England's Summer of Cricket 2024

First topic message reminder :

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Sri Lanka have confirmed their team. Unsurprisingly, V Fernando has been dropped after a lacklustre first game. He has been replaced by Kumara, not Rajitha. Kusal Mendis has also been replaced at 3, with Nissanka coming in to replace him. It will be Nissanka's first test in two years. His FC average is 60, but his test average is fractionally below 40.

Expected to be a very good batting wicket, and the weather is excellent for the first four days, but Monday has some rain around if we get that far. Sri Lanka have never won a test at Lord's, but they've managed to draw the last five.

Not sure why there would be a rush to declare, but agree it will likely happen before tea. I suppose we all used to criticise Cook for declaring too late, this is probably the better way to go

Looks like at most England will wait for Root and Smith to get centuries before declaring. If they get out sooner, maybe a 450 declaration?

They're very keen to get on with things. Maybe they even want to try and win today? Though with only 63 overs left, that will be near impossible!

VTR wrote:Not sure why there would be a rush to declare, but agree it will likely happen before tea. I suppose we all used to criticise Cook for declaring too late, this is probably the better way to go

It doesn't matter when a declaration is made : there will always be hundreds of " experts " watching who know the timing was sub-optimal

So 50 for Root (inevitably) ; but Smith is gone ... with a real Shane Watson waste of a review as he departs

Lead is over 400 so doesn't matter much but it may well be they get bowled out here so the declaration discussion is unnecessary...

8 down at drinks as Potts feathers one off a glove.. Root 88 so either way we will see Sri Lanka batting in the next half hour 460 plus should be sufficient lead.

94 now. Come on Joe let's have a six .

No. 95.And now 96. Fancy this will be the last over...

Plenty of time left otherwise it would be just a little annoying to have time wasted and singles refused in search of a personal milestone. Wont be much longer surely ...

Well done, Root. Most runs at Lord's in tests. Most test centuries at Lord's. And England's most prolific centurion.

And also has bailed England out of a fairly ordinary performance

Yes all done...never seen him have so much trouble getting the 99th and hundredth run twice in a game but its a mighty performance.... a salute for the maestro as Stone is caught at long leg...but they aren't declaring yet...

481

Surprised they're playing on after the way they've approached today.

You'd think they'd want a short bowl before tea so a bit surprised they're batting on ? Think they'll be taking tea when rhe innings ends now so losing that opportunity to make the Sri Lanka openers rush their preparation.

And that's it. England don't quite get the security of 500!

I think a maximum of 40 42 overs left in the day, unlikely to get them all in, so should be coming back for day four.

Has been an odd test. Five of England's top six haven't scored above 40 in a single innings, but thankfully Root has put in two centuries.

Done now anyway, Root 103 and caught in the deep...Reckon he's sealed PoTM a bit early...

Just 483 for Sri Lanka to win.

Madushka might be playing for his place here.

Bit of an umpiring howler against Karunaratne there. He almost didn't review! Then survives with an edge falling just short of third slip.

Madushka out for 13. That was definitely coming.

Might be a light issue before too long, unfortunately.

Off for light in a session dominated by umpires fiddling around with light meters.

SL 53/2. Likely to be all over for the day.

Off at about 5 at a ground with floodlights...

Can't wait for a day night test when they go off for bad light in the first session

It is stumps. SL can continue their world record quest tomorrow!

Root's a tremendously good batsman
His goodness stems from playing "proper" cricket which has become essential to be classified in the era of hoicking /Hacking / slashing that passes as pseudo goodness

It's hard to put into words how good Joe Root is, another innings today at almost a run a ball with very few standout shots, it really is something to behold. I don't know how it's possible to score that quickly without being overly aggressive, it's why the Root Scoop needs to be hidden away and never seen again.

Came across a stat that Fernando is the Asian bowler to 50 wkts with lowest SR (42 ball/ wkt).
GIven that this is a club featuring Imran, Akram,  Waqar, Malinga,  Kapil, Bumrah it's a remarkable feat.
There is something of a Ryan Harris about him, other than the slightly rotund figure, in skiddy pace.. He comes off the pitch faster than his in the air 135-140kph pace would set you up for.

Malcolm Marshal was the King of this specific skill, the Usain Bolt of ultra fast combined with skiddy pace off the pitch

Lords half full - I am rapidly becoming of the opinion it's the worst test venue in England for pitch/spectators/paying public.

Jayasuriya, the night watchman, toughed it out for 30 minutes before edging behind. 61/3. Still 422 to get!

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Lords half full - I am rapidly becoming of the opinion it's the worst test venue in England for pitch/spectators/paying public.

On this - ticket sales for today have been known to be poor for a while...obviously game state indicates maybe not a full days play today...and still the cheapest adult ticket for today is £95. Ridiculous

Have been quite a few empty seats at England tests this summer. SL and WI clearly not much of a draw at those prices. I think the wider public are also now aware of the unlikelyness of England tests going deep these days!

