That’s all for today. We’ll be back tomorrow for the third and penultimate day of the game. Goodnight and good luck!
Gus Atkinson's reaction
Incredible, surreal. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I never thought I’d get on the Lord’s honours board for my batting. Yeah, a pretty cool day. My family were here – it’s my brother’s birthday today – and a few of my friends as well.
I went for dinner with Zak and Brooky last night and we talked about it a bit so it was on my mind.
It’s hard not to smile [on reaching a century]. When I went in Baz told me to put a bit of pressure on the spinner. I don’t normally run down the track but I was seeing it pretty well and it came off.
I’ve had a preetty terrible year for Surrey with the bat so to get a Test hundred is special.
We’re very pleased to get up to 430 and bowl them out for 196. The wicket… it felt like there were balls in there that gripped and our fields were very good. Getting two men caught at leg slip was big. Popey led really well from that point of view.
I felt like I was struggling with the ball. Mentally I feel like I used up so much energy thinking about batting. I didn’t think about bowling at all, so I had to try to switch on when we came back out. I did find that quite difficult today.
[Do you fancy moving up the order?] Nah, I’m happy at eight. Eight’s good!
"I didn't think I'd ever be on the Lord's honours board for batting!" 🏏
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 30, 2024
Gus Atkinson reflects on his maiden test century 😍 pic.twitter.com/HLUXM7Z9JQ
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“When was the last time a side enforced a follow on?” says Krishnamoorthy V. “At this rate most of the Gen Z and Gen X (assuming they watch cricket) would not even know what a follow-on means.”
England did it in New Zealand last year, and lost. It happens more than you might think, but since the Kolkata miracle of 2001 it has generally only been enforced in complete mismatches.
England lead by 256 runs with nine wickets remaining after their most dominant day of the series. Gus Atkinson made a sparkling 118, his first Test hundred, to proper England to 427 all out. Then all four seamers took two wickets apiece as Sri Lanka fell in a heap on the Lord’s slope and were bowled out for 196. The only exception was the marvellous Kamindu Mendis, who was last out for 74.
Stumps
7th over: England 25-1 (Duckett 15, Pope 2) Milan Rathnayake comes on for the final over. An LBW appeal against Pope is turned down on height. Then, after a single apiece, Pope just about keeps out the last two deliveries.
He walks off with a little smile, knowing he’ll back in the morning. Personally I don’t think he should have come in tonight, but it’s hard not to admire him for doing so.
This is a great shout
“Was thinking about the Kamindu Mendis parallels,” says Bharat C, “and maybe Matthew Hayden in the 2001 tour of India counts? 549 run from three Tests. The next highest being Steve Waugh with 243.”
That works because, although we knew Hayden, that was his breakthrough as a Test player. Going into the series he was 29 years old and had a Test average of 24.
6th over: England 23-1 (Duckett 14, Pope 1) A statement of intent from Ollie Pope, who declines a nightwatchman even though there are only a few minutes remaining. There’s a fine line between bravery and foolhardiness.
Pope gets off the mark and will thus be on strike for the last over of the dya.
On the wicket, my instinct is that Lawrence was out, and the Sky commentators are happy with the decision, but there’s an argument that the evidence was not crystal clear. The spike on UltraEdge couldn’t really be anything else other than bat. Against that, the bat was close to the pad and Lawrence seemed sure he hadn’t hit it. Ach, I don’t know. The more it marinates, the more I think he was out.
Either way, it was a cracking delivery that came back really sharply off the seam. Lawrence pushed with hard hands and (possibly) got a thin inside edge on the front pad.
“Graeme Smith, seemingly from nowhere (for me at least) and his summer of 2003 against England, including those incredible back to back double hundreds,” says Rob.
I did think about him but South Africa were so dominant in that part of the series that I wasn’t sure he was alone on the burning deck. He tossed a few England captains overboard though. Hang on, this analogy is getting a bit confused now.
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WICKET! England 22-1 (Lawrence c Madushka b Kumara 7)
He’s been given. I’m not sure there was irrefutable evidence of an inside edge but it was enough for Chris Gaffaney. Lawrence walks off shaking his head.
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Sri Lanka review for caught behind! A lovely nipbacker from Kumara hits Lawrence on the pad and ricochets through to the keeper. Was there bat involved? Sri Lanka think so and Lawrence did snap his head round to follow the ball.
5th over: England 22-0 (Duckett 14, Lawrence 7) A short ball from Avisha sits up perfectly for Duckett to pull another boundary to midwicket. He’s a remarkable little player, a kind of ersatz Sehwag who defies pretty much every norm when it comes to opening in Test cricket. If you’re going to be an ersatz something, might as well make it a Sehwag.
“What a player Kamindu Mendis is,” says Guy Honrsby. “I’ve loved the comparisons from the last half hour. I dearly hope they’re comparing players to him in 20 years too, he seems so assured. I was really willing him to get a ton but he ran out of collaborators. He’ll need to go gargantuan this weekend, too. But he needs those above him to do the business first.
Are ‘collaborators’ the new ‘partners’? That could make for some wonderfully pretentious nonsense in the east London dating scene.
4th over: England 16-0 (Duckett 9, Lawrence 7) So far so good for Lawrence, who takes the majority of Kumara’s second over without any alarms. It’s highly unlikely that his place in the final Test is at risk, but he’ll be desperate to put some credit in the bank for future series. At the moment he’s England’s first reserve batsman, but Jordan Cox could soon change that.
3rd over: England 15-0 (Duckett 8, Lawrence 7) “Just read Alex McGillivray’s interesting email, suggesting that Kamindu reminded him of Shiv Chanderpaul,” writes Colum Fordham. “I would say that the Sri Lankan batsman calls to mind his near namesake Alvin Kallicharran, another great West Indian, for his sumptuous strokeplay. Both batters display a fine array of drives and hook shots. Maybe Kallicharran was a more accomplished square cutter but I’ve only seen Kamindu play a few times. A really bright hope for Sri Lanka’s future. And he can bowl with both hands!”
I think Alex was talking about a single batsman scoring loads of runs in an otherwise struggling team. I don’t think it was a stylistic comparison, and I really hope it wasn’t.
