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It has been a pivotal 24 hours in the career of Olly Stone. The year-ending injury for Mark Wood has suddenly made Stone an important player and encouragingly for England he was the best of their attack on an otherwise forgettable day
Bad light forced England to bowl spin in swing and seam conditions. Credit to them for staying out there to give the crowd some cricket but a more ruthless side would have summoned the seamers and ended it all once Sri Lanka milked runs. A vexing day at the Oval was summed up by Chris Woakes bowling off spin to keep the right side of the bad light regs.
England were not at their best with bat or ball, they looked weary after three Tests in three weeks, possibly a touch complacent as well, and this was their worst day of the series. Their total was under par from a position of strength with some gift-wrapped wickets. England wasted the new ball, Woakes was not his usual reliable self in conditions he loves, and the ultra-attacking fields were not backed up by the bowling.
The spinners were unable to build pressure against good players of spin and Josh Hull dropped an absolute sitter on debut that would have broken the sixth-wicket stand between Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva now worth 118, and lifted Sri Lanka to 211 for five. Sri Lanka are back in the contest and eyeing drawing level to make it a one-innings Test. It may have been a frustrating day, but it could still be a good game.
Stone’s two for 28 off five overs included the experienced Sri Lanka core of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, both falling in his first two overs. Stone has a knack of striking early – four of his five wickets in this series have been taken in the first two overs of his opening spell.
Wood is out until the new year with a recurrence of an elbow injury and England will need Stone’s pace on the dead tracks of Multan and Rawalpindi. He has always bowled well for England, sometimes with little appreciation. He now has 16 wickets at 21 from five games, should be awarded a central contract next month and if he can stay fit, he can be an Ashes asset.
Stone gave Ollie Pope pace and control, and Hull benefited from the other end taking his maiden Test wicket when Pathum Nissanka drove to cover. Hull swung the ball into the right-handers at a decent pace, an average of 82, high of 87, and there is plenty of raw talent to work with over the next few months.
With Sri Lanka 93 for five after Stone had Chandimal leg before with an 89mph nipbacker, England were ascendant but could bowl only 11 more overs of pace before the light worsened, and Sri Lanka dealt easily with 17 overs of spin before bad light forced everyone off a final time.
England’s batting was uncontrolled, a regression from recent performances when they have generally kept their reckless streak in check. Sri Lanka bowled fuller and asked more questions but England’s collapse of seven for 64 to 325 all out was wasteful, particularly with the last six falling for 35 in 56 balls playing big shots to the swinging ball.
Pope turned his overnight 103 to 154, raising his bat for the third time to the Oval crowd and generally looked more assertive as captain. He skipped down the pitch to on-drive Asitha Fernando for four and was determined to cash in. He had some fortune, a fractional lbw fell his way on review when Hawkeye judged the ball to have pitched millimetres outside leg stump, and edges seemed to just allude fielders.
Harry Brook’s innings was wild and untamed. His footwork is stilted at the moment, and instead he is throwing his hands hard at wide balls. A dolly on 12 was dropped on the boundary and he edged through a vacant third slip on 19. Brook has made one century this summer, and it feels like a wasted opportunity against second-rate opposition.
The innings fell away. Brook slapped a catch to cover, ending a stand of 70 with Pope, and Jamie Smith clipped to midwicket. Two cheap wickets for part-time offie Dhananjaya summed it up: Chris Woakes flicking to short cover and Lord’s century maker Atkinson hitting one in the air to deep midwicket. Pope hooked to deep square leg.
Sri Lanka raced to 50 at a run a ball and England needed some luck to break through – Dimuth Karunaratne run out by a direct hit at cover by Stone taking a single that was never there. Woakes finally hit the right length in his fifth over, nicking off Kusal Mendis.
The momentum was sucked out of the game when Woakes was told to bowl spin for the rest of the over by the umpires, Ben Stokes gesticulated angrily on the balcony, summing up the frustration with the weather and the rigid enforcement of rules. Four balls later the light had improved enough for Atkinson to steam in as normal from the Pavilion End.
It was unlucky for Sri Lanka because Stone came on and knocked over Mathews and Chandimal without either taking a run off him, while Hull dismissed the set Nissanka.
England sloppiness continued with Hull dropping a sitter off Bashir at mid-on off Dhananjaya on 23. Mid-on used to be a place to hide a fielder such as Hull, stiff from bowling and nervous on debut. But these days as players look to hit off-spin over the top it is an attacking position, which is why you see Stokes there most of the time. Hull should have been elsewhere, another small, but possibly significant error on a day to forget for England.
Third Test, day two: as it happened
06:59 PM BST
‘Pope made a big mistake’
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06:04 PM BST
Stumps
Just as I pressed ‘post’ the umpires officially called stumps on day two after 70 overs of play. Sri Lanka trail England by 114 runs. We’ll have a full report and comment and analysis from the fab four, Nick (Root), Scyld (Virat), Tim (Williamson) and Will (Smith) imminently. Thanks for your company and contributions below. We’ll be back tomorrow with Alan Tyers opening up.
06:01 PM BST
I think they should just call it
But for now, hope springs…
Not really. It’s far too dark with little prospect of more play.
05:44 PM BST
The crowd is streaming out of the Oval
They recognise that it’s stumps even if it hasn’t been called yet.
05:37 PM BST
There are a fair few boos
And a smattering of applause for the England fielders.
05:36 PM BST
Bad light stops play
It makes perfect sense. It’s far too dark and the light reading must have matched last night’s and they have to be fair to both sides.
