, when it comes, will be a sorry fate for a decent man with decent footballing values.”
I wouldn’t say I have decent footballing values.
5.47pm GMT
15 min Wan-Bissaka wins a corner for Palace, who are having an excellent spell. It’s driven beyond the far post to Tomkins, who heads gently wide under pressure from Alli.
5.45pm GMT
13 min Lucas Moura saves Spurs with a superb defensive header. Ayew played a good pass down the left side of the box to Townsend, who stood up a deep cross to McArthur. He headed back across goal towards Kouyate, who was shaping for an overhead kick from six yards when Lucas Moura - Lucas Moura! - appeared from nowhere to head clear.
5.43pm GMT
12 min Townsend seems okay now, so.
5.42pm GMT
11 min Andros Townsend is limping. I was going to say that’s a worry for Palace, but I don’t want to insult your intelligence.
5.42pm GMT
9 min Spurs are enjoying their usual hypnotic possession. After another patient move, Trippier’s dipping cross is bundled behind for the corner by the diving Sakho. Nothing comes of the corner.
5.38pm GMT
7 min Ayew wins the first corner of the match for Palace. Milivojevic floats it towards the far post, where Lloris comes and misses his attempted punch. Thankfully for him the ball clears everyone and he gets away with it.
5.37pm GMT
6 min Spurs have started with lots of possession, as you’d expect. Palace’s two banks of four look well organised as ever.
5.34pm GMT
4 min Milivojevic heads the ball over the top for Ayew, who is dispossessed smartly by Foyth.
5.32pm GMT
2 min For the tactics fetishists, Spurs are playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sissoko in central midfield and Alli behind Kane.
5.31pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Crystal Palace, in red and blue, get the match under way. Spurs are in white. It really is lashing down.
5.26pm GMT
5.23pm GMT
It’s pelting down at Selhurst Park. Football in the rain, as nature intended.
5.15pm GMT
Mauricio Pochettino speaks “We are doing very well away from home. It’s important to win and keep our good position in the table. Davinson Sanchez felt his hamstring at the end of the PSV game which is why he is not in the squad.”
5.08pm GMT
This is a good stat on BT Sport Palace have lost their last 12 league games without Wilfried Zaha.
5.05pm GMT
Roy Hodgson speaks “Wilf Zaha felt a slight pull in his hamstring towards the end of the Chelsea game so he’s unavailable. Tottenham are a very good team with so many players who can construct a goal. All we can do is try to do what we did against the Arsenal and against Chelsea: work very hard, be compact and hope that we can keep them at bay. Who knows, we might find some space at the edge of their box as well.”
4.56pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Tottenham’s Harry Kane judged in an extreme way, says Mauricio Pochettino
Related: Crystal Palace v Tottenham: match preview
4.36pm GMT
Related: Leicester v Burnley, FA Cup first round and more: football clockwatch – live!
4.34pm GMT
Crystal Palace (4-4-2) Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; McArthur, Kouyate, Milivojevic, Meyer; Townsend, Ayew.
Substitutes: Guaita, Ward, Schlupp, Kelly, Riedewald, Puncheon, Sorloth.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Trippier, Foyth, Alderweireld, Davies; Sissoko, Wanyama; Lamela, Alli, Moura; Kane.
Substitutes: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Winks, Dier, Eriksen, Son, Llorente.
3.47pm GMT
Hello. Crystal Palace aren’t quite glum all over but it’s been a frustrating season. They have been unfortunate on a few occasions - you should see their expected goals, mate - and have picked up only eight points in 11 games. They’ve won just two matches, one for each bank of four - and both of those were away, which is a surprise for a team with arguably the best home support in the league.
It’s been a bit of a strange season for Spurs, too. They have lost almost all their big games and have been nowhere near their seductive best, yet they are still in the Champions League, just about, and a win today would take them to within two points of the leaders Manchester City. It’s a droll old game.
Continue reading...Cardiff City 2-1 Brighton: Premier League – as it happened
Sol Bamba’s controversial 90th-minute goal gave Cardiff a crucial comeback victory over Brighton, who had Dale Stephens sent off in the first half
2.45pm GMT
Our match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company, bye!
Related: Sol Bamba’s last-minute winner bags Cardiff victory against 10-man Brighton
2.39pm GMT
The Cardiff goalscorers speak
Sol Bamba “We needed that win. We want to make this place a fortress. I was disappointed with their goal so I wanted to make amends. This win is massive but there’s a long way to go.”
2.33pm GMT
Simon Burnton is in the chair for the 3pm games. You know what to do.
Related: Leicester v Burnley, FA Cup first round and more: football clockwatch – live!
2.32pm GMT
Neil Warnock clenches his fist and conducts the home crowd as he walks off. That is such a big victory for Cardiff, not just the result but the manner of it as well. A meek draw at home to 10-man Brighton would have done a lot of damage to morale. Instead they will spend the next fortnight enjoying the residual impact of football’s greatest high - the late winner.
2.29pm GMT
“Thoughts on anything?” says Phil Podolsky. “Seen from the vantage point of 2018, The Sopranos is an allegory about the failure of educated US liberals (Melfi) to grasp, let alone defy, the actual, literal evil that’s staring them in the face, to the point of becoming its enablers and accomplices.”
Yeah, BUT WHERE’S THE RUSSIAN?
2.26pm GMT
Cardiff move up to 16th, until 4.45pm at least, with a hard-fought win over 10-min Brighton. Sol Bamba, who was at fault for Lewis Dunk’s early goal, scored a dramatic late winner after a nervous second half. It’s Cardiff’s second win of the season, both on this ground, and their home form will surely decide whether they stay up.
2.23pm GMT
90+3 min Paterson almost makes it three with a sweet rising drive just past the far poist.
2.22pm GMT
90 min There will be five minutes of added time.
2.22pm GMT
The goal came from a long throw from Gunnarsson, which led to an almighty scramble. Bamba’s overhead kick hit the post, Paterson’s follow-up was deflected onto the bar, and finally Bamba rammed the loose ball into the roof of the net! Brighton will feel Bamba was offside in the buildup, not once but twice; Cardiff will not give a solitary one.
2.20pm GMT
Sol Bamba has won it for Cardiff!
2.20pm GMT
89 min Cardiff win a corner on the left. It’s taken short and worked to Camarasa, whose stinging low shot is palmed behind by the diving Ryan. The resulting corner falls to Manga, whose shot on the turn is headed away by the diving Duffy.
2.18pm GMT
87 min Camarasa, 25 yards out, chests a bouncing ball down and hits a booming shot that is patted down by Ryan and claimed at the second attempt.
2.15pm GMT
84 min Hoilett curls an ambitious effort well wide. At the moment - and I know we could be in Keegan/Romania territory - Brighton look the likelier scorers.
2.13pm GMT
82 min Izquierdo almost wins it for Brighton! He charged infield from the left and smashed a rising long-range shot that Etheridge tipped over the bar at full stretch. It was a really good save because the ball wobbled in the air and he almost dived past it.
