- Updates from the second match in the series at the Oval
- Root targets T20 World Cup role and promises end to reshuffles
- And you can contact Tim by email or on Twitter
32nd over: Sri Lanka 145-5 (de Silva 79, Shanaka 21) Tom Curran continues and concedes a few singles. Sri Lanka, according to CricViz, now have a chance of winning: a 6pc chance, to be precise. England are on 92 and the tie is on 2. Do they know something we don’t?
31st over: Sri Lanka 141-5 (de Silva 77, Shanaka 19) Another change as Wood gives way to Willey. Either Moeen is injured or he’s done something to annoy Morgan. Shanaka swats a single to bring up the fifty partnership, and then de Silva upper-cuts for four, drawing a comparison from Kumar Sangakkara with Mahela Jayawardene. And that’s drinks, with Sri Lanka dreaming of respectability. The last hour or so has belonged firmly to Dhananjaya de Silva.
30th over: Sri Lanka 131-5 (de Silva 71, Shanaka 16) Rashid comes off and ... Tom Curran comes back. It nearly pays off as a heave from de Silva turns out to be a Harrow cut onto the pad, but the ball just evades the leg bail. Recovering instantly, de Silva plays a pull for four, skimmed over the man at midwicket. Get Mo on!
29th over: Sri Lanka 125-5 (de Silva 66, Shanaka 15) Wood restores order, conceding only a single. It’s quite a feat for a super-fast bowler to be parsimonious at the Oval. I seem to remember Devon Malcolm managing it once.
“If we are already anointing Sam Curran as Player of the Match,” says Richard O’Hagan, “perhaps we could suggest fun things for him to do when he is inevitably dropped from the next match in accordance with England’s current policy of punishing the excessively successful?”
28th over: Sri Lanka 124-5 (de Silva 66, Shanaka 14) Still no Mo as Rashid continues. Eoin Morgan, you should have listened to the OBO, you fool. de Silva starts the over off with a sweet little lap for four and a flick for two, and then every ball goes for a single, so that’s 10 off the over.
27th over: Sri Lanka 114-5 (de Silva 58, Shanaka 12) Morgan takes Sam Curran off and brings back Wood. Why it’s not Moeen is a bit of a mystery: maybe he’s about to replace Rashid. de Silva uses Wood’s pace to guide the first ball to wide third man for four. Nice deflection, as Bill Lawry used to say.
“‘Is this an ad?’” Richard Harman echoes back at me. “I can see why you might think that! But no – a lifesaver for me since I discovered it via a comment BTL on The Guardian about three years ago. Just trying to do unto others as was done unto me. Thanks for posting it!” My pleasure.
26th over: Sri Lanka 107-5 (de Silva 52, Shanaka 11) Rashid is still being economical and still not threatening at all. He has 5-0-15-0, joining Tom Curran in the Make Nothing Happen camp.
25th over: Sri Lanka 104-5 (de Silva 51, Shanaka 9) de Silva makes room to glide Curran square, comes back for two and reaches fifty, for the first time against England. He’s been superb. Shanaka decides to celebrate with a big old mow, inside-out over extra-cover, which goes for six! And brings up the hundred. Flickers of hope for Sri Lanka.
24th over: Sri Lanka 93-5 (de Silva 47, Shanaka 2) Another over from Rashid, another three runs. Sri Lanka, who more or less invented modern ODI batting in 1996, are now trying to undo all their good work.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 90-5 (de Silva 44, Shanaka 2) Sam Curran continues, conceding only a single or two. In England, there’s a strong case for playing him in all formats: he’s such an electric performer, and it’s typical of him to be feeding off the crowd.
Here’s Richard Harman, grabbing the gauntlet thrown down by Mark Francome in Switzerland. “I’m in Italy and this [clicking on the icon at the top of the BBC page] worked perfectly until about 18 months ago. I think the answer is that you now have to register on BBC Sport and then sign in every time in order to see and click on the icon. If you don’t do so, all you can do is read the instruction... Which is why I always listen on Guerilla Cricket (sporadically featuring the dulcet tones of Gary Naylor). Commentary available directly on their website or via YouTube, Facebook, CricTracker.” Hang on – is this an ad? “Beware of occasional swearing if listening with children present.”