05:35 PM BST
OVER 45: SL 211/5 (Dhananjaya 64 Kamindu 54)
Chris Woakes is sent in to consult Baz and Ben about whether to continue or provoke the umpires into ending play. Looks like they want thm to stay out there. Kamindu clips Bashir for two off his toes and then opens the face to smear a single to the point sweeper.
The umpires take a reading and decide, whatever Woakes’ instructions, to go off.
05:33 PM BST
OVER 44: SL 208/5 (Dhananjaya 64 Kamindu 51)
Pope consults Woakes and presumably raises the option of going off to preserve the ball but they decide to go on. Root continues round the wicket and after some intrepid pad-play from Dhananjya to balls angled on to leg stump or outside it, the Sri Lanka captain heaves the last ball over midwicket for four.
It wouldn’t be popular, but you wonder whether Pope should be trying to get a quick on here, and therefore ending the day’s play. They’re not making any inroads with spin, and Sri Lanka are just slowly chipping away at their lead.
05:29 PM BST
OVER 43: SL 204/5 (Dhananjaya 60 Kamindu 46)
Having just moved from forward short leg to backward, Duckett groans when Kamindu bat-pads him to the position he had only just vacated.
Kamindu uses his feet to bring up his fifty, strides down to Bashir and whips it through midwicket for four.
05:26 PM BST
OVER 42: SL 200/5 (Dhananjaya 60 Kamindu 46)
Root has the same three fielders round the bat plus a leg gully and short midwicket from round the wicket. Dhananjaya sweeps one from outside leg, misses as it was so wide but hits the back of the bat as he helicopters it around and pops over Smith’s head for four. The right-hander squeezes a square drive for two as Root slings one across him.
Are England leaking too many easy runs? Should they provoke stumps by calling up a quick? Not yet. Bashir will continue.
05:21 PM BST
OVER 41: SL 193/5 (Dhananjaya 54 Kamindu 46)
A third hundred partnership in six knocks together for these two after Kamindu whisks Bashir for two off his pads and cuts the short one for a single.
It has taken 149 balls and the captain has contributed 54 to his partner’s 46.
Root to replace Lawrence next.
05:17 PM BST
OVER 40: SL 190/5 (Dhananjaya 54 Kamindu 43)
Lawrence is turning it more sharply than Bashir and is causing both batsmen problems when they come after him, Kamindu slicing a drive over cover for a single when aiming for mid-on and Dhananjaya chopping a dab for four only just wide of slip when it catches the edge rather than the middle of his bat.
It’s very dark now.
05:14 PM BST
OVER 39: SL 185/5 (Dhananjaya 50 Kamindu 42)
Just the single off Bashir’s sixth over.
05:11 PM BST
OVER 38: SL 184/5 (Dhananjaya 50 Kamindu 41)
Fifty for the captain who gets there with a shuffle down the crease and a lofted drive over mid on. That looked like it was going for four but plugged a foot in from the rope and their assumption that it was a nailed on boundary cost them at least a run as they ambled through for two. No bother, though, because two balls later he scythes a cut off a short ball from Lawrence for four.
05:08 PM BST
OVER 37: SL 178/5 (Dhananjaya 44 Kamindu 41)
These two extend their partnership to 85 with Kamindu’s poke through point for a single and Dhananjaya’s powerful square drive for three, hauled back at the last moment by Chris Woakes.
An air of going through the motions at the moment but that perception would have been transformed had Hull held on to that cuckoo.
05:05 PM BST
OVER 36: SL 174/5 (Dhananjaya 41 Kamindu 40)
Glorious stroke from Dhananjaya, creaming a drive through extra cover for four, the ball racing away to the boundary. Kumar Sangakkar wonders whether England should stay on but both Nasser and Ricky think they should. With some rain forecast for tomorrow and Monday, they argue that staying out there (but giving Joe Root a bowl) is the best policy.
05:02 PM BST
OVER 35: SL 168/5 (Dhananjaya 36 Kamindu 39)
Bashir tees up a low half-volley and Dhananjaya drills a drive for four through cover. Should have been only two or perhaps three but Atkinson horses up the ‘save’, slipping and sprawling to let the ball through to the rope. A square drive, just as sweet, earns him only two a couple of balls later.
04:59 PM BST
OVER 34: SL 161/5 (Dhananjaya 29 Kamindu 39)
Big appeal from England for a catch at leg slip but it was nothing but pad as Lawrence’s big off-break clipped the knee roll. Dhananjaya does use his bat next ball to waltz down and whack a straight drive over the bowler’s head for four.
04:54 PM BST
OVER 33: SL 152/5 (Dhananjaya 23 Kamindu 37)
There’s the bad light in effect for the fielding side. Hull shells a dolly at mid-on when Dhananjaya walks down and lofts a drive straight to him. The ball bursts through his thumbs and hits him on the sternum. Pope runs over and gives him a consoling pat on the backside. Either the light or he’s a butterfungers.
Dhananjaya had already tossed his bat away in self-disgust and has to go and fetch it.
‘Come on Big Fella, you might get another chance. Not as easy as that one, but you might…’ says Ricky Ponting.
04:50 PM BST
OVER 32: SL 151/5 (Dhananjaya 23 Kamindu 36)
Plenty of flight from Lawrence and Kamindu punches a single to backward point.
04:47 PM BST
OVER 31: SL 150/5 (Dhananjaya 23 Kamindu 35)
Dhananjaya opens the face to steer Bashir for two through point and then plays out five dot balls. Drift and turn to the right-hander.
