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The worst batting of the Bazball era has left England with diminishing hopes of completing their first 100 percent summer in 20 years.
England have lost 17 wickets for 220 since looking strong at 261 for three in the first innings of the match and largely it has been of their own doing.
They have been rolled for fewer runs under Brendon McCullum, and have infuriated before when bounced out by Australia, but Sri Lanka are not in the same class as India or an attack led by Pat Cummins.
England have been ultra aggressive this week, perhaps wanting to entertain crowds after the empty seats at Lord’s and also the desire to have fun with the series in the bag. But it resulted in their shortest completed innings of the Bazball era, all out for 156 in 33.5 overs, setting Sri Lanka a very gettable 219 for a famous win. They coasted to the close losing just opener Dimuth Karunaratne, and at 94 for one, with another 125 required, comfortably claimed the honours on a peculiar day three when 16 wickets fell and Test cricket was played on rollerblades.
Tiredness is a factor with three back to back Tests in three weeks taking the edge off both teams – this has been an error-strewn, low quality game – but Michael Vaughan’s verdict on day two that England must not “take the mickey” by playing streaky cricket against opponents there for the taking when greater challenges await further down the line has been proved correct.
There is a reason why no England team has won every Test in a summer for 20 years and to miss out after playing so well against West Indies and Sri Lanka while regenerating the team would be wasteful. Agreeing to bowl 18 overs of spin on day two, allowing Sri Lanka to milk more than 60 runs, may well end up costing England the match, a naivety that India or Australia would relish.
Without Jamie Smith channelling Adam Gilchrist, England would not have been in the hunt. Ricky Ponting is at this Test commentating in England for the first time this summer, the Sky role perhaps cover for an Ashes scouting mission, and new to watching Smith bat. He did not hold back in his admiration. “Magnificent innings,” he said as Smith went from 15 off 31 balls to hit 52 off his next 19, with some of the most sweetly struck shots of the summer.
It was an innings Smith was picked to play and it emptied the bars at the Oval, lifting the mood with England in trouble at 84 for seven, just 146 ahead, and Smith batting with No 9 Olly Stone. Smith, sensing it was now or never, plundered 20 off Milan Rathnayake’s over, including six sweetly struck over midwicket for six. “Sensational,” said Ponting. Rathnayake was whipped off, it made little difference. Vishwa Fernando was whacked for 16.
A multi-year central contract will be offered to Smith in the next few weeks, and this is why England want to tie his future down. It was exactly what England envisaged from their wicketkeeper and in this series, with his hundred at Old Trafford, he has shown his multi-faceted game. He can bat in a traditional way when required and press the Twenty20 button when necessary.
But even his dismissal was disappointing, caught at short midwicket trying another big hit the ball before tea. Had he showed a little more game awareness, England could have carried on after the break and built a bigger lead.
Smith, however, is the only one who can hold his head high. Ben Duckett was out to a poor stroke, bunting a catch to mid-on; the summer has passed him by without a century and he will regret that. Dan Lawrence batted like a man trying to read the instructions on how to bat as an opener in Test cricket while trying to do so at the same time. He swung at thin air as if in a T20 and decided to go down throwing punches. Somehow he reached 35 despite trying to cart everything out the ground before nicking off attempting to hit one all the way to Vauxhall station.
With Joe Root out to a good ball, a yorker from Vishwa Fernando that pinned him on the foot in front, England started to regret the soft dismissals. Harry Brook did not learn, he fell to the same ball as Root and all of a sudden Smith was on a rescue mission with a long tail.
Smith put on 58 off 44 balls with Stone, who contributed five to the stand, and his home crowd were thrilled, giving him a standing ovation when he passed 50. The ball was moving all day, and Sri Lanka bowled so much better than in the first innings but England just could not see out a session or difficult passage of play, something they had cracked in other matches this summer.
They had started well finishing off Sri Lanka’s first innings clinically, the last five falling for 56 and Josh Hull bagging two more wickets, including a lovely lbw with an inswinger to fellow left-arm quick Fernando.
Hopefully Hull was watching Fernando bowl to England because he produced a magnificent spell of left-arm swing, tailing it late and bowling the right length for three for 40, the pick of the Sri Lanka attack.
A target of 219 is tricky for a team low on confidence but England kept up the attacking fields and Sri Lanka plundered runs at more than six an over. Pathum Nissanka played some of the best shots of the day in an unbeaten 53, batting sensibly without trying to larrup the ball like England did.
Collingwood rubbishes ‘complacency’ accusation
Assistant coach Paul Collingwood admitted that England got it wrong after throwing away a strong position against Sri Lanka – but rubbished accusations that complacency had kicked in.
Sri Lanka need just 125 runs with nine wickets in hand to ensure that England do not win all six of their Tests this summer. Despite taking a first innings lead of 62, they were bowled out for 156 in their second innings.
“It would be one hell of a Test match to win from this position, but it’s an exciting opportunity to turn it around,” said Collingwood.
“It’s not been one of our better days of Test cricket this year. We’ve been in situations where the game has been in the balance, and we’ve found ways of overcoming that, constantly putting the opposition under pressure. Full credit to Sri Lanka today, they bowled really well.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work. Test cricket there are good players out there, and they find ways to put you under pressure. We’ve always since Baz has taken over having that mantra of playing a positive brand. Today we tried to do some things that didn’t come off.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was among those who accused England of complacency, warning them on the second evening not to “take the mick” because “this game has a way of biting you”. Collingwood, a former team-mate of Vaughan’s denied the allegation.