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2nd over: England 14-0 (Duckett 7, Lawrence 7) Kumara takes the new ball ahead of Rathnayake, who did so in the first innings. That’s partly because he dismissed Dan Lawrence, partly because he bowled bloody well when he did get hold of the newish ball.
It’s a slightly lame first over from Kumara, culminating in a piece of filth that Lawrence cuts emphatically for four, both feet off the ground. England lead by 245.
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1st over: England 6-0 (Duckett 6, Lawrence 0) As always Ben Duckett takes time to get his eye in, waiting until the third delivery to hit his first boundary. Avisha Fernando dropped slightly short and Duckett slugged a pull through midwicket.
“A few more comparisons to Kamindu Mendis…” begins Rob L. “Rahul Dravid in England in 2011 – he scored three centuries while the rest of the galacticos failed dismally.
“Brian Lara in Sri Lanka in 2001 – scored three centuries in the three Tests, including two in a single match, and the team got absolutely mullered around him.
“Andy Flower in lots and lots of Tests for Zimbabwe in the late 90s/early 00s (see basically any series during that period). But worth saying that I can’t think of a single equivalent by a player we don’t currently think of as a titan…”
They are all great shouts, thanks. Lara in Sri Lanka will always be the ultimate example of the batter on the burning deck, especially as he demonstrated total mastery of Murali. Flower played astonishingly well in India in 2000-01; it’s worth looking at the scorecards to get a sense of just how ridiculous it was.
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England will bat again
No surprise there. There are around 35 minutes of play remaining, an important little spell in the career and life of Daniel Lawrence esq.
“Kamindu Mendis’ performances have a whiff of Shiv Chanderpaul vs England in 2007,” says Alex McGillivray.
I was trying to think of an equivalent. That’s a good one, although by that stage we knew how good Chanderpaul was. It’s pretty rare to see this from a young player on their first tour of England. Mark Taylor is one but he wasn’t exactly alone on the burning deck in 1989. Partly because of another run-monster touring England for the first time, Steve Waugh.
Hang on, I’ve got one: Zaheer Abbas in 1971. He scored 386 runs; no other Pakistan player reached 165.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 196 all out (Kamindu c Woakes b Atkinson 74)
Kamindu slaps a sharp bumper from Atkinson high in the air to mid-off. Another reason to like him: he doesn’t play for his average, not even when it’s uber-Bradman. And another: as he walks off he stops to ask about the health of the fella he hit a few overs ago.
It was an outstanding innings from a player who looks almost too good to be true, and if Sri Lanka are asked to follow on, they should send him back in no lower than No3.
England lead by 231 runs. That was a really good team effort, with the seamers all taking two wickets apiece. Potts and Woakes were the pick, but they all played their part.
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55th over: Sri Lanka 195-9 (Kamindu 74, Avisha 0) Pope actually dummied to throw twice, possibly while deciding whether to throw to the bowler or go straight at the stumps. He chose the latter and nailed it.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 195-9 (Kumara run out 0)
Kumara is run out for a useful 22-ball duck. And I bet that sentence has never been written before. Kamindu tried to take a single on the leg side to keep the strike, then changed his mind. Kumara was so far down the track that Pope had time to line up the throw, Chris Lewis-style, and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Brilliant fielding.
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54.5 overs: Sri Lanka 195-8 (Kamindu 74, Kumara 0) Kamindu hoicks a short ball from Stone high towards deep square leg, where Joe Root drops a sitter. He misjudged it badly and barely got fingers on the ball. There’s a slight echo of Australia dropping Ben Stokes left, right and centre when he went on the rampage last summer; any other player and I suspect Root would taken the catch.
Kamindu is not any other player. He lashes a pull for four, miles in front of square, then top-edges a hook over the keeper’s head for six. It went straight into the seats in front of the Pavilion, and it seems one of the members has been hurt. There’s break in play, with a few of the players looking concerned. Sky haven’t shown any images of what has happened.
Ah, they’re showing the chap in question now. He’s sitting up, chatting to medical staff, so play should resume any second.
54th over: Sri Lanka 183-8 (Kamindu 62, Kumara 0) Pace from both ends now, with Atkinson returning for a crack at Kumara. No dice, just a maiden. Kumara has done well, surviving 22 balls to add 30 with Kamindu.
53rd over: Sri Lanka 183-8 (Kamindu 62, Kumara 0) When play resumes, Kumara takes an even more painful blow to the membrum virile. He groans audibly, then chuckles slightly at life’s vicissitudes. Even that little chuckle demonstrates an enviable temperament.
52.3 overs: Sri Lanka 182-8 (Kamindu 62, Kumara 0) Olly Stone returns after drinks, with the field set for some short stuff: no slips, no nothing anywhere the bat. And nothing any fielder can do when Kamindu hooks mightily over fine leg for six. That’s a brilliant shot.
He tries to repeat the stroke next ball and whacks it straight into his helmet. He looks okay but he’s being tested for concussion and will need a new helmet.
“It pains me to watch Ollie Robinson’s international career circling the drain but I think he’s done,” says Graham Pierce. “Talent stretches beyond his undoubted ability to bowl with incredible accuracy and control from a high release point. It also includes making the right choices and looking after yourself. He’s never kept himself fit enough for long enough to become a fixture in the side and there are a few stories about his lack of application. Seeing him blowing after a seven-over spell in his late 20s or bowling at mid-70s in a second spell made him a hard player to warm to. At the other end Anderson could do more in his late 30s and 40s and Stokes could bowl 15+ over spells despite his injury history. If Robinson had wanted it more he could have been reaching 90mph with the ball on a string and been a great.”
I don’t know about him reaching 90mph, but then he doesn’t need to do that to take Test wickets all round the world. I’m loath to be too critical simply because I don’t know about his fitness regime or how much he wants it. We can draw conclusions, and I’m sure plenty of them are correct, but we don’t know for sure.
In Robinson’s last two Tests, against Australia and India, he went off because of back spasms. Is that his fault? That’s a serious question, not a passive-aggressively rhetorical one. Like you, I don’t think he’ll play for England again, and nerds of the future will wonder why a fella with 76 wickets at 23 played his last Test aged 30.