04:45 PM BST
OVER 30: SL 148/5 (Dhananjaya 21 Kamindu 35)
Lawrence will never be a scout. With his shirt untucked he always exposes his belly during his extraordinarily busy action. Kamindu carves the first short ball for a single. Big turn and bounce for Lawrence to Dhananjaya who plays him well, wearing one on the thigh pad with his hands held high to reduce the threat of leg slip and then driving a single.
It’s very dark out there now, spinners or no spinners. As Ponting says, it isn’t dangerous with spin on but is unacceptable.
04:38 PM BST
OVER 29: SL 146/5 (Dhananjaya 20 Kamindu 34)
Bashir has a slip, leg slip and short leg for the right-handed Dhananjaya with Hull and Viswa’s footmarks outside the off stump. He starts with good dip and some turn in to put leg slip and bat-pad into play but the Sri Lanka captain bides his time then skips down to launch a lofted straight drive for four.
Dan Lawrence and not Joe Root will share spinning duties. Kamindu calls for his cap.
04:35 PM BST
England have turned to spin
Shoaib Bashir, who has 14 wickets this summer, is coming on from the Vauxhall End.
04:31 PM BST
Very dark now at the Oval
Which makes the idiocy of a rigid 11am start time all the more stark.
The players are coming back on and England may well have to turn to spin to carry on for long.
04:17 PM BST
TEA: SL 142/5
After a good start by Nissanka, he ran Karunaratne out and had to watch as Kusal and Mathews nicked off before giving Hull his first Test wicket by virtue of Woakes’ fine catch at extra-cover. Dhananjaya and Kamindu have steadied the ship in fading light but they are a long way from safety and England are using the conditions and a receptive Dukes ball expertly. Back in 15 minutes.
04:14 PM BST
OVER 28: SL 142/5 (Dhananjaya 16 Kamindu 34)
Atkinson bowls it and the pressure of surviving to tea weighs on Kamindu’s mind, withdrawing the bat late outside off and deflecting it off the open dace inadvertently to bisect third and fourth slips at shin height. Root puts his head in his hands as the ball rattles away for four. The next ball is overpitched and no two minds about that one, Kamindu harpooning a square drive for four.
That’s tea. SL are 183 behind.
04:10 PM BST
OVER 27: SL 130/5 (Dhananjaya 15 Kamindu 24)
Woakes racks up another skilful maiden, nipping the expertly burnished ball in and moving it away. One more over before tea.
In Sylhet in March, Kamindu and Dhananjaya made centuries in both innings of their victory over Bangladesh, putting on 202 and 173 for the seventh wicket. Remarkable feat.
One more over before tea.
04:07 PM BST
OVER 26: SL 130/5 (Dhananjaya 15 Kamindu 24)
Kamindu ducks two Atkinson bouncers from round the wicket so the bowler pitches up and the left-hander waits for the straight one and whisks it round the corner for two.
04:02 PM BST
OVER 25: SL 128/5 (Dhananjaya 15 Kamindu 22)
Conscious that tea will come in 10 minutes and that these two, who average 95 in six partnerships together, are the last, best hope, the captain Dhananjaya watchfully plays out Woakes’ maiden with deft hands from ball two onwards after having a dart at the first tempter but swishing at thin air.
03:58 PM BST
OVER 24: SL 128/5 (Dhananjaya 15 Kamindu 22)
Maiden for Atkinson to Kamindu and this time he does pitch it up to good effect, beating Kamindu from round the wicket with one that angled into the left-hander’s off-stump then zipped away from the edge. Next ball he does it again and he ends the over by clouting the batsman on the right hand. Kamindu Mendis gives it a shake and grits his teeth.
Chris Woakes will relieve the tiring Stone. The Autumn Stone.
03:55 PM BST
OVER 23: SL 128/5 (Dhananjaya 15 Kamindu 22)
A fifth over for Stone in this spell. He has generally bowled the fullest length so it’s strange to see him drop short and pay the price, Dhananjaya rocking on to his back foot to pull hard for four. The last ball of the over skids through and veers away but the Sri Lanka captain had already withdrawn his bat.
03:49 PM BST
OVER 22: SL 123/5 (Dhananjaya 11 Kamindu 21)
Atkinson relieves the tiring Hull and is whipped off middle stump by the excellent Kamindu for three in front of square. Ricky Ponting analyses Atkinson’s use of the wobble seam delivery and implores him to pitch it up and test the forward defensive rather than using it to get the batsmen hopping up on to their toes.
03:45 PM BST
OVER 21: SL 120/5 (Dhananjaya 11 Kamindu 18)
A few spots of rain and the light is worsening but Stone is OK to carry on and carries on with his full length which elicits a sweet on drive from Dhananjaya for four. The umpires take a reading on their light meters and allow the quicks to continue. A woman has a brolly up in the crowd. For goodness sake, don’t encourage them.
Kamindu is served up one on middle and his quick wrists are on it in a flash to flip it round the corner for a well-run three.
03:40 PM BST
OVER 20: SL 112/5 (Dhananjaya 6 Kamindu 15)
Josh ‘Rod/Kingston upon’ Hull starts to tire but gets away with his pace dipping by keeping it full. Kamindu clips two off his pads in front of square after Dhananjaya had done the same for half the return.
03:36 PM BST
OVER 19: SL 109/5 (Dhananjaya 5 Kamindu 13)
Stone is authorised to continue for now as the shadows start to lengthen. Kamindu shows his class with a high right elbow as the elegant left-hander drives twice through mid-off for four and once through cover point for four more. England exposed his vulnerability to right-arm round the wicket quick bowling at Old Trafford but he altered his guard at Lord’s and has tightened up in terms of what to play at and what to leave. Nasser prescribes a sandshoe crusher to shake him up.
