England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first one-day
international at Durham to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series
But that’s a bit flattering. Five wickets, yes, but also 15 overs to go. There was the one wobble, and had the catch from Moeen been held then Sri Lanka might have been a chance. But as long as Root stayed around, he had so much time to gather the runs.
When Sri Lanka batted, it was all about Hasaranga, batting way up the order, and the captain Kusal Perera. Bear in mind that this is a team with injuries, absentees, and now three first-choice batsmen sent home for breaching covid rules. It’s a shell of a squad now, barely able to field a team. So with Hasaranga forced up to No5 to fill a gap, that 99-run partnership meant something. As did Perera making 73 while trying to lead this shambolic tour as someone new to the captaincy, and now having to keep wicket as well because his gloveman has been booted out of the country.
35th over: England 189-5 (Root 79, Curran 9) Can’t say this is a vibe-heavy affair by this late stage. What sounds like three drunks are trying to do the beer song, which is rapidly becoming the least whimsical part of cricket in England. Root drives a run, Curran glides one. Root darts through with a shot to mid on, tying the scores. And Curran gets a gift from Fernando, a full toss to whack through midwicket for four.
34th over: England 182-5 (Root 77, Curran 4) More grunt from Chameera, more effort, and as is so often the case in this format, he’s punished with an edge for four. Root was aiming through the off side. He gets off strike and Curran goes nowhere, setting off for a mad single and being sent back, then evading Chameera’s short balls again. Four to win.
33rd over: England 176-5 (Root 72, Curran 3) Dribbling towards this result in singles, as Fernando bowls his ninth.
Full circle. “Cane Williamson was not the first so-named!” exclaims Andrew Benton. “Here’s Rattan Jaidka of Gloucestershire in 1927, no less.”
32nd over: England 173-5 (Root 71, Curran 1) It wasn’t a pretty innings from Moeen, but in the context that 28 off 57 balls was valuable. Supported the more fluent Root, calmed the waters, and saw England to within reach of their target. Chameera tries another bouncer against Sam Curran, gets wided for it, then sees the left-handed Curran dab a single to deep third.
Terrific bowling. Dushmantha Chameera comes back for one last burst, seeing if he can add to his two wickets. He keeps Moeen on the back foot with a couple of bouncers that rifle over the left-hander’s leg stump from over the wicket. Real grunt-producing short balls with some proper velocity. Moeen knows the next ball has to be fuller because the bowler can’t send down more bouncers, and perhaps that preempting does Moeen in. Chameera does pitch up but not too far. Hits a length that would just take the top of the stumps. Moeen has a big straight drive and it goes through him, into the stumps off the edge. Pace, too. Very well executed.
31st over: England 170-4 (Root 70, Moeen 28) Short from Fernando to Root, who pulls four. Shouldn’t have been four but a mix-up between the two outfielders behind square: Chameera approaching made Lakshan hold back a second before throwing in the slide, so he parries it into the rope. Fernando thinks he’s finished the over but the third umpire calls him back after class for a no ball. Root tries to power the free hit, but only half gets it for a single to deep square.
16 to win.
30th over: England 162-4 (Root 64, Moeen 27) Hasaranga tries the wrong ‘un, and it nearly gets Root. Turning in, aimed at the pad, but he gets an inside edge on it for a single. Seven overs conceding 26 now for the leggie.
29th over: England 159-4 (Root 62, Moeen 26) Binura Fernando bowls a hard length at the body, concedes a few singles, few alarms. In the meantime Harry Lang is getting excited.
“As a marketing nerd, I was rather taken by the suggestion by Brian Withington of a 3-faced bat, legal or otherwise. It would be the perfect complement to the disruptive nature of Twenty20 or the purist’s nemesis, The Hundred. Such a design would not only allow Root, Smith et al to cut with various degrees of nuance and clout – but also lend itself to a number of absurd names – perfectly suited to a game in which a googly and silly mid something are the norm:
28th over: England 155-4 (Root 60, Moeen 24) Really enjoy watching Hasaranga bowl. Lovely arc to his wrist spin, and makes the ball drop. On surfaces less blameless than this one he could be (and has been) a handful. By this stage of today’s innings they’re milking him competently enough. 31 to win.
27th over: England 149-4 (Root 56, Moeen 22) Lakshan tries a slower ball, Root cuts a single. But the bowler gets one to spit at Moeen, there have been a few that have done that today. An unsure defensive prod from Mo. Nothing unsure at the end of the over though: Lakshan tries the bouncer, Moeen stands up and swats it away well in front of square for four!
I don’t think we’ll have to countenance John Starbuck’s concern from earlier, that would require “Wood, who didn’t take any wickets, to bring it home with a powerful knock.”
26th over: England 142-4 (Root 52, Moeen 17) A pull down the ground for one and there’s the milestone: his 34th fifty in this format to go with 16 centuries, so that’s 50 scores above 50 in his 150th match. Very good consistency. And this one was scored at a very good clip. Praveen Jayawickrama is the new bowler with his left-arm darts not hitting the bullseye. Runs from every ball for 7 off the over.