“I don’t think so. It’s pretty easy to make the excuse of complacency,” he said. “There’s plenty of desire to have a clean sweep. The lads are very proud of playing for England, and it’s not felt like there’s been any complacency. We still have an opportunity to go and win the match. Obviously a lot of things will have to go our way, but we will have that belief.
“We know we will be criticised if we don’t perform, that’s fine. Today was one of those days we didn’t get it right. Sometimes opposition find ways to put us under pressure like we try to do to them.”
England v Sri Lanka third Test, day three: as it happened…
07:23 PM BST
Boycott’s Briefing
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06:51 PM BST
Stumps
Jamie Smith’s counter-attack has given England some wriggle room tomorrow but Sri Lanka’s batsmen have approached this with intelligence, pluck and grit. They need 125 to win tomorrow after a very poor day’s play from England who batted horribly to some good bowling. We’ll be here for over by over coverage and stay tuned for Nick’s match report and pertinent pieces from Scyld, Will and Tim which will be here over the next couple of hours.
06:47 PM BST
Bad light stops play
Sri Lanka have fought back to move to 125 from victory with nine wickets left after a cracking start to their chase. Pope could have bowled Root or Lawrence but astutely judged that he doesn’t have enough runs to play with and goes for the pragmatic approach of saying he would bowl seam and hence provoking the umpires to take the players off. If Bashir can hit those footholds again made by Vishwa Fernando and Josh Hull’s plates, he could give England hope.
It’s not stumps but will be if they’re not back on at 7pm.
06:44 PM BST
OVER 15: SL 94/1 (Nissanka 53 Kusal 30)
Kusal nails the first ball on the sweep for four, middling it in front of square with power and perfect timing. Bashir drags the next one down and Kusal pulls it for a single. Some rain in the air now, too. Nissanka is also given one to pull and does so for another single as Bashir struggles with his grip in the gloom.
Bashir then gets one to rag out of the footholds and strike Kusal on the glove but the ball falls short of the wicket, never mind the keeper.
This feels mad from England. Perhaps Bashir will take a wicket, but surely England should be accepting the opportunity to get off the field and regroup before coming back hard tomorrow. Sri Lanka are in great shape, and Pope doesn’t have the runs to keep a really attacking field.
06:40 PM BST
OVER 14: SL 87/1 (Nissanka 52 Kusal 24)
Stuart Broad talks about the benefits of ‘bowling dry’ in this situation to attack again in the morning. Can there be a marriage of Flowerball and Bazball?
Nissanka essays a hook at a Hull bouncer but his bat helicopters beneath the climbing ball that Smith takes high above his head. The opener pats two off his hip round the corner then wears the next one that jags back in on the funny bone.To take out his pain and inflict some back he mullers an off drive for four through mid-off to bring up his second fifty of the match.
The light is not good enough for seamers anymore so Pope is going to give Bashir a go for an over at least.
06:32 PM BST
OVER 13: SL 81/1 (Nissanka 46 Kusal 24)
Stone replaces Woakes and Nissanka on-drives him for a tight single. Stone’s outswinger sits up and begs to be whacked and Kusal obliges with a chunky square cut that rattles away for four. Stone isn’t going to take that lightly and arrows one into the batsman and the pitch, jamming his thumb on to the bat handle. What better time for drinks?
06:27 PM BST
OVER 12: SL 76/1 (Nissanka 45 Kusal 20)
Hull is taken for two when he serves up a half-volley by Nissanka who tried to hit it too hard and for six so consequently mistimed it and plinked it over mid-off. Hull’s next ball is wider and Nissanka scythes a square cut for four. As Mark Butcher says, England will have to think about changing to a containment strategy to build pressure with dot balls. And Pope does take out gully and puts him in the ring. But this is buffet bowling whatever the field as Hull strives for swing and pitches it up but down the wrong line. Kusal cuts him for four a ball after whipping two off his hip.
06:22 PM BST
OVER 11: SL 63/1 (Nissanka 38 Kusal 16)
Kusal climbs into Woakes and smears a cover drive for four and follows that with a whisk between mid-on and midwicket for another. The bowlers look tired and Kusal exploits Woakes’ weariness when he drags one down and pulls it at hip-height for four.
Our chaps at the ground suggest the light will hold for about another 20 minutes at least. Sri Lanka are seeing it like a beach ball.
06:19 PM BST
OVER 10: SL 51/1 (Nissanka 38 Kusal 4)
Hull swings one on to Nissanka’s off stump and gets it to nibble away beating the well-set opener all ends up but the right-hander connects with an on-drive when the next one swings a bit later and claws it through midwicket for an all-run four, rendering Woakes’ diligent, lung-bursting chase and diving save inches before the boundary futile save for setting an example.
06:13 PM BST
OVER 9: SL 47/1 (Nissanka 34 Kusal 4)
A hint of swing from Woakes but Kusal leaves it alone as it arcs away from him having already flicked a two off his legs, hustling back for the second.
Here comes Josh Hull who bowled well this morning. How much gas he has, I don’t know, but he should be good for one burst and the ball is swinging
06:09 PM BST
OVER 8: SL 44/1 (Nissanka 33 Kusal 2)
Shrewd batting to take Atkinson for four singles and a leg-bye, Nissanka working two of them off his pads, in fact one was pad only, and Mendis eases two into the offside.
The lacquer should be off the ball now.
06:04 PM BST
OVER 7: SL 39/1 (Nissanka 31 Kusal 0)
Nissanka drives again, the lush outfield slowing it down sufficiently to stop it going for four but they run three anyway. Karunaratne makes another rotten call for a tight single and is rightly sent back and then pops one back to the bowler.
