- England thump Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI
- Roy and Hales notch centuries in convincing win at Edgbaston
- Freelance Cricket Club podcast: in conversation with Jade Dernbach
This time there would be no collapse, and no last-ball thriller either. Instead, England served up the most comprehensive 10-wicket victory ever seen in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka, as openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy, both plundered centuries, knocking off a target of 257 with 95 balls to spare.
Read Ali Martin’s full report here.
That’s England off the mark in the ODI series and they’ve won the Super Series (it’s 13-3 at the moment, with four to play and not enough points up for grabs). Sri Lanka, who should really be one-up in the ODIs, are one behind.
Oh my, incredible performances from @AlexHales1& @JasonRoy20! World class! Breaking records! #quality#ODI#ENGvSL
Some way to get there...
Bring up your first in England with a classic flat six. You beauty @JasonRoy20https://t.co/9TSw6sEaEF
35th over: England 256-0 (Roy 112, Hales 133) Another inside out lash gives Roy four and sees England win the match with 15.5 overs to spare. Roy and Hales now have England’s highest ever one-day stand for any wicket.
34th over: England 252-0 (Roy 108, Hales 133): Six from the over, but all along the carpet. Three more for the win...
33rd over: England 246-0 (Roy 105, Hales 130) Single to deep cover takes Roy to 99 as Hales, with Prasanna bowling into the short boundary and 19 left, does the good bloke deed of just pushing a single to allow Roy a go at three figures. An extra man comes into the circle as Roy pushes back to the bowler. A wide down the leg side *almost* has Roy stumped, as he shuffles out of the way while trying to tickle it to fine leg. An LBW appeal – missing leg stump – brings two. The crowd think it’s his hundred... now it is! A six absolutely thundered down the ground gets Roy there off 92 balls
So it turns out that Brexit might be good for England opening batsmen.
32nd over: England 235-0 (Roy 98, Hales 129) Roy doing this in singles? One into the off side from Randiv’s first ball of his 7th over. Given back the strike, he tries to get the six for his hundred but misreads the flight and skews an outside edge *just* over the head of cover. A three takes him to 97... another single gives him the strike.
31st over: England 228-0 (Roy 97, Hales 127) Tom van der Gucht is bemused: “Storming to what could be a ten wicket win with overs to spare is the sort of performance England are used to suffering, not inflicting.” You’re not wrong, Tom. Hales threads one past third man who is up in the circle. He then hits a short wide one straight to point, scowling as he looks up to see the ball headed straight to the fielder. Unfortunately for Maharoof, it just bounces straight off the man. Single and Roy keeps the strike.
108 runs scored between 20th and 30th overs. @AlexHales1 and @JasonRoy20 running wild...
The moment you make your first ODI ton in England. Yes @alexhales1. He then hit three sixes in a row #releasehttps://t.co/KWuhAiMLFw
30th over: England (Roy 91, Hales 121) Worried that Hales might nab all the runs for himself, Jason Roy hammers Randiv down the ground for a fourth consecutive six. There’s no fifth though, as Roy bunts down the ground for one. Cue the boos.
28.2 Prasanna to Hales: 4
28.3 Prasanna to Hales: 4
28.4 Prasanna to Hales: 6
28.5 Prasanna to Hales: 6
28.6 Prasanna to Hales: 6
Not bad.
29th over: England 209-0 (Roy 82, Hales 120) A farmer’s heave to cow corner gets Hales his ugliest boundary by some distance. And then, a touch of class: pinging a ball on off stump for four through extra cover to bring up his third ODI century, from 91 balls. To celebrate, he butchers three consecutive sixes into the stands at midwicket.
28th over: England 182-0 (Roy 81, Hales 94) Another over from Gunathilika. Declaration bowling from Sri Lanka. He starts around the wicket to Roy, who just mullers him inside out and almost through Alex Hales for four. “Glad to see England’s top order, unlike the country they represent, still have some capacity to remain,” says Ian Copestake.
27th over: England 175-0 (Hales 93, Roy 75) A second-decker from Alex Hales as Prasanna tries to rip one on a length but the Nottinghamshire batsman has no time for pleasantries. This is now a record opening partnership against Sri Lanka. The previous best was 171* between Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter.
26th over: England 167-0 (Roy 74, Hales 86) Danushka Gunathilaka to bowl some part time off spin. Sri Lanka now biding their time until the new ball, which will come on Sunday in the 3rd ODI at Bristol.
25th over: England 159-0 (Hales 81, Roy 72) Five from the over. The fielders awake from their slumber as Hales top edges high in the air, but it’s behind the keeper and lands safe.