03:30 PM BST
OVER 18: SL 97/5 (Dhananjaya 5 Kamindu 1)
Umpires are starting to cluck about the light again during Hull’s fourth over. We might be about to see some spin. Orthodox spin, that is, from Bashir and Root rather than Woakes et al with their end of net-practice filth. Dhanajaya whisks Hull off his pads for a single and a two while Kamindu, SL’s best batter coming in criminally low in the order, calmly pushes a single to cover.
03:26 PM BST
OVER 17: SL 93/5 (Dhananjaya 2 Kamindu 0)
Wicket maiden for the excellent Stone. What a comeback this has been.
03:23 PM BST
Wicket!
Chandimal lbw b Stone 0 He reviewed immediately, believing the two noises indicated an inside-edge which was the only thing that could have saved him from being pinned in front. But Ultra-Edge showed no spike and off he trots. His bat hit the pad not the ball. Stone’s length, much fuller than Woakes and Atkinson, has paid off. FOW 93/5
03:20 PM BST
OVER 16: SL 93/4 (Dhananjaya 2 Chadimal 0)
Nissanka hammers a short ball off the back foot for four then, perhaps overly confident, he spanks a drive too close to Woakes.
03:13 PM BST
Wicket!
Nissanka c Woakes b Hull 64 Fine catch diving to his right at extra-cover to give Josh Hull his first Test wicket. Pitched up, hint of shape and the well-set opener takes the bait on the drive. FOW 91/4
Can any single ball so far better encapsulate the successof England summer? The selectors have picked Josh Hull at 20, and Ollie Pope to replace Ben Stokes. So Pope brings Gus Atkinson across from leg gully to point, which allows Chris Woakes to stay at mid off and not keep an eye on the gap which had existed in the covers. And Pathum Nissanka drives the very next ball to mid off for Hull’s first Test wicket.
03:12 PM BST
OVER 15: SL 86/3 (Nissanka 60 Chandimal 0)
Olly Stone starts with a wicket in his first over which was progressively quicker after starting with a loosener which invited the back-foot punch with its width and Nissanka obliged to take three.
03:05 PM BST
Wicket!
Mathews c Pope b Stone 3 Terrible shot. No footwork at all, just threw his hands at it and nicked off to gully. FOW 86/3
03:05 PM BST
OVER 14: SL 83/2 (Nissanka 57 Mathews 3)
Ange drags a drive off a half-volley from Hull for a single and berates himself for missing out. Nissanka is not so careless when Hull gives him width with a half-tracker and he scythes it for four. Olly Stone is coming on to replace Woakes. Odd phenomenon this, with regard to England’s use of Wood and Stone, to use your quickest bowler in Tests as first or second change. What would Larwood say, or Fred, or the Typhoon, or Big Bob, or Harmy?
02:59 PM BST
OVER 13: SL 77/2 (Nissanka 52 Mathews 2)
If this is to be Mathews’ last bow, he deserves to go out in style. He starts watchfully against Woakes until he opens the face to deflect a single down to third man. It’s a belter of a pitch.
02:55 PM BST
OVER 12: SL 76/2 (Nissanka 52 Mathews 1)
Mark Butcher is fixated on the Bigfoot quips, pointing out that Hull’s size 15s are like JCBs, cutting up some rough outside the right-hander’s offstump. He starts well with some nice shape into the right-handers, ranging from 80-84mph, not falling away in his delivery stride. Nissanka takes three balls to size him up and then creams an off-drive elegantly for four to bring up his half-century, a first in five Tests since Australia in Galle in 2022.
02:51 PM BST
OVER 11: SL 70/2 (Nissanka 47 Mathews 0)
If you had been through Olly Stone’s succession of injuries I doubt you would dive headlong into the electronic advertising hoardings to claw back a Nissanka cover drive to save one as they run three. A Woakes half-volley is followed by a pie down the legside and Kusal clips it high over square leg for four. But Woakes never gives up and gets his man with the wobble seam.
Time for Josh Hull’s first over in Test cricket.
02:45 PM BST
Wicket!
Kusal Mendis c Brook b Woakes 14 A wayward start to the over redeemed by a good length ball that he gets to nibble away, kiss the edge and sail to second slip. FOW 70/2
02:42 PM BST
OVER 10: SL 61/1 (Nissanka 42 Mendis 10)
Nissanka plays a lovely square drive for four off Atkinson who fights back with an 88mph yorker which he, but only he, thinks clipped the toe before the opener chiselled it out with his bat. Ollie Pope, who has burned multiple reviews as captain, winds his neck in on this occasion. Wisely. Nissanka goes up en pointe to slap a single through cover and Kusal gorges on some rare width to slash a drive over the slips for four.
Josh Hull has been looking at the crease at the pavilion end, which suggests he might replace Gus Atkinson soon.
02:37 PM BST
OVER 9: SL 48/1 (Nissanka 37 Mendis 6)
Having served up one to Kusal Mendis on middle and off that allows the right-hander the opportunity to twist his bottom wrist and cuff it away for four, Woakes nibbles one attractively away from Kusal’s edge as the No3 essayed a drive.
02:36 PM BST
OVER 8: SL 48/1 (Nissanka 37 Mendis 2)
Nissanka is unfazed by running out his senior partner and tucks Atkinson off his pads fine for four and drives two crisply through cover. He made five good starts in six innings against Australia in 2022 but kicked on to only one half-century, having made a hundred in his debut series in the West Indies.