06:00 PM BST
Wicket!
Karunaratne c&b Woakes 8 Exceptional athleticism from the Wizard after the left-hander’s defensive comes off the edge into his pad and loops up. Woakes makes 10 yards from the end of his followthrough to dive forward and catch it about three yards from the bat after a wonky forward roll. FOW 39/1
05:58 PM BST
OVER 6: SL 36/0 (Nissanka 23 Karunaratne 6)
‘If you want to drive, get a car Nissanka,’ would have been the call from West Indies’ great attack but he’s motoring along here famously, creaming Atkinson for four through mid-off before whisking a single off middle through midwicket. Karunaratne slaps two through point and the good start continues. Six an over now.
05:55 PM BST
OVER 5: SL 29/0 (Nissanka 23 Karunaratne 6)
The trumpeter plays his greatest hit, theme from the Great Escape perhaps in the belief that England identify with James Coburn, Charles Bronson and John Leyton rather than Dickie Attenborough and Gordon Jackson. Nissanka almost drags on when Woakes nips one back into him but the ball bounces past the stumps and they jog a single.
05:48 PM BST
OVER 4: SL 28/0 (Nissanka 22 Karunaratne 6)
Nissanka is driving gloriously, chipping one through mid-on for four and, after surviving the review, smacking another wider of mid-on for three. Karunaratne, perhaps looking for first-innings payback for being sawn-off by his opening partner calls for a quick single but is sent straight back but he does get off the mark off the last ball with a thick-edged drive wide of gully for four off Atkinson
05:44 PM BST
NOT OUT
High and sliding down leg. That’s the 10th unsuccessful DRS appeal of Pope’s captaincy in the field.
05:43 PM BST
ENG review
Nissanka lbw b Atkinson Looks high.
05:43 PM BST
OVER 3: SL 17/0 (Nissanka 15 Karunaratne 2)
Terrific stroke from Nissanka, a handsome off-drive for four, nice high elbow. Next ball is wider but just as full so he opens the face to drive through cover point for two. Out goes short leg and Pope posts himself at catching cover instead. The right-hander jabs a single with a backward defensive to midwicket and Karunaratne leaves the last ball.
05:37 PM BST
OVER 2: SL 10/0 (Nissanka 8 Karunaratne 2)
Atkinson is game enough to give it a go and pitches it up to the left-handed Karunaratne who leaves the first two down the corridor untouched. His speed is in the low 80s, not too shabby if he’s impeded by the thigh strain. He starts with five dot balls as Karunaratne probes the infield then punches two through cover to take him to 7,001 Test runs.
05:34 PM BST
OVER 1: SL 8/0 (Nissanka 8 Karunaratne 0)
Christopher Roger Woakes opens the bowling and Nissanka defends the first, nose over the ball and nudges the next into the legside. Woakes, looking for swing even if that is likely to come later when the lacquer comes off, goes fuller and Nissanka times the pants off an on-drive for four. Just the three slips and a gully now rather than the gung-ho five and a gully of the opening spell of the first innings. Width entices Nissanka to drive and he throws his hands at the ball, nicking it quick but down in the gap between third slip and Pope for four.
05:30 PM BST
A poignant moment this morning
05:27 PM BST
Precedents?
There have been four higher successful run chases at the Oval, but none since 1988.
Looking very much like Atkinson will bowl, given he’s warming up. Will Chandimal bat?
05:22 PM BST
Here are Jamie Smith’s highlights
Without them, England would be sunk.
05:21 PM BST
OVER 34: ENG 156 all out (Hull 6*)
Well! That’s a terrific way to get off the mark for Hull, a hook for six as he whirred through the stroke like a spinning top. He has two more goes and misses then top edges it over the keeper for a single.
Bashir also tries to hook and is strangled down the legside.
Sri Lanka need 219 to win.
And Gus Atkinson is out and warming up as if ready to bowl.
05:19 PM BST
Wicket!
Bashir c sub (Madushka) b Asitha Fernando 4 Gloved down the legside. FOW 156 all out
05:15 PM BST
OVER 33: ENG 149/9 (Hull 0 Bashir 4)
Kumara has four for 44 with the wicket of Stone but Bashir puts a dent in them with a jabby drive off the toe for four so the bowler sticks one round his Adam’s apple and he flinches out of the road.
There’s a big noise as Bashir plays late and misses outside off but it was bat on ground and the appeal dioes a quick death.
05:10 PM BST
Wicket!
Stone c sub (Madushka Fernando) b Kumara 10 Following a back-foot drive for four off the previous delivery, he tries it again and nicks off to the sub in the gloves. FOW 145/9
05:09 PM BST
OVER 32: ENG 141/8 (Stone 6 Hull 0)
Asitha Fernando is going to bounce nine, 10 and jack looking for payback on Stone for some chin music and because they are vulnerable to it. He comes round the wicket after Stone slashed and missed at an uppercut to cramp him for room. The first legside bumper is too wide and Stone misses it on the pull before clipping a straighter one for a single.
The bowler comes over the wicket to the left-handed Hull with five catchers on the legside, on the boundary and the ring. He gloves the last ball short of gully as he tried to turn it to leg, having no clue where the ball was going. Kumara, the quickest bowler, will support A. Fernando.
04:50 PM BST
TEA: ENG 140/8
England lead by 202 after Smith’s outstanding knock, 67 off 50 balls with 10 fours and a six, has given them a defensible score. Earlier Sri Lanka had bowled well to reduce England to 82 for seven but wilted under Smith’s assault which scrambled their minds.
