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Post by Admin on Dec 11, 2020 14:27:24 GMT
Moeen Ali Moeen Ali made his Test debut in 2014 and has won 200 caps for England in all formats England have recalled Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow but rested all-rounder Ben Stokes and paceman Jofra Archer for the two Tests in Sri Lanka next month.
All-rounder Moeen, 33, has not played a Test since taking a break from cricket in 2019, while keeper-batsman Bairstow, 31, was dropped a year ago.
Uncapped Essex batsman Dan Lawrence is included, with Rory Burns absent as his wife is expecting their first child.
England play two Tests, both in Galle, starting on 14 and 22 January.
The tour was due to take place in March this year but was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who has not played a Test for almost two years, also features in a 16-man squad that includes three spinners in Moeen, Dom Bess and Jack Leach.
Stokes and Archer will return for the four-Test series in India starting in February.
Short presentational grey line England squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wk), Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Reserves: James Bracey (wk), Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
Short presentational grey line Sri Lanka v England - schedule Familiar faces return as 'inventive' Lawrence gets his chance Off-spinner Moeen, who averages 28.97 with the bat and 36.59 with the ball in 60 Tests, was dropped during the 2019 Ashes series against Australia before taking "a short break".
He returned to England's limited-overs teams in February 2020, when he said he "finally feels back", and was part of the training group for the Test series at home to West Indies this summer.
Moeen was England's joint-leading wicket-taker in the 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka in 2018, with 18 at 24.50 apiece.
Bairstow, who averages 37.74 from 70 Tests, was dropped during the tour of South Africa last winter after passing 50 once in 16 innings.
In September he lost his Test central contract for 2020-21, but this month pulled out of his Big Bash League (BBL) contract with Melbourne Stars in the expectation of being recalled by England.
"With his pedigree as a player of a spin in Asia and some gaps in the squad, it felt like the perfect moment to reintroduce Jonny to the group," said national selector Ed Smith.
Lawrence, 23, averages 37.96 in first-class cricket and was among the England reserves this summer.
Smith said: "Dan Lawrence is one of those players who is an unusual player but has that quality about him. He has his own style, real confidence at the crease and he's inventive."
Currently playing for Brisbane Heat in the BBL, Lawrence will leave early to join the England squad.
England plan to rest more players Stokes took a period of compassionate leave between August and October to be with his ill father, Ged, who died in New Zealand on Tuesday.
He missed the end of England's summer and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), returning to international cricket in the Twenty20 series in South Africa last month.
Archer has been rested after spending significant time in bio-secure bubbles during England's summer, the IPL and the tour of South Africa that was abandoned earlier this week.
England said they will "provide a block of rest for all multi-format players at various points over the winter period".
Buttler is set to keep wicket in Sri Lanka, but Smith said: "There will be opportunity for Ben Foakes at some point this winter. Jos Buttler is certain to have a rest at some point and that will open up some opportunities elsewhere."
The squad fly to Sri Lanka on 2 January. During their quarantine in Hambantota, they will be able to train from 5-9 January.
Batsman Ollie Pope, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, will join the squad in Sri Lanka and continue his rehab in preparation for the India tour.
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Post by Admin on Jan 5, 2021 8:09:07 GMT
Moeen has the vid
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Post by Admin on Jan 8, 2021 15:28:10 GMT
Team Root 184-2 dec (50 overs): Root 74*, Lawrence 46*, Crawley 46; Crane 1-37, Bess 1-59 Team Buttler 120-6 (38 overs): Pope 58*; Anderson 2-21, Leach 2-27, Robinson 2-15 Team Buttler trail by 64 runs
Captain Joe Root hit an unbeaten 74 and Dan Lawrence 46 not out in England's intra-squad warm-up match in Sri Lanka before the Test series.
Root and Lawrence, who could make his debut in next week's first Test, added 95 off 129 balls before Team Root declared on 184-2 in Hambantota.
Team Buttler struggled in reply as Dom Sibley, Jonny Bairstow and captain Jos Buttler managed a combined six runs.
They closed on 120-6 from 38 overs, with Ollie Pope unbeaten on 58.
Pope is not in the Test squad or the reserve list as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery, but is expected to be fit for the tour of India starting next month.
Opener Sibley returned to bat for a second time and was unbeaten 18 alongside Pope. They are set to resume on the final day of the two-day match.
On a surprisingly green pitch, James Anderson was on a hat-trick earlier in the day, having had Bairstow caught behind and bowling Buttler first ball.
Left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has not played for England for more than a year after illness, took 2-31, removing Dom Bess for three and Ben Foakes for 21.
