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England won the toss and elected to bat

13.6
Lakmal to Cook, OUT, and he's gone! So the wait for 10,000 goes on a bit longer. And it's the round-the-wicket line which has done it. Short of a length outside off, Cook jabs at it - well away from his body - and it's an excellent tumbling catch at second slip

AN Cook c Karunaratne b Lakmal 15 (42b 1x4 0x6) SR: 35.71

England 47/1 (20.0 ov)

NRD Compton 2 (19b 0x4 0x6)
AD Hales 30 (59b 4x4 0x6)

26.1
Pradeep to Compton, OUT, Compo! Lakmal! What a shot and what a catch! A wild pull, nowhere the middle of the bat, and a spiralling top-edge flies out to deep square leg, where :Lakmal clings on to an absolute stunner, reaching high above his head, toppling back, and landing with a thump, inches inside the rope. His reaction is so motionless, most of his team-mates assume he's spilled it, or touched the boundary, but not a bit of it! That, alas, was the shot of an anxious man. and the catch of a player who wasn't about to let his opponents' luck turn...

NRD Compton c Lakmal b Pradeep 9 (34b 0x4 0x6) SR: 26.47

England 69/2

JE Root 4 (3b 1x4 0x6)
AD Hales 39 (83b 6x4 0x6)

Lunch - Day 1

England 83/2 (31.0 ov)

JE Root 12 (14b 2x4 0x6)
AD Hales 45 (96b 7x4 0x6)

England 112/2

JE Root 29 (43b 4x4 0x6)
AD Hales 57 (109b 8x4 0x6)

In reply to Narper
Audio Link

50 to Root.
153/2

Nice backyard cricket by Hales. 6 & out for 83.

48.5


Siriwardana to Hales, OUT, stunning catch! Hales sensed a chance to pump up the tempo, but he picked the wrong ball to chase there! Too tight for the cut, but Mathews at slip was so alert, almost premeditating his dive as he clung on in one hand, reaching to his right!

AD Hales c Mathews b Siriwardana 83 (145b 9x4 1x6) SR: 57.24

Tea - Day 1

England 200/3 (61.0 ov)

JM Vince 22 (38b 3x4 0x6)
JE Root 69 (107b 4x4 0x6)

64.5


Pradeep to Root, OUT, out of nowhere! Root has spooned to cover. A back-of-a-length delivery, Root looking to turn the ball to the on side at first glance and pops it high into the off side, giving cover the chance to settle under an easy catch

JE Root c Silva b Pradeep 80 (119b 5x4 0x6) SR: 67.22

67.4
Siriwardana to Vince, OUT, another ripping catch and another giveaway from England! Tossed up outside off, inviting the drive, Vince goes for it and can't keep the ball down. Short cover dives to his right to hold a sharp chance.

JM Vince c Thirimanne b Siriwardana 35 (59b 4x4 0x6) SR: 59.32

England 227/5 (67.4 ov)

Two quick wickets after tea to get SL back into it

Took all 5 catches today. 4 of those catches were really good ones

297/6
Another catch

Stumps Day 1: 310/6

England 310/6 (90.0 ov)

CR Woakes 8 (14b 2x4 0x6)
MM Ali 28 (70b 4x4 0x6)

Bowling O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s
RMS Eranga 19 2 67 0 3.52 83 9 0
RAS Lakmal 18 3 58 1 3.22 79 4 0
N Pradeep 19 3 69 3 3.63 84 10 0
HMRKB Herath 24 1 74 0 3.08 97 5 0
AD Mathews 2 1 3 0 1.50 10 0 0
TAM Siriwardana 8 0 35 2 4.37 26 2 1

England 421-8, Ali close to his hundred.

In reply to kurios oranj

Nice ton by Moeen Ali

Ali reaches his second test hundred.

In reply to NineMiles

might start to free his arms now and push the scoring along.

after a poor crowd on the first day a much better one today despite the cold weather.

Sri Lanka have forgotten how to catch today-Ali dropped in the outfield..Ali starting to hit out.

Herath takes his 300th test wicket....Finn out. England 472-9.

In reply to Narper

Herath FINN-ALI gets 300

England declared on 498-9; Sri Lanka 49-2.

England 498/9d
Sri Lanka 56/3 (17.0 ov)

JM Anderson 9 1 30 2
SCJ Broad 7 2 23 1

AD Mathews c †Bairstow b Woakes 3 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 37.50

TAM Siriwardana c †Bairstow b Woakes 0 (5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

BKG Mendis c Anderson b Woakes 35 (62b 3x4 0x6) SR: 56.45

A tour of England is the ultimate test.

In reply to bimbo

A tour of England in spring guarantees England victory against all comers.

Sri Lanka 38-1 following on.

England 498/9d
Sri Lanka 101 & 50/1 (18.4 ov) (f/o)

Sri Lanka 146-3...making a better fist of it in the second innings.

Sri Lanka 181/3 (f/o)

Sri Lanka trail by 216 runs with 7 wickets remaining

In reply to bimbo

Having Elizabeth as your Head of state is the ultimate form of subservience.

51.6
Finn to Silva, OUT, and he's struck! Silva gets into a tangle against a shorter delivery, goes to pull it and gets a top edge which loops behind...Bairstow runs around towards the slips to gather it

JK Silva c †Bairstow b Finn 60 (145b 6x4 0x6) SR: 41.37

Double Nelson/5

Matthews goes for 80

Sri Lanka 222/5 (64.1 ov) (f/o)

Sri Lanka trail by 175 runs with 5 wickets remaining

TAM Siriwardana 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)
LD Chandimal 11 (30b 0x4 0x6)

In reply to Khaga

Ok...

India's greatest team was whitewashed in England which proves my point.

Sri Lanka 291-5....much better batting performance.

Sri Lanka 305-5.....looks like it is going into a fourth day.

Good improvement by the SL batsmen today. Still plenty work to do but at least they had some fight in their belly

Day 3: Stumps - Sri Lanka trail by 88

ENG 498/9 decl

SL 101, 309/5 (84.0 Ovs) CRR: 3.68

TAM Siriwardana 35 (57b 6x4 0x6)
LD Chandimal 54 (98b 5x4 0x6)

Fight Lanka

Sr Lanka continuing to battle 375-6, Chandimal on 93*

England 498/9d

Sri Lanka 101 & 389/6 (108.0 ov) (f/o)

Sri Lanka trail by 8 runs with 4 wickets remaining

109.6
Woakes to Chandimal, FOUR, to third man

LD Chandimal 103 (172b 11x4 0x6)

In reply to Narper

Well deserved ton Chandimal...Chanderpaul

the death of test cricket has been exaggerated by the venkys and the vixens of this place

great test match cricket

Herath dropped by Vince on 49....100 partnership up.

50 to Herath.

Herath out for 61, 442-7.

Another 5 wicket haul for Anderson

Sri Lanka all out for 475- Eng need 79 to win.

10000 Test runs for Cook

Youngest player to do so

England 498/9d & 40/1 (15.5 ov)
Sri Lanka 101 & 475 (f/o)

England require another 39 runs with 9 wickets remaining

AN Cook 26 (44b 4x4 0x6)
NRD Compton 3 (9b 0x4 0x6)

England win by 9 wickets and lead the super series 8-0