52nd over: Sri Lanka 176-8 (Kamindu 56, Kumara 0) Kamindu reaches a hugely accomplished fifty with a delightful shot, walking down the track to whip Bashir wristily over midwicket for four. He turns 26 next month, and all things being equal he will scored industrial quantities of runs in the next 10 years.
Bashir, unsettled by that stroke, drops short and is battered over mid-off for four more. A chip over cover brings a single and ensures Kumara will only have one ball to survive. Which he does.
Drinks.
Updated
51st over: Sri Lanka 167-8 (Kamindu 47, Kumara 0) Root is bowling well wide of off stump to Kamindu, who mistimes a lofted drive over cover for two. That takes his Test average to precisely 100.00. Bugger off Bradman, the game’s up.
“What the summer Tests are showing is that by not playing more counties prior to Tests the opposition are not prepared for English conditions,” says Mike Galvin. “ECB suffers as five-day Tests are not lasting the full five days. Shame!”
While I take your point and largely agree, Sri Lanka and West Indies could have been living in this country since 2011, playing cricket every single day, and most of the Tests still wouldn’t last five days.
50th over: Sri Lanka 166-8 (Kamindu 46, Kumara 0) I was getting mixed up: it was Bashir who wanted to change ends, not Woakes. Been a long week. Kamindu rocks back to pull superbly for four; the ball from Bashir really wasn’t that short.
You can’t quite use the old Ilford 2nds line, because Sri Lanka’s top six is pretty strong, but Kamindu certainly looks like a World XI player. The Sky commentary team, mostly former batters, are raving about him.
“Absolutely with you on nostalgia for Strauss’ approach to reviews,” says James Brough. “I think it was Jonathan Trott who would field at square leg and whose responsibility it was to say if the ball was going over the top. This feels like the kind of analytical approach we need. Granted, at the moment Sri Lanka are 158 for 8, but – well, remember Stokes at Headingley 2019, when Australia arguably lost because they’d burned their last review.”
At the time I was convinced the ball-tracking was wrong on that Stokes LBW, not that this has anything to do with the point you were making. Another observation that has nothing to do with what you were saying: if you ever need a pick-me-up, dig out Jonathan Agnew’s commentary on Stokes’ match-winning boundary. It’s spine-tingling.
49th over: Sri Lanka 159-8 (Kamindu 39, Kumara 0) The wicket of Jayasuriya was Bashir’s 30th in Tests; he doesn’t turn 21 until 13 October. I’d need to check to be sure but I think these are the only (male) spinners who have taken more Test wickets before their 21st birthday: Daniel Vettori, Harbhajan Singh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Saqlain Mushtaq, Narendra Hirwani, Ravi Shastri, Paul Adams, Alf Valentine, Enamul Haque jnr.
Kamindu ignores a few tempters from Root, who has continued at this end, before driving a single off the fourth ball. Kumara (0 from 11 balls) does the rest.
48th over: Sri Lanka 158-8 (Kamindu 38, Kumara 0) Scratch all that follow-on jibber-jabber: Root was bowling so that Woakes could change ends. It’s a fairly harmless over to the left-handed Kumara, including a big off-side wide.
“Are you on 99.94 watch Rob?” says Gary Naylor. “Nine more needed...”
47th over: Sri Lanka 157-8 (Kamindu 38, Kumara 0) Joe Root replaces Woakes, which is a sign that England may want to enforce the follow on. Kamindu gives him the charge and slices a drive over extra cover for a couple. But Root does well to keep him on strike, which means Bashir will start the next over with Kumara on strike.
Since you asked, Sri Lanka need 228 to avoid the follow on.
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46th over: Sri Lanka 155-8 (Kamindu 36, Kumara 0) Kamindu walks down the track to Bashir, realises the ball isn’t there for an attacking shot and pushes it safely into the off side. A single off the next ball, the fourth of the over, allows him to keep the strike.
“All this talk of England’s ideal four man attack for the Ashes has got me thinking about my ideal Australian combination,” says Pete Salmon. “Thinking Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon.”
Sorry, I was talking about a dream attack for the men’s Ashes, not the over-70s. THAT’S RIGHT! HIGH FIVE!
A friend first and a head coach second…
That Friday feeling pic.twitter.com/0Znmcmn32U
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 30, 2024
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45th over: Sri Lanka 154-8 (Kamindu 35, Kumara 0) Kamindu turns down a single for the first time, then takes one off the penultimate delivery to keep the strike.
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44th over: Sri Lanka 153-8 (Kamindu 34, Kumara 0) We shouldn’t get carried away about Shoaib Bashir, but…
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WICKET! Sri Lanka 153-8 (Jayasuriya b Bashir 8)
High-class spin bowling from Shoaib Bashir. Jayasuriya ran down the track, was beaten in the flight and bowled through the gate. A classic off-spinner’s dismissal, and a triumph for the captain Ollie Pope. He kept the field up, which tempted Jayasuriya to try to hit the ball into Marylebone High Street.
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43rd over: Sri Lanka 152-7 (Kamindu 33, Jayasuriya 8) Woakes replaces Potts. I missed most of his over because of the below email, but I did see Jayasuriya miss a sinew-straining drive at the last delivery.
“The 2005 attack, despite being four right-arm pace bowlers, showed different threats when all were firing (as in that series),” says, yes really, Andy Flintoff. “Hoggard was a good new-ball swing bowler, Harmison had steepling bounce, Jones could bowl the old ball round corners and Flintoff could bully you into getting out. It’s a shame they couldn’t continue at the top of their game for longer, as the 2006-07 return series might have been very different.”
I’m not sure it would, even with a fit Jones, Vaughan and Trescothick. But yes, variety was one of their greatest strengths in 2004-05. A good example is Hoggard, who wasn’t used much in the second and third Tests of the 2005 Ashes. Then, when it swung at Trent Bridge in the fourth, he blew Australia up on the Friday afternoon. That was the first time, really, that England were undeniably on top.
It’ll never get better than that series, will it.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 151-7 (Kamindu 32, Jayasuriya 8) Kamindu jabs down on a ball from Bashir that keeps very low for a day two pitch. Why on earth did Sri Lanka bowl first?
There’s a bit of a lull, with only 10 runs from the last seven overs. Sri Lanka are going nowhere but at least they haven’t lost any more wickets. At some stage Kamindu Mendis will have to open his shoulders.