25th over: England 135-4 (Root 49, Moeen 15) First over of the day for Dhananjaya Lakshan, who is not a portmanteau of compatriots Dhananjaya de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan. Root and Moeen get a touch more expansive against the seamer, Moeen playing a crisp swivel-pull to a not very short ball, Root driving well enough to beat cover for two, then square driving down on one knee for one. Boundary riders in this format do mean that a lot of good shots only get a run or two.
Halfway mark, 51 runs to go.
24th over: England 130-4 (Root 45, Moeen 14)
“Greetings from Chicago, USA!” writes Matt McGillen. “The England collapse here calls to mind the World Cup 2019 match vs. Sri Lanka at Headingly. I was in the stands that day, commiserating with fellow fans that Sri Lanka’s feeble effort with the bat was certain to deprive us of an exciting run chase with the mighty England batting lineup. Only to then see England all out for 212, 20 runs short.
No Ben Stokes today to make it close, either. I fear the worst.”
23rd over: England 124-4 (Root 41, Moeen 12) Hasaranga has bowled five overs for 17, good stuff, but don’t balls won’t do it. Wickets required.
22nd over: England 117-4 (Root 37, Moeen 10) Another dropped catch! Joe Root this time, playing a pull shot against Karunaratne that was miles outside his off stump. No way he could have pulled that around to the leg side in control. He gets a big top edge, Chameera runs in from the long leg boundary, and the bowler who had a catch dropped earlier now drops one himself. Diving forward, tricky chance but barely gets a hand on it, the ball going between his hands and into the dirt. Followed by four leg byes off Moeen’s pad.
21st over: England 110-4 (Root 36, Moeen 8) Moeen is happy to block out the first four balls of Hasaranga’s spin, then misses with a cut before driving a single.
20th over: England 109-4 (Root 36, Moeen 7) Fernando keeps them quiet for only two runs, but more importantly for England this batting pair has settled down the worry after a few wickets in quick succession. From here they only need 77 runs and they have 30 overs - 180 deliveries - in which to do it.
19th over: England 107-4 (Root 35, Moeen 6) Hasaranga bowling with lots of loop to Root, looking to lure him into the drive. Root mixes up his footwork between coming forward and going back. Three singles from the over.
18th over: England 104-4 (Root 33, Moeen 5) Binura Fernando is back, his height immediately causing problems with bounce, and Root edges for two! Genuine nick in between the very wide slip and the keeper. Then Fernando goes fuller, gets it swinging into Root’s pad, and convinces Perera to go to DRS. Looked like it was pitching fractionally outside leg, maybe hitting just outside leg too.
And that’s what DRS shows.
17th over: England 101-4 (Root 30, Moeen 5) Joe Root is playing well when he’s sweeping well. Gets Hasaranga away fine and picks up three runs, before Moeen edges away a single to raise England’s 100.
16th over: England 91-4 (Root 26, Moeen 4) Chameera goes into his sixth over, Perera desperate to have him add to the two wickets he’s taken so far. Root keeps using deep third for singles. Mo drives nicely through cover but the rope is protected. Five singles from the over, easy done. England only need 90 more to win.
15th over: England 91-4 (Root 23, Moeen 2) Wanindu Hasaranga’s turn now. He’s got runs, he’s got a catch, and Sri Lanka need him to round out the set with some wickets. Not a bad start for the leg-spinner, giving flight against Moeen Ali and then trying the flatter dart at the stumps looking for Joe Root’s pad.
14th over: England 89-4 (Root 22, Moeen 1) All seamers so far today for Sri Lanka, the same three, as Chameera carries on. Moeen opens his account with a glide behind point. Root plays a version that’s a bit stabby, more of a push at the ball. Gets a second run on a misfield.
13th over: England 85-4 (Root 19, Moeen 0) Root manufactures a little bit of calm by driving Karunaratne to the cover boundary for four. That wicket could have made this just about Sri Lanka’s game. Still England’s game for now.
12th over: England 80-4 (Root 14, Moeen 0) And dropped! Nearly two wickets in two balls for Sri Lanka. Moeen comes out, pushes defensively at another good-length ball, it takes the edge high on the bat and goes low to Kusal Perera’s right behind the stumps. He doesn’t pick it up quickly enough, and in the end throws one glove where a sharper keeper would comfortably have caught it with two. The chance vanishes.
Another one down! Perhaps England won’t be romping to this modest target after all? Plenty of batting left but all of it in the all-round category: Moeen, Woakes, Curran, Willey, Rashid. Billings drives at a very wide ball, on the up, the length not there for the shot. Thick outside edge to the gully where the man who batted so well earlier takes the catch.
11th over: England 77-3 (Root 13, Billings 1) Karunaratne, runs to the crease like he’s late for a bus. Billings in one of his sporadic appearances in this England shirt gets off the mark with a pull.