Hull and Bashir shouldn’t be much of a threat but Stone can bat a bit with four first-class fifties and a fc average of 18. Every little helps but the injury to Chandimal, who has 15 Test centuries and averages 43, could be as detrimental to Sri Lanka’s chances as Atkinson’s injury is to England’s.
04:45 PM BST
OVER 31: ENG 140/8 (Stone 5)
Stone drills a drive through cover and runs three off Vishwa Fernando who drops short next ball and Smith carts him through square leg for four then exploits the width to pump four off the front foot Ricky Ponting says the field is all wrong which it is but Smith is ruthlessly exploiting the gaps in this stunning counter-attack. He plays a T20 heave for four more but then scuffs to midwicket, dragging it off the inside edge.
And that is TEA.
Fifteen runs from Jamie Smith’s first 31 balls, then 52 from his next 19: stunning acceleration to show his range. What a talent
04:43 PM BST
Wicket!
Smith c Kusal Mendis b Vishwa Fernando 67 Came off the inside half of the bat as he was aiming for mid-on and speared it to midwicket instead. FOW 140/8
04:39 PM BST
OVER 30: ENG 125/7 (Smith 55 Stone 2)
Asith ditches the failed, telegraphed chin-music plan and uses it as a surprise more effectively after Stone flicks a single to long leg. Smith swings hard at a hook that flies over his left shoulder and survives the appeal because he didn’t get any bat on it. Smith hangs back for the next one but it’s fuller so he improvises and thumps it like a baseball shot between mid-off and the bowler for four.
Shades of Kevin Pietersen at this ground in 2005 in this assault from Jamie Smith: picked his time, then has plundered 36 from 12 balls.
04:33 PM BST
OVER 29: ENG 120/7 (Smith 51 Stone 1)
After leaking 20, Rathnayake is given the big curly index finger and sent into exile in the outfield. Vishwa, who had one over off, is back on and Smith is emboldened now, settled in his mind about counter-punching. Hence he plays two extraordinarily powerful shots, the first from down the pitch is lofted classily over mid-off for four, the next is a brutal pull in front of square from outside off that is at the boundary before the fielders had time to move. Having started the over with a pair of twos, he also ends it in that fashion, whisking both through midwicket to reach a 43-ball fifty. This is the game, right here, and Sri Lanka have lost their focus.
04:27 PM BST
OVER 28: ENG 104/7 (Smith 35 Stone 1)
Stone goes fishing outside off but plays and misses as the ball climbs past the shoulder. Asitha keeps letting Stone off the hook by letting him duck. Ricky Ponting suggests going round the wicket and targeting the armpit if they must persist with this strategy. Fernando stays over for now and records a maiden but not a worthwhile one.
That brilliant over from Jamie Smith has brought the Oval crowd to life as they cheer the local boy on. Some spectacular strokes, with no less than RT Ponting absolutely purring on Sky’s commentary.
04:24 PM BST
OVER 27: ENG 104/7 (Smith 35 Stone 1)
Smith rides his luck by charging down to Rathnayake, who has changed ends, and plinking a lofted drive over mid off. The fielder, who turns and races back, cannot get there with outstretched hands. That seems to have settled Smith’s mind and he scythes a square cut for four then collars a pull for a massive six that goes 30 rows back. Rathnayake lost his length twice and paid a very heavy price. When the right-armer does go back to full and swinging, Smith middles a lofted drive over mid-off for four and then drives off the back foot through cover for four more. Twenty off the over for the enormously talented Smith.
04:19 PM BST
OVER 26: ENG 84/7 (Smith 15 Stone 1)
With Stone on strike Sri Lanka go for a barrage, with three catchers out and, after a couple of dot balls, also a short leg. Strange strategy and Stone only has to play at one of them. He’s batting at No 9 for a reason. If full and swinging was too good for Pope, Root and Brook, surely it would be for Stone.
04:15 PM BST
OVER 25: ENG 84/7 (Smith 15 Stone 1)
Vishwa Fernando is swinging it in consistently to Stone but he keeps spraying it down the legside and provokes Sangakkara into an assault on his own hair in frustration. They do appeal for a legside strangle but it clipped the bat. So rarely did he make him play that there has to be a change. Ah, the last ball is straighter but short and Stone pats it to cover for a single.
There will be from the other end where Asitha Fernando is replacing Milan Rathnayake.
04:09 PM BST
OVER 24: ENG 83/7 (Smith 15 Stone 0)
Sri Lanka shrewdly gave Smith a single off the first ball and then exploited Atkinson’s heavy legs to dismiss the Lord’s centurion cheaply. Enter Stone, who is beaten by zip and nip outside off for his first ball and then jogs a legbye to take the strike, which may not be wise.
England lead by 145.
04:05 PM BST
Wicket!
Atkinson lbw b Rathanayake 1 Scrambled seam and the demosntrably lame No8 plays all around it to be struck on the right knee in front of middle and leg. FOW 82/7
04:03 PM BST
OVER 23: ENG 81/6 (Smith 14 Atkinson 1)
Smith is having to think on his feet here, not just in terms of his approach. Does he counter-attack or dig in? He also has Atkinson’s lack of mobility into account which, incidentally shows that the ban on runners for clear external lower body injuries is preposterous.
04:01 PM BST
OVER 22: ENG 80/6 (Smith 13 Atkinson 1)
Smith flashes his hands at a drive and it flies off the edge over gully for four. He h
Atko shovels Rathnayake for a single through the onside and Smith glides another down to third man by opening the bottom wrst just as Atkinson had closed it.
Atkinson is hampered by his thigh ‘niggle’ and is running like the Tin Man.