22nd over: Sri Lanka 88-5 (de Silva 43, Shanaka 1) This innings is now all about de Silva, and whether he can get the hundred his team desperately need. He has lost momentum in the last 20 minutes, but he’s in no trouble, so fingers crossed.
21st over: Sri Lanka 86-5 (de Silva 42, Shanaka 0) That is a wicket-maiden for Curran, which is outrageous at this stage, when the swing has long gone. He has 4-28 and you might as well give him the Player of the Match award now.
Sam Curran makes things happen! He bounces Hasaranga, who plays the pull but gets it high on the bat and gives a simple catch to deep square. Shame for SL, great for Curran, who has his first four-for in ODIs.
20th over: Sri Lanka 86-4 (de Silva 42, Hasaranga 26) Better from Rashid: three singles and no wides.
An email comes in marked “Ibrahim Lalgie”. It’s from Peter Lovell, picking up on the 3rd over. “I can vouch that Ibrahim is in fact ‘delightfully shy’. He’s also a very good, elegant all-rounder who plays for Chiswick CC U13 with his father Rodney managing the team. I manage Ealing CC U13s and we’re playing against them this evening. Hopefully Sri Lanka will drag this out and Ibrahim can’t make it to the game in time!”
19th over: Sri Lanka 83-4 (de Silva 41, Hasaranga 24) It’s a double change as Morgan replaces Wood with Sam Curran, presumably to give him some practivce at bowling in the dull middle overs. Hasaranga celebrates by carting him for four over midwicket, then cover-driving for four more. One talented young player, up against another.
“Which side do we think is gaining less from this series?” asks Chris Parker. “Between these ODIs and the T20s, all England seem to be getting is a bit of fitness in their fast bowlers’ legs, and Sri Lanka just getting a bit of experience for their younger players (although how good an experience being dominated abroad is, I’m not sure either).” Harsh but fair.
18th over: Sri Lanka 74-4 (de Silva 41, Hasaranga 15) Tom Curran takes a breather, with the unusual figures of 4-0-9-0, and for the first time we have a bowler from the Vauxhall end whose name is not Curran. It’s Adil Rashid, who overcooks his googly and bowls two wides. The first one brings up the fifty partnership off 10.1 overs: these two have steadied the ship.
17th over: Sri Lanka 70-4 (de Silva 40, Hasaranga 14) Wood is bowling so fast that you can block him for four. Hasaranga seems to have done this beautifully, sending the ball skimming towards long-off, but David Willey makes a fine stop inches inside the Toblerone, so it’s a high-class two.
16th over: Sri Lanka 67-4 (de Silva 40, Hasaranga 12) Tom Curran is still cramping everyone’s style, except his brother. Sam, spying a good chance for a run-out, has a wild shy at the stumps and ends up injuring Jonny Bairstow, whose hand requires some patching up from the physio. England, as so often, have a spare keeper in their back pocket – Sam Billings – but he’s not needed yet.
15th over: Sri Lanka 65-4 (de Silva 39, Hasaranga 11) Wood is “bowling really fast here,” says Dinesh Karthik. He gets a bouncer to climb steeply on Hasaranga, who can only nick it off the shoulder of the bat. It flies to Bairstow’s right and he manages to tip it over the bar for a corner, drawing applause from Wood – very sporting of him. And that’sdrinks with Sri Lanka recovering, thank goodness, after their dismal start.
14th over: Sri Lanka 63-4 (de Silva 38, Hasaranga 10) Another tight over from Tom Curran, who is matching his brother’s ability to make things happen by making things not happen.
“Hello from Switzerland,” says Mark Francome. “Séin [8th over] is not alone. Spent nigh on an hour on Tuesday trying to find the link. The closest I got was a line on the BBC page that says ‘Overseas listeners click on the icon at the top of the page to hear live coverage’, but there is no icon. It’s like they are playing with us. I dunno why I bother paying my licence etc. (I don’t actually pay a licence fee but I feel I should take a principled stand.)”