10th over: England 74-3 (Root 11, Billings 0) Root started that over being fed for a classic Root shot, quiet and sensible, off the pads through midwicket for four. But Chameera was the one who profited more from the over in the end.
Not a memorable innings for Morgan. He tries the charge-swat one more time, aiming off side this time like a left-handed Brendon McCullum, minus the bit where the ball flies into the stands. Misses that, stays home to a shorter length ball angling across him. Plays a half this, half that sort of flirt at the line, nicks it through to the Sri Lankan captain who is playing stand-in keeper.
9th over: England 69-2 (Root 6, Morgan 6) Wants to get on, Morgan. Charges down at Karunaratne and plays a real smear across the line and across the turf to the midwicket fence. Bottom hand strong.
8th over: England 64-2 (Root 5, Morgan 2) Having taken the wicket, Fenando enjoys the reward, sending down six dot balls to Morgan. The over is only blemished by a wide, and Morgan’s strong off-drive from the final ball is well saved at mid off to stop any score.
“It seems to me that JB has a perfect opportunity to make a point with the bat today,” wrote Charles Sheldrick earlier before we got underway. “No pressure on the rate, he can play positively but does not have to go mad. England overlooked him for Bracey (didn’t that go well) in the recent Tests. Is this a chance for him to give Silverwood a nudge?”
7th over: England 63-2 (Root 5, Morgan 2) Shall we expect things to slow up a bit here? Root back into the side and generally its most sober member, Morgan fairly light on for runs for a while. They still manage to work four singles while sizing up Karunaratne’s work.
6th over: England 59-2 (Root 3) Binura Fernando looks a great prospect. Swings a yorker in at Bairstow’s boots and even a player in such good touch can only squeeze out a single. Makes Root mistime a cut shot that dribbles for three. Which brings Bairstow back for the sixth ball of the over, and for the first time today he goes too hard at a ball angled across him, chopping it onto his stumps rather than guiding another boundary. A sad end to the entertainment, with 43 from 21 balls.
5th over: England 54-1 (Bairstow 42, Root 0) One ball to Joe Root, and thus ends an 8-ball over that included 13 runs, a wicket, and a leave outside the off stump.
Change of bowling and Chamika Karunaratne has the ball. He’s a different style of right-armer: relatively short, jerky, chest-on, muscling the ball down. Doesn’t get his line though, too far outside off, and the umpire takes toll of one delivery before Bairstow takes toll of the next, with the square cut again.
Even worse, the next ball is an overstep! No ball. Free hit. But Bairstow has lost the strike with a single. Finally Livingstone gets to stop being left quite so far in the dust. He leans back and pounds it over deep midwicket for six. A real heave, but why not make like a sailor.
4th over: England 41-0 (Bairstow 37, Livingstone 3) My year of Livingstone dangerously. He edges the tall left-armer Fernando short of second slip, then plays a thrashing pull shot that draws a single via a dangerous top edge towards square leg. Again Bairstow shows him how it’s done, playing a little pick-up pull shot for six! Into the crowd over deep square. Then a savage cut that should have been another boundary but for a brilliant stop at backward point... but that lets Bairstow keep the strike. He’s 37 off 15 balls!
3rd over: England 31-0 (Bairstow 29, Livingstone 2) Purrrrring! Bairstow warms up with a nice straight drive that Chameera picks up on the bounce in his follow-through, then the batsman delivers on that promise with an even better on-drive, just to the on side of straight, past the stumps for four. Tucks three more across the line to midwicket. Livingstone has been put up the order as a hitter, but is mostly a spectator will Bairstow plays with utter style from the other end. Finally able to hit a ball, Livingstone throw the kitchen sink at width and edges a run to deep third. “Nah, this is how you do it,” says Bairstow, returning to strike to place a sweet cut between two fielders square of the wicket.
2nd over: England 18-0 (Bairstow 17, Livingstone 1) The left-armer Binura Fernando has a bit more success initially, tucking up both the right-handers with a bit of inswing and giving them no room to do anything but tuck singles off their pads. But the bowler can’t sustain the line, and as soon as he offers a sliver of daylight between the line of the ball and off stump, Bairstow punches square as efficiently as earlier for four.
1st over: England 11-0 (Bairstow 11, Livingstone 0) Dushmantha Chameera has the ball, a whippy right-armer with a bit of pace. But he’s not ready for the way that Jonny Bairstow starts. So often in this form of cricket Young Jonny is imperious. Two checked drives from the first two balls, minimum of follow-through, and they both go through the off side for four. Then he pulls three runs over midwicket. Easy.
Attention Brian: while you could try your enter-a-pig-in-a-sheepdog-contest approach by arguing that the Laws don’t say whether a bat can have more than once face, they’ve got you covered on depth and the gauge. Law 5.7.2:
The blade of the bat shall not exceed the following dimensions:
Width: 4.25in / 10.8 cm
Depth: 2.64in / 6.7 cm
Edges: 1.56in / 4.0cm.