03:54 PM BST
OVER 21: ENG 73/6 (Smith 7 Atkinson 0)
Sky shows a graphic that has Sri Lanka winning the head-to-head at the Oval against England by virtue of their sole victory in 1998, the one that sent Bumble round the twist after a rare series victory over South Africa, the rancid cherry on the yop of an otherwise succulent cake.
Vishwa is hooping it and too many are now swinging down leg. He appeals for a strangle but Atkinson didn’t hit it and sends a leg-before appeal upstairs but the ball looked as if it pitched outside leg. Which it did. Terrible waste of a review but they do have two left.
03:49 PM BST
OVER 20: ENG 72/6 (Smith 6 Atkinson 0)
Rathnayake replaces Kumara, swing for seam, and he starts with a beauty to Smith that in fact didn’t swing as Smith played for it and the ball beat the bat and off stump by a gnat’s whisker.
The next four do swing and Smith is scoreless and then he Harrow drives the one that moves back in, the ball squirting off the inside edge for a single behind square leg when aiming for extra-cover.
Four consecutive single figure scores for Chris Woakes to end the series. He has played some fine knocks at seven, including his Test century against India in 2018, but suddenly that looks a berth too high.
03:42 PM BST
OVER 19: ENG 71/6 (Smith 5 Atkinson 0)
Even after England’s collapse WinViz still rates them at 70 per cent for the victory. Vishwa continues his fine spell, swinging it in to the right-handers and Smith treats him with due caution, which is something Root and Brook were not minded to do. Just the single, off the last ball, flicked off his thigh, and on come the drinks one over after the six minute delay for Chandimal’s injury. Co-ordination is never a consideration. Get on with the game.
03:37 PM BST
OVER 18: ENG 70/6 (Smith 4 Atkinson 0)
England have already won the series so this is inconsequential to the result but for lovers of Test cricket who desperately want its viability across the current Test playing nations to be secured, this is marvellous to see from Sri Lanka.
Kumara fires one down the legside for Atkinson’s first ball and Chandimal hurts himself making an acrobatic stop diving to his left. He has been in the wars all series and has now done his lower back. After some treatment he limps off and on comes the sub. Is that a back spasm? Gone in ‘the hammer’.
Madushka comes on as sub and is allowed to keep wicket.
03:29 PM BST
Wicket!
Woakes c Chandimal b Kumara 0 Vishwa is swinging it but Kumara is nipping it off the seam and he angles it in and jags it away from the England all-rounder who fences at a defensive and nicks off. FOW 70/6
03:29 PM BST
OVER 17: ENG 69/5 (Smith 3 Woakes 0)
What a spell this has been by Vishwa Fernando who bowled very well for Yorkshire when I watched him back in June but has been a disappointment so far, not looking fit.
We have one hell of a game on our hands here – and it could end today. There’s a bit of hubris about the way England have played, and not for the first time.
03:27 PM BST
Wicket!
Brook lbw b Vishwa Fernando Another Yorkshire scalp for the adopted Yorkshireman. Again it’s an inswinger and beats Brook on the inside edge. He sent it upstairs hoping for a feather but as soon as it became apparent that he hadn’t hit it, he too walked off after a very meh series. FOW 69/5
03:23 PM BST
ENG review
Brook lbw b Vishwa Fernando Looks out to me. Another inswinger, beating the edge to hit him on the shin. No bat I think.
03:22 PM BST
OVER 16: ENG 67/4 (Brook 3 Smith 3)
The ball is doing Sri Lanka’s bidding, swinging and seaming around. Smith is gulled by the movement when driving outside off and the ball veers on to the inside edge and squirt away for two. The next ball also nips back in and whistles over off-stump as Smith leaves dicely.
03:19 PM BST
OVER 15: ENG 67/4 (Brook 3 Smith 1)
Sir Alastair Cook survives the summer as England’s highest Test runscorer after Root succumbed to the inswinging yorker. Athers and Nasser said he was plumb and they were right. As soon as Root saw the replay before ball-tracking was applied, he walked off. It was hitting middle and leg. Two balls earlier he had passed Kumar Sangakkara’s 12,400 runs with a handsome cover drive for four to move to sixth on the all-time list with only Messrs Cook, Dravid, Kallis, Ponting and Tendulkar ahead of him.
It is lucky for Dan Lawrence and Ben Duckett that Stuart Broad and James Anderson have retired. They might be giving the batsmen a bit of a rocket. The bowlers are on their knees after three Tests in three weeks. They have nicked a first innings lead, could do with three sessions with their feet up. Instead the batsmen go out playing shots, batting wildly . Josh Hull is on debut and never had this workload before (and already had a side injury this summer), Woakes is 35 and was stretching his hip flexor earlier, Gus Atkinson is already crocked and Olly Stone has the worst injury record of the lot. Give them a break.
03:14 PM BST
Wicket!
Root lbw b Vishwa Fernando 12 Pinned by his erstwhile Yorkshire team-mate’s inswinging yorker on the big toe. FOW 66/4
03:11 PM BST
ENG review
Root lbw b Vishwa Fernando Trying to work a full ball off his toes and it hit him on the foot. Missing leg?
03:11 PM BST
OVER 14: ENG 62/3 (Root 8 Brook 3)
Root tries his favourite dab off Kumara but chops it into the ground off the toe but middles it two balls later for a single. Brook claws a drive wide of the bowler for one more.
03:09 PM BST
OVER 13: ENG 59/3 (Root 6 Brook 2)
Asitha Fernando beats Brook twice outside off with an orthodox away swinger and one that angled in then nipped away off the pitch. When he goes a touch wider Brook taps a drive to cover for a single.