41st over: Sri Lanka 150-7 (Kamindu 31, Jayasuriya 8) It feels a matter of time before Potts dismisses Jayasuriya. He beat the bat 14 times in the previous over, and in this one Jayasuriya slices a drive that lands just short of Bashir at point.
“Thanks for your dream pace attack (30th over),” says Matt Dale. “Can I suggest that would be the same response you would have given last year? Have you seen anything this summer that might change your mind? Regarding the overseas TMS link, it is here on the BBC website (they are a lot better at posting it these days).”
I’ve seen nothing to change my mind, mainly because Archer and Robinson haven’t played a Test so all they’ve done is bowl jaffas in my head. I’d give my last Rolo to get Robinson back in the team. He has the tools to be the best bowler in the world, but I’m not sure he’ll play Test cricket again.
Has anything surprised us this summer? Atkinson’s figures are spectacular yet it hasn’t felt particularly surprising. Woakes is what Woakes is, to coin a phrase that should never be used again, and Potts has bowled as we know he can. One change this summer is that I now think Woakes will go to Australia.
40th over: Sri Lanka 150-7 (Kamindu 31, Jayasuriya 8) Bashir gets his first ball at the left-handed Kamindu. Same close field: slip, leg slip, gully. Still no turn for Bashir, but that’s a pretty accurate maiden.
“Rob, a follow up to my earlier email about reviews,” writes Adam Roberts. “I yearn for the days when there had to be agreement from three participants (captain, wk and bowler). If any of them said no, that would be it. A fine – and funny – example was the TB Test against Windies when Josh Da Silva urged the skipper not to review and, when it was unsuccessful, loudly proclaimed (picked up by stump mic): ‘Don’t blame me, I told them not to review’.”
That was a great strength of the Andrew Strauss team wasn’t it? He and Matt Prior almost always made cold, dispassionate decisions. That’s hard enough at the best of times, never mind when you have Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann in your team. Said with love, save the abuse.
39th over: Sri Lanka 150-7 (Kamindu 31, Jayasuriya 8) Potts swings four byes down the leg side to Kamindu, then grimaces after landing awkwardly on the ankle while bowling to Jayasuriya. I think he’s okay. His figures certainly are: 10-3-19-2.
38th over: Sri Lanka 145-7 (Kamindu 30, Jayasuriya 8) Shoaib Bashir comes on for the first time in this game. He has a slip, leg slip and short leg for Jayasuriya, who thumps a flighted delivery through the covers for two. That’s all folks. No sign of any assistance for Bashir just yet.
“Talking of 2005 and Andrew Flintoff, I cannot adequately recommend his latest TV outing (Field of Dreams On Tour),” says Brian Withington. “Deeply insightful and very moving (and funny). There was always more to him than first met my jaundiced eye, and since his accident he has become even more relatable. Unmissable viewing for all cricket followers and other animals.”
I’ve not seen it yet but have only heard extremely good things. I used to think the line “if it saves one life it’ll be worth it” was a bit cheesy, a bit disingenuous. How wrong was I?
37th over: Sri Lanka 143-7 (Kamindu 30, Jayasuriya 6) Potts beats Jayasuriya – he’s a right-hander you know – three times in four balls. He has bowled so well to the right-handers today; in fact, 14 of the 18 runs that Potts has conceded have been scored by Kamindu, so his figures against the northpaws are 2 for 4.
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36th over: Sri Lanka 141-7 (Kamindu 30, Jayasuriya 5) “I think I’d like to see England bat again - assuming the opportunity arises,” says James Brough. “This is entirely for cricketing reasons, such as wanting the bowlers to have a rest with the next Test being in a few days. It’s not at all because I’m stats obsessed and Joe Root only needs 199 runs to overtake Alistair Cook and become leading England Test run scorer. Honest...”
35th over: Sri Lanka 141-7 (Kamindu 30, Jayasuriya 4) Potts replaces Woakes, and he bowled so well in his first spell that he might fancy his chances of a five-for. He’d need to take the last three wickets, but stranger things are happening all over the world right now. Potts almost gets his third wicket when Jayasuriya plays and misses at a classic Potts delivery that holds its line outside off.
Potts doesn’t look anywhere as comfortable to left-handers, and a wide half-tracker is cut crisply for four by Kamindu. He’s so good! It’s probably no exaggeration to say that, based on form at the time rather than the player they became, Kamindu is among the best regular No7s in Test history. Adam Gilchrist would be top of the list I guess. Beefy around 1981 would be up there.
“Afternoon Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “It’s through following the OBO that I know, without having to look it up, that the aforementioned Mr Martin McCague took six Test wickets at an average of 65.00. I don’t think it gets much more impressive than that, either for me, a Scotsman, or for the enduring power of the OBO.”
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34th over: Sri Lanka 136-7 (Kamindu 26, Jayasuriya 3) Olly Stone continues after tea. He’s been expensive and incisive, which England much prefer to the alternative, and there’s another boundary in that over. They were leg-byes so they aren’t included in Stone’s figures, which belong to an ODI from the mid-2000s: 10-0-50-2.
“I was really puzzled by your 21st over reference to Potts’ excellent bowling figures of 4-3-2-2 being Jose Mourinho’s dream formation,” says Brian Withington. “Why had David Moyes never used that at West Ham, I wondered? It was only after some belated mental arithmetic that I realised it would have required our keeper to play up front with Antonio …”
Stuart Pearce did that in his first game as Nottingham Forest manager. He picked an XI the night before the game, then his wife pointed out there was no goalkeeper. All’s well that ends well: they played a goalkeeper and beat Arsenal 2-1.
Something for the weekend
Here’s our tribute to Graham Thorpe https://t.co/tzUvjzUsfD
— The 80s and 90s Cricket Show (@CricShow80s90s) August 16, 2024
“With the proviso of bowling ‘near their best’, I and 1057 others will doubtless opt for our 2005 vintage,” says Dan Silk. “Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and especially Jones, together... no hiding place. (Plus we’re only depleting Durham by one bowler.)”
I guess that’s the key point – some attacks look spectacular on paper but you rarely get all four in form at the same time. For our generation 2005 will always be in the top one. Reading Brian Lara’s terrific new book was a reminder of just how unpleasant they could be to face, especially Harmison and Flintoff.