02:33 PM BST
Madness
Madness. This is the problem when data and instruments replacing common sense. Chris Woakes bowls four balls of off spin because the light meter judges it too dark for seam. Five minutes later, as Shoaib Bashir gets ready to replace Atkinson, the light improves a notch and the seamer is allowed to bowl. Before light meters, umpires made a judgment call based on experience and common sense. Now they have to stick to readings on the light metre. Meanwhile, Test cricket looks ludicrous.
02:29 PM BST
OVER 7: SL 40/1 (Nissanka 30 Mendis 1)
Woakes, after the wicket fell from his second delivery, is told by the umpires that the light has deteriorated and they would take the players off. So Pope offers to bowl spin but Woakes still has four balls to go. And Wokes agrees to bowl off spin, sending down three pies, pulled away for a single and a four, followed by an arm ball that fizzes through.
Now the light has brightened between the sixth ball of the seventh over and the first ball of the eighth so England can continue with Gus Atkinson.
What a farce!
02:22 PM BST
Wicket!
Karunaratne run out (Stone) 9 Madness. He was out by five yards after Nissanka hit it to Stone’s left hand at short cover. He should have sent him back but carried on and Stone demolished the stumps with him not in the frame. Usain Bolt would not have made his ground. FOW 34/1
02:21 PM BST
OVER 6: SL 34/0 (Nissanka 25 Karunaratne 9)
Nissanka shovels two on the drive through mid-on and then squirts one off an inside-edge for a single. Karunaratne has a wild yahoo outside off to one that leaves him and is beaten again by the last ball but not before whisking three off his toes. With all the close catchers that forces Atkinson to give chase to midwicket but he is overtaken by Lawrence sprinting from short leg.
Some low clouds have rolled in, and the lights are on. Feels like the kind of conditions the umpires could get a bit twitchy about the light in. I hope they don’t, because it was farcical yesterday and is absolutely fine.
02:18 PM BST
OVER 5: SL 27/0 (Nissanka 21 Karunaratne 6)
Karunaratne is off the mark with a push to cover for a single which is doubled by Stone’s crazy overthrow. Woakes then overpitches and the left-hander creams an off-drive for four. Woakes recovers to beat him with angle and bounce from over the wicket and also deceives him with movement next ball, catching the inside edge as he tried to defend into the offside.
02:14 PM BST
OVER 4: SL 20/0 (Nissanka 20 Karunaratne 0)
Another lively Atkinson over, hitting the pitch hard and extracting bounce and movement. After beating Nissanka with a lifter, he strays on to middle and the opener cuffs him for a single. Karunaratne can’t match his partner’s timing and nudges and nurdles defensives and thwarted pushes for four dot balls.
02:09 PM BST
OVER 3: SL 19/0 (Nissanka 19 Karunaratne 0)
Nissanka whisks Woakes’ outswinger from a fourth-stump line for a single which is doubled by Bashir’s unfortunate overthrow, the ball spitting out of a foothold and oscillating wildly from the attempted shy at the stumps. The right-hander then tucks the shorter ball off his hip for four, thick edges another four through the slips when totally diddled by the movement and squared up and ends the over with a handsome back-foot punch through cover for three. He’s taking a leaf from Duckett’s book, playing at every ball he can.
02:04 PM BST
OVER 2: SL 6/0 (Nissanka 6 Karunaratne 0)
Gus Atkinson shares the new ball as he has done since Anderson’s ‘retirement’ and his first ball kicks up off a short length at 89mph and catches Nissanka on the thumb as he tried to rear away. The ball thuds down in front of Duckett at third slip and bounces off the turf and hits him flush on the jaw as he dived. When Atkinson strays outside off the 26-year-old Nissanka spanks a cut shot for four and the right-hander, who averages 44 in 58 ODIs and 35 in 10 Tests, plays tip and run to cover.
01:22 PM BST
Lunch verdict
A sloppy session for England, who have allowed Sri Lanka back into the Test. There was almost a sense that England were batting for a declaration – which might have been their intention, but didn’t reflect their position in the match. A collapse of seven for 64 in 100 balls was reward for Sri Lanka’s discipline and skill, though they must wish they had shown the same qualities on the first day. It would have been much worse for England but for Ollie Pope, who extended his century into 154: quite the riposte to a difficult first two Tests with the bat as stand-in captain.
Still, bowling England out for 325 just about justifies the decision to bowl first. Now, can Sri Lanka get a lead? Watching Josh Hull, who made two before top-edging Asitha Fernando to square leg, bowl for the first time in Test cricket will be fascinating.
01:20 PM BST
LUNCH: SL 1/0 (Nissanka 1 Karunaratne 0)
SL go in 324 behind with all 10 wickets first-innings wickets in hand after a fine performance with the ball and a peculiar/rotten one by England with the bat this morning,
Had they taken lunch when England were bowled out they could have come back on at 1.42. Instead it will be 1.55pm for the resumption.
01:18 PM BST
OVER 1: SL 1/0 (Nissanka 1 Karunaratne 0)
Pope augments the cordon with a fifth slip and brings up a short leg too. Only mid-off and the bowler infront of the striker’s popping crease.
Nissanka defends squarely and then flicks a single off his hip. Woakes tries wobble seam for Karunaratne and pins him on leg stump but with a ball that pitched outside. The next ball is the oen across the left-hander that keeps climbing. Karunaratne follows it with his hands as it leaves him without reaching it.