24th over: England 154-0 (Roy 70, Hales 78) Randiv is taking pace off the ball waiting for a mistake. What he doesn’t account for is Roy’s dexterity, as he’s reverse swept to the point boundary. Knowing that Randiv will over correct and bowl straighter, Roy is advancing as the bowler’s arm comes over and smashes dead straight down the ground for six. “Will Grigg’s on fire” bellows out around the ground as Angelo Mathews places a fielder about 15 years directly behind the bowler. Randiv doesn’t looked terrified, just a bit bored.
23rd over: England 140-0 (Roy 58, Hales 76) Shot of the day from Hales as, perfectly balanced, he drives through extra cover for four, beating three fielders along the way. Roy skews an edge high to third man but just short of the fielder. This is the highest partnership between these two, by the by.
22nd over: England 132-0 (Roy 59, Hales 70) Roy into the action again, using his feet and hands to punish a slight drop in length from Prasanna, who cart him through cover for four.
21st over: England 124-0 (Roy 51, Hales 68) A sharp bouncer from Pradeep surprises Hales. Not wishing to be out-Alpha-ed, Hales skips down the track to slap a good length ball over mid off for four. The over ends with a chipped six down the ground. Didn’t look like he got all of that, but it’s all going Hales’ way...
20th over: England 111-0 (Roy 51, Hales 56) Another easy single behind square brings up Jason Roy’s fourth ODI half century. Finally, a change in the field – mid off brought up for the leg spinner – brings about a risky shot. But even with the risk of being caught, Hales guides an aerial drive neatly between mid off and extra cover, where it is fielded by the man deep on the cover fence.
19th over: England 107-0 (Roy 49, Hales 54) Drinks and a quick debrief for Hales and Roy, who rightly seem very satisfied with their work so far. Sri Lanka’s huddle no doubt features a lot more introspection. Nuwan Pradeep is brought on by Mathews and, with an uninspiring length ball, allows Roy to advance and strike him high over the fielder at mid on for four.
18th over: England 100-0 (Roy 43, Hales 53) The 100 partnership comes up off 106 balls – the third time Hales and Roy have reached three figures as an ODI pairing.
17th over: England (Roy 41, Hales 52) Alex Hales brings up his 7th ODI fifty with a well-executed slog sweep to deep midwicket. Prasanna finishes the over with some flatter deliveries to prevent another misdemeanour.
16th over: England 89-0 (Roy 39, Hales 46) Just really very easy. Any movement off the surface is being dulled into the off or on side. Anything through the air is ignored. Suranga Lakmal is back on for his fourth over and looks to be already contemplating the futility of it all. A back of a length delivery is guided easily to third man.
15th over: England 85-0 (Roy 37, Hales 44) Prasanna, the leg spinner, is on and this time Roy is watchful, playing down the ground to pilfer three singles. Better, Jase...
14th over: England 80-0 (Roy 34, Hales 42) Just the slight whiff of laxness in Roy’s game at the minute. He’s clearly in but looking to play some outlandish shots like trying to work a fifth stump ball through midwicket. Easy now, Jase...
13th over: England 78-0 (Roy 33, Hales 41) Hales gets in on the action too, with a rather astonishing shot actually. Maharoof is bowling with little to no pace and, even if he pitches short, the batsman has a bit of work to make take full value from it. Hales, though, plays a languid heave-pull in front of square leg for six.
12th over: England 69-0 (Roy 32, Hales 33) Finally, Roy gets hold of Randiv: given some air to work with, Roy holds his shape and larrups the ball back over the spinners head for six into he black tarpaulin.
11th over: England 60-0 (Roy 25, Hales 31) A run out chance is made to seem closer by the yelps from around the bat. Truth be told, third man made a horlicks of the gather and even if he did manage it cleanly, the run was quite safe. “I’m at Egbaston, after 10 overs the scoreboard says 57 off 64 balls - is this new, that you count wides?” asks Tim Woolias. “Or is this the first sign of post EU cricket?” Nope, no idea. And I’m definitely not in favour.
10th over: England 57-0 (Roy 24, Hales 29) A win for the bowler there: Randiv tosses one above Roy’s immaculately sculpted eyebrows. Mid off’s up, so Roy attempts to send this out of the ground by edges past the keeper for four.
9th over: England 51-0 (Roy 19, Hales 28) Very nice from Hales as he stands tall to punch through cover point for four. A leisurely single brings up the fifty from 53 balls.
8th over: England 45-0 (Roy 18, Hales 23): An attempt at a run off every ball of this Randiv over brings five. Given the low total and the ease at which these two are manipulating the pace bowlers, it’s not a bad ploy. However, it will require them to get a wiggle on between overs 10 and 20.