Tea: Sri Lanka trail by 298 runs
33rd over: Sri Lanka 129-7 (Kamindu 26, Jayasuriya 0) Woakes laughs at his own excellence after beating Kamindu with an unbelievable delivery from round the wicket. It curved in and then straightened sharply off the seam. Good luck playing that.
That’s the end of another dominant session from England, who took five wickets to leave Sri Lanka knee deep in bother. The classy Kamindu Mendis stands alone on the burning deck.
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32nd over: Sri Lanka 128-7 (Kamindu 26, Jayasuriya 0) Kamindu punches Stone square on the off side for four, which makes him the top scorer in the innings. “Really good player, this young man,” says Mike Atherton on Sky. “Really good player.”
“Is it premature to speculate on whether England will enforce the follow-on?” wonders Nick Way. “Given time and weather, I’d be inclined to give Lawrence and Pope some batting practice.”
Same here, though I wouldn’t necessarily frame it that way. “Ollie, don’t enforce the follow-on, son, you need a hit.” Enforcing the follow-on is so 2001, as England found out when they tried it against New Zealand last year.
31st over: Sri Lanka 124-7 (Kamindu 22, Jayasuriya 0) A delicious delivery from Woakes beats Jayasuriya and whooshes past off stump. That was almost identical to the ball from Potts that bowled Mathews earlier in the day. Almost.
He follows that with a hooping inswinger that Jayasuriya inside-edges onto the pad as he falls over towards the off side, then finishes the over by going past the edge again. Lovely bowling, an expert at work.
At one stage, halfway through the first innings of the second Test against West Indies, a struggling Woakes averaged 88 with the ball this summer. Since then he’s taken 18 wickets at 15 apiece. He. Is. Not. APPRECIATED.
30th over: Sri Lanka 124-7 (Kamindu 22, Jayasuriya 0) Stone continues his spell of short stuff, this time with Kamindu his subject. A nasty lifter hits the glove, then Kamindu top-edges a slightly flustered hook for six. Hot on the heels of last summer’s Ashes, that’s yet another moral victory for England.
“It’s great to see so many positive bowling performances from England’s pacers,” says Matt Dale. “While I don’t always agree with prioritising a series so far in advance, who would your dream England pace attack be for the first Ashes Test in Australia next winter (first XI)?”
My dream attack, the one that makes me go weak at the knees, would be Jofra Archer, a fit, focussed Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes. How about you? Easy to say because it will never happen but if you had those four bowling somewhere near their best, it would compare to any pace attack in English cricket history.
29th over: Sri Lanka 118-7 (Kamindu 16, Jayasuriya 0) “Hi Rob. Maybe I missed/slept through it, but has anyone posted the link to TMS today?”, asks OBO stalwart Wayne Trotman, following events from Izmir, Turkey. “And what are the chances of you squeezing in a mention for your hero and mine, Mr Martin McCague? Did he really down 72 pints of Guinness over his stag weekend in Dublin?”
And the rest.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 118-7 (Rathnayake c Smith b Woakes 16)
Chris Woakes strikes in the first over of a new spell. Rathnayake fiddles outside off stump and is superbly caught by Jamie Smith, diving a long way to his left. That’s a nice moment for Smith, who has struggled a bit with the gloves in this innings.
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28th over: Sri Lanka 115-6 (Kamindu 13, Rathnayake 19) Rathnayake is fine to continue. For now: Stone hits him again, this time on the glove with a very good short ball. The ball plops to safety in front of short leg, then Rathnayake thick edges for four. He’s getting a good working-over.
“Has Pope had a successful review as captain yet?” asks Adam Roberts.
I think he’s 0/5, though in his defence he’s had some lamentable advice from people who should know better.
27.3 overs: Sri Lanka 111-6 (Kamindu 13, Rathnayake 15) That’s nasty. A short ball from Stone follows Rathnayeke and clatters into the side of his helmet. He’s on his feet but will undertake a concussion test.
27th over: Sri Lanka 110-6 (Kamindu 12, Rathnayake 15)
26th over: Sri Lanka 109-6 (Kamindu 11, Rathnayake 15) Stone replaces Atkinson, who took the wicket of Chandimal but was very expensive. With two left-handers at the crease I thought we might see Shoaib Bashir. What the hall it’s got to do with me I don’t know.
Three singles from a quiet over.
Updated
25th over: Sri Lanka 106-6 (Kamindu 9, Rathnayake 14) This is turning into a sensual orgy of extra-cover drives. Kamindu waves Potts to the right of mid-off for four more, the fourth boundary in that area in six balls. England’s response is to try to get the ball changed, which is frankly an insult to the quality of the strokeplay.
No joy with changing the ball, but now there’s a review for LBW against Kamindu. I don’t fancy England’s chances. He pushed around a really good delivery from Potts, but it looks too high, umpire’s call at best. In fact it’s missing so England lose another review.
Kamindu punches another drive that is well stopped by the sprawling Stone. That ball from Potts was 88mph; he’s put on a bit since his last appearance. How nice to use the phrase “he’s put on a bit” in a positive sense.
24th over: Sri Lanka 101-6 (Kamindu 4, Rathnayake 14) Rathnayake, another left-hander, gets away with consecutive cover drives for four off Atkinson. The second was a low full toss but the first was a gorgeous shot.
Blimey, make that three in four balls. Atkinson kept pitching it up, Rathnayake kept nailing him through extra cover.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 87-6 (Chandimal c Lawrence b Atkinson 23)
Oh dear. Dinesh Chandimal falls into England’s trap, flicking Atkinson low to leg gully. Lawrence swoops forward to take a good catch and leave Sri Lanka in all sorts. They’ve bowled so well to reduce England to 216 for 6 yesterday afternoon; since then, urgh.
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23rd over: Sri Lanka 87-5 (Chandimal 23, Kamindu 4) England have started around the wicket to Kamindu, having stumbled upon the plan at Old Trafford. In his short Test career he averages 26 against right-arm seam from around the wicket; when they bowl over the wicket he’s 148 for 0. I love it when a stat comes together.
Kamindu invites England to shove those numbers up their Statsguru by playing the most beautiful extra cover drive for four to get off the mark. At times he looks a laughably good player.