England are starting Sri Lanka’s innings with five slips, a gully, short leg, and leg gully (Josh Hull, who has Cameron Green-esque wingspan).
01:12 PM BST
Chris Woakes will take the new ball
The greying Wizard marks out his run and Pope gives him four slips, a gully and leg slip.
01:10 PM BST
Breaking news
Andrew Flintoff has been appointed head coach of the England Lions for the next 12 months. The Lions tour South Africa before Christmas, Australia in January and then India and Sri Lanka later in 2025.
01:08 PM BST
Change of innings
Sri Lanka bowled exactly as they should have done yesterday and overcame their rotten luck to take seven wickets this morning for 104 runs. They are right back in this game if they can defy England’s seam and swing and perhaps exploit soem tiredness in Atkinson and Woakes’ sixth Tests of the summer.
01:03 PM BST
Surrey confirm there will be an over before lunch
Sri Lanka will start their reply at 1.12pm
01:02 PM BST
Wicket!
Bashir c Kumara b Rathanayake 1 Cloths a pull high to mid-off. FOW 325 all out.
01:02 PM BST
OVER 69: ENG 325/9 (Stone 15 Hull 1)
Asitha bags Hull on the hook but Bashit manages to cuff his short ball down for a single while Stone top edges his for six straight over the keeper’s head. Curious stroke as the bat came round at biceps height, his arms as close to his body as a T-Rex’s.
12:57 PM BST
Wicket!
Hull c Dhananjaya b Asitha Fernando 2 Men are sent out on the hook to signal some short stuff for the debutant who duly splices his first attempt at a pull to square leg who pouches the dolly. FOW 318/9
12:56 PM BST
OVER 68: ENG 317/8 (Stone 8 Hull 2)
First Test runs for Josh Hull come by virtue of a cover drive for two. He has a bat manufacturer I don’t recognise. Black stickers. Decent piece of willow which he wafts extravagantly at a wider one from Vishwa and connects only with fresh air.
Lunch is at 1.15pm owing to yesterday’s loss of time to bad light.
12:51 PM BST
OVER 67: ENG 314/8 (Stone 7 Hull 0)
Pope sweeps Dhananjaya hard for four then whisks two into the onside, Hull’s long legs galloping back to the non-striker’s. Stone keeps the strike with a lofted drive which he cloths over mid-off for one.
12:48 PM BST
OVER 65 and 66: ENG 307/8 (Stone 0 Hull 0)
Perhaps Woakes and Atkinson fancy a bowl as they have thrown their wickets away to the off-spinner, slogging their way back to the pavilion. Kumar Sangakkara says England have got this wrong, it should be Pope attacking the off-spinner. Instead he takes on the left-arm seamer’s half-tracker…
Enter Josh Hull who leaves three and defends the two shorter balls solidly.
Sri Lanka have bowled much better today, but that’s five really soft wickets from England. They’ve batted a bit like they’ve got 457 on the board, not 307. They are going to get a nice long bowl! Brilliant innings from Pope.
12:43 PM BST
Wicket!
Pope c Karunaratne b Vishal Fernando 154 A fine innings but ends with a whimper, pulling to deep backward square. He drops to his haunches and then slopes off to acknowledge the crowd. FOW 307/7
12:40 PM BST
Wicket!
Atkinson c Rathnayake b De Silva 2 Big swipe across the line and caught at deep midwicket. FOW 307/7
12:40 PM BST
OVER 64: ENG 303/6 (Pope 153 Atkinson 2)
Pope cuts the left-arm seamer for a single and Atkinson drives through covers hands for another. And yet between those first and sixth ball of the overs, Vishwa Fernando seems to have the ball on a string, bending it in to Atkinson, the Lord’s centurion, and nibbling it away.
12:36 PM BST
OVER 63: ENG 301/6 (Pope 152 Atkinson 1)
Some Herbert a couple of posts ago who questioned Dhananjaya bringing himself on is now eating his hat…
England have batted horribly this morning, really.
Yep, ugly stuff.
12:34 PM BST
Wicket!
Woakes c Rathnayake b De Silva 2 Masterstroke from Dhananjaya who entices Woakes to chip him to cover. That;’s why he turned to off-spin, to lead Woakes into temptation. FOW 299/6
12:32 PM BST
OVER 62: ENG 298/5 (Pope 150 Woakes 2)
Vishwa draws the edge from Pope but the ball falls short of first slip. The captain then dabs two down past gully and square drives for a single to bring up the fastest Test 150 at the Oval off only 151 balls.
12:27 PM BST
OVER 61: ENG 294/5 (Pope 147 Woakes 1)
With the ball hooping around Dhananjaya oddly chooses to bring himself on for a spell of off-spin from round the wicket to the right-handers and they milk him for two singles and a two. Curiouser and curiouser, unless it’s to facuilitate a change of ends.
Here’s how close Pope was to being given out leg-before, 2.5mm.
Sri Lanka have earned these two wickets: it could easily have been more. But you suspect that it will also make Sri Lanka rue their bowling yesterday even more.
12:23 PM BST
OVER 60: ENG 290/5 (Pope 144 Woakes 0)
Vishwa Fernando continues on his merry way beating Smith twice outside off after drawing him forward. Smith scuffs a drive for two through point but as Kumar Sangakkara points out, he doesn’t have a spring in his step, as if he’s carrying an injury. Nonetheless he gets his man with the inswinger after two outies, scrambling Smith’s mind.
12:20 PM BST
Wicket!