Furthermore, it should also be able to pass through a bat gauge as described in Appendix B.8.
I’m totally in agreement about the name, Brian, good suggestion. I suspect it would fall foul of current regulations about the width of an edge, though a mathematician could argue that a triangle has no edge.
As for materials, Andrew, I spent some time with master maker of bats Lachlan Fisher in the Victorian countryside a couple of years ago, and can confirm that the material of choice is still a length of high-grade cane. Intensely strong yet supple and powerful: perhaps there is a reason the New Zealand captain is named after it.
Brian Withington is easing me into my OBO day with this correspondence. “My belated enquiries in response to Andrew Benton’s pressing question (over 24) regarding cricket bat handle materials has led me to an interesting paper called ‘Critical Analysis on The Design and Use of Materials in Cricket Bat Handles’ by Ashish Kumar Katiyar and colleagues of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University. The paper cites a number of innovations and patents that include the use of various composite materials including carbon fibre that Newbery, GM and Puma have been investigating and variously introducing over the last decade or so.
“Whilst unrelated to choice of handle material, my eye was caught by a reference to a 2011 patent by Ross Weir and Philip Hodgkins concerning a bat with three faces that could be rotated to adjust which struck the ball, although there was no comment about the legality of such a monstrous blade (the Cerberus?).”
If you’re English and you’re just turning on the tube, don’t fret at seeing England wickets – they’re replaying the 2019 World Cup match between these two teams. England 111 for 3 chasing 233. Should be fine.
Thanks, feller me lad. What you can say for Sri Lanka is that today’s effort... wasn’t awful? Some of it was, but at least there was that partnership. After the performances in the T20s and the few days that they’ve had as a touring party, one wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see the Sri Lankans fall in a heap today. Instead it was a partial heap with a couple of people standing up in it. Take what you can get, some days. Hello all.
The remaining question is: do England score these runs quickly and entertainingly, or professionally and boringly?
The visitors have been bowled out in just 42.3 overs, losing three wickets during the power play then 5/15 after getting to 145-3 in decent shape by the 29th over with Hasaranga (54) ticking over nicely through the middle overs. But so much relied upon Perera (73), the wheels falling off when the skipper was the seventh to fall, mid-collapse. Woakes was magnificent - those figures again, 10-5-18-4. He did it early, he did it in the middle, he did it at the end. Willey’s 3/44 was an impressive return after a tough start and Wood did everything right across seven wicketless overs, taking 0/19. Sam Curran bowled with zip and Moeen Ali got himself into the book.
All told, a very good day at the office for the home side, who should have this wrapped up in time to watch England later this afternoon.
Brilliant from Billings to finish with a one-handed pick up charing in from mid-on - he doesn’t break stride, direct hit, superb fielding.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 176-9 (Karunaratne 10, Jayawickrama 4) I’m invested in this Woakes over, wanting him to get this fifth. But it isn’t to be with Jayawickrama flicking through midwicket in a manner that belies his position in this batting line up. It doesn’t diminish from Woakes’ contribution, 10-5-18-4. Beautiful numbers.
Can @ECB_cricket confirm choice to bowl first was to ensure match done and dusted before @England kick off @bbctms ? @collinsadam ?
41st over: Sri Lanka 171-9 (Karunaratne 8, Jayawickrama 0)“Hi Adam.” Hello, Robert Ellson. “I like Izzy’s idea of separate stats for those who carry their team alone and would like to suggest they should be called Atherages, with a proposed exchange rate of 38:50.”
This is very good; I’m sending it to Izzy.
This innings was destined to include a loose run out, and now it does. After Chameera was hit by Curran on the thigh pad, the ball spilling out to backward point, Karunaratne sprinted down without consulting his partner, leaving two men at the same end - again. Billings to Curran; Chameera burned. Mickey Arthur is bereft.
40th over: Sri Lanka 166-8 (Karunaratne 8, Chameera 3) Woakes is back! There’s a shout for lbw against Chameera but the bowler believes it has hit the bat rather than the boot. Morgan listens to him rather than Bairstow and was right to do so, otherwise, that might’ve found its way into one of those youtube worst reviews compilations.
39th over: Sri Lanka 164-8 (Karunaratne 7, Chameera 2) A maiden for Willey to finish, Chamera no meaningful chance of getting him away at any stage of the over. His final figures: 10-1-44-3. Nice.
HAS WILLEY TRAPPED CHAMEERA? Probably not, but we’re going upstairs. Michael Gough’s NOT OUT decision is confirmed - there was an inside edge.
38th over: Sri Lanka 164-8 (Karunaratne 7, Chameera 2) Root puts down Karunaratne at slip! He’s taken two beauties in the cordon moving to his left but now, to his preferred side, he’s dropped it. Mark Wood, who won’t be thrilled, follows it up with a nasty delivery short of a length, the right-hander just getting his bottom hand off the blade before contact with the handle - lucky lad.
