Starts today at 04:30 GMT with England keeping an unchanged team.

However Moeen Ali will drop down the batting order to number six and Ben Stokes will replace him at number three.

Bairstow will not feature in the team and Foakes will be behind the stumps.

Rain is forecast.

Another poorish start from England, 130 for 5 but Buttler going well, 50 not out.

Struggling to get past 200 here now. Looks like we'll see Sri Lanka batting around tea time.
Lets see how our spin trio do on this track but this has the makings of a 3-dayer.

212/7 at tea.

I've personally been caught for naught in'th slips of ignorance.
Thought it started tomorrow!

Who’s being drawn out of the bag for the number 3 slot in the next test?

Bordeauxclaret wrote:Who’s being drawn out of the bag for the number 3 slot in the next test?

Curran by the minute.....

Good 50 from Curran.

272/9

Cracking last wicket stand with Jimmy doing his bit as well. Curran's innings has been brilliant to watch with a great mixture of defence and aggression.

England have had a bit of luck here & greatly aided by dropped catches/sloppiness from SL but they've done excellent to cash in on that. You can never tell how the game will develop but this partnership could be a match winner.

Out slogging. Typical!

Six sixes in a Test match innings must surely be close to the record. Anyone know?

And as for not including Bairstow - mental. He's been one of England's best batters over the last couple of years. I bet he's proper miffed off. How many overs are Jimmy, Stokes and Curran going to realistically bowl on a turning pitch like this? JB could have just played as a batter.

I bet he will also think twice about having a kickaround before the match (i'm amazed, simply from an insurance point of view, that they are allowed to do this).

Foulthrow wrote:Six sixes in a Test match innings must surely be close to the record. Anyone know?

12 is the record, Wasim Akram of all people.

I remember KP hitting 7 at the Oval v Aussies, and Stokes hit 11 against SA a couple of years back.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/wi/conten ... 83126.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Foulthrow wrote:Six sixes in a Test match innings must surely be close to the record. Anyone know?

And as for not including Bairstow - mental. He's been one of England's best batters over the last couple of years. I bet he's proper miffed off. How many overs are Jimmy, Stokes and Curran going to realistically bowl on a turning pitch like this? JB could have just played as a batter.

I bet he will also think twice about having a kickaround before the match (i'm amazed, simply from an insurance point of view, that they are allowed to do this).

Bairstow has averaged 26 in test match cricket in 2018. Who would you drop to bring him in?

tybfc wrote:Bairstow has averaged 26 in test match cricket in 2018. Who would you drop to bring him in?

I didn't realise that. I thought he had been doing much better. Was it 2017 then that he did really well - didn't he break the record for most Test match runs in a calendar year for a wicket-keeper?

Foulthrow wrote:I didn't realise that. I thought he had been doing much better. Was it 2017 then that he did really well - didn't he break the record for most Test match runs in a calendar year for a wicket-keeper?

It was 2016 he was prolific and scored all the runs.

These are his averages in his test match history:

2012 = 33
2013 = 27
2014 = 9
2015 = 31
2016 = 58
2017 = 34
2018 = 26

Personally I rate him batting in England but think that he gets found out a little to easily on foreign pitches as do many players, particularly in the sub continent.

Crikey - even if he hadn't been messing around playing football he might have been up for the axe. Mind you, not much competition at the moment in the batting department.

285 is a par score on most tracks,but on that surface it gives the England spinners every chance of gaining a 1st innings lead,can't see batting getting any easier either so anything over 200 to chase batting fourth you'd fancy the bowling side to triumph.

Curran showing great maturity again,and Leach nicking an early wicket,put England in the box seat,Sri Lanka need to bat well in their 1st dig to stay in contention.

139/4 lunch.

Not seen it, but Ben Stokes came up with a brilliant run out.

Buxtonclaret wrote:139/4 lunch.

Not seen it, but Ben Stokes came up with a brilliant run out.

It was brilliant and so was the catch at 1st slip soon after by him.

165/6

Looking better now, making good inroads.

Yep.
Seen them now, Ty.
Both brilliant bits of cricket.

Well in my many years of playing and watching cricket this is a first for me.

One of the Sri Lankan batsman hits the ball that everybody thought was going for four but got stopped on the boundary.

The batsman sopped short of the crease at the other end before returning for the second run.

The umpire has then called the ball a dead ball and then gave a five ball penalty against Sri Lanka which increases Englands first innings total from 285 to 290.

tybfc wrote:Well in my many years of playing and watching cricket this is a first for me.

One of the Sri Lankan batsman hits the ball that everybody thought was going for four but got stopped on the boundary.