Has Lawrence hurt his finger punching the bat? That would put the tin hat on it.
03:04 PM BST
Wild thing, you don’t make Scyld’s heat sing
Dan Lawrence’s innings has to be the wildest ever played by an England Test opener. He gave himself a chance when he went down the pitch to hit Sri Lanka’s seamers, with their bit of outswing, to the offside… but trying to hit them to leg?!
03:02 PM BST
OVER 12: ENG 57/3 (Root 6 Brook 1)
Lawrence decided to try to be true to himself and live by the sword but after a streaky and entertaining 35, he dies by it. That should be that for him at the top of the order. Enter Harry Brook who was rattled by Sri Lanka’s tactics in the first innings and allowed himself to show it. He gets off the mark with a tuck off his pads for a single and Root is struck on the thighpad when Kumara ends a good over with a nip-backer.
England, down a seamer, lead by 119. Sri Lanka’s top order hasn’t fired but the top seven (Nissanka apart) all have excellent averages.
02:54 PM BST
Wicket!
Lawrence c Chandimal b Kumara 35 And lo! That’s that for his Test career as an opener. This England will love his intent but his technique is not up to the new-ball interrogation by Test bowlers. He comes down again for a swipe and snicks it through the the keeper. Kumara, like all fast bowlers, hates batsmen using their feet to him and hence gives him a flea in his ear as he trudges off. Lawrence punches the back of his bat. FOW 56/3
02:54 PM BST
OVER 11: ENG 56/2 (Lawrence 35 Root 6)
Lawrence is not to be cowed by his near miss and takes two steps down and one to leg to open up the offside to launch Asitha for a towering six over mid-off. Two back foot drives earn him a two and a four as he fights for his (Test) life and is confident enough to pinch the strike with a whip to midwicket for a single.
02:51 PM BST
OVER 10: ENG 43/2 (Lawrence 22 Root 6)
Root, who got stuck in the first innings, punches a drive, the bat not going beyond the perpendicular so sweet was the timing and the power of his left forearm that it scoots down through mid on for two. Kumara tries a short one and Root shapes to pull it but is surprised by the extra bounce and pulls out of the stroke. These two are bowling well, sticking to the corridor generally and forcing Root to be vigilant in defence until Kumara slips one in too short and Root pulls it from outside off for four.
Here’s Lawrence’s narrow escape:
02:45 PM BST
OVER 9: ENG 37/2 (Lawrence 22 Root 0)
Right, Asitha Fernando runs in to resume play and his right foot slips in the delivery stride so he hangs on to the ball and returns to his mark. Lawrence, unfazed by the false re-start, takes two to third man with a cut outside off but is beaten on a fourth stump line, playing and missing, exposing his vulnerability all series. Mind scrambled and trying to exploit his legside bias he charges down outside off and tries a flamingo shot over square leg, misses the ball entirely and would have been bowled off and middle, round his legs, had the ball not vaulted the stumps at the last. Had that struck the bails it would have gone down as one of the great ungainly and madcap dismissals of all.
02:32 PM BST
It has stopped raining
And the covers are coming off.
This is nice, Mo on the hat-trick and the word of advice he received from Stuart Broad:
02:26 PM BST
Rains stops play
It should not detain us too long. Indeed the players are sheltering in the T20 dugouts rather than bothering to go up to the dressing rooms.
02:25 PM BST
OVER 8: ENG 35/2 (Lawrence 20 Root 0)
Root is treated to a yorker first up and digs it out. It’s raining now and after one more ball, Root poking it along the ground to gully, the players go off again.
It’s a heavy but passing shower.
02:23 PM BST
The players are out
Lahiru Kumara has two balls left of the eighth over, his first. And Joe Root is on strike.
02:12 PM BST
Good afternoon
Quick reminder that the afternoon session is scheduled for 2.23pm to 4.40pm and the evening session 5pm-7pm if by some miracle there’s enough decent light.
01:46 PM BST
LUNCH: England 35/2 (Lawrence 20*)
Off 7.4 overs. Good little passage for Sri Lanka, England not really convincing at all and not really playing the match situation either, going for everything. England lead by 97. Had Sri Lanka batted a bit more sensibly they could have gotten close to England’s total. Rather weak quality for a Test match all round. Sorry, I sound like a bit of a misery, don’t I? Things will take a turn for the cheery after lunch though readers – the Yorkshire silver fox, Mr Rob Bagchi himself, will be taking over the blogging controls. Cheers.
01:43 PM BST
WICKET! Pope b Kumara 7
Pope tries to run the ball down to third man, but it’s too close for the shot, he’s played with an angled bat and chopped on. Pope is livid with himself and Kumara is going ballistic! He’s loving it. FOW 35/2
01:40 PM BST
OVER 7: ENG 35/1 (Lawrence 20* Pope 7*)
Asitha Fernando to Ollie Pope, he gets hold of one and that’s four to the legside. Asitha finding some lift in this over and rattling Lawrence’s splice twice.
01:37 PM BST
OVER 6: ENG 29/1 (Lawrence 19* Pope 2*)
Boys-a-dear, Dan Lawrence giving a very convincing impression of a Sunday social cricketer, charging down the track for a huge swing and a miss. I’m honestly finding it painful to watch, I really am. Standards. Anyway, one off the over.
01:32 PM BST
OVER 5: ENG 28/1 (Lawrence 18* Pope 2*)
Asitha Fernando to Lawrence. Pulled for four. Very nearly six in fact.