37th over: Sri Lanka 161-8 (Karunaratne 5, Chameera 1) One wicket, one run. Willey has taken a wicket in each of his three spells. Alright Eoin, let’s get Woakes back on - he’s earned that right, surely.
Willey gets his third with short ball that Fernando wanted nothing to do with. The end is nigh for Sri Lanka, their collapse now 5/15.
36th over: Sri Lanka 160-7 (Karunaratne 4, Fernando 1) Wood is bowling quickly and accurately but, somehow, he isn’t in the book.
“Hey Adam.” Hello, Rich in Glasgow. “How’s life? Taking forever?
England really don’t deserve Chris Woakes, do they? Under their current leadership, he has been in and out of all formats, the victim of a foggy strategy, and preparing for an Ashes that most cricket fans would speculate is going to be a disaster. And all the while, Woakes’ better years are ebbing away to the point where I had almost forgotten he was an England regular. But he’s turned up today and bowled superbly. It is shameful sh*t, as Bunk Moreland would say.”
35th over: Sri Lanka 158-7 (Karunaratne 4, Fernando 1) Oh dear, another run out chance! Karunaratne plays to backward point and Fernando was running! Sent back, Billings had three stumps to aim for at the non-strikers’ end but missed. They’re on borrowed time.
34th over: Sri Lanka 157-7 (Karunaratne 3, Fernando 1) It was Mark Wood bowling that over, by the way, Morgan trying to blast through the inexperienced Sri Lankan lower order. They’ll have to wait.
Meanwhile, some stat, this. Get him back on! A 7fa for him here...
Most 4-fers for England in men's ODIs:
13 Chris Woakes (101 innings); James Anderson (191)
12 Darren Gough (155)
10 Stuart Broad (121)https://t.co/PuNxPSErxc
IS KARUNARATNE RUN OUT? He deserves to be, this is crazy running, Bairstow nailing a direct hit. But he’s survived. Just. He should have been run out at the other end but Bairstow dropped the throw from Livingstone with both batsmen at one end. Bonkers.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 153-7 (Karunaratne 0, Fernando 0) Binura Fernando, in his second ODI, walking out to join the wicketkeeper Karunaratne, also yet to score. The latter gets the mark, taking on Moeen, a quick single to mid on. Four wickets in five overs.
The collapse is on! The captain the latest to fall, holing out to Billings at deep backward square. Sri Lanka have lost 4/7.
31st over: Sri Lanka 152-4 (Perera 73, Karunaratne0) I was about to talk up Kusal Perera carrying his bat, but, I won’t do that because I’ve the future. Stand by...
There should be separate batting statistics for when you're smashing runs as part of a unit doing the same versus when you're basically Atlas, captaining, keeping and carrying the weight of your nation's batting capabilities on your shoulders alone. #ENGvSL
Yep, that’s clipping leg - good decision. Moeen beat him on the inside edge with extra spin, caught on the crease - that’ll do it.
IS MENDIS LBW TO MOEEN? Tim Robinson says yes! To DRS!
31st over: Sri Lanka 149-4 (Perera 71, Mendis 0) Ramesh Mendis is the new man and he can’t score of Woakes either. His third wicket maiden off the innings, to give him an entirely absurd 8-5-11-4.
Root’s second very useful catch in this his 150th ODI.
⭐ FOUR WICKETS FOR WOAKES ⭐
Woakes finds Lakshan's edge with a ball that angles across him - and Root leaps to his left to take the catch #ENGvSL
Sri Lanka in bother now at 149-5
Watch https://t.co/JYYEqoSiLW
Blog https://t.co/N55d44Axrxpic.twitter.com/ipIKrpIekw
Woakes’ brilliant day continues, picking up Lakshan via a fine catch from Joe Root diving away to his left at slip. Woakes has 4/11!
30th over: Sri Lanka 149-4 (Perera 71, Lakshan 2) Moeen is into the attack and races through his first over giving up just two singles. As Athers notes on TV, this is where Morgan has so many bowling options in these middle overs. Livingstone is also up his sleeve.
29th over: Sri Lanka 147-4 (Perera 70, Lakshan 1) Lakshan, the 22-year-old southpaw is also on debut but, unlike Asalanka, is off the mark first ball turning Woakes down to fine leg. Nicely done.
Great catch! Livingstone running in from the boundary at deep midwicket, having to dive full-length. Hasaranga took on the Woakes short ball but wasn’t in control. He batted well.
28th over: Sri Lanka 143-3 (Perera 68, Hasaranga 53) Willey is also back and that’s worked pretty well for Morgan, the two overs from his attack leaders upon their return going for seven runs.
Hi @collinsadam, I know it's probably heresy but I often cringe at the 'Barmy' 'Army' behaviour, especially the band. I salute their (financial) commitment to supporting the team but it does grate as a massive fan when you're seen as second class to them and their 'tunes'. Sigh.