2.12pm GMT
81 min Izquierdo overruns the ball after leading a Brighton counterattack. As he did so, he lunged at the ball in an almost identical manner to Stephens in the first half. But because his boot slid off the side of the Cardiff player, rather than going straight into him, nobody batted an eyelid. It wasn’t even a free-kick. I’d like to see it again but there is an argument he was as reckless (sic) as Stephens - or, to flip it round, that Stephens was just unlucky that studs and ankles aligned as they did when they made his challenge.
2.10pm GMT
80 min “Re Roy Allen (67 min) I think the relentless onslaught of diving, cheating and general conning of the officials means they’re naturally settling on a middle ground of distance between blatant ‘simulation’ and properly dirty tackling for red cards,” says Michael Gibson. “It can’t help but shift the parameters. And despite all the complaints that follow every defeat, mark my words it suits every manager for this to be something they know they can influence!”
2.09pm GMT
79 min Apart from a five-minute spell after Harris hit the bar, Brighton have been relatively comfortable since going down to 10 men in the first half.
2.07pm GMT
77 min Cardiff make their final change, with Bobby Reid replacing the impressive Joe Ralls.
2.05pm GMT
76 min Brighton have looked a bit livelier on the break since the younger, more mobile Andone came on for Murray.
2.04pm GMT
75 min “Being Welsh (but not from Swansea), I’m very happy to have Cardiff ‘representing’ us in the Premier League,” says Matt Dony. “I love the city, I’ve always had a soft spot for the club, and yet, Warnock does present a challenge. He’s good at what he does, and he’s useful for a soundbite now and then, but he doesn’t half get on my wick. I dearly hope they stay up, though. Since Swansea blazed a trail (and, for those first few years, what a trail it was!) we’ve gotten awfully used to seeing Welsh involvement in top level football. It’d be a crying shame to lose that again.”
2.02pm GMT
73 min Another Cardiff change: Junior Hoilett replaces Josh Murphy.
2.02pm GMT
72 min Etheridge’s punch falls for Izquierdo, who blooters a difficult volley miles wide from 25 yards.
2.01pm GMT
71 min Cunningham is booked for a cynical foul on the breaking Andone.
2.00pm GMT
70 min “Poor call from the ref,” says Ceri Rees. “Stephens was the player in possession, he got to the ball first. His studs did come up a little after playing the ball but then they always will. Football has gone too soft.”
I wouldn’t argue with that. I don’t think a challenge like that should be a red card, but I still think it was a reasonable decision by the standards of today.
1.59pm GMT
69 min Sean Morrison, who had that clash of heads with Bissouma, is going off with blurred vision and/or concussion. Lee Peltier will replace him.
1.57pm GMT
67 min This is a big last quarter for Cardiff. It’s not a great sign if they can’t win at home to 10-man Brighton. All due respect.
1.56pm GMT
66 min “Yellow,” says Roy Allen. “I think that sums up my view on the red card decision. I really think that English refs are increasingly out of step with other nations. They’re a few years behind.”
I agree with you up to a point, and was pleasantly surprised by the leniency shown by the referees during the World Cup. Is it English refs or English culture that’s to blame, though?
1.54pm GMT
64 min Cardiff are looking more dangerous now. Murphy’s excellent cross is vitally headed away by Dunk, under pressure from Paterson.
1.53pm GMT
63 min Ryan makes a point-blank save from Paterson, though it wouldn’t have counted as Paterson had been penalised for a foul on Murray. That’s Murray’s last contribution: he is replaced as the lone striker by Florin Andone.
1.51pm GMT
60 min After a slow start, Kadeem Harris has been the liveliest attacker on the pitch. He made the equaliser and almost scored a beauty there.
1.50pm GMT
59 min: Harris hits the bar for Cardiff! That was a brilliant effort from Harris. He moved infield from the right, along the edge of the area, before hitting a big left-footed curler across goal that beat Ryan and clattered off the bar.
1.49pm GMT
58 min Morrison is receiving treatment after a clash of heads with Bissouma. He looks a bit groggy but is going to continue.
1.46pm GMT
56 min Gunnarsson’s long throw bounces around the area before Knockaert lumps it clear.
1.45pm GMT
54 min Cardiff are in danger of looking a gift horse in the coupon. They have been far too tentative in possession since half-time.
1.42pm GMT
51 min “Any thoughts on anything?” says Adam Kline-Schoder. “Not really mate, other than the fact that this match is definitely Brightoning up my weekend. I would say that I’ll see myself out and/or apologise for that joke, but you did ask.”
1.41pm GMT
50 min Gunnarsson’s stinging half-volley is blocked on the edge of the area. Brighton have set up for the second half in a 4-4-0-0-0-0-1 formation.
1.38pm GMT
49 min “Afternoon, Rob,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Perennial as the grass, football takes the stage again. Is there a touch of the Neville Southall in that Callum Paterson? They probably use the same barbour.”
Big Nev definitely doesn’t wear Barbour.
1.38pm GMT
48 min It’s surprisingly quiet at the Cardiff City Stadium. At the moment you can even hear the players’ shouts.
1.36pm GMT
47 min “Reading the excellent article by Stuart James and looking at the images, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you are serious about getting relegated you should wear white socks,” says Kevin Ryan. “I know that other clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea wear them but they’ve got lots of money and good sponsorship deals no doubt with kit suppliers. My team, Newcastle, look bloody awful in those white socks and they seem to play like the socks they are forced to wear. Fulham the same and Huddersfield. Who went down last year? Swansea, Stoke and West Brom, all wearers of those awful white socks. I rest my case.”
The socks are not the issue here, dude.
1.36pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Brighton begin the second half.
1.32pm GMT
Any thoughts on the red card? Any thoughts on anything?
1.20pm GMT
Peep peep! Those three added minutes passed without incident. Brighton will be happy to hear the whistle - they started the match authoritatively before the unwelcome twist of Callum Paterson’s equaliser and Dale Stephens’ red card. Cardiff, up against 10 men, have a great chance of winning for only the second time in the league this season. See you in 10 minutes.
1.17pm GMT
45 min Three minutes of added time.
1.16pm GMT
44 min Camarasa’s fierce long-range shot is blocked by Bong on the edge of the area.
1.13pm GMT
40 min Brighton need to get to half-time at 1-1 and start afresh. Cardiff seem fairly happy to let them do that, which is a bit of a surprise. They should be going for the throat right now.
1.11pm GMT
38 min Solly March takes a tactical hit - he is replaced by Yves Bissouma, who will replace Stephens in the centre of midfield.
1.09pm GMT
36 min I think Stephens got the ball, but he then followed through into Cunningham’s shin/ankle with his studs. I suspect it looked worse than it was, because Cunningham went miles in the air. It would only have been a foul in 1988 and a yellow card in 1998, but by the standards of 2018 it’s probably the correct decision.
1.07pm GMT
35 min Paterson is booked for his part in that shoving match.