7th over: England 40-0 (Roy 15, Hales 21) Change from both ends now as Nuwan Pradeep replaces Maharoof and the extra pace almost catches Roy unawares. A short-ish ball – actually, not short at all – and Roy swipes across the line, getting an under-edge on the ball. It dies just short of the keeper and shoots through him for runs.
6th over: England 35-0 (Hales 19, Roy 12) Suraj Randiv, the doosra-bowling off spinner, is into the attack for the first time this series. He’s been brought in for allrounder Dashun Shanaka and starts with five good ones before Hales slaps him, at head-height, down the ground.
5th over: England 30-0 (Hales 14, Roy 12) Really good from Hales. He was snatching at the ball a bit but, given a half-volley, he keeps his cool to guide it through the covers for four. He’d edged an earlier delivery but, even though it panned the keeper’s glove, it wasn’t a chance really.
4th over: England 20-0 (Hales 6, Roy 11) Six from the over, as Lakmal struggles to control some uncharacteristically lavish swing from this new white ball. A Roy clip through midwicket doesn’t got for four but at least brings runs off the bat.
3rd over: England 15-0 (Roy 8, Hales 5) We need to talk about Maharoof’s slower ball. It really is a thing of beauty. It’s easy to pick up: the run-up, already sluggish, reduces to a stroll allowing the ball to dribble out of his hands like a deep sleeper’s drool. Hales plays and misses at one, which takes three bounces between him and the keeper. He’s hit in front by another but saved by an inside edge. So ends the most unassuming Power Play maiden.
2nd over: England 14-0 (Roy 8, Hales 5) Suranga Lakmal will take the ball away from the right handers. He’ll also take an over to get going: his third, a short delivery getting ever wider, is slapped through point for Roy.
“Roy, buddy. Is that your average? When I saw numbers that low, I thought it was the value of the pound.” #Brexitsledges
1st over: England 8-0 (Roy 2, Hales 5) Much like the first ODI, Sri Lanka are taking the crafty approach to the first 10 overs. There won’t be too much pace on the ball and, with Maharoof opening to Jason Roy, the keeper (Kusal Perera) is up to keep the batsman in his crease and, thus, limiting his footwork. First delivery, the ball nips in and nearly bowls Roy, who manages to scamper a bye as it does the keeper, too. Hales off the mark with a effortless flick through midwicket for four.
The players are back out there and Maharoof is bowling the first over, to Jason Roy, with the keeper up...
Evening all OBOers. I hope we’re well. While I have you, I’d like to flagrantly plug the latest Freelance CC podcast featuring Jade Dernbach. The Surrey and England tattooed-trickstes talks about the rigours of bowling the death overs and dealing with the adulation and copious amounts of grief that come with it. A lot of people have made their minds up about the bloke, but he’s a fascinating character who talks well about life and the game. Enjoy...
That’s a reasonably acceptable performance from Sri Lanka, who were effectively bailed out by Tharanga, Chandimal, and to a lesser extent Mathews and Randiv. Willey and Woakes were perhaps a touch below par with the ball, so they should have got more, but the form of England’s top order means the result isn’t done and dusted just yet.
That’s all from me. Freelance Cricket Club podcast’s ownVithushan Ehantharajah will guide you through England’s chase. Bye!
50th over: Sri Lanka 254-7 (Tharanga 53, Randiv 26) Final over then and it’s Woakes to bowl. Tharanga slaps his first ball to long-off to bring up a 46-ball half-century that, along with Chandimal’s innings, has pretty much given Sri Lanka a chance in this match. Leg-bye to Randiv then Tharanga’s single takes them to 250. Randiv takes on Jason Roy’s arm and, for once, the batsman wins that one as the England man misses. The penultimate ball is a wide full-toss but Tharanga can only get a couple, carved to deep point, but he’ll have the strike for the final ball. From that they steal a bye to the wicketkeeper.
49th over: Sri Lanka 247-7 (Tharanga 49, Randiv 25) Short and wide from Willey, who has been a touch disappointing today, and Tharanga slaps it tennis racket-style over mid-off for four. A single takes him to 49 and brings Randiv on strike and the new man in the team is certainly no mug with the bat – he sends one whistling back past the bowler for two then smacks through mid-on for the two runs that bring up the 50 partnership from 48 balls. This is been excellent batting from the pair. And lucky batting: Randiv gives it the charge and edges along the ground for four to third man. He slices the final ball over point for two more making 13 from the over. Willey ends with one for 65.
48th over: Sri Lanka 232-7 (Tharanga 44, Randiv 15) Randiv tees off, looking to smear Woakes over extra cover but only succeeding in slicing it over point for one. That brings Tharanga on strike and his eyes light up at a slow long-hop, which he thumps over the short midwicket boundary for six. Sri Lanka need to aim for at least 250 here and can still get to 260.