“Genuine question Rob - has sledging gone out of the game?” asks Gary Naylor. “There was a time when Matthew Wade appeared to be awarded a Baggy Green for Creative Swearing, but now, led by The Nicest Man In Cricket, Chris Woakes, England are terribly polite. The Aussies can hardly be relied upon these days with Solar Panels Pat in charge, and Dhananjaya is always smiling. O my Warner and my Hayden long ago!”
Did you sleep through last summer’s Ashes? It feels like there’s less sledging, largely because of franchise cricket, but I think it’s still well and truly in the game.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 83-5 (Chandimal 23, Kamindu 0) This doesn’t feel like an 83 for 5 pitch, but who knows any more. It’s almost 83 for 6 when Chandimal inside-edges Atkinson into the body and bat-pads the next ball short of Duckett charging in from third slip. England’s green seamers (Woakes excepted) are bowling very nicely.
Check out these jaffas!
2 wickets in the over for Potts! 👏 pic.twitter.com/8eZxP83VCt
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 30, 2024
21st over: Sri Lanka 83-5 (Chandimal 23, Kamindu 0) A double-wicket maiden for Potts, whose bowling figures are also Jose Mourinho’s dream formation: 4-3-2-2.
“Atkinson is the seventh man to get his maiden first-class hundred in a Lord’s Test,” writes Edmund, “with Stuart Broad the last to do so in 2010. There’s a full list here.”
WICKET! Sri Lanka 83-5 (Dhananjaya c Brook b Potts 0)
A week ago, social media’s finest announced that Matthew Potts was out of his depth at Test level. Now he’s bowling like George Lohmann. Dhananjaya de Silva has gone for a three-ball duck, edging another excellent delivery straight to second slip. Tight line, a bit of seam movement and bounce, off you pop.
Updated
WICKET! Sri Lanka 83-4 (Mathews b Potts 22)
Pick that out! Angelo Mathews has been bowled by an absolute jaffa from Matthew Potts. It was angled in, slightly full of length, then held its line to peg back the off stump. Mathews was squared up and not even the trusty curtain rail could save him. Most batsmen would have struggled to keep that out; it was as near to unplayable as dammit.
Updated
19th over: Sri Lanka 83-3 (Mathews 22, Chandimal 23) Big Ange guides Atkinson to third man for four. He was squared up but it looked like he had the shot in control.
Chandimal certainly had that on control, a fierce cut for four to end an expensive over. Sri Lanka have gone after Atkinson in this series, as shown by an economy rate of 4.26.
18th over: Sri Lanka 72-3 (Mathews 17, Chandimal 18) Mathews is beaten again, curtain-railing awkwardly at a beauty from Potts. He’s bowling a really nice length, just full of good, and causing Sri Lanka a few problems. His last ball is fuller, inviting the drive, and Chandimal edges it fractionally short of Duckett at gully.
Lovely bowling from Potts, who since the start of the second innings at Old Trafford has figures of 20.3-6-49-3.
18th over: Sri Lanka 69-3 (Mathews 15, Chandimal 18) Atkinson replaces Stone at the Pavilion End, which is where he took all those wickets against West Indies. Chandimal inside-edges a sharp delivery for a single, then walks across to clip to the left of mid-on for four. Nicely done.
My word, the penultimate ball of the over keeps low, nips between bat and pad and just misses off stump.
Updated
17th over: Sri Lanka 61-3 (Mathews 14, Chandimal 11) The scoreline doesn’t look great for Sri Lanka but I still think there are loads of runs to be had, certainly in the first innings.
Potts beats Mathews with a nice delivery, the highlight of another maiden from him. Since his nervous start at Old Trafford, he’s been terrific.
Thanks Taha, hello everyone. Before I start, thanks to Daniel Harris for this charming thing.
"I’m so thrilled that he’s managed to express himself with the bat and the ball.” ❤️
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) August 30, 2024
Gus Atkinson’s father reacts with great pride as his son scores his maiden century at the Home of Cricket 👏#LoveLords | #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/XYLB1Sv337
16th over: Sri Lanka 61-3 (Chandimal 11, Mathews 14) Stone, who has been very stump-to-stump with his line, does to Mathews what he did to Chandimal, striking the batter just below the thigh pad. Chandimal seizes upon an overpitched ball, driving through the off side. That’ll be all from me; the brilliant Rob Smyth is here for the rest of the day.
15th over: Sri Lanka 56-3 (Chandimal 7, Mathews 13) Matt Potts ends Woakes’ opening spell and starts with a maiden.
“There can’t be many players whose first first-class century is at Lord’s during a Test match,” writes Andy Flintoff (!) (not that one). “I’m not sure I could find the Statsguru query to find this out either.” Someone help us out.
14th over: Sri Lanka 54-3 (Chandimal 7, Mathews 13) Thumping from my guy, Angelo. Stone goes short, Mathews rocks the pull shot for four. Chandimal, who took a serious blow to the hand from Mark Wood last week, gets hit just below the thigh pad. He eases his pain with a lovely drive through mid-off for three.
13th over: Sri Lanka 45-3 (Chandimal 3, Mathews 8) Woakes bowls to Mathews in a battle of the old-timers, keeping it tight with six dots.
12th over: Sri Lanka 45-3 (Chandimal 3, Mathews 8) Stone skips in with that incredibly straight run-up, like he’s trying to squeeze through the closing train doors. He strays on to Mathews’ pads, the batter clipping past short leg for four.
11th over: Sri Lanka 36-3 (Chandimal 0, Mathews 2) Woakes continues from the Nursery End. The two veterans, Chandimal and Mathews, have been tasked with a rescue-job. Chandimal sees the ball skip through the gap between his bat and pads but somehow miss the stumps.
WICKET! Nissanka c Potts b Stone 12 (Sri Lanka 35-3)
And we’re back, with Olly Stone finishing his over after picking up Karunaratne before lunch. And he closes it with another! Nissanka is a victim of the trap, clipping straight to Matt Potts at leg slip. It’s another miserable day for Sri Lanka’s top three.