27th over: Sri Lanka 138-3 (Perera 66, Hasaranga 50) The 23-year-old has reached the mark in 58 balls after coming in at 46-3 with Sri Lanka in all sorts of bother. His third in ODIs - a good young player. The nice little counterattacking run has prompted Morgan to bring Woakes back a fraction earlier than he otherwise might’ve planned.
26th over: Sri Lanka 136-3 (Perera 66, Hasaranga 49) Fabulous batting from Hasaranga, realising the time was right to transfer pressure back onto his bowler of choice, Rashid, and doing so expertly. He went over his head to begin, one-bounce four. Too full later in the over, cover driving that without a bother. Tossed up once again (commendably by the legspinner) and thrashed over extra cover with glorious timing. 13 off the over, the partnership is 90 and Rashid has 0/45 from his six overs so far. Over to you, Eoin.
25th over: Sri Lanka 123-3 (Perera 65, Hasaranga 37) A good over for Sri Lanka, Hasaranga playing a splendid cover drive off Curran, whistling away to the rope. At halfway, they’ve nearly pushed the run rate to five an over. A commendable recovery. As I said off the top, it’s a mismatch, sure, but the visitors have Kusal Perera.
24th over: Sri Lanka 115-3 (Perera 63, Hasaranga 31) These two have put on 69 from 98 balls, starting to lay a bit of a foundation after losing three wickets in a poor power play. Six singles off Rashid here.
“Hello Adam.” Hi, Andrew Benton. “My pressing question of the day is whether cricket bat makers still use rattan for the handles. Rattan grows in the forests of Sri Lanka and India, maybe it was critical to the development of the game all those years ago?! Wondering if anyone knows. Best regards and thanks.”
23rd over: Sri Lanka 109-3 (Perera 60, Hasaranga 28) A less ferocious offering from Curran but still effective. And nicely played Hasaranga, working runs into the legside from the middle-stump line.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 104-3 (Perera 58, Hasaranga 25) The right approach against Rashid, Perera sweeping with authority then Hasaranga going over mid-off with control for three more.
21st over: Sri Lanka 99-3 (Perera 56, Hasaranga 22) Is this Sam Curran or Patrick Patterson? Blimey, for the second time in two overs he’s pinged Perera with extra bounce from just short of a good length, this time whacking him on the shoulder. And, once again, here comes the medical bag. Ooooooh, and what a delivery to follow up, nearly cutting him in half past the inside edge. And now again! Past the outside edge, just over the off-stumps. The lad is on fire.
20th over: Sri Lanka 98-3 (Perera 55, Hasaranga 22) His 15th half-century in ODIs to go with half a dozen tons - an important counterattacking knock with wickets falling around him. He celebrates the achievement by slog sweeping Rashid’s next delivery for SIX! That’s the first big one we’ve seen so far today. He’s on the sweep again later in the set: hard and flat and into the gap - it’s four more. 13 from the over, with the Sri Lankan skipper now 55 from 48.
19th over: Sri Lanka 85-3 (Perera 49, Hasaranga 16) Slammin’ Sammy Curran is spun around to follow Wood. And he does a bit of Wood impression halfway through the over, getting a delivery to leap off a length at Perera’s gloves - nasty stuff that, requiring some medical attention. He’s good to go again now, retaining strike to square leg. The Barmy Army’s new (?) trumpeter is playing Sweet Caroline between overs - not the right time for that, I don’t think. Now he’s playing the Great Escape theme... someone have a word.
18th over: Sri Lanka 82-3 (Perera 47, Hasaranga 15) The spin of Rashid is far more agreeable for Hasaranga, lifting him across the line - one bounce over the rope at long-on. As Sangakkara notes on telly, it’s also a good sign that he’s picking the wrong’un early on.
17th over: Sri Lanka 75-3 (Perera 45, Hasaranga 10) Wood - charging in on his home ground today, as Ian Ward reminds me - and continuing to do so at serious pace, beyond Hasaranga’s outside edge at 91mph. He’s conceded just ten runs in four rapid overs. The crowd love it, giving him a big rev up at the end of the over.
Sri Lanka’s power play:
Perera 32* off 16 balls
Everyone else 6-3 off 44 balls
Extras 9-0 off 60 balls.
16th over: Sri Lanka 74-3 (Perera 44, Hasaranga 10) Spin to win, that’s what Adil Rashid says. Look, he probably doesn’t - a dreadful cliché - but he’s into the attack and asking all the right questions of Perera. He’s so rarely ropey when coming into the attack, which helps set him apart as England’s No1. The over includes the quicker topspinner and the wrong’un. This should be a fun spell to watch.
15th over: Sri Lanka 73-3 (Perera 43, Hasaranga 10) Four risk-free runs off Wood after Perera gets out the way of a short one. Drinks.