47th over: Sri Lanka 222-7 (Tharanga 35, Randiv 14) Four much-needed runs for Tharanga, who throws his bat at Willey outside off, knowing it’s safe if he edges it. Edge it he does and it zips along this quick outfield to third man. Randiv gets in on the act a few balls later, stepping to the off-side and shovelling it down to fine-leg for his first boundary. He heaves out to cover point for a couple more and it looks like Sri Lanka have realised they need quite a few more runs in not much time.
“What guard does Natalie Imbruglia take?” asks Tom Appleyard.
“Left of the middle.”
46th over: Sri Lanka 210-7 (Tharanga 30, Randiv 7) From round the wicket Plunkett raps Tharanga on the pad and goes up for lbw, but it’s going a way down leg I’ll wager. You know I can’t remember when the last boundary that didn’t come via an edge or a leg-bye was. Two from the 46th over of the innings and Plunkett finishes with two for 49.
45th over: Sri Lanka 208-7 (Tharanga 29, Randiv 6) Time for a change: Woakes, a man in fine fettle but wicketless in his five overs so far today, comes back on. He’s greeted by a gorgeous cover drive from Tharanga but Bairstow saves three with a great bit of work in the deep, much to the crowd’s delight. An exchange of singles then Randiv dinks an innocuous ball up in the air to midwicket but somehow manages to get it between the two fielders. That was rubbish.
“Afternoon Dan.” Bloody hell I’d forgotten my email was even working, but here’s Simon McMahon to break the silence. “Whatever else is going on in this crazy world of ours, you can always rely on the cricket, eh? COCKTAILS ON ME IF THERE’S A TIE!!! God knows I need one.”
44th over: Sri Lanka 204-7 (Tharanga 27, Randiv 4) Plunkett reckons that Randiv doesn’t like the look of the short stuff. He gives him a couple of bumpers then the batsman chips the fuller one just short of mid-off. Back of a length again and he cuts flimsily, just wide of backward point and in the air for a – I’m calling it now – pretty much useless single. Tharanga brings up the team 200 with what looks to be a deliberate edge through the vacant slip cordon for four. That’s more like it.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 198-7 (Tharanga 22, Randiv 3) Six an over from here – which would be an acceleration – gets Sri Lanka 243, which shouldn’t be enough. Then again given the form of England’s top order, perhaps they think they can defend it? Only three singles from this one though.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 195-7 (Tharanga 21, Randiv 1) Moeen has one over left but, with the fielding restrictions in place, Plunkett replaces him. Tharanga runs the first ball down to third man for one, meaning Randiv is going to have to face the pace bowler and Plunkett greets him with a short one, which he expertly ducks. Randiv gets a leg-bye, Tharanga drops and runs a quick one, and Randiv gets off the mark from the final ball.
41st over: Sri Lanka 191-7 (Tharanga 19, Randiv 0) Into the final powerplay then and Rashid makes way for Willey. Tharanga knocks the first ball away for a single, which exposes the new batsman although Maharoof won’t be too phased having contributed nicely with 31 from 30 in Notts. He opens up with a clip to backward-square leg for two. Oh no, that’s his lot. Tharanga is going to have to think about teeing off if the tail is going to play shots like that. Randiv sees off the remainder of the over.
Full and swinging back in, Maharoof goes for the big drive down the line of off-stump and sees that and middle castled.
40th over: Sri Lanka 188-6 (Tharanga 18) A change of pace, quite literally, albeit a small one as Moeen returns in place of Root. Tharanga steps into his first delivery and creams it beautifully through cover for four of the best. It’s a decent enough over at this stage though and ends with the bonus of a freebie wicket.
Chandimal nudges just to the right of Roy at mid-on and sets off for a run that’s never ever on. He turns but, suffering from a bit of a strain, is never going to get back in time as the fielder sweeps in and throws underarm to Buttler.
39th over: Sri Lanka 181-5 (Tharanga 12, Chandimal 51) Rashid into his final over then and he gives Tharanga a woeful half-tracker that he’ll be relieved to see just clubbed back down the ground for a single. Three from the over, all in singles and Rashid finishes with outstanding figures of 10-0-34-2. He’s improved his control so, so much.
38th over: Sri Lanka 178-5 (Tharanga 10, Chandimal 50) After six overs in the 40s, Chandimal moves to his half-century from 80 balls by working Root into the on-side and scampering through. Just three fours in this injury-hampered innings for Chandimal: it’s not exactly been the most memorable but, like Mathews at Trent Bridge, it’s arrested a slide and given Sri Lanka something, if not a huge amount to work with. Tharanga has a wild swing and feathers a bottom edge round the corner to the fine-leg boundary. It was a bit of leg-side filth, that.