Smith c Mendis V Fernando 16 He has been gulled by the swing all morning and chips the inswinger to midwicket. FOW 290/5
This has been a curiously low intensity session. Brook and Smith, who could have caused so much damage, have failed to cash in. Sri Lanka have taken a couple of sharp catches, but dropped a sitter. England are 290 for five, which is fine but not that much more.
12:14 PM BST
OVER 59: ENG 288/4 (Pope 144 Smith 14)
Smith channels Pope and plays a late cut in the ‘Nasser Gap’ between slip and gully for four. Time for drinks. Only one wicket but Sri Lanka have had a good hour.
12:13 PM BST
OVER 58: ENG 283/4 (Pope 144 Smith 9)
Vishwa Fernando comes in from the Vauxhall End and swings it from the start, hooping two back into the right-handers from over the wicket and pinning both Smith and Pope. The first was sliding down but the second was hitting middle but was judged to have pitched outside off by one stitch of the seam. About as tight a not out as I’ve ever seen.
Pope compounds the misery with a big inside edge that misses the leg bail by a gnat’s. No luck at all for Sri Lanka.
12:06 PM BST
Not out
Pitched just outside off by a hair’s breadth.
12:05 PM BST
ENG review
Pope lbw b V Fernando Looks plumb but where did it pitch?
12:05 PM BST
OVER 57: ENG 276/4 (Pope 139 Smith 8)
Sky has just shown a beehive for Brook outside off this summer to indicate that his frustration has got the better of him too often. Keep it out there long enough and he will nick off. We overheard him on the stump mic complaining about their ‘boring’ approach but then he also sarcastically took guard outside off stump to emphasise the point. Ponting points out that such petulance will only encourage his opponents to keep doing it as it demonstrably rattles him.
Smith Harrow drives for a four. Streaky again.
12:01 PM BST
OVER 56: ENG 264/4 (Pope 137 Smith 3)
Rathnayake changes ends and Pope exploits Sri Lanka’s split cordon for the third time this morning with a late-cut dan that flies uppishly between second slip and gully for four. ‘The Nasser Gap,’ quips Mark Butcher impishly.
Brian May is in the pavilion which prompts Butch to shoehorn in ‘Under Pressure’ and he ‘wants to break free’ to tumbleweed from his co-commentators.
11:57 AM BST
OVER 55: ENG 264/4 (Pope 133 Smith 2)
Kumara returns for Rathanayake and ties Smith up with five dot balls, four respectable and one greasy half-volley that is drilled but Dhananjaya makes a terrific stop.
11:50 AM BST
OVER 54: ENG 263/4 (Pope 133 Smith 1)
Pope skelps a single off his pads and Smith, who defends four outswingers to size up Asitha’s trajectory, punches the final ball for a single down to the cover sweeper.
11:46 AM BST
OVER 53: ENG 261/4 (Pope 132 Smith 0)
‘The game’s still on,’ says Ricky Ponting shrewdly. ‘Pope’s got away but Brook hasn’t.’ He illustrates that the Yorkshireman, like Lawrence and Root, is being tested outside off almost to distraction and within four balls of the over, one if which prompted a wild charge and swipe, Brook is out. Hint of swing and he throws his hands at it. Sharp catch, too, diving to his right.
Not a clever innings from Harry Brook. Like Ben Duckett, you feel he has underperformed this summer against weak opponents. It is not a bad summer, just frustrating. Brook has been too eager to impose, unlike Jamie Smith who has played himself in and chosen more wisely when to go on the attack.
11:41 AM BST
Wicket!
Brook c Mendis b Rathnayake 19 Smart catch at cover diving towards extra after being tormented in the corridor all morning. FOW 261/4
Harry Brook has been troubled by the moving ball all morning. He almost edged behind, was dropped on 12 and is now caught terrifically in the covers on 19. For all his qualities, Brook now has only one Test century in his last 20 innings.
11:40 AM BST
OVER 52: ENG 261/3 (Pope 132 Brook 19)
Brook is beaten by a jaffa from Asitha that angles in and nips away, whistling past the edge as Brook squared himself up, wide-eyed. He pulls the next ball for a single and Pope uses the pull too, off the front foot, awkwardly, to cloth it over mid on for two.
Pontifex plays the late cut/dab once more, this time for four so Dhananjya moves Mathews from first slip to second slip to try to plug the gap by leaving a big hole between Big Ange and the keeper. Asitha tempts him again outside off but it’s too wide and Pope drives two through cover’s hands.
I don’t mind England batting expansively on this occasion. After the loss of so many overs on day one, and with earlier and earlier sunsets, they have to bat briskly then get Sri Lanka in. Not the right strategy to accumulate 500 slowly then try to make SL follow on. That way pace bowlers break down.
11:34 AM BST
OVER 51: ENG 252/3 (Pope 124 Brook 18)
Rathanayake slips one through Pope’s gate and clips him on the back leg. They appeal and Chandimal seems keen but the captain Dhananjaya says it was too high in his opinion and does not review, a decision that was vindicated by the replay.
Pope plays that lat dab for two, running the ball down in front of the slips to third man. It’s a shot that looks like he’s withdrawing the bat when in fact he’s angling the ball with something more like a deflection than a hit.
11:29 AM BST
OVER 50: ENG 249/3 (Pope 122 Brook 17)
Pope has a chat with the umpires who speak into their walkie-talkies and on come the floodlights as if by voice command: ‘Alexa, illuminate Kennington.’
He’s seeing it all right in any light, playing another elegant whip from outside off through midwicket for four. It’s the shot of the morning, says Athers. Indeed. Even if it was a half-volley.