1.07pm GMT
34 min It’s all kicking off here. Dale Stephens ploughs through Greg Cunningham and is given a straight red card, which leads to a shoving match from the players on both sides. It was a poor tackle, with his studs showing, and it’s probably a red card by the standards of 2018.
1.05pm GMT
33 min This is a good spell for Cardiff, who are still high on that equalising goal.
1.03pm GMT
31 min Ralls’ adroit shot from 25 yards is comfortably saved by Ryan.
1.01pm GMT
29 min March’s mishit low shot falls nicely for Murray, whose snapshot is superbly blocked by Bamba.
1.00pm GMT
Cardiff are level! It was scored by the makeshift forward
Paul Warhurst
Callum Paterson and made excellently by Kadeem Harris. He beat two players just outside the box before dancing down the right side of the area and hitting a deflected cross that looped over the Brighton defenders at the near post. It dropped perfectly for Paterson, who headed past Ryan from four yards.
12.59pm GMT
27 min Bong surges down the left, away from Manga’s flimsy tackle, and crosses low towards Murray at the near post. He twists into a first-time shot that hits a defender and goes safely through to Etheridge.
12.56pm GMT
24 min Camarasa’s dangerous free-kick from the left is brilliantly headed clear by Dunk, I think. He was facing his own goal, a few yards out, and under extreme pressure.
12.53pm GMT
21 min Cardiff look like they are down on their luck. There hasn’t been a huge amount between the teams but Brighton look noticeably more confident and purposeful.
12.51pm GMT
19 min March teases Morrison down the left and flashes a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Only Murray was in the box and he couldn’t get there.
12.48pm GMT
16 min Lovely play from Brighton. Izquierdo pushes the ball down the left to Knockaert, who cuts it back sharply into the area to find March. He sweeps a first-time shot from 15 yards that drifts a few yards wide of the far post.
12.47pm GMT
15 min Cardiff need to get the ball to Murphy, who has started brightly on the left. We haven’t yet seen much of Kadeem Harris on the other wing.
12.45pm GMT
13 min That goal has flattened the atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium. At the moment Brighton, who are so strong defensively, look comfortable.
12.41pm GMT
9 min ... But Camarasa wallops it over the bar.
12.40pm GMT
9 min Stephens fouls Murphy just outside the D. This is a good chance for Cardiff to equalise immediately...
12.39pm GMT
7 min That was poor defending from Bamba. As Alan Smith points out on Sky, Dunk didn’t need to do a lot to lose him.
12.39pm GMT
Brighton take the lead with the simplest of goals. March curled a free-kick from the left beyond the far post, where Dunk lost his marker Bamba and planted an accomplished header back across Etheridge.
12.37pm GMT
5 min A nice, patient first attack from Cardiff. Eventually Murphy dances past Montoya and puts in a low cross that is booted away for a throw-in. Aron Gunnarsson hurls it towards the near post, where it bounces though to the keeper Ryan.
12.34pm GMT
3 min Brighton have started the match confidently, zipping the ball around on a rewardingly rain-sodden surface.
12.32pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Cardiff, in blue, get the match under way. Brighton are in their fetching green away strip.
12.29pm GMT
Sean Morrison and Lewis Dunk, the two captains, lay wreaths ahead of Remembrance Sunday. After a minute’s silence and a rendition of the Last Post, it’s time for 90 minutes of noise.
12.19pm GMT
And here’s Chris Hughton
“We need to make sure we’re a threat today. We know Cardiff very well - we’ve had numerous games against them in recent seasons - and they had a really good performance against Leicester. It’s a difficult game and we need to play at a level that allows us to get something.”
12.16pm GMT
Here’s Neil Warnock
“It’s very difficult to get anything against the top six but there are opportunities everywhere else, home and away, and today is one of those. Brighton’s strength is being solid at the back so we have to breach that and cope with their set-pieces. We think we can hurt them in places. First and foremost we’ve got to defend - you need clean sheets to get anywhere.”
11.47am GMT
Read all about it
Related: Premier League the most competitive in the world? You must be joking
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Related: Cardiff City v Brighton & Hove Albion: match preview
11.33am GMT
Cardiff (4-2-3-1) Etheridge; Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Cunningham; Gunnarsson, Ralls; Harris, Camarasa, Murphy; Paterson.
Substitutes: Smithies, Peltier, Bennett, Reid, Damour, Ward, Hoilett.
Brighton (4-2-3-1) Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Stephens, Kayal; Knockaert, March, Izquierdo; Murray.
Substitutes: Steele, Bruno, Balogun, Bernardo, Bissouma, Gyokeres, Andone.
7.03am GMT
Hello. For Cardiff, home is where the hope is. If they are going to defy assumptions and stay up, this is the kind of game they need to win. Cardiff have played well at times this season – you should see their expected goals, mate – and will fancy their chances today.
Brighton are a fine side, a model for newly promoted clubs in many ways, but their best work is done at the Amex Stadium. Last season they had the worst away record in the league yet stayed up relatively comfortably because of that excellent home form. Cardiff would love to pay tribute to the Brighton model by beating them today.
Continue reading...November 8, 2018
Sri Lanka v England: first Test, day three – as it happened
Keaton Jennings scored an unbeaten 146 as England took control of the first Test against Sri Lanka, who are 447 runs behind with two days remaining
Women’s World T20: team-by-team guide to the action1.25pm GMT
Related: Keaton Jennings: there were times when I was waking up panicking and stressing
12.21pm GMT
Related: Keaton Jennings hits undefeated 146 as England set Sri Lanka 462 to win
12.02pm GMT
Related: Women’s World T20: team-by-team guide to the action in West Indies
12.00pm GMT
And with that, I’m gone. We’ll be back for more tomorrow, and I hope to see you then!
11.56am GMT
Rob Smyth has handed me a couple of interesting stats:
72 Keaton Jennings’ average in three Tests in Asia. In his other 10 matches, all played in England, he averages 18.
11.54am GMT
Keaton Jennings has a chat with Sky. He talks extremely quickly.
It’s been a very special day for myself personally, and it’s very special to be in such a good position in this Test match. Hopefully we can go on and win it. It felt like there was a ball out there that could get you out so I suppose it was a cat and mouse game, trying to get off strike, trying to keep pressure on the bowler in order to get that bad ball to get off strike.
It’s tough. When you bat with a guy like Stokesy because of his aura, the way he hits the ball and the way he goes about playing, it is made easier. Jos walks in and hits it all over the place as well. Just a really good performance from a team perspective.
I suppose all you can do is try to score runs when you get that opportunity. At the end of the day the summer was tough, and my performances weren’t up to scratch. I’m happy to admit that. Hopefully I can keep putting in match-winning performances.
I did a year ago, and I think I got myself into quite a state, reading that and waking up in the middle of the night stressing about it. But not any more. I try to isolate myself and listen to a core group of people who have stuck with me for the last 25, 26 years.