01:31 PM BST
OVER 4: ENG 20/1 (Lawrence 13* Pope 1*)
Pope comes in and there are a couple of singles off the Rathnayake over.
01:23 PM BST
OVER 3: ENG 20/1 (Lawrence 12*)
Lawrence meanwhile has also been in hit and giggle mode, swinging at everything, wandering around in the crease, treating this like a T20. The ground where Viv scored his 291 in 1976, or Hutton’s 364, The Don’s 244 and 232, or indeed his duck.
01:22 PM BST
WICKET! Duckett c V Fernando b A Fernando 7
A rather tame way to go, Duckett flapping the ball straight to mid on for an easy catch. Mistimed his booming drive down he ground. FOW 20/1
01:18 PM BST
OVER 2: ENG 15/0 (Duckett 7* Lawrence 7*)
Lawrence carves the ball over the offside for four, tucks off his pads for three, then Duckett nails a pull for four. England in see-ball, hit-ball mode.
01:16 PM BST
OVER 1: ENG 4/0 (Duckett 3* Lawrence 0*)
Duckett, as he does, sets the tone from ball one as he slaps a ball into the covers for two.
01:07 PM BST
England lead by 62
Fresh from his, erm, heroics with the bat, here is Asitha Fernando to bowl at Ben Duckett.
12:59 PM BST
Lunch will
be at 1.45pm so plenty of time for England to bat before then.
12:59 PM BST
Sri Lanka all out 263 (trail by 62)
They lost five wickets this morning for 52 runs, a bit of a missed opportunity in my view. Didn’t bat all that well, or rather the pair resuming overnight didn’t bat well. England now very warm favourites. Low quality fare this morning in truth.
12:56 PM BST
WICKET! Asitha Fernando c Smith b Bashir 11
Asitha Fernando slog-sweeps one for four but that’s as good as it gets for the tailender. Assays a reverse sweep, bungles it, gloves the ball behind and that’s FOW 263/10
12:55 PM BST
OVER 61: SL 259/9 (Kumara 7* Asitha Fernando 5*)
Some work for the umpires in this over as Lahiru Kumara edges and Pope catches. Looks like that bounced in front of Pope, and thus it proves. Now Lahiru is hit on the thigh, sore one, has an exchange of views with Stone afterwards! And now he is caught behind, or at least England think so. Umpire doesn’t, England review, and as is now traditional, Pope has got the review wrong!
Time for a drink after that.
12:51 PM BST
OVER 60: SL 257/9 (Kumara 6* Asitha Fernando 4*)
Bashir to Asitha Fernando. AF is going through his repertoire, some iffy reverse sweeps, some hacks. More power to his elbow and there are three runs off the over.
12:42 PM BST
OVER 59: SL 254/9 (Kumara 3* Asitha Fernando 4*)
Asitha Fernando with some classic number 11 batting. Misses the good balls then backs away and panels a boundary down the ground.
12:41 PM BST
OVER 58: SL 249/9 (Kumara 2* Asitha Fernando 0*)
We are going to have a bit of Bashir. One run off the over.
12:40 PM BST
OVER 57: SL 248/9 (Kumara 1* Asitha Fernando 0*)
Wicket maiden then for Stone. Last man Asitha Fernando joins the fray, backs away a yard and has a swing and a miss.
12:32 PM BST
WICKET! Rathnayake c Smith b Stone 7
Olly Stone has roughed up Rathnayake. Deals him a nasty blow on the wrist with a lifter, then hangs one outside off for the tailender to have a heave at. Edged behind and that is a regulation catch. FOW 248/9
12:30 PM BST
OVER 56: SL 243/8 (Rathnayake 7* Kumara 1*)
Hull maybe showing some signs of inexperience here, he’s gone a bit bouncer-yorker-bouncer-yorker. Rathnayake tries an uppercut, misses, but gets four byes. An attempted yorker turns into a full toss.
12:22 PM BST
OVER 55: SL 243/8 (Rathnayake 6* Kumara 1*)
Olly Stone with a chance to redeem himself, although probably not in the eyes of Josh Hull, as he comes on to bowl from the Vauxhall End.
It’s a maiden.
12:19 PM BST
Filthy
That is some of the filthiest cricket you will ever see: missed yorker from Hull, grim edge from Kumara, and a dolly dropped by Stone.
12:17 PM BST
OVER 54: SL 243/8 (Rathnayake 6* Kumara 1*)
Josh Hull has three-fer so far and there’s a five-fer potentially to be had here. Lahiru Kumara the man on strike. Hull is using his bouncer judiciously, and the rest of it is full and swinging. He’s got a short leg and a leg slip in.
Some poor cricket all round here as Hull bowls a full toss, Kumara bunts it to deep square leg with a nothing shot, and Stone drops a sitter!
Rathnayake slaps a four through the offside.
12:13 PM BST
OVER 53: SL 238/8 (Rathnayake 2* Kumara 0*)
Woakes keeps the pressure on with a maiden.
12:12 PM BST
OVER 52: SL 238/8 (Rathnayake 2* Kumara 0*)
It was a nice bit of bowling, thoughtful. He pushed the tailender back with a bumper, then a length ball, and then the very full swinging one. The Sri Lanka number nine was late on the shot and trapped in front.
Lahiru Kumara is the new man.
12:08 PM BST
WICKET! Vishwa Fernando lbw Hull 0
Nice one young Josh! It’s full, it swings, it hits Vishwa on the pads and while I can understand him reviewing it, he’s wasting his time. That looks stone dead out and England have their third on the morning. FOW 238/8
12:00 PM BST
OVER 51: SL 237/7 ( Vishwa Fernando 0* Rathnayake 1*)
Woakes and England with tails up. About 15 slips, a gully, and an interesting short point fielder, a yard or so in front of square. Vishwa Fernando the man on strike.