SL 95/3 at drinks. Karunaratne has made fifty, despite numerous little edges and play and misses. Mathews a bit more composed at the other end getting to 14.

Sri Lanka not rolling over easily this morning...Not exactly scoring freely ; but if they can keep the bowlers coming back for repeated spells batting should get easier through the day. England could do with a bit of inspiration because it is a long way to the new ball...

Stone claiming Karunaratne, but that's the only real victory for England in that session. SL, as has been a theme for them in England this year, showing more application in the second innings than they did in the first.

Timely break just before lunch...Karunaratne undone by a bit of extra bounce from Stone and flicking it behind...came rather out of the blue really. England have plugged away diligently and two wickets for the session was the least they deserved. Bit of work ahead to get six more , I think . They'll be glad they have five bowlers...

Missing a major trick for me. Last weekend of school holidays, offer cheap family tickets and pack the ground out. Get people in for test cricket

GSC wrote:Missing a major trick for me. Last weekend of school holidays, offer cheap family tickets and pack the ground out. Get people in for test cricket

As if Lords want that demographic of people sullying their ground

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

GSC wrote:Missing a major trick for me. Last weekend of school holidays, offer cheap family tickets and pack the ground out. Get people in for test cricket

As if Lords want that demographic of people sullying their ground

Basil Fawlty slogan "No riff -raff !"

Quick fifty from Chandimal. Few nice shots. Few horrible ones.

And Mathews loses patience and chips a tame one to mid off. Worked hard, gave it away.

Fast fifty for Chandimal...at 174/4 Sri Lanka might reckon time is on their side with just 309 more required

All jokes aside , this is a very good partnership...ha...my jinx has worked ! Bashir strikes...

That wasn't an edge! Might have been outside the line anyway, but not an edge!

Woakes is putting in a solid shift here...in his 15th over...and he has a wicket ! DRS pending but that is surely 3 reds.. but no : is that really an edge ? Not out thevruling but not sure that is the right decision...

That is simply appalling third umpiring again

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Lords half full - I am rapidly becoming of the opinion it's the worst test venue in England for pitch/spectators/paying public.

On this - ticket sales for today have been known to be poor for a while...obviously game state indicates maybe not a full days play today...and still the cheapest adult ticket for today is £95. Ridiculous

It's the worst of the remaining Test grounds in England by a distance now that Chester-le-Street and Sophia Gardens aren't being used.

Riverside just never felt ready. A potentially good idea to host Tests, poorly executed. I actually really liked Sophia Gardens itself when I saw a Test there. It's central and hence easy to get to, lovely site by the river, beautiful park nearby. I just liked Cardiff as a city too. I had a cracking day there. It felt more like what made it nice was the stuff around the cricket rather than the cricket though.

Of the remaining 6 grounds, Lords is my least favourite by a mile. Dreadful atmosphere, joke prices, the facilities for a good fan experience (a w**ky phrase I accept, but it does make sense here) are so dated. Even the pitch has been utter rubbish in recent years. If they need to host 3 Tests a summer in London for the revenue then it's ludicrous for Lords to get 2 Tests and The Oval only to get one. Surrey get flack for being the galacticos of county cricket but the investment in the Oval has been impressive. It's the best cricket ground in the country by a mile. Edgbaston is also very good and on its day the atmosphere is brilliant. The Oval nails those basic 'fan experience' things that cricket grounds are often behind the times on, whilst also getting the cricket right.

Yeah, I really don't rate Lords. If it got a Test every other summer then fair enough. I get that cricket is a sport where many fans love some nostalgia. Throw the nostalgia ground a bone every other summer if we must. Two Tests each summer is a complete joke though.

Whilst on this, the Rose Bowl is a very good cricket ground to no longer be hosting Tests when Lords gets two a year.

Annoyingly my internet connection went down for a while then but I return to see Chandimal has gone...

And good time to get back as Kamindu has - major shock ! Just gone too. He is human then. Still a decent average I think

Atkinson on the job and things might wrap up quickly now...

I think my garden would make a better test venue than Lord's.

England burn their final review. 0/8 on the review count in this test for England, astonishing!

England have got a lot right this year.. but reviews are not one of them

Really is only a Joe Root masterclass from SL making this another close game

SL need to put this application into their first innings when the game is alive.

139, 236 and 196 have been their first innings scores on this tour. 306, 326 and 272/7 have been their second innings scores.

Overall, so far, it's been very similar to the West Indies series. SL can play good cricket, but they've lacked the ability to stitch it together for long periods.

Oops, Root drops a sitter. I know he's got 200 catches or something, but he seems to have put a fair few simple ones down recently.

Atkinson didn't need any help from fielders for that one...his excellent summer continues and off goes de Silva.

Surely near the end now...

Five now for Atkinson ! Just about have to make him and Root joint PoTM , no ?

And all done with Woakes taking the last. Good professional win again.

Next game coming soon so bowlers can hit the ice baths and then put feet up for a day or two...

Very surprised to see Atkinson pip Root to POTM!