England won the toss and decided to bat.

2 early wickets for the Sri Lankans.....

Bairstow, Root (out for 46), Stokes dig us out of a hole.

Well done Mr Bairstow.
Good ton!


250/4 now.

Bairstow looks in fine fettle...

Bairstow should be given a good run at 3!

Spoke too soon...
Well great innings Bairstow wd

Hit across it.
Shame that. Great knock though.

Bosscat wrote:Spoke too soon...
Well great innings Bairstow wd

Still a cracking knock.....bravo Bairstow!

England need the tail to wag here,on this pitch 400 should be a minimum score first up.

Great return from Bairstow highlights the depth in the batting,good 50 from Stokes,Root again missing out when well set.

Evens on day one so far.

I noticed England's women reached the T20 World Cup final,where they will meet Australia on Saturday.

Moeen dropped on 2!

Yep- well played Jonny, that must've been sweet (and his celebration when he got to a ton indicated that in spades). He was struggling a bit physically towards the end there after being out in the heat for so long.
I hope England aren't thinking that 300+ will do, they need to get towards 400 before they can start feeling satisfied I think. Whoops there goes Butler.

I missed the first session & a half this am. I got in late last night after going to a gig and walking home, got in just in time to brew up & watch the India v England Ladies T20 semi & watched most of that. After playing v badly in the last group game v W Indies, England ladies performed very well to win that and get to the final v Oz Saturday night. I might stay up and watch that.

Wow.
Another let off for Moeen!

300/7

Let's all ask Moeen to do tonight's lottery for us!


Close of play.
312/7

Shows how important not wasting reviews is,if the Sri Lankans hadn't used all theirs in the first session England could have been 300 all out by the close.

Shocking first half hour on day 2, should have been batting to 400!

Great catch!
Jennings gets Gunathilaka.

31/1

Superb catch Buxton...let's get another couple before lunch!

Asking a few questions of 'em.
We ought to get another soon.

Ooooh..
Karunaratne is challenging our own Moeen for the luck laurels!
Chipped a couple up now.

74/1 lunch

Another dropped.
Bad 'un.
Broad's been unlucky.

Well, catches win matches and so far this morning the Root of the problem is.....................

What is wrong with Bairstow, gets a good hundred then is angry with the press and the world? Lighten up lad!

4 gone.....good session!

ClaretDiver wrote:4 gone.....good session!

5 now lol

Make that 6 this session now Stokes gas grabbed another...
The wheels are off the Sri Lankans 8 down for 222

Now a comedy run-out oh dear oh dear oh dear

224-9

240 all out!!! Wow!!!

They were 200-3 there just before getting to 200-4, then 205-5, 222-6, 222-7, 222-8, 224-9, 240 AO.
Major major collapse.
I didnt think 336 from England was good enough but 96 is a substantial 1st innings lead to work on.

LeadBelly wrote:They were 200-3 there just before getting to 200-4, then 205-5, 222-6, 222-7, 222-8, 224-9, 240 AO.
Major major collapse.
I didnt think 336 from England was good enough but 96 is a substantial 1st innings lead to work on.

9 wickets went for 67 runs ... yup thats a bit of a collapse.
Like you I thought we were going to struggle at 336 but its definitely a bonus tp have a 96 run start... to work with.

Good to see Rashid and Stokes coming to the party, better late than never but why does Root still not trust Rashid?

A special mention to Jennings taking some perlers in short.

The hardest place in cricket where you have to overcome fear and have 0.3 second reaction time.

CleggHall wrote:What is wrong with Bairstow, gets a good hundred then is angry with the press and the world? Lighten up lad!

Expected to be given the gloves automatically, typical over privileged yorkie

Strange but Root still has a problem with Rashid think it stems back to when Rashid refused to play in a county match

England all out. 230
Middle order do the business again.

Sri Lanka need 327 to win.

15/1
Moeen takes the first.

24/2

de Silva gone now.
LBW to Leach

34 for 3!!! Carcking end to the day!

52/4

Good catch.
Mathews fell for been given trying the pull.

I have to admit I moaned when Root brought Stokes on there. Leach & Moeen had the screws on and I thought Matthews wouldnt fall for the obvious trap- but he did!

Gone off.
That's it for today.
53/4

Bit tame from Sri Lanka.
I'll take it though!

82/5
Shouldn't be long now for a whitewash. (Is it still ok to say that?)

Buxtonclaret wrote:82/5
Shouldn't be long now for a whitewash. (Is it still ok to say that?)

Nooooooooooooooooo!!!

Shhhh
maybe nobody will notice.

Lunch. 164/5
Sri Lanka's morning. They've dug in well and showed some resistance.
Only the nightwatchman out.
Some pretty indifferent bowling though. Moeen was awful first thing!

Poor review.
Foakes didn't ask.
Smacked of desperation.

Brilliant run out!
We needed that.
Mendis gone.

214/7
Dickwella gone.

225/8

Jennings in catching mode - again.
Deserves a special award for his efforts this series.

226/9

Buxtonclaret wrote:226/9

Bowled well today