11:26 AM BST
OVER 49: ENG 245/3 (Pope 118 Brook 17)
After two wide outswingers, one of which Brook pokes for a single through point, you can hear him on the stump mic saying something about ‘wide bowling’ being ‘boring’. Pope, to limit the amount of swing, uses his feet to the next ball and plays a glorious whip through midwicket for four. When he does it again he misjudges the line slightly and the ball squirts off the inside edge to square leg for a single.
11:21 AM BST
OVER 48: ENG 239/3 (Pope 113 Brook 16)
Pope opens the face to drive a single off Asitha F down to point. Brook’s beans seem to be pumping which makes him look skittish but it’s actually a calculated, aggressive approach. Positive in defence he turns a single from outside off to midwicket then hares back for two when Pope whips one squarer.
Still cloudy today, but much higher and clearer, so much nicer for batting, and we should get a full day’s play. Would be great to see Ollie Pope and Harry Brook – as well as Jamie Smith – get really greedy today, because this England batting lineup isn’t always like that. Well, as I type that, Brook has been given one hell of a life by Asitha Fernando. A really poor drop, that.
11:17 AM BST
OVER 47: ENG 235/3 (Pope 110 Brook 15)
Ruthless bowling change: Rathanayake replaces Kumara after only five balls. And he should have taken a wicket first ball as Brook goes for the big shot over cover, loses his grip and slices a steepling chance to the cover point sweeper. Asitha Fernando tries to get his bearings circling underneath it and shells it, slipping on the greasy outfield to compound his misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, Dhananjaya would have none at all. They run two and then Brook tucks a single off his hip.
Pope chases another wide on as he did in the previous over and nicks it at pouchable height between gully and second slip for four. There’s a big cheer bit England have started streakily.
Asitha has a chance to make amends with the ball.
11:12 AM BST
OVER 46: ENG 227/3 (Pope 105 Brook 12)
Asitha Fernando starts as he should have done yesterday with a nagging, consistent line, moving the ball away from the right-handed Brook who uses his feet after three dot balls to drill a single down to the point boundary rider. Pope is beaten pushing outside off stump but then hacks a cut away for two.
11:09 AM BST
OVER 45: ENG 224/3 (Pope 103 Brook 11)
As the trumpeter plays Jerusalem, Brook gets the morning going with a drilled drive to point for two. Joel Wilson gives him out next ball and Brook laughs, immediately sending it upstairs. Nine Sri Lanka fielders were certain he had nicked it, given the clunky sound but there was no bat on ball and Brook keeps smiling. Brook says it was a creaky bat handle and shuffles on to the back foot to slap a single to the point sweeper and pinch the strike.
11:04 AM BST
Not out
He didn’t hit it. There was a loud noise but it must have been bat on ground.
11:03 AM BST
ENG review
Pope c Chandimal b Kumara He reviewed straightaway, suggesting he didn’t hit it.
11:00 AM BST
Out come the players
The lights are not on and Lahiru Kumara has five balls left of the 45th over and his 13th. He has take two of the three wickets to fall but has gone at more than six an over 12.1-1-81-2.
10:56 AM BST
Weather forecast
Gloom, heavy cloud and a 10 per cent chance of rain until 5pm when it increases to 30 per cent.
10:54 AM BST
Boycott’s Briefing
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10:53 AM BST
Tempting fate
Excuse me if I come off a long run for once. When England’s XI for the Edgbaston Test was announced, I was mildly – or wildly, if you ask my colleagues – critical of the selection of Mark Wood for back to back Tests. England were 2-0 up against West Indies. Selecting him again for the third Test was like asking the lad next door in for a drink and using the best china: it was tempting the fate of an accident.
And meanwhile Dillon Pennington was going off the boil after his fine early season for Notts. Then, short of match practice, he gets injured when playing the Hundred. Had he been playing for England he might not have been subjected to the Hundred at all but saved for higher things.
Result is: England end this season without both Wood and Pennington.
10:51 AM BST
Good morning
And welcome to live coverage of the second day of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at the Oval. Yesterday was a frustrating day for paying spectators – they can blame the daft ICC regulations concerning bad light, the umpires for their interpretation of the daft ICC regulations, or the folly of pushing international fixtures further and further into autumn – for the loss of 45 overs of play. Whatever the cause and my view is it’s all three, it was an even more exasperating day for Sri Lanka who ruined their good fortune of winning the toss with a bowling display which to this jaded, veteran chronicler was disappointingly reminiscent of England bowling first in Australia on the past three tours and bowling the wrong length and/or line for the first two sessions. Putting teams in often backfires for the sole reason that bowling attacks are anxious about the responsibility.
As for England, there were two fine innings from Ben Duckett even if the manner of his dismissal was disappointing to many. I concur with Sir Geoffrey’s view last night. He’s an outrageous talent and takes an extraordinary approach to batting, particularly opening. But as long as he’s contributing, he’ll be all right by Key/McCullum and Stokes and his record, averaging 45.02 since his recall in Pakistan nearly two years ago, puts him up with the very best. Yes, more centuries would be welcome but his volume of runs if unsatisfactorily dispersed between innings for purists makes him the perfect tone-setter and contributor to this England side.
Ollie Pope was terrific, too, and it was good to see him confound those who said the captaincy was a burden to his batting which was not very good in any case. When he clicks, he’s a joy to watch and his mixture of impudent innovation and classical strokeplay was there to see yesterday.
Will Sri Lanka finally screw the nut this morning or can England take the game away from them on what looks likely to be another on-off day to put them on the threshold of their first clean sweep summer since 2004? I’d put your house on the latter.
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