14th over: Sri Lanka 69-3 (Perera 41, Hasaranga 9) Curran oversteps, picked up by the TV umpire, Richard Kettleborough. As you may have seen, a new set of match officials were called up this week due to a Covid close-contact moment, which means that Tim Robinson, a hero of the 1985 Ashes series, is out there today as one of the central umpires. Perera doesn’t make the most of the free hit but its a more productive over for the visitors, scoring from five deliveries.
13th over: Sri Lanka 62-3 (Perera 37, Hasaranga 7) As Dinesh Karthik notes on telly, facing bowling as quick as Mark Wood this early in an innings is a new challenge or Hasaranga, who does his best work towards the death. Each delivery is up above 90mph in the old money, the last of those missing off-stump by the proverbial coat of varnish - Kusal Perera is a very fortunate to not be walking off.
12th over: Sri Lanka 60-3 (Perera 36, Hasaranga 6) Sam Curran, always busy, on to replace Willey. And he’s in the game before long, finding Hasaranga’s outside edge, over the cordon down to deep third for a couple. Nice bowling across the right-hander. He follows with a bumper, but it’s too high and called a wide. A nice stroke to finish, pushing with control through point, just reaching the rope.
“Morning Adam.” Hello, Brian Withongton. “Following the link to The Spin’s piece on TMS statistician Andy Zaltzman, I was reminded of one of his famous predecessors, the so-called Bearded Wonder, Bill Frindall, he segued lengthily. I batted against him for my school in the mid-70s when he rather bizarrely guested for the visiting Chelmsford Clergy, or some similarly denominated band of strolling Essex vicars. He was definitely quite a character, more than living up to his TMS reputation. He had brought along some examples of his famous score keeping system which were apparently most impressive. I was more pre-occupied with keeping out his disguised slower ‘effort’ ball and trying to keep abreast of his inscrutable field changes that were communicated by a baffling variety of whistles and grunts like something out of The Clangers. His batting was brief and very much of the agricultural (pre Common Agricultural Policy) variety. Strange day indeed.”
Related: The Spin | ‘It’s my dream job’: Andy Zaltzman on being cricket’s funniest statistician
11th over: Sri Lanka 52-3 (Perera 37, Hasaranga 0) Mark Wood now, to really turn up the volume after Woakes’ immaculate first spell. And he locates Perera’s edge right away from around the wicket, racing down to the boundary. From there, he’s virtually stump-to-stump, the captain retaining the strike with a tuck to finish.
“Morning Adam.” Morning to you, Stephen Brown. “Bit harsh giving the birthday boy a duck wasn’t it? Root could have dropped that and let him get off the mark without risking the match for England.”
10th over: Sri Lanka 47-3 (Perera 32, Hasaranga 0) Perera gives the strike straight over to Hasaranga, who is in strife against Willey’s inswinger, surviving one big LBW shout then getting an inside edge on another. A lot of swing for the left-armer here. That’s his best over so far as Sri Lanka’s power play comes to its conclusion.
9th over: Sri Lanka 46-3 (Perera 31, Hasaranga 0) Hasaranga isn’t going anywhere, defending the rest. That’s another wicket maiden for Woakes, who currently boasts the absurd figures of 5-4-6-2. In truth, they are a set of numbers highlighting the mismatch here.
WOAKES AGAIN!
An absolute beauty to take the outside edge of Shanaka's bat!
Bairstow does the rest and Sri Lanka are 46-3 in the ninth over#ENGvSL
Watch: https://t.co/JYYEqp9TDu
Scorecard: https://t.co/N55d44S8j5pic.twitter.com/xTTQWdjvvo
That’s beautiful stuff: in at off-stump, forcing the right-hander to play, decking away, tickled through to the gloves of Bairstow.
8th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Perera 31, Shanaka 1) Willey has a wicket to his name but Perera has the better of him at the moment, flicking a leg-stump delivery away for three then hammering a square drive out to the rope later in the over - his fourth boundary. Make that five, opening up the bat to steer through third man, where there isn’t currently a fielder outside the circle. Third man drops back after that and is nearly the action, Perera slashing over the cordon in the direction of Rashid - it doesn’t quite carry, but he does well to parry the ball away from the rope to save three runs. 17 off the over.
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-2 (Perera 16, Shanaka 1) Is that four leg byes or cut off by Curran at fine leg? The former. From there, Shanaka is kept quiet by Woakes, who has sent down three maidens in four.
Here’s the first of England’s wickets.
WICKET!
Woakes' slower ball does the trick as Nissanka pulls it straight into the hands of Moeen Ali
Sri Lanka are 23-1 in the fifth over#ENGvSL
Watch: https://t.co/Yagr3WOhns
Scorecard: https://t.co/4ZDgrSwja5pic.twitter.com/MQkgmdFOUN
6th over: Sri Lanka 25-2 (Perera 16, Shanaka 1) Shanaka edges his first ball too, through about fifth slip. Back-to-back successful overs for the hosts, who can really turn the screws now. How will Perera respond? I suspect by shifting to his top gear - it can’t hurt.
Bit weird that Sri Lanka also seem keen to finish before the football kicks off.