We were told two overs and then there was one ball left. I felt that we were just going to go at that point, but no, one more ball and get the reverse sweep out again.
11.39am GMT
So England have two days to eke out 10 wickets on a pretty flat pitch, with quite a lot of rain forecast, as it has been for each of the three days that have so far been played without interruption.
11.37am GMT
7th over: Sri Lanka 15-0 (Karunaratne 7, Kaushal 8) Jack Leach bowls the final over of the day, England’s fifth bowler. Kaushal edges the ball into his pad and it lands just wide of Jennings at short leg for an easy single. And that is as close as England come to a breakthrough.
11.33am GMT
6th over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Karunaratne 6, Kaushal 7) England think they might have god Kaushal Silva, Foakes having dived forward to collect a ball that deflected to him off Jennings and hit the stumps as the batsman turned to ground his bat, but replays show he got it down just in time.
11.29am GMT
5th over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Karunaratne 6, Kaushal 6) A fifth bowler in as many overs at the start of an innings would surely have been a historic achievement, but England turn down the opportunity. Moeen goes again, and Karunaratne cuts the ball past point for four. Two overs to go.
11.27am GMT
4th over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Karunaratne 2, Kaushal 5) Rashid is the fourth bowler in the first four overs, bowling with a slip, a leg slip and a short leg clustered around the bat. Twice the batsmen set out on a run, change their minds and return whence they came, the only real discomfort so far being that which they have created for themselves.
11.24am GMT
3rd over: Sri Lanka 6-0 (Karunaratne 2, Kaushal 4) And swiftly to spin, with Moeen Ali. A couple of singles and very little batting discomfort follow.
11.20am GMT
2nd over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Karunaratne 1, Kaushal 3) A lovely delivery from Anderson practically slices Kaushal in two, but flies just wide of the bat. Talking of ducks, this just in from John Starbuck: “Earlier on Talksport2, Darren Gough was telling how he got a pair and got back to the dressing-room to find Mark Ealham had put a pear in his shoe.”
11.15am GMT
1st over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Karunaratne 0, Kaushal 0) Sam Curran bowls the first over, pitching the ball full, looking for swing and not finding much. A maiden. “I think duck eggs send entirely the wrong subliminal message to the the fragile cricketing subconscious,” counters Kim Thonger. “Especially a pair of them.”
11.11am GMT
The players are back out, and Sri Lanka will face seven overs at the end of a long, hot, tiring, sweaty, ice cream-free day in the field.
11.04am GMT
And with that Joe Root beckons the players in! Sam Curran’s innings was a personal highlight. Rangana Herath leaves the field ahead of his team-mates, milking a little individual applause after his last effort with the ball for Sri Lanka before retirement.
Big fan of Sam Curran raising his bat there after coming on at the nonstriker's end for one ball. #SLvEng
11.02am GMT
93rd over: England 322-6 (Jennings 146, Curran 0) The wicket was the third dot ball in the last three overs, in which England have scored 20 runs.
11.00am GMT
Foakes goes for a big ‘un again and doesn’t get enough on it. As it comes down to earth there are two fielders underneath it, and Mendis completes the catch!
10.55am GMT
92nd over: England 313-5 (Jennings 142, Foakes 32) Joe Root has changed into his whites, presumably in anticipation of a bit of fielding before the day’s out. Nobody else on England’s balcony has got the message, though, and the rest of the team are in varying states of undress. There are 10 overs remaining today. “As I head off to sleep, having thoroughly enjoyed today’s play, the eternal pessimist in me still sees rain ruining this for England,” writes Phil Withall. “Sometimes its impossible to move on from a default setting of cynical pessimism.” The weather forecast for Galle has been terrible all week, without the Test being interrupted. The next two days are much the same.
10.51am GMT
91st over: England 303-5 (Jennings 140, Foakes 30) Having forced the field back towards the boundary with a few big boundaries, England are now enjoying all the cheap singles and twos they can plunder in the resulting space. “In fun* ice cream fact news, my first job was as Mr Whippy on St Annes-On-Sea pier,” writes Phil Sawyer. What a gig. “I could pull four cones in one hand in my prime. Life’s been pretty much downhill since that peak. And anyway, what’s wrong with ice cream for breakfast? The first thing I used to do in the morning was pull myself a cone – just to check the quality of the ice cream, you understand. Oh, and also, Kim Thonger needs to explore duck eggs. Once you’ve had duck eggs you’ll never go back to hens. Lovely big, rich yolks. Although even I might draw the line at a fried egg with ice cream. Mind you…”
10.45am GMT
90th over: England 302-5 (Jennings 135, Foakes 28) Jennings hits high over midwicket, the ball landing an inch before the rope. It’s the 110th delivery bowled by Herath today, and the first boundary he has conceded. Meanwhile I was going to suggest you spend the drinks break reading this, but then I didn’t. So, here it is now:
Related: Women’s World T20: team-by-team guide to the action in West Indies
10.40am GMT
89th over: England 293-5 (Jennings 128, Foakes 26) So how will England approach this final half-session of the day? Will they continue with their gentle run-accumulation or will they ... hang on ... golly ... that is massive! Foakes thunders the ball over midwicket and into the stand, and then the next disappears over cow corner! Seventeen runs off Dananjaya’s over, so that’s that question answered, I suppose. England lead by 432.
10.30am GMT
88th over: England 276-5 (Jennings 124, Foakes 13) Back to the singles, and now a quick drinks break.
10.27am GMT
87th over: England 274-5 (Jennings 123, Foakes 12) Another Jennings single from the first ball of Perera’s over, and then blam! Foakes thumps a fine four, and thwam! The next ball disappears over mid on for six! Yes, thwam.
10.24am GMT
86th over: England 262-5 (Jennings 122, Foakes 1) Another over, another run. “As the current vogue seems to be that this England team should actually be a squad, with horses for courses selections and rotation rather than players being dropped, have we seen the first batting example of an England player who will only play on the sub continent?” wonders Mark Gillespie. “In the same way as we only play a third spinner there, and rarely even play a second outside there, is this going to be the only place Keaton Jennings plays? He now averages 62.4 on the sub-continent, and 17.7 in England. Following on from David Malan, who was apparently picked and then dropped rotated out of the team based on his suitability for Australian pitches, are we going to get a generation of English players who only play in the team on certain tours?” Um, I doubt it, but Jenning’s predilection for these conditions is certainly becoming increasingly clear.
10.21am GMT
85th over: England 261-5 (Jennings 121, Foakes 1) Back to the grindstone for Jennings, who continues to creep forward, one run at a time.
10.17am GMT
84th over: England 258-5 (Jennings 119, Foakes 0) Fabulous catch, that. Really very fine. Down low to his right, with next to no time to react.
What a grab from Kaushal at silly point!
It’s unlikely to have any bearing on the result but at least Sri Lanka have something to cheer.