The batsman sopped short of the crease at the other end before returning for the second run.

The umpire has then called the ball a dead ball and then gave a five ball penalty against Sri Lanka which increases Englands first innings total from 285 to 290.

Likewise, ty. I didn't know what they were getting at until they showed the replay and I certainly have never seen that before and did not know that there was a law covering this.

Let them off the hook there,good test of this England top-order now,let's see how they perform under pressure.

If England can get 250 on day 3 they will be favourites,chasing 200 last on this track against England's spinners will be tough,cracking test match though.

Ashingtonclaret46 wrote:Likewise, ty. I didn't know what they were getting at until they showed the replay and I certainly have never seen that before and did not know that there was a law covering this.

I only knew about penalty runs if the ball struck say a helmet on the outfield,this incident is new too me,could be costly in a tight game.

Ashingtonclaret46 wrote:Likewise, ty. I didn't know what they were getting at until they showed the replay and I certainly have never seen that before and did not know that there was a law covering this.

I'm not certain that this was the correct decision and I'm surprised that Sri Lanka haven't made more fuss about it.
As I understand it the penalty is for "deliberately running short" (presumably to gain an advantage, i.e. to ensure that one batter keeps the strike). It comes under the heading of unsportsmanlike behaviour, and hence the 5 run penalty.
In this case he didn't deliberately run short to gain an advantage. He didn't complete the run since he erroneously thought that the ball had gone for 4. So contrary to trying to gain an advantage he actually deprived himself and his team of a "run 2".
So due to his error it cost them 7 runs. I don't think that this is what the rule is intended for.

nil_desperandum wrote:I'm not certain that this was the correct decision and I'm surprised that Sri Lanka haven't made more fuss about it.
As I understand it the penalty is for "deliberately running short" (presumably to gain an advantage, i.e. to ensure that one batter keeps the strike). It comes under the heading of unsportsmanlike behaviour, and hence the 5 run penalty.
In this case he didn't deliberately run short to gain an advantage. He didn't complete the run since he erroneously thought that the ball had gone for 4. So contrary to trying to gain an advantage he actually deprived himself and his team of a "run 2".
So due to his error it cost them 7 runs. I don't think that this is what the rule is intended for.

Interesting thought, however, the umpire ruled that the batsman was in default and his decision should be final, although in these days of video reviews anything could be overturned. I agree with your assessment that, technically it cost them 7 runs. It would be interesting to look back on this if there is a tight finish to the match!

75/1
Lost the nightwatchman.
Jennings & Burns having a very good morning over there.
Great scoring rate against some average bowling.

Ooops.
I'll shut up.
Jennings gone. Edged one up off his body to first slip, trying to sweep.

First Test 50 for Burns.
Very, very good morning. Unsettled the bowlers from the start.

100/2

Lead of 54

Burns gone. 59.
108/3

Burnley FC England flag clear as day in the crowd as Burns walked off.

Will be interesting to see how this goes now. Burns was looking good. 200 target could be challenging IF England can get there.

109/4
Stokes gone.
Daft review.

That 200's looking a long way off at the moment, after such a good start.
Missed the Clarets flag too.

Buxtonclaret wrote:109/4
Stokes gone.
Daft review.

2 cracking reviews from England there in 5 minutes. Have they all turned into Shane Watson?!

You're right, 200 is a long way off at the moment. Let's hope we have the now usual last 5 wickets scoring more than the first 5!

Lunch.
131/4
Lead of 85

I think we’ll get about 220 and I think that’ll be enough.

The pitch is great: Good for batting on if you’re patient and allow yourself time to get; brilliant for the bowlers, who are getting plenty of action.

Root/Butler 50 partnership.
159/4

Joe Root, 50 up!
178/4

Buttler goes

Ali gone now.
Would have been ok but for the daft reviews earlier.

219/6

Lead of 173

259/6
Tea

Joe on 98
Lead of 213

Well done, Joe!
15th Test ton.

Little nugget.
England have never lost when Joe's hit a hundred.

Outstanding ton from Root

Root gone for 124

Think he was a bit unlucky.

Curran gone too!
301/8

Rasheed given out.
Definitely an inside edge.

Foakes 50 with a six!
324/9

Lightening stops play.

Think that will be the end of today's play.

Raining now.

Terrific ton by Joe there + his captaincy in this whole series has been generally excellent.
England already odds on favourites (1/3 my bookie, 3/1 SL) but if they can get to a 300 lead tomorrow morning, that will be an even bigger psychological blow.
The team has performed far better than I (for one) expected over there, spinners have done well & newer guys really come on- Foakes very impressive with gloves & bat.