Asalanka fends off the back foot, edging into the hands of Root, diving across safely at second slip. Slick cricket from England. Meanwhile, the young left-hander joins the duck on debut club.
5th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Perera 15, Asalanka 0) Watching that dismissal back, it caught the very bottom of Nissanka’s blade. Asalanka, on debut, has two balls to deal with in the successul over and he’s through it safely enough, defending then pulling with control. That’s a wicket maiden for Woakes. Stellar stuff. A quick correction: (thanks, John Starbuck): contrary to how I intepreted the pre-match chat, it is Bairstow not Billings with the gloves.
A shorter slower ball from Woakes, banged into the track, miscued by Nissanka straight to Moeen at midwicket. Good modern bowling.
4th over: Sri Lanka 23-0 (Nissanka 5, Perera 15) Perera swings, inside edge, four. So close to his leg stump on the deflection. Willey is giving him the chance to keep swinging to leg, the final ball flying straight over his middle stump. The captain isn’t going to let the power play and come go this time, as they did in the final T20.
“Hi Adam!” Morning, Abhijato Sensarma. “Considering Sri Lanka’s recent form, and the absence of their senior trio, this match will probably be over before England’s Euro knockout begins. But I’ve been doing (technically) freelance work for a new website I’ve founded with some folks I met on the Internet - wonderful stuff. I’ve taken up the responsibility of covering this series, and I’ve learnt a big lesson: the magic of sports writing lies in the ability to weave magic around the mundane. In a mismatched series such as this, picking narratives for writing features is both a pain and a joy.”
3rd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Nissanka 5, Perera 9) After a fiercely accurate first over, Woakes’ radar lets him down a bit the second time around, missing down the legside twice to Nissanka, two wides called. Between times, the opener worked a couple behind square and a couple more behind point. And in the the middle of all that, he was beaten outside the off-stump by a beauty.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Nissanka 1, Perera 9) Willey, the man playing his 50th ODI today, slides down the legside to begin - Sri Lanka’s first run. Perera gets some room to work with next up, slapping over point to notch the first runs from the bat. He makes it two boundaries in the over to finish, lifting the left-armer over cover; no concerns with that during the power play. My sense is that for the visitors to seriously threaten England today/this week, it’ll require something special from their talented skipper.
1st over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Nissanka 0, Perera 0) Nissanka is happy leaving outside the off-stump to begin before getting bat on ball to cover. Excellent from Woakes throughout, moving the ball off the seam away from the right hander, completing a maiden.
The players are on the field. The captain Kusal Perera is opening alongside Oatham Nissanka, into the team after Sri Lanka’s three forced omissions. Chris Woakes has the ball in his hand. PLAY!
“Hi Adam, hope you are well.” And you, Ned Tidmarsh. “Just reading your opening comments, is this potentially the most one sided series England have ever had? I can’t think of one Sri Lankan player who would even make England’s second XI... Realising as I send this this means England will be beaten by 200 runs today.”
And coming at a good time for England. They have won six and lost five since the World Cup win, Nasser Hussain reminds me on telly, and haven’t really been at their best. Sure, they’re not at full strength here either, but this is the right time of the cycle - two years from their title defence - to start getting their act together again.
Joe Root is speaking to Rob Key about his 150th ODI. “It’s a time to look back on some of the wonderful things we’ve achieved as a team.” Says he enjoys changing formats with the freedom that brings, “if you’re struggling in one it can really help in another.” Not surprisingly, he’s dead keen to get into that T20 World Cup side.
Some thoughts on the Blast from Gary Naylor. Always worth a read.
Related: County cricket talking points: Yorkshire youngsters excel in Blast
“I really feel sorry for him,” Kumar Sangakkara says of the Kusal Perera. It’s a very inexperienced team they’re putting out there.
Sri LankaXI: Kusal Perera (wk & captain), Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama.
Kusal Perera says he was also going to bowl. Asked about the three players who were sent home, he says “it is very hard” for them alongside injury concerns. “We are going to give some youngsters the chance to get some international experience.” He acknowledges it has been a tough few days for him as Sri Lanka’s captain.
England XI: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (captain), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Eoin Morgan has won toss. He says the conditions look good. He’s asked by Athers where this series fits in. “It has quite a significant importance with qualification for the next 50-over World Cup. In regards to our development of the side, this plays a major part in terms of giving games to guys who might not be in our best XI.”
Welcome to County Durham, for England’s first ODI of the home summer, up against the depleted touring Sri Lankans. I say depleted because senior players Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka have been sent home after being pinged for partying hard in the city after the final T20 - you can’t do that when bubbled in this times. So, some drama before a ball is bowled.
Making matters worse again for Kusal Perera’s team is that Avishka Fernando - a serious 50-over player - tore a quad muscle in the T20s, so they are coming into this first ODI in a huge amount of strife. Up against the world champions, at home, in a series for World Cup Super League points... it all points to a very tough week.
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