Watch #SLvENG here https://t.co/AgoUHQz056
Over-by-over blog https://t.co/seYIArYqTR pic.twitter.com/pN7iNdQCDP
10.13am GMT
82nd over: England 258-4 (Jennings 119, Buttler 35) This may not arrive to you in proper chronological order. Sorry. On the plus side, this is a good stat.
The last England opener before Keaton Jennings to score a Test century without Alastair Cook in the side was Andrew Strauss who made 128 at Mumbai in March 2006! #SLvsENG #SLvENG
10.12am GMT
That’s a super reaction catch at silly point, and Sri Lanka have their breakthrough!
10.08am GMT
81st over: England 251-4 (Jennings 113, Buttler 34) So Chandimal and De Silva are both off the field, receiving treatment to injuries, the scoreboard is looking increasingly nasty, and the batsmen haven’t really been ruffled for ages, and if and when they eventually are there are plenty more to come. This is not a good time for Sri Lanka.
“I have been very vocal in my criticism of Mr Jennings. And I stand by most of it,” says Gary Bartley. “I think that of all the openers England have tried out post-Strauss, he looks the most ungainly and the least likely to make runs. I would have dropped him far earlier than they did and would never have brought him back into the side. However, I am chuffed to bits for him to have made a century after such a difficult run. And he does seem like a thoroughly decent chap. I hope that he now continues to make me look a fool in front of my mates.”
10.03am GMT
80th over: England 249-4 (Jennings 112, Buttler 33) Perera takes the new ball, and Buttler thumps a sweep to the rope. “Are those of us who did not join the chorus of disapproval of Keaton Jennings now allowed a modicum of smug satisfaction?” wonders Brian Withington. “I suspect my own reticence was part indolence and part aversion to the sort of abuse regularly directed at the blessed Alastair. Anyway, the lad will do well if he has a test career long enough to garner the same volume of nonsense, never mind the runs. Watching his batting can at times resemble witnessing bitcoin being mined, but maybe he can grind out another 50 or so here to be getting on with.”
9.59am GMT
Replays show the ball hitting the De Silva’s right thumb and flicking it back like some kind of flimsy toy. It’s been strapped up, and he is leaving the pitch. Meanwhile, the new ball has been taken.
9.57am GMT
79th over: England 243-4 (Jennings 111, Buttler 28) Jennings finally lets loose! De Silva bowls, and he thunders a drive high to the bowler’s right! De Silva flings out a hand and gets fingertips to it, but there’s no stopping it! Four runs for Jennings, and immediate physio treatment for Di Silva!
I have only watched Keaton Jennings live in two test matches and he has got a hundred in both I must be his lucky charm !!! Well played fantastic and thoroughly deserved by the hard work u have put in @JetJennings
9.53am GMT
79th over: England 236-4 (Jennings 106, Buttler 26) Buttler tries to clip a leg break through midwicket, and outside-edges it in entirely the other direction. Still it’s safe enough.
9.52am GMT
78th over: England 233-4 (Jennings 105, Buttler 24) The new ball will become available in two overs. For now, De Silva continues.
9.48am GMT
77th over: England 228-4 (Jennings 102, Buttler 22) Though 10 of Jennings’ 13 Tests have been played in England, four of his five best Test innings have been played in either India or Sri Lanka. He certainly seems ideal for these conditions: endlessly patient, happy to work his way towards a decent total in lots of ones and a handful of twos.
9.43am GMT
76th over: England 224-4 (Jennings 100, Buttler 20) Buttler gets a single off the first, and Jennings has five more opportunities to reach his ton. He takes the first of them, clipping off his pads to deep square leg!
“‘This might be my last test innings, I want to enjoy it,’ said Jennings before the Headingley test this summer,” notes Sachin Paul. “I have to say that his calm, laid back demeanour is really admirable. We often talk about mental health etc in sport. But having a cool approach to things despite not having the best run takes some balls. Hats of to Keaton. What a beaut of an innings this has been.”
9.39am GMT
75th over: England 222-4 (Jennings 99, Buttler 19) Jennings goes to sweep the first ball of the over, and the ball bounces away to the boundary. Did he get a nick on it? No, they’re byes! The wait continues! From the next ball he picks out a fielder at cover, the one after that is reverse swept into the hands of backward point, and after that he seems to accept that he’s going to have to wait a bit longer and calmly negotiates the remainder of the over without drama of any sort.
9.36am GMT
74th over: England 218-4 (Jennings 99, Buttler 19) With no real time issues, England will presumably look to bat for most of this session, perhaps all of it, and extend their lead, currently 357, by another 100 runs or so. De Silva bowls, and Buttler punches to the long-off boundary. Jennings, meanwhile, takes another pigeon step towards a century.
9.32am GMT
The players are back out. Can Jennings tiptoe his way all the way to 100? We’re about to find out!
9.27am GMT
“Am as appalled as you are by Sky’s ice cream nonsense,” nods Kim Thonger. “But porridge is not the answer. The fried egg and peanut butter sandwich is. Ideally use Burford brown eggs. These rare birds originally from Patagonia were crossbred to create generations of pedigree hens that to this day lay beautiful, colourful, hard-shelled eggs with deep yellow yolks. Keep yolks runny. Lots of black pepper. A little salt. Skippy peanut butter if poss. The breakfast of double centurions.” I have never tried, or even glimpsed, a fried egg and peanut butter sandwich and the very idea does seem purgatorial, which I suppose is exactly what we’re looking for.
9.12am GMT
And that is tea. 101 runs and a single wicket in that session, another fine one for the tourists. I’ll be back in a little bit.
9.11am GMT
73rd over: England 212-4 (Jennings 98, Buttler 14) Buttler hits Denanjaya’s first delivery for a single, giving Jennings five balls to get the two runs he needs to shuffle into triple figures. After four ambition-free dots he goes for a reverse-sweep off the last and pings it ... straight to a fielder!
9.07am GMT
72nd over: England 211-4 (Jennings 98, Buttler 13) Tea hoves into view, with Jennings still on the precipice of a century, as he has been for about 45 minutes.
9.02am GMT
71st over: England 209-4 (Jennings 97, Buttler 12) Ooof! De Silva bowls to Jennings and the ball unexpectedly goes straight on, towards middle stump. The batsman thrusts his bat towards it and just about gets there in time. A pretty free-scoring over by recent standards, three singles off it.
8.58am GMT
70th over: England 206-4 (Jennings 95, Buttler 11) So Buttler came out of his shell, and was promptly pushed right back into it again. Then he faces only a single delivery of Herath’s over, and he’s beaten again! It was a poor shot, as he waved his bat limply at a ball that missed it by a smidge.
8.56am GMT
69th over: England 205-4 (Jennings 94, Buttler 11) Crack! Buttler charges down the wicket and thwacks the ball down the ground for six! Whoops! Buttler tries to repeat the dose off the next ball, gets a gentle nick into his front pad, off which it deflects just to the right of Dickwella, who neither takes the catch nor completes the stumping! A very sharp chance, given the ball’s sudden change of direction off Buttler’s pad, but a chance nonetheless.