13th over: Sri Lanka 62-4 (de Silva 38, Hasaranga 9) Wood continues, de Silva waits for a full ball and drives to mid-off’s right for four more. That’s an even more handsome drive than the last one. As there’s no slip, de Silva follows up with a deft little dab to third man, where Sam Curran makes a neat diving stop. The last five overs have brought 29 runs and no wickets. On the horizon, the Sri Lankans can just make out redemption.
12th over: Sri Lanka 54-4 (de Silva 31, Hasaranga 8) de Silva has been rattling along at a run a ball, as if he had no idea that four wickets had fallen, but Tom Curran, who has located his length, keeps him quiet now.
“Great captaincy by Morgan,” says Richard O’Hagan, reflecting on the last wicket. “Nip off the pitch so that there is a significantly taller bloke in the way of the pull shot, then run back on as soon as he takes the catch.” Ha.
11th over: Sri Lanka 52-4 (de Silva 30, Hasaranga 7) Willey’s off too as Mark Wood comes on. He starts very tidily for a quick bowler, but then de Silva spots a half-volley and off-drives for four to bring up the fifty.
10th over: Sri Lanka 47-4 (de Silva 26, Hasaranga 6) Sam Curran takes a break, to be replaced by ... Tom Curran. He looks the part, in a navy headband, but he dishes up a long hop and gets pulled for four by de Silva. There’s no slip, which seems odd given the score, and the fact that Morgan is back. That’s the end of the PowerPlay, which was carnage at first, but now there’s a hint of a recovery. These two have added 26; they just need to do it again, five times over.
9th over: Sri Lanka 42-4 (de Silva 21, Hasaranga 4) Another fruitful over for SL as Willey sprays it around, bowling two wides and dropping short, which allows de Silva to play a sumptuous back-foot punch.
“Greetings from Ireland,” says Séin Healy.“I’m enjoying hearing the buzz of a big(ish) crowd again. Is the TMS overseas link knocking around do you know? For the ODIs and T20s, it has been like looking for chicken’s teeth. The working and radio combination, is more productive than the working and TV combo.” Yes, but the working-and-OBO combo is the best of the lot. I’m hoping a reader has the link for you.
8th over: Sri Lanka 33-4 (de Silva 17, Hasaranga 3) Hasaranga is a bright prospect and he shows it by going down on one knee and square-driving Curran for three. de Silva sees that and raises him a pull for four, instantly followed by another. The counter-attack has begun!
7th over: Sri Lanka 21-4 (de Silva 8, Hasaranga 0) Asalanka was keeping Willey out, but he wasn’t getting the ball off the square, and his frustration got the better of him.
Garton was on because Eoin Morgan had left the field – not sure why. With Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes absent, it was interesting to see who took over... Joe Root! I thought that might even things up a bit, but it wasn’t to be. Perhaps Root is the great ODI captain we never had.
Willey drops short for once and Asalanka plays a tame pull straight to square leg. A nice moment for George Garton, on as a sub for his first taste of international cricket.
6th over: Sri Lanka 21-3 (de Silva 8, Asalanka 3) Asalanka gets off the mark with a punch off the pads into the wide open spaces at midwicket. The Oval, as ever, looks full of runs. Come on you two, put on 150.
“Every now and then in club cricket,” says Richard O’Hagan, “you get a game so one-sided that the fielding captain feels compelled to put on the ‘lesser’ bowlers, just to make a game of it. Time for Roy and Billings to start warming up, I’d say.” Good plan.
5th over: Sri Lanka 17-3 (de Silva 8, Asalanka 0) There’s so much talent in this Sri Lankan team, even when it’s depleted. Dhananjaya de Silva plays a gloriously nonchalant shot off Willey, blocking him back over his head for four.