10th over: Sri Lanka 35-3 (Mathews 1)
Updated
LUNCH: Sri Lanka 32-2, trail England by 395 runs
The good news for Sri Lanka? They had a tougher time up top in Manchester, reduced to 6-3 and 1-2 in the first Test. Their middle order remains their greatest strength.
WICKET! Karunaratne b Stone 7 (Sri Lanka 32-2)
And another one. It’s a drag-on again, with Karunaratne pushing at a ball outside off only to see his stumps splattered. That’ll be lunch, too, with Gus Atkinson leading England off the field. It’s been a pretty tough morning for the tourists.
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9th over: Sri Lanka 32-1 (Nissanka 10, Karunaratne 7) A pearler from Woakes beats the outside edge of Nissanka, who responds with an authoritative cut for four.
8th over: Sri Lanka 24-1 (Nissanka 6, Karunaratne 7) Nearly a remarkable run out. Nissanka clips Olly Stone to the leg side and begins to race off for a single but Dan Lawrence, with fine reflexes, collects cleanly at short leg and has a shy at the stumps. He misses, allowing for overthrows. Stone has replaced Atkinson by the way and looks sharp in his first Test since 2021, operating in the mid-80s (mph) in his first over.
7th over: Sri Lanka 21-1 (Nissanka 3, Karunaratne 7) The very talented Pathum Nissanka enters the fray for the first time in the series and is met with two lbw appeals. He drives through mid-off for three to get himself going.
WICKET! Madushka b Woakes 7 (Sri Lanka 18-1)
It was coming. Chris Woakes strikes first, getting Madushka to drag the ball on to his stumps. The opener’s having a tough series, having scored 4 and none in the first Test.
6th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (Madushka 7, Karunaratne 7) “So, Gus gets on the Lords honours board for batting and bowling in different matches,” writes Robert Clough. “Has anyone done this in the same match, ideally in the first batting and bowling innings of the same match?
Here’s what I’ve got: Ian Botham against Pakistan in 1978, Vinoo Mankad against England in 1952.
5th over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Madushka 6, Karunaratne 7) Karunaratne punches Woakes off the back foot for a couple. Woakes pins the left-hander’s front pad but the appeal isn’t a strong one. A stronger lbw shout follows moments later, but England don’t seem too keen on burning another review. Woakes is getting the ball to play tricks with his wobble seam.
4th over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Madushka 6, Karunaratne 5) It’s very much Woakes v Madushka from one end, Atkinson v Karunaratne from the other at the moment. Karunaratne sees some width but cuts to Matt Potts at gully. A single closes the over.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Madushka 5, Karunaratne 4) Woakes gets Madushka’s outside edge … but the ball finds the gap between Smith and Root at first slip. Smith didn’t go for it, Root did – but he couldn’t reach it.
“In reply to Matt Roller of ESPN fame, I have it on the very good authority of Worcestershire supporting Mr Lloyd (of even greater CC Live! Fame) that the one-cap wonder who watched Gus Atkinson hit a hundred for Surrey’s 2nd XI was none other than George Scrimshaw,” Brian Withington correctly states. “Despite the century, Worcestershire went on and won that game so there’s an omen of sorts for Sri Lanka and the day three and four crowds to cling to.”
2nd over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Madushka 0, Karunaratne 4) Atkinson – are you not tired? – opens up from the Pavilion End, with Dimuth Karunaratne whipping away through the leg side for four. England opt for a review from the next delivery, a vociferous appeal for an outside edge off Karunaratne’s bat. The replays show a staggeringly huge gap between bat and ball, making that a shocker of a review. Jamie Smith didn’t look interested from the get-go, but the slip cordon was adamant.
1st over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Madushka 0, Karunaratne 0) Chris Woakes takes the new ball from the Nursery End, four slips waiting for Nishan Madushka to edge one. There’s outswing immediately, as you’d expect. The right-hander shows off his forward defence to produce a maiden.
“Now Gus Atkinson has joined that list of centuries batting at 8 or lower, there’s a nice link with the second-most recent entry on it, Matt Prior in 2013: he normally batted at 7, only being at 8 in England’s second innings because they’d used a nightwatcher,” writes Smylers. “The nightwatcher on that occasion? Steven Finn, who rang the bell to start today’s play.”
England bowled out for 427
WICKET! Stone c Kamindu b A Fernando 15 (England 427 all out) Shoaib Bashir swats away a short ball for one as Asitha Fernando continues to pepper it halfway down the pitch. The Sri Lanka quick is gunning for a five-for and he strikes Stone on the glove, sprinting in from around the wicket. Leg gully, short leg, square leg and midwicket are hovering close by … but it’s the man at deep fine leg who holds on to dismiss Stone! It was another bumper, which Stone swivelled away, straight to the man. Asitha has five. It’s lovely moment on a difficult morning for Sri Lanka.
101st over: England 426-9 (Bashir 6, Stone 15) “Ben Stokes would have declared by now and approach lunch with Sri Lanka 4 down,” reckons krishnamoorthy v. “Is a Pope always so conservative?” Anywho, it’s time for drinks.
100th over: England 421-9 (Bashir 1, Stone 15) Time for Shoaib Bashir to give it a hefty swing.
WICKET! Atkinson c Rathnayake b A Fernando 118 (England 420-9)
Atkinson gloves an Asitha bouncer over the keeper’s head for four before swivelling again, swatting the ball to fine leg for another boundary. But a staggering catch ends the innings! Atkinson laces a pull, but Milan Rathnayake, running to the rope at deep midwicket, dives towards the crowd, both feet off the ground, and plucks the ball out of the air. Atkinson walks off for 118, the end of his greatest innings.
99th over: England 412-8 (Atkinson 110, Stone 15) Jayasuriya is nurdled away for three singles. He’s not going for any boundaries, but he’s not stopping the flow either.
98th over: England 409-8 (Atkinson 108, Stone 14) Asitha Fernando and Sri Lanka opt for the bouncer barrage. It returns a maiden. Anyway, here’s a rather lovestruck Robert Wilson:
In all the giggly, schoolboy praise of Root, I think we’ve actually missed one of his crucial features. I watched yesterday’s highlights and it was particularly evident. When you compare batters, you are essentially comparing their range of mastered strokes and the particular beauty of one or two of their best (the frankly supremacist Ricky Ponting pull, Robin Smith’s piratical square cut, Viv’s actual walk to the wicket). But Root has an extra quality that few have shared - Dravid, Lara and Mark Waugh sometimes. It’s what causes that whole ‘hey, suddenly he’s got 30 odd on the board’ sensation. With Root, it’s almost like he’s not doing it. It’s as though it is just happening.