37th over: Sri Lanka 171-5 (Tharanga 4, Chandimal 49) This is Rashid’s penultimate over, so presumably he’ll bowl through here. He beats Tharanga all ends up with a beautiful googly that’s taken at slip via the front pad – alas no bat is involved. Just three from the over and Sri Lanka need one of these two to put their foot down. Time for drinks.
36th over: Sri Lanka 168-5 (Tharanga 2, Chandimal 48) And Eoin Morgan goes back to Root. He raps Tharanga on the pad with a non-turner but it might have been high, might have gone down leg and took the inside edge. Other than that etc.
35th over: Sri Lanka 164-5 (Tharanga 0, Chandimal 46) After going wicketless at Trent Bridge Rashid has his reward here: his second wicket and that of a huge threat. Not that the new man, Upal Tharanga, is any less dangerous with 13 ODI hundreds to his name. He’s beaten and hit on the pad by a leg-break, but it’s turning past leg-stump. There’s a slip in for the left-hander, too.
This is a glorious catch. The dangerman throws everything into it, lifting it high into the stratosphere but not far enough straight back down the ground. Two fielders converge near the rope and it’s Willey, diving forward, who holds on. He has a massive grin no his face and well he might.
34th over: Sri Lanka 163-4 (Prasanna 2, Chandimal 45) And with a new batsman in the middle, Plunkett comes back for Root. He tucks up Prasanna, beating him for pace but the ball lands safely at short leg and they run a single – one of four from the over. Again Prasanna goes swinging hard, at a couple of short balls outside off, and again misses out. It was with that kind of line and length that Woakes got Prasanna in the previous match.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 159-4 (Prasanna 0, Chandimal 43) There we go: after three singles from the first three balls, Mathews is beaten after a decent, if ultimately unsatisfactory innings that ends before it can really get going. The partnership ends on 82, bringing the dangerous Prasanna to the crease after his half-century last time. He has a mighty swing at his first ball and connects with naught but Brummie air.
The sweep proves Mathews’ downfall. He goes after a straight one, the hard pitch means it bounces a touch more than he expects and the top edge is taken by Plunkett at backward square-leg, easy as.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 156-3 (Mathews 43, Chandimal 41) Sigh, Joe Root is on for a bowl. He gets away with a big leg-side wide when Mathews pulls away to indicate he wasn’t ready, resulting in a dead ball rather than the addition of a run. And then from the final ball there’s half an appeal for lbw but it’s going over the top by a long way. Four singles and a leg-bye.
31st over: Sri Lanka 151-3 (Mathews 41, Chandimal 39) Rashid continues, into his sixth over on the bounce. Or spin. Whichever. Roy sends another throw fizzing in towards Mathews’ end but it’s well wide of the stumps. The return throws from England today have been hit and miss to say the least. Four from the over, all in ones and nones.
30th over: Sri Lanka 147-3 (Mathews 39, Chandimal 37) Mathews is beaten for pace but manages to get a single to fine-leg, before Chandimal gets tired of hanging around and agriculturally clambers into a shorter one, walloping it through midwicket for four. A single, a nicely worked two and a third single from the over makes a very handy nine.
29th over: Sri Lanka 138-3 (Mathews 35, Chandimal 32) Three runs only but these two continue to build a partnership that has, of late, been juicy and productive for Sri Lanka.
Last 10 stands between Angelo Mathews & Dinesh Chandimal in ODIs:
80*
82
35
31
0
23
93
88
64
53*
28th over: Sri Lanka 135-3 (Mathews 32, Chandimal 32) Back to pace as Plunkett, with two for 20 from his four overs so far, replaces Moeen, who looked a touch easy to bat against sorry to say. England could maybe do with bringing their fielders in a bit against this pair and preventing them from strolling easy singles given they’re both carrying knocks. Chandimal gets four with a nice shot, picking a full ball off his knees and flicking it aerially but between the two men converging from fine- and square-leg. From the final ball, Chandimal drives it straight back into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, but there was no touch from the bowler despite his best efforts.
27th over: Sri Lanka 130-3 (Mathews 31, Chandimal 28) Four more for Mathews as he aims a huge mow and bottom edges down to fine-leg, prompting Root to return to leg-slip. This partnership is frustrating and frustratingly streaky. Four more leg-byes raise the 50 partnership, a googly brushing the front pad and eluding Root’s grasp.
26th over: Sri Lanka 121-3 (Mathews 26, Chandimal 28) It’s surely worth having a leg-slip in for Moeen if they’re going to have one for Rashid? These two right-handers are more likely to paddle-sweep with the spin you’d think – as they do here to the tune of four singles.