8.53am GMT
68th over: England 198-4 (Jennings 93, Buttler 5) I barely noticed over No68, I must admit. It wooshed past, with the addition of one run.
8.48am GMT
67th over: England 197-4 (Jennings 92, Buttler 5) Jennings continues his calm stroll towards a century. He tickles the final ball of Perera’s over fine for three, the ball crawling past a vacant slip cordon and rolling gently down the ground for a bit, before stopping to wait for someone to come and pick it up.
8.45am GMT
66th over: England 192-4 (Jennings 88, Buttler 4) On Sky they are debating whether now would be a good time for an ice cream. Totally inappropriate breakfast-time broadcasting and very poor dietary advice. Sure, they’re in a different time zone and enjoying significantly warmer weather than anyone in Britain, but the British are their key target audience and do not require ice-cream-based discussion before the clock has struck nine. By way of revenge, I suggest immediately serving them a nice, warm bowl of porridge.
8.41am GMT
65th over: England 191-4 (Jennings 87, Buttler 4) A maiden over from Perrera, which Buttler can’t quite make anything of.
8.38am GMT
64th over: England 191-4 (Jennings 87, Buttler 4) The paragraph I quoted a couple of overs back was absolutely and totally wrong. Here’s the actual, pertinent bit of the rulebook, with 22.1.3 in bold:
22.1 Judging a Wide
22.1.1 If the bowler bowls a ball, not being a No ball, the umpire shall adjudge it a Wide if, according to the definition in clause 22.1.2
22.1.4 For bowlers whom umpires consider to be bowling down the leg side as a negative tactic, the strict limited over Wide interpretation shall be applied.
8.34am GMT
63rd over: England 190-4 (Jennings 87, Buttler 3) Shot! Perera bowls, and Jennings hits a reverse sweep with perfect timing, the ball pinging enthusiastically to the boundary.
8.33am GMT
62nd over: England 186-4 (Jennings 83, Buttler 3) There’s a bit of umpire-captain chatter before Herath’s over gets under way, the speculation being that the officials are unhappy with the leg-side bowling. Sky say they have been quoted law 22.1.3, which reads as follows:
[Random bit of totally wrong law removed from here. See over 64 for details]
8.27am GMT
61st over: England 182-4 (Jennings 81, Buttler 1) The wicket-taking delivery was a beauty, and Stokes got absolutely nowhere near it. “Am finding it very disturbing waking up these days,” writes Kimberley Thonger. “Normally when England are on tour I emerge from slumber to the news that our top order have collapsed to 38 for 6. How am I to deal with this new reality? Coffee doesn’t seem appropriate. Should it be champagne and oysters for breakfast? Or am I actually still asleep and in the middle of a dream?” England did lose three wickets for 14 runs, something of a micro-collapse. Does that count, or does the calm run-accumulation that has followed - Stokes’s departure notwithstanding - expunge it officially from the memory banks?
8.24am GMT
Perera has sent a few balls of late just down the leg side, and this one starts off in the same direction before turning off the pitch, past the bat and into off stump!
8.20am GMT
60th over: England 179-3 (Jennings 80, Stokes 61) Hello world! So it appears that my arrival has been timed perfectly to coincide with a noticeable acceleration from England and in particular Ben Stokes, after an extremely pedestrian start to the session. He comes down the track to Dananjaya and hoists the ball down the ground for a third six, and then tries to reverse sweep the next only to miss it entirely.
8.10am GMT
59th over: England 171-3 (Jennings 78, Stokes 54) Stokes skipped a few gears during that fifty. His first 25 runs came from 66 deliveries, the second 25 from 16. Right, that’s it from me. Simon Burnton will update you for the rest of the day - you can email him here. Thanks for your company, bye!
8.06am GMT
58th over: England 168-3 (Jennings 77, Stokes 53) Stokes hits his second six, slog-sweeping Dhananjaya high over midwicket to take England’s last past 300. A cut through extra cover for four takes him to an increasingly authoritative fifty from 82 balls. Well played.
8.02am GMT
57th over: England 154-3 (Jennings 77, Stokes 39) Now that’s what I call Ben Stokes. He jumps down the track to drive Perera for a beautiful straight six, the first of the innings. After a tricky little spell against Dananjaya, he is in control now.
“Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “I’ve often wondered how OBO guardians cope with early starts and slow play. I get up at four each morning and, if work is slow, really start to struggle as the day progresses. Any tips?”
7.55am GMT
56th over: England 145-3 (Jennings 76, Stokes 31) Jennings reverse sweeps Dhananjaya into the ground, from where it bounces over gully’s head for four. That’s only his second boundary of the day, I think, but he looks in total control here and should, all things being equal, make a hundred. He’s 26 away.
7.51am GMT
55th over: England 138-3 (Jennings 70, Stokes 30) A maiden from Perera to Jennings, who starts to feel for a spitting delivery before aborting the stroke. The pitch is just staring to deteriorate as we expected.
7.48am GMT
54th over: England 138-3 (Jennings 70, Stokes 30) A couple of no-risk singles take Jennings into the seventies. Though it hasn’t exactly been epiphany-inducing to watch, he has played extremely well.
7.44am GMT
53rd over: England 135-3 (Jennings 68, Stokes 29) Stokes reaches outside off stump to slam a sweep to the midwicket boundary off Perera. That, in the face of admittedly minimal competition, is the best shot of the day so far.
7.41am GMT
52nd over: England 128-3 (Jennings 68, Stokes 23) Jennings is inching, via the medium of singles, towards a second Test century. Another one takes him to 68 and then Stokes defends the rest of the over. Of course he does.
7.37am GMT
51st over: England 127-3 (Jennings 67, Stokes 23) Perera replaces Dhananjaya and serves up a piece of filth that Stokes flays through extra cover for four.
7.33am GMT
50th over: England 122-3 (Jennings 66, Stokes 19) Stokes, sweeping vigorously, is beaten by a good delivery from Dhananjaya. This is Dhananjaya’s best spell of the match, with Stokes looking increasingly uncomfortable. It’s a maiden.
7.30am GMT
49th over: England 122-3 (Jennings 66, Stokes 19) There have been two boundaries all day. Is this a satirical response to their first-innings batting?
7.27am GMT
48th over: England 119-3 (Jennings 65, Stokes 17) It’s a good thing we haven’t been up since 3am or this passage of play would be in serious danger of putting us to sleep. Jennings is getting ’em in singles; Stokes is getting ’em in dot balls; Sri Lanka look resigned to a slow death.
7.23am GMT
47th over: England 117-3 (Jennings 64, Stokes 16)
7.22am GMT
46th over: England 116-3 (Jennings 63, Stokes 16)
7.18am GMT
45th over: England 112-3 (Jennings 61, Stokes 14) We still haven’t reached the halfway point of the match, which shows how much time England have to take care of business. You never know what the weather will do, mind you, so I’m sure they will kick on at some stage. For now progress is slow - they’ve scored 74 runs in 33 overs today.