Something about his specific gravity at the crease repels the ball safely along the ground for a nice two or three. These moments don’t feel like strokes, they feel like like laws of physics. Some blighter chucks the ball at the blameless Joe and the Gods of Probity and Innocence snick it off his hip or through third man, because they love him. I watched Dravid score hundreds of runs with basically his batting stance. Root does the same. It must get him 20 runs in every hundred. Lucky bugger. I wonder how bowlers feel about it.
Decent.
Gubby Allen ✅
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) August 30, 2024
Keith Miller ✅
Stuart Broad ✅
Chris Woakes✅
Ian Botham ✅
And now Gus Atkinson.. ✅#BBCCricket #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/bA8mPkd5jk
97th over: England 409-8 (Atkinson 108, Stone 14) Jayasuriya runs through his work quickly once again, with Stone clipping away to nick three off the over.
96th over: England 406-8 (Atkinson 108, Stone 11) Stone lets loose through the covers, inviting himself to Atkinson’s summer blowout.
Matt Roller, of ESPNcricinfo fame, sends a quiz question my way. Gus Atkinson hit a hundred for Surrey’s second XI against Worcestershire in 2018. Which one-cap England international was in the Worcester attack?
95th over: England 399-8 (Atkinson 108, Stone 4) Prabath Jayasuriya takes the ball; Sri Lanka have their two best bowlers in play. The left-arm spinner is knocked around for four. Worth noting that Atkinson went to his ton in under half an hour this morning. Ice-cold behaviour, that.
94th over: England 395-8 (Atkinson 107, Stone 1) Olly Stone is in and he’s no slouch with the bat either, having hit three half-centuries in the County Championship this year from nine innings.
WICKET! Potts c Madushka b A Fernando 21 (England 393-8)
Asitha Fernando enters the attack and strikes. He gets the ball to move away from Potts, who throws the bat at it and edges behind to Madushka. Finally some joy for Sri Lanka.
Gus Atkinson hits his maiden Test century!
And on to 99 he goes, punching Kumara through cover for four. Nervous nineties? Nah … until he threatens to edge one behind, reaching out for a wide one. And then the off-drive for four, the arms up in the air, a Test century at Lord’s for Gus Atkinson. Wow. 103 off 103 balls. A thumping pull takes him to 107. This bloke’s ridiculous.
93rd over: England 393-7 (Atkinson 107, Potts 21)
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92nd over: England 381-7 (Atkinson 95, Potts 21) Atkinson dabs the ball behind point for a single; his rotation of strike has been as impressive as his six-hitting. Rathnayake unfurls a gorgeous outswinger to beat Potts’ prod forward.
“My brain resembles a scrambled spaghetti right now after I tried to understand the big cup draw from last evening,” writes krishnamoorthy v. “So, I am looking forward to some simple and straight cricket to ease my brain.”
91st over: England 380-7 (Atkinson 94, Potts 21) Kumara bowls a loose bumper, with Atkinson pulling away to move to 93. A stylish single behind point follows. Get there with a six, Gus! Kumara ends the over by beating Potts outside off.
90th over: England 375-7 (Atkinson 89, Potts 21) Milan Rathnayake takes the ball from the Nursery End and strays down the leg side with a no ball; Atkinson tucks it away to fine leg for four more. He’s sprinting to that ton. Atkinson and Potts exchange singles, England already enjoying themselves under blue skies.
89th over: England 367-7 (Atkinson 83, Potts 20) Atkinson is on strike … and he begins with a clip down the leg side for four off Lahiru Kumara. And then another boundary off the next ball, driving through the covers! What a start.
But then he’s given out! Kumara angled the ball in, struck the pad, and it took a while for the finger to go up. Atkinson reviews immediately, as it could be going down the leg side. And it’s shown to be missing! What an eventful start to the day. Marcus Trescothick punches the air from the dressing-room balcony. Atkinson gets lucky with an inside-edge that evades the stumps; he’s throwing the bat at it, unwilling to get caught up in the nerves of the occasion. It’s going to be his day, I feel it.
Rob Smyth, who’ll be on after me, sends in the list of Test centurions for England from No 8 or below. Gus Atkinson is 26 runs away from joining it.
Steve Finn, suited and booted, rings the five-minute bell. Let’s get going.
“The funny thing is he’s captaining pretty well, so given that Stokes is (hopefully) coming back soon, I’d leave him to it, rather than compromising someone else’s batting form by making them skipper,” writes Nick Way about Ollie Pope. “The question of whether he keeps his place when Stokes returns is one for another time ...”
Get around Dominic Booth, making his debut on the county blog today.
“Hi Taha.” Hi David. “Ollie Pope. Discuss.”
Ollie Pope, born in Chelsea, is a professional cricketer for England and Surrey … OK, I think I know what you’re getting at. It’s a strange one, isn’t it. He’s built a good record at No 3 for England over the last couple of years but, 48 Tests in, it’s also true that he hasn’t fully convinced. He can look skittish and nervy one day and then negotiate a stellar South African pace attack the next (as he did at this ground in 2022 when no one else could lay a bat on it). So, yeah, I’m sitting on the fence at the moment.
Here’s the good stuff from yesterday.
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to HQ for day two of this second Test between England and Sri Lanka. The opening day belonged to the hosts – just about – after Joe Root’s 33rd Test ton (!) and Gus Atkinson’s unbeaten 74. The latter, playing just his fifth Test and already on the Lord’s honours board for his bowling, is finding Test cricket way too easy at the moment. The morning’s subplot will be whether he can get himself to three figures.
Sri Lanka were poor in that final session yesterday but they’re still very much in this game. I don’t think people have clocked just how good their batting lineup is; they just need one of the top three to fire to back up a very accomplished middle order. Here’s to a tight day two that sets up a proper Test match.
I’ll be with you for the first half of the day. Send in your thoughts/queries/summer highlights/film recommendations/worries/wisdom/wishes/whatever provides you the most joy.