Woakes with a probing and accurate over. Away swing, bouncer, yorker that swings down leg for byes. Most of it too good for Vishwa I have to say.
11:59 AM BST
WICKET! Kamindu Mendis c Root b Woakes 64
Nice bit of bowling, this. Draws Mendis half forward and he has to play, ball nibbles a bit and takes the edge, smart grab from Joe Root. FOW 233/7
11:57 AM BST
OVER 50: SL 233/6 (Kamindu Mendis 64* Rathnayake 1*)
Remarkable bouncer from Hull climbs and keeps on climbing. No chance keeper. Now Kamindu Mendis slashes one through the cordon for four, dicey stroke and four ill-gotten runs for it.
11:50 AM BST
Right then
We are back in business. Josh Hull to Kamindu Mendis.
11:32 AM BST
Restart will be at 1150
Dog willing.
11:26 AM BST
Moeen Ali retires from international cricket
Here is Tim Wigmore with the story.
Moeen Ali retires from England: ‘The time was right’
11:22 AM BST
Atkinson quad injury
England are without Gus Atkinson right now, because he has a tight quad. He’s being assessed, but that is not ideal…
But that’s a decent catch from Bashir to get DdS. Last night, Hull dropped a goober off Bashir, and the bowler – the senior man, given he turns 21 next month – smiled and put an arm round the debutant. This time, Bashir made no mistake.
11:21 AM BST
OVER 49: SL 223/6 (Kamindu Mendis 59* Rathnayake 1*)
Chris Woakes has started well and is finding both lift and swing but I am sorry to say that he won’t be finding anything for a little while because it has started raining and the players are coming off.
11:19 AM BST
Knees up
Josh Hull running in this morning with more intent than yesterday, and understandably so after getting his first wicket under his belt. Might even be kicking up his knees a bit higher today, as Stuart Broad recommended in his analysis on Sky. And now he has taken his second wicket the handbrake is completely off. Well played the 20 year olds Hull and Shoaib Bashir.
11:18 AM BST
OVER 48: SL 221/6 (Kamindu Mendis 58* Rathnayake 1*)
The new man is Milan Rathnayake, who gets off the mark first ball.
11:16 AM BST
WICKET! de Silva c Bashir b Hull 69
That is a profoundly irritating dismissal and skipper should be hanging his head. He’s had a wild flay at a so-so short ball from Josh Hull and flapped it to deep backward square, where Shoaib Bashir does good work under the steepler. De Silva had to fetch it from outside off and the shot just simply wasn’t on. What a gimme. FOW 220/6
11:11 AM BST
Pump up the Josh
Good morning from the Oval. Very grey, but dry, and should be light enough for England to bowl seam this morning. England were slack yesterday, and if they are not tighter today Sri Lanka will get a similar first innings score to them, and we will have a one innings game on our hands. Right now, it’s a flat end to a flat summer. And Classic England: the new bloke, Josh Hull, is thrown the ball to start the day. Having dropped a catch yesterday, they want to pump his tyres up.
11:10 AM BST
OVER 47: SL 214/5 (de Silva 64* Kamindu Mendis 57*)
Chris Woakes jags one back and hits Mendis amidships. A probing maiden from CW.
11:08 AM BST
OVER 46: SL 214/5 (de Silva 64* Kamindu Mendis 57*)
Hull keeping the ball full and giving it every chance. Ball five the pick of the litter, very full and it deviates through the air, Mendis clothes-lines the bat across the line and gets a leading edge, could have gone anywhere but squirts to offside for one.
11:05 AM BST
Sir Geoffrey on day two
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Scyld Berry: “It was just as well that Michael Vaughan’s very sensible suggestion of two divisions in Test cricket was not implemented before this Test series. The cricket on day two belonged to the second tier.”
11:04 AM BST
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11:02 AM BST
Josh Hull
will have first use of what look very tasty bowling conditions. He’s got three slips and Kamindu Mendis is on strike.
11:01 AM BST
The rain has cleared
we are starting on time.
Sri Lanka resume on 211/5 from 45 overs, with de Silva 64* and Kaminda Mendis 54*
10:36 AM BST
Sri Lanka have an opportunity
England are by far the most likely winners of this Test match, but an end of term complacency could yet set in for Ollie Pope’s side and if Sri Lanka can bat sensibly from 211/5 and go past England’s 325, I wouldn’t rule out another dumb slog batting display from the English in the third innings. Seems to me that Sri Lanka and indeed the West Indies are middling sides with an occasional good performance in them, and England are definitely a good side but one that generally throws in a shocker every now and again. In a relatively low-scoring Test you only need to mess up once and I don’t think it’s beyond the r’s of p that England get skittled for 180 on third innings.
Equally of course, they might blow the Sri Lankan lower order away in an hour this morning and be 350 ahead by the close of day three.
All will, as they say, be revealed when play starts at 11am. Well, hopefully starts at 11am. The forecast is not at all promising for today.
Kamindu Mendis, who has made a highly promising start to his Test career, resumes on 54* and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva on 64*. Not a lot in the hutch bar those, mind you.
Elsewhere, by the way, Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket after being overlooked for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
“It felt the time was right. I’ve done my part,” Ali said.
“I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t.”
Hopefully we can get some time today to look back on the career one of the most likeable and watchable England players of recent decades. And an important figure in terms of representation as well.
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