7.15am GMT
44th over: England 112-3 (Jennings 61, Stokes 14) It’s Akila Dananjaya from the other end, and he beats Stokes with a cracking delivery which dips, curves and spits past the edge. That was a good over.
“Is this game demonstrating another case of TIC - Third Innings Conundrum?” wonders Brian Withington. “Context: your team is decently ahead at the halfway stage but then things start getting a little sticky on the second dig. Hypothesis: is this a reassuringly positive sign that the first innings lead is becoming more valuable with the passage of time and the wearing of the wicket. Or evidence of frailty at a key juncture of proceedings? In essence, cause for hope, or despair? Conclusion: ask Rob to reach out to Professor Ian.”
7.12am GMT
43rd over: England 111-3 (Jennings 60, Stokes 14) Peep peep! Dhananjaya de Silva begins the second third of the third day, bowling a maiden to Ben Stokes. The boys in the Sky studio think Stokes should play with a bit more of a strut. Since he came back into the Test team in New Zealand his strike rate is 40; before that it was 64.
6.34am GMT
Lunchtime chit-chat
“You get the feeling Root has not done justice to his talent ever since that almost double century in his first innings as captain,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “Whether it might be because of his captaincy duties or not is another topic of discussion. While the form has seemingly come back in the ODIs, and he is one of the classiest people on the planet whenever he bats, his numbers have fallen behind the likes of Kohli and Smith. Williamson had a legendary run in the IPL, but the lack of international cricket has hampered his flow.
6.33am GMT
42nd over: England 111-3 (Jennings 60, Stokes 14) That’s lunch. In isolation it was a good session for Sri Lanka, who took three wickets for 73 runs, but England are still in total control of the game. They lead by 250. Keaton Jennings played the spinners expertly and needs 40 runs to make his second Test century. That would, if not exactly silence his doubters, then at least give them a couple of seconds’ pause for thought before they resume their ignorant, narcisstic, misanthropic spoutings. See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
6.26am GMT
41st over: England 110-3 (Jennings 60, Stokes 13) Jennings survives a really big shout for LBW, this time from Dhananjaya de Silva. That was really close. He squeezed it but it was definitely pad first, and I’m surprised Sri Lanka didn’t review that. Indeed replays show that, had they done so, Jennings would have been given out by the third umpire.
6.23am GMT
40th over: England 106-3 (Jennings 58, Stokes 11) Jennings has reverse swept confidently all morning, and does so again to get a single off Herath. He’s proving again that he’s one of England’s best players of spin. Stokes, probably their most improved player of spin, cuts a couple to move into double figures. England have restored calm after that dodgy little spell either side of drinks. They lead by 245.
6.20am GMT
39th over: England 103-3 (Jennings 57, Stokes 9) “Moeen needn’t worry about the unknown knowns, it’s the unknown unknowns that turn round and bite you on the bum when you least expect it, as they just have,” says Andrew Benton. “He’s a totally excellent bowler, and all he’s doing at three is proving he shouldn’t be there.”
I think we can all agree that he’s in no position to go into the unknown not knowing. (NB: Clip contains lively language.)
6.17am GMT
38th over: England 101-3 (Jennings 56, Stokes 8) A single from Jennings brings up England’s hundred. They’re still in a great position despite a slightly disappointing morning.
“As we all know,” assumes Ian Copestake, “a key feature of modern poetry is the line-break which also allowed the use of a fancy French word (enjambment) to describe how make poetry can further confuse Mac users but delight others:
Oh, Mo.
England are two
6.15am GMT
37th over: England 97-3 (Jennings 53, Stokes 7) A long hop from Akila is dismissed through midwicket for four by Stokes. That was imperious. He could do with some runs here, too. He’s not under pressure for his place, not yet, but the less he bowls, the more runs he needs. Things are getting very congested in that middle order and I’m not sure anyone is completely safe moving bloody well forward.
6.11am GMT
36th over: England 92-3 (Jennings 52, Stokes 3) “Rob,” writes John Starbuck. “Lord Snooty should forget about F5 anyway. On the Mac, you simply go back to the saved favourite Cricket/Sport...The Guardian and then click on the ‘England v Sri Lanka - Live!’ heading to get the refresh going. It’s an Apple device, so you are expected to work these things out, not have it all done for you.”
Yes, I should have explained. If we update an existing entry the auto-refresh doesn’t work. That’s why often we have that ugly business of the wicket in one entry and then the description above it. But it looks so much better to describe the wicket as part of th same entry in which you annouce the wicket. I thought I could get away with it this morning as I assumed nobody was reading.
6.06am GMT
35th over: England 85-3 (Jennings 50, Stokes 2) Perera is replaced by Akila Dananjaya. After missing a couple of attempted sweeps, Jennings gets one away to reach a serene and important half-century, his first in 20 innings. He’s played really nicely.
6.03am GMT
34th over: England 84-3 (Jennings 49, Stokes 2) Herath, bowling around the wicket to the left-handes, has consecutive LBW appeals against Jennings turned down by Marais Erasmus. The first was outside the line; the second was closer but probably pitched outside leg.
5.59am GMT
33rd over: England 81-3 (Jennings 47, Stokes 1) Things are happeing out there, Tony. Things. Jennings, beaten by a lovely delivery from Perera, responds by punching an excellent extra cover drive for four. That’s the first boundary of the day.
“On Mac, all that pressing F5 does is dim the screen,” says Lord Snooty. “Please advise.”
5.56am GMT
32nd over: England 76-3 (Jennings 42, Stokes 1)
5.54am GMT
Beautifully bowled! Herath gets Root for the second time in the match with a classic dismissal: accuracy, curve and just enough turn to take the edge as Root pushed forward defensively. Dickwella took a smart catch behind the stumps. England lead by 213. Should.
5.51am GMT
31st over: England 73-2 (Jennings 40, Root 3) Smart bowling from Perera, who skids one on that almost gets through Jennings’ cut stroke. Jennings played it well enough in the end, cutting a single to move into the forties for the second time in the match. He’s been excellent.
Meanwhile, here’s Ian Copestake. Dr Ian Copestake to you. “Does Mo have a Test average of 14 in the top three because he knows he has that average and now associates those positions with a poor average which renders him unable to escape the reality of a perception of reality rather than him making a new reality?”
5.48am GMT
30th over: England 71-2 (Jennings 39, Root 2) “Well, instead of just ‘Oh, Mo’ in the commentary, how about actually telling us how he was dismissed!” sniffs Lord Snooty.
I did. You have to press F5 to read it. Or would you like me to do that for you as well?
5.47am GMT
29th over: England 70-2 (Jennings 39, Root 1) “Afternoon Rob,” says Phil Withall. “The Ali experiment, has it run its course? I can understand the reasoning behind his move to three but, in a position that is pretty vital to the building of an innings, I suspect now is not the time for him to play that role.”