25th over: Sri Lanka 117-3 (Mathews 24, Chandimal 26) We’ve just had drinks. Well, the players have: I’ve been sipping from a bottle of Coke throughout. Back with the cricket, Rashid gets a decent amount of turn to send one past Chandimal’s outside edge. Joe Root has gone into leg-slip, by the way, which makes sense given these batsmen’s predilection for getting across to off and shovelling into the leg-side behind square. Very weird moment here, as Chandimal misses with a reverse slog-sweep and is nutmegged, but the ball spins back off the pitch and doesn’t reach the stumps.
24th over: Sri Lanka 116-3 (Mathews 24, Chandimal 25) Two ridiculous leg-byes again here: Buttler goes across to the leg-side early when Chandimal sweeps, only the batsman misses and the ball streaks away off his bat pad and only a quite brilliant flick back infield from Willey makes it two rather than four. Two balls later Mathews gets a thick outside edge down to third man for two more. The final ball is too wide – too wide, Mo! – and Mathews crashes it behind point to the rope.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 105-3 (Mathews 17, Chandimal 24) No alarms and no surprises, but one buzzer courtesy of Jos Buttler’s shoddy backing up of Roy’s throw. You can add another four singles to that for this over.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 101-3 (Mathews 14, Chandimal 22) Mathews goes for the sweep and top edges it high, high, high towards long-leg ... there is no fielder at long-leg though and they get a couple of runs. Apologies if that got your hopes up. A few balls later he goes hard again and misses, but the ball pings off his pad and streaks away for four leg-byes, bringing up the 100 in an entirely unearned manner.
21st over: Sri Lanka 94-3 (Mathews 11, Chandimal 22) Time for a change: Willey is off to be replaced by Rashid, who bowled beautifully without the reward of a wicket in Notthingham, although figures of 10-0-36-0 are nothing to be sniffed at. Woakes saves a couple with a good dive and stop at backward point, stopping a Mathews cut. There’s a bit of drift for the leggie but nowhere near as much turn as last time around. Two more from the final ball makes six off the over.
20th over: Sri Lanka 88-3 (Mathews 8, Chandimal 19) The first ball of the over is a pretty shoddy full-toss and Mathews, at full stretch, clubs a lovely sweep through square-leg for four before a misfield at wide mid-on allows him two more.
19th over: Sri Lanka 82-3 (Mathews 3, Chandimal 18) Adil Rashid must wait: Willey continues. Chandimal runs the first ball down to third man bringing Mathews on strike and the captain, as you would expect, doesn’t look especially mobile out there and England have the close fielders circling on the off side preventing Mathews from nudging a single. He is off the mark from the sixth ball he faces though, a slightly too-straight ball that he works through midwicket for a couple. One more off the last.
18th over: Sri Lanka 78-3 (Mathews 0, Chandimal 17) Lovely bowling from Moeen: right on the money and opening with four dots before Chandimal works the fifth into the on-side for one. That’s it for the over though and, like at Trent Bridge, England are putting the squeeze on in the middle overs.
17th over: Sri Lanka 77-3 (Mathews 0, Chandimal 16) I won’t lie: this over was struggling to hold my attention until the run out of Perera. It was an excellent bit of fielding though: Perera was so far short that the umpires didn’t even need to refer it upstairs. Two runs and a wicket is very good for the 17th over for England.
“Is the contraption on Bruce Oxenford’s arm a disc launcher from Tron?” asks Alex Henderson. “I refer of course to the superior 1982 version, not the rubbishy remake.” The 1982 version is superior, I’ll give you that, but still unwatchable.
Perera goes for 37 from 45 to a brilliant bit of fielding. Chandimal dropped it behind square on the off-side, to the left of Jason Roy. The fielder fielded it with his left hand, while on the turn transferred it to his right and threw down the stumps from backward point in one smooth move.
16th over: Sri Lanka 75-2 (Perera 36, Chandimal 15) Ambitious from Buttler, scuttling to the left side when Chandimal moves early to sweep round the corner and trying to just get the ball to nestle in his body. Nice idea but it nutmegs him and they get a single, one of just two in the over.
15th over: Sri Lanka 73-2 (Perera 35, Chandimal 14) David Willey is back into the attack from the pavilion end. The swing he found in the first over dried up after two balls, sadly for England. He puts one in the slot and Perera clubs him back over the umpire’s head, but Plunkett is there to cut it off and keep them to one. Three from the over, all in ones.
14th over: Sri Lanka 70-2 (Perera 33, Chandimal 13) There’s a bit of turn for Moeen, just a tiny bit of it that goes past Chandimal’s bat and hits his pad; the appeal is stifled as it struck him well outside off and probably didn’t come back in enough anyway. The Sri Lankan keeper paddle sweeps round the corner for one then Perera punches to mid-on for the same. From the last ball, Chandimal nudges to square-leg for a well-run two.