4th over: Sri Lanka 12-3 (de Silva 4, Asalanka 0) So Sam Curran took three wickets in his first nine balls. That’s the same number that Tom Curran, recalled today, has taken in ODIs since 19 May 2019. Now he’s wondering if his little bro is even going to let him have a bowl.
“I second your bafflement at Woakes’ ‘resting’,” says Guy Hornsby. “Perhaps there’s a theory of it mostly happening to the nice guys (exhibit B: Mo). As you say, it’s hardly impacted the game yet. I sit here feeling for Sri Lanka. Such a lovely nation, and as with WI, you crave a contest.”
The procession continues! Sam Curran gets that swing back into the right-hander again and this time there is no pad in the way. After 3.3 overs of this match, Curran has 3-3.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 11-2 (Nissanka 5, de Silva 3) Triumph! Sri Lanka have got through an over without incident. de Silva gets off the mark with a nice crisp clip for three, the kind of shot that settles you down. And Sky show the ringing of the bell from earlier, which was done by Ibrahim, a boy on Ebony Rainford-Brent’s scheme to get more kids from minorities playing cricket. He looks delightfully shy.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 6-2 (Nissanka 4, de Silva 0) So Sam Curran has 2-2 and Sri Lanka, not content with losing two wickets, have burned both their reviews. Slight shame they’re not 2-2 too.
Another one! Sam Curran is making the ball swing and this one, to the right-hander, is thudding into leg stump. You have to say, England are not missing Woakes.
Sam Curran makes the breakthrough. Mark Butcher thought it was high, but Sammy C is not a tall man, and although Perera reviewed, all the reds came up. That’s a big blow for Sri Lanka, and for this contest.
1st over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Nissanka 4, Perera 0) Nissanka did two things right in that over: he hit a lovely cover-drive for four, and he reviewed that decision by umpire Kettleborough. It was probably the worst decision since England left out Chris Woakes, half an hour ago.
Yes, inside edge. It was so thick, it could have been a member of the present cabinet.
Sounds like an inside edge...
The first email of the day is from Richard Hirst.“Hurrah,” he says, “someone who shares my view of Chris Woakes, Gareth Southgate and Jack Grealish: what a hat-trick so early in the day! But it’s a high standard to keep up.”
So Chris Woakes is left out again. If I was in the crowd at the Oval, I’d be asking for my money back. Woakes is Mr Immaculate. He was named England’s player of the year for 2020, then didn’t play all winter. He was named player of the match in the first game of this series, and now he misses the second. In the past nine months, he has made just three appearances for England – two T20, one ODI, all against Sri Lanka. He’s bowled 17 overs, taken 5-41, and conceded only one four. It’s truly bizarre. The only good thing about it is that it should make for a more even contest.
Matthew Engel used to say that new England selectors were given two instructions: pass the port to the left and if in doubt, drop Randall. Sri Lanka’s selectors seem to be told: if in doubt, pick another Fernando. They will have three of them today, so the de Silvas – and the Currans – are going to have to work harder.
Sri Lanka 1 Kusal Perera (capt, wkt), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Wanindu Hasaranga, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Charith Asalanka, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Binura Fernando, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Asitha Fernando.
Jason Roy returns as predicted, replacing Luke Livingstone. And Chris Woakes, after his perfect performance in the first game, is rested for the second.
England I Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wkt), 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 David Willey, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.
Lads, it’s Eoin Morgan.
Afternoon everyone and welcome to the OBO.Sport, like life itself, comes in spurts, and this week the tap is refusing to be turned off. England beat Germany! Kane scores! Murray beat someone! And then someone else! Cav is back in business! Man United sign Sancho, after negotiating for only a year!
Among all these memorable moments, the male cricketers have done their bit by laying on a series of matches that have been forgettable even by the high standards of the white-ball game. England have played Sri Lanka four times and won the lot. Anyone for tension? Perhaps you’d like to try Wimbledon. The biggest excitement of this contest so far came when three Sri Lankans burst out of their bubble and got banned for a year. As my colleague Tom Davies said when he directed me to the page where these words are being typed, “Here’s yer link to England’s latest low-key stroll to victory.”
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