I can also understand why they are doing it – somebody has to bat there – but I’m not sure it’s right for him. The problem England have is that five of this XI, plus Jonny Bairstow, would ideally bat at No6 or No7. For this series you could move Stokes or Buttler up to No3, though they probably aren’t long-term options.
5.42am GMT
28th over: England 68-2 (Jennings 38, Root 0) If Sri Lanka are going to pull of a miraculous victory, this is the time to strike. Herath and Perera are bowling in tandem, and two more wickets before lunch might cause England to start thinking the unthinkable.
5.41am GMT
27th over: England 67-2 (Jennings 37, Root 0) The new batsman Root survives a big LBW appeal after missing a sweep. He was miles outside the line. That Moeen dismissal was exasperating, but I do have some sympathy for him because he shouldn’t really be batting in the top three. He has a Test average of 14 when he does so.
5.36am GMT
Oh, Mo. England are two down. Moeen Ali falls to a poor shot, driving Perera straight to Herath at mid-on. Herath, never the most agile fielder, just about held on to the catch as he collapsed towards the ball.
5.30am GMT
26th over: England 66-1 (Jennings 36, Moeen Ali 3) The retiring Rangana Herath comes into the attack to replace Suranga Lakmal. England take a couple of singles from his first over to complete a quiet first hour - 28 runs from 14 overs with no boundaries and the wicket of Rory Burns, who was frustratingly run out for 23. That’s drinks.
5.27am GMT
25th over: England 64-1 (Jennings 35, Moeen Ali 2) A jaffa from Perera spits past the edge of Jennings, who smiles a little wryly. There was nothing much he could have done about that.
5.23am GMT
24th over: England 63-1 (Jennings 35, Moeen Ali 1) Moeen gets off the king pair by defending his first delivery from Lakmal, and then off the pair by dragging a pull for a single. England’s lead clicks up to 200.
“When I umpired (as a No11, I did the first ten overs so I could have a beer or twelve in peace on the boundary) I thought that if any part of the ball hit the pad in line with the stumps, it satisfied that element of the LBW law,” says Gary Naylor. “The DRS protocol suggests I was wrong. Good job I never gave anyone out then.”
5.19am GMT
23rd over: England 60-1 (Jennings 33, Ali 0) That was the last ball of the over. Moeen Ali is the new batsman, and he’s on a king pair.
5.17am GMT
Ach, this is a frustrating dismissal. Rory Burns takes a quick single to mid-on off Perera and is just short of his ground when Karunaratne’s throw hits the base of the stumps. It was a lovely, smooth pick up and throw, but Burns will feel he’s left plenty of runs out there in this match.
5.13am GMT
22nd over: England 58-0 (Burns 23, Jennings 32) Burns looks much happier against Lakmal and flicks a pair of twos into the leg side. England’s lead is 197.
5.07am GMT
21st over: England 52-0 (Burns 18, Jennings 32) Burns survives another big shout for LBW from Perera after missing an attempted sweep. He was just outside the line, and he gloved it as well. This is a nice test of Burns’ temperament because Perera is all over him at the moment.
5.04am GMT
20th over: England 51-0 (Burns 17, Jennings 32) Lakmal moves over the wicket to Jennings, who has had trouble with that angle of attack against seamers like Philander and Bumrah. The ball isn’t moving in the air or off the pitch here, however, and Jennings plays out another maiden. We’ve had 13 runs from eight overs this morning.
4.59am GMT
19th over: England 51-0 (Burns 17, Jennings 32) England’s average opening partnership in Tests this year is 24, their lowest for any wicket except the tenth, so this is a welcome stand. Burns misses a vigorous reverse sweep at Perera and then gets a leading edge that falls well short of extra cover. All of a sudden he’s looking a little jittery.
4.57am GMT
18th over: England 50-0 (Burns 17, Jennings 31) Burns mistimes a hook off Lakmal which goes high in the air and plops safely in the vacant midwicket region. A single from Jennings brings up a rare fifty partnership for England’s first wicket.
We’ve had 12 runs in the first six overs, all singles. Not the most mind-altering of starts, but a decent one for England. Jennings in particular looks excellent. I wonder whether the day will come where someone like Jennings is an automatic pick in Asia and an occasional pick elsewhere.
4.49am GMT
17th over: England 45-0 (Burns 15, Jennings 29) Burns survives a big LBW shout from Perera - but Sri Lanka are going to review. This looks close. It skidded on to hit the pad as Burns pushed defensively outside the line. The only thing that will save him is if he was outside the line. Here comes the replay... he’s not out. It was close, but the point of contact was ‘umpire’s call’ and that meant Burns survived.
4.45am GMT
16th over: England 42-0 (Burns 13, Jennings 28) “Morning, Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Can you tell us a bit more about in-out field placings for spinners, please?”
It’s both attacking and defensive, with two or three close catchers but also a few boundary riders. The downside is that it can give the batsmen easy singles but stopping boundaries is clearly important for the confidence of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in particular.
4.41am GMT
15th over: England 40-0 (Burns 12, Jennings 27) The first bit of turn for Perera, who beats Burns outside off stump during another maiden. England have started slowly, with two runs from the first three overs. That’s understandable - both these batsmen know that, if they get in, they have a great chance of making a half-century at least.
4.37am GMT
14th over: England 40-0 (Burns 12, Jennings 27) Suranga Lakmal, the only seamer in this side, starts at the other end with a harmless maiden to Jennings. There have been no early terrors for England.
4.33am GMT
13th over: England 40-0 (Burns 12, Jennings 27) Dilruwan Perera opens the bowling to Rory Burns, who tucks the first ball of the day off his pads for a single. Jennings, who has a fledgling average of 48 in Tests in Asia, gets his first run of the day with a cut through the covers for a single.
4.23am GMT
Moeen Ali speaks “We’re very, very pleased. The seamers were fantastic yesterday and then the spinners bowled quite well. We want to play the long game and stay in control, which is why we’ve had in-out fields [for the slow bowlers]. If we’re not hit for boundaries then it doesn’t knock our confidence as it has previously in the subcontinent.”
4.20am GMT
A bit of news Jimmy Anderson has been given a demerit point for his contretemps with the umpire Chris Gaffaney yesterday. That’s his second demerit point - if you get four within a two-year period, you are banned for a Test.
4.13am GMT
Some pre-play reading
Related: England’s spin trio leave Sri Lanka reeling as Foakes continues to impress
Related: Jack Leach delight after Test wicket marks friendship forged at Somerset
6.51pm GMT
Morning. England don’t win many Tests in Asia, and they certainly don’t dominate many as they have so far in Galle. They will start day three on 38 for none, a lead of 177 on a pitch that is likely to get worse, and it’s increasingly hard to imagine a scenario in which theyt do not win this first Test.
If they do, it’ll be a major achievement. Sri Lanka have won their last eight Tests at home to non-Asian opposition, most by thumping margins, while England haven’t won a Test overseas for two years. It’s a good time to be an England fan, even at 4am.
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