13th over: Sri Lanka 66-2 (Perera 32, Chandimal 10) Plunkett continues. Chandimal throws a loose drive at one outside off and skews it in the air and past point for a pretty streaky four. Sri Lanka should be happy with anything around 290 here you’d think and, under lights, that won’t be easy to chase down especially as the clouds build. Five from a tight over.
England playing a Manx cat XI again @DanLucas86
12th over: Sri Lanka 61-2 (Perera 32, Chandimal 5) We have a bowling change: Moeen, rather than Rashid, gives us our first look at spin for the day. There appears to be very little in this very hard pitch for him although you wonder if the slower Rashid might get a bit more out of it. The taller Randiv could find some awkward bounce. Perera comes down the wicket and heaves it out to deep mid-on for two, then turns round the corner for two more. That in addition to a couple of singles from the over.
Incidentally it turns out that if a batsman is caught off of Oxenford’s arm guard they are in fact out.
11th over: Sri Lanka 55-2 (Perera 27, Chandimal 4) Dave Brown (ninth over) will be elated to hear that Bruce Oxenford made his arm/hand shield thing himself. We’re not sure if batsmen can be caught off it, but surely it would be a dead ball you would think? It is a bit shoddy this hasn’t been clarified, isn’t it?
Four singles from the over.
10th over: Sri Lanka 51-2 (Perera 25, Chandimal 2) A single takes Perera to a very neat 24 from 24 balls before Chandimal gets off the mark with a nudge to mid-on. Nudges and singles are the order of the day in fact: a third brings up the team’s half-century at a decent lick and Chandimal finishes the over – and indeed the powerplay – with a fourth.
9th over: Sri Lanka 47-2 (Perera 23, Chandimal 0) Perera picks up his third boundary with a wild hack at a full one, skewing it up and over cover point and beyond the despairing chase of Jonny Bairstow. Mendis can’t seem to get him away though: he’s 0 from eight balls ... and his ninth does for him. I said it was plumb but Hawkeye actually has it just clipping the bails above middle. Anyhow, Plunkett has two for 11 and it’s very nearly three next ball when he sends one nipping past Chandimal’s outside edge.
Dave “Keith” Brown writes: “Please find out more about the RoboCop extension that the umpire is sporting. I don’t think I can concentrate on the cricket unless I know.”
Plunkett goes full and straight, angling it back into Mendis and the batsman falls over his front foot, getting trapped plumb in front for a nine-ball duck.
8th over: Sri Lanka 42-1 (Perera 18, Mendis 0) Just a single and a wide down the leg side from this one.
Any time a team has scored 278 or more batting first in an Edgbaston ODI they have won. #PredictViz reckons Sri Lanka will make 294 today.
7th over: Sri Lanka 40-1 (Perera 17, Mendis 0) Plunkett comes on for Willey and his first ball is an ugly, wide full toss outside off that Perera slaps dismissively through mid-off for four. He finds the edge with the next ball; alas it’s wide of first slip and down to third man for a single. Gunathilaka has no such luck though, getting a bit carried away after his pair of sixes against Willey and getting out. Kusal Mendis is the new man and he’s greeted with a wide outside off-stump.
Gunathilaka looks to send this one sailing down the ground but plays down the wrong line. A full-length, it feathers the outside edge and Buttler takes a regulation catch.
6th over: Sri Lanka 34-0 (Perera 12, Gunathilaka 22) Nineteen minutes into the match and the lights are on, with grey clouds lurking in the reflection off the media centre windows. Perera gets a single with a horribly clanging sounding knock into the leg-side. Gunathilaka makes a much sweeter connection with his chop behind point, but this time Plunkett’s slide ‘n’ save comes off and he keeps them to a couple.
@DanLucas86 not to be a massive pisspot hipster but the translucent dustbin lid made an appearance or two in the IPL (tho only on Oxenford)
5th over: Sri Lanka 31-0 (Perera 11, Gunathilaka 20) Shot from Gunathilaka, getting hold of a full-length delivery and swinging lustily to send it just over the rope at long-on for the first six of the match. He goes again two balls later, driving over long-off this time and, though his bottom hand comes off the bat he’s got enough on it and timed it sweetly enough to send it all the way for six more. Those are the only 12 runs of the over.
4th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 (Perera 11, Gunathilaka 8) After a single to Perera, his opening partner looks to bring out the big mow but can only toe-end it awkwardly into the on-side for one of his own. Perera then inside edges on to his own pads. The clouds are coming over now and Woakes is finding a decent amount of movement back into the left-handers, albeit not particularly late. Just two from that over.
I should also mention that Bruce Oxenford, the umpire, is wearing a very strange looking plastic shield thing strapped to his arm.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Perera 10, Gunathilaka 7) Another sharp single to mid-off and another close shave when Morgan shies at the stumps from side-on. Perera then gets his first boundary with a classy drive off the front-foot and through mid-on, past Plunkett’s despairing dive and to the rope. Adil Rashid shows his Yorkshire team-mate how to do it with a good diving stop and short backward square-leg to keep them to one off the final ball.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Perera 5, Gunathilaka 6) Woakes has the ball from the Birmingham end. Not the most imaginative name, that. He offers a bit too much width first up and only a mistimed cut from Perera keeps them to three rather than four. He swings one back into the other leftie, Gunathilaka and raps him on the pad, but Michael Gough – the umpire rather than the 90s Batman actor – says no. It was a touch high and looked like an inside edge, so fair enough. The batsmen exchange singles before Gunathilaka is dropped by Hales at second slip. He slashed hard at it and the ball flew to the fielder, who got one hand to it but couldn’t hang on. Tough chance but should really have been caught.
“Afternoon Dan, afternoon everyone.” Afternoon, Michael Avery. “Given the events of this morning can we get a rendition of Torn by Natalie Imbruglia’s? Not that an excuse is needed.”
1st over: Sri Lanka 5-0 (Perera 1, Gunathilaka 4) Yep Willey it is, Perera on strike first up and there’s just the tiniest soupçon of swing away from the left-hander for the left-armer. A sharp single to mid-off from the second ball brings the first run of the day – Morgan had a shy at the stumps but (a) he missed and (b) Perera was safely in at the non-striker’s end. Four from the final ball: Willey offering just a bit too much length and Gunathilaka cracking his drive through extra-cover.
Here we go. Players are out. It looks like Willey, rather than Woakes, will open the bowling this time around.
According to Mike Atherton it’s a very hard, bouncy pitch, which makes me wonder how close England were to including Steven Finn here. Athers reports that the groundsman says the pitch is very similar to the one on which England scored 408 for nine against New Zealand last year.
AD Hales, JJ Roy, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, JM Bairstow, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, CR Woakes, DJ Willey, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett
Angelo Mathews calls heads and heads it is. Sri Lanka will bat first on a flat track under sunny skies. Shanaka misses out and Randiv, the extra spinner comes in. Mathews is not fit to bowl himself but will play as a batsman.
Eoin Morgan says he would also have batted first but isn’t too disappointed as there might be a bit of rain around later tonight. England are unchanged.
Breaking news: Test Match Special are reporting that Angelo Mathews is in fact fit to lead Sri Lanka today.
Podcast! Will and your OBOer later today, Vish, are back with another edition of the Freelance Cricket Club. Give it a listen, they’re good.
Related: Freelance Cricket Club podcast: in conversation with Jade Dernbach
Bad news for Sri Lanka here:
BREAKING: Doubts are emerging about Angelo Matthews taking part in today's game. #ENGvSLpic.twitter.com/wCs4LRxaFp
Do feel free to get in touch, by the way. I know that Guardian readers want to do nothing more today than cheer on the English playing cricket, with “Waitrose” emblazoned across their chests while Ian Botham beams on proudly.
Also they can take an unassailable 13-3 lead in the super series. Anyhow, it’s dan.lucas@theguardian.com on email or @DanLucas86 on Twitter. Or if you like, there’s a new You are the Umpire.
Related: You are the Umpire: Alastair Cook
Afternoon/evening, folks. Let’s try that again shall?
The best cricket team in Europe England and Sri Lanka contrived to “do a Euro 2016” and ensure that nobody lost in the first ODI at Trent Bridge, so this series remains tighter than a Nels Cline guitar solo going into this second match at Edgbaston.
Both sides had similar problems in the first match: namely a top order that showed all the strength of a certain currency today, which meant Sri Lanka set a below-par total and England barely managed to match it. Areas to improve and all that. The good news for England is that Angelo Mathews, who pretty much rescued Sri Lanka’s innings last time around, is only rated as having a 70% chance of being fit for this match after his hamstring strain flared up in Nottingham. The bad news for the match is, well, that.
Hello. Our over-by-over coverage of the second one-day international in the five-match series will begin in due course. Here’s Ali Martin’s report on the first game, which ended in a dramatic tie at Trent Bridge:
Liam Plunkett, at No10, slotted the final ball of a game that looked dead and buried straight down the ground for six, allowing Morgan’s side to match the 286 runs scored by the tourists in a moment of pure last-gasp drama that followed an almighty recovery job.
Chasing under lights, on the ground where they memorably cruised to a target of 350 against New Zealand a year ago, England had crumbled to 82 for six by the end of the 18th over, leaving Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes staring at a mountain of runs.
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