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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2021 7:49:13 GMT
FIRST TEST SRI LANKA v ENGLAND 14/1/2021 TO 18/1/2021
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Post by Admin on Jan 13, 2021 18:16:01 GMT
Anyone else up at 4.30am as if
If form in South Asian conditions is difficult to discern ahead of this series, with so little Test cricket having been played here in the past year, Sri Lanka are throwing predictions into further disarray with their wounded and their injury returnees. A day out from the first Test, (there's still time to get injured), Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal look likely to be in the top order. But although batsman Oshada Fernando, and fast bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kumara have technically recovered from their injuries, they may not quite be match-ready enough to make the XI.
Sri Lanka also lost both Tests against South Africa by large margins, so in normal circumstances you would expect them to be turning up low on morale. And yet, they don't seem to be beating themselves up about those losses much. At the end of that series, captain Dimuth Karunaratne was essentially of the view that when you have the appalling volume of injuries Sri Lanka suffered on that tour, losses such as those were bound to happen. It is what it is. Tomorrow is a new day. This - their first at home since August 2019 - is a new series.
England, despite being tourists, have arguably had the better preparation leading up, though. They've been in the country for longer (Sri Lanka only arrived on January 8 from South Africa, England had come six days earlier). But in the age of quarantine and bio-bubbles, superior prep only means so much. For three of their days on the island, England's players couldn't leave their rooms. When training did begin, they couldn't play a tour match or two as they normally might, so they tried an intra-squad two-dayer, only for one of those days to be rained out.
But more than that, they are missing some of the players who propelled them to their 3-0 win on their 2018 tour. Ben Stokes is being rested. Adil Rashid wasn't picked in the squad. Moeen Ali was probably going to play, but contracted Covid-19 and can't. And despite being Player of the Series in that whitewash, Ben Foakes has been edged out of the wicketkeeper's spot by Jos Buttler.
So here are two deeply flawed and unpredictable (yes, we say that about England now too) sides, who are being served an extraordinary set of circumstances by this pandemic. England-Sri Lanka series have generally produced outstanding cricket this century (the past two series notwithstanding, perhaps). As there are no clear favourites here, there is no reason this one can't be a thriller too.
Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: : LLDWL
England: DDWWW
Players to watch
Angelo Mathews played the innings of his life against England (his 160 at Headingley), as well as another hundred and a handful of fifties, so he will almost certainly be the Sri Lanka batsman who commands the most respect among England's attack. And yet, in the years since that incredible Leeds innings, Mathews has not been a particularly consistent batsman. In three of the past five years, he's averaged less than 30. Though once he seemed destined to be a 10,000-run batsman, that is no longer a certainty. Much of his inconsistency has stemmed from the injuries that have kept him out for months at a time over the past few years, and he is returning yet again from a hamstring strain. Having trimmed down early last year, Mathews seems motivated to make what may be the last few years of his career productive ones. If he has a good series with the bat (he will not bowl), Sri Lanka will go a distance to winning it.
Jos Buttler only averages 33.93 with the bat, but it is his batting that is keeping Foakes (who by the way averages 41.50 but hasn't played a Test in almost two years) out of the XI. The theory is that Buttler, such an accomplished limited-overs batsman, and a man who can send a team innings soaring when the mood strikes, will see long-term improvements in his batting output eventually. Late in England's summer, he provided a hint of the player he could become, hitting 67, 75 and 152 in the space of three innings. While on that form he commands a place in the batting order, it is with the gloves that he perhaps will be tested most in Sri Lanka. The spinners will likely have to bowl the majority of overs in this series. It is unfair to expect him to be as magisterial as Foakes was in 2018, but can he be good?
Pitch and conditions
Generally, Galle pitches are decent for batting on on the first two days, before they switch suddenly - and almost violently - into dustbowls from day three onwards. This time, there are two reasons why the Galle track may stay good for batting longer than normal. First, as the venue is to host both Tests, they can't afford to start the square off too dry. Secondly, with Sri Lanka having just come back from South Africa, where they played on that nation's fastest pitches, the hosts are likely to want a more even track than a severe examination by spin.
There's also a bit of rain around, because even though it's January (generally one of the driest months in the southwest), these things tend happen when a cricket tour starts. Despite the rain, though, Sri Lanka hasn't seen a draw on its surfaces since 2014.
Team news
Will Sri Lanka play Kusal Mendis, who has collected three ducks in a row in South Africa? He is in a dead heat for the No. 3 spot with Lahiru Thirimanne. Sri Lanka hope Suranga Lakmal can make the XI, but if he doesn't Vishwa Fernando is likely to play.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis/Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dilruwan Perera, 10 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Suranga Lakmal/Vishwa Fernando
England have some decisions to make on the bowling front. It seems as if they will go in with two frontline quicks, with Mark Wood and one of either James Anderson or Stuart Broad alongside allrounder Sam Curran. Batsman Dan Lawrence looks set for a debut.
England (probable) 1 Dom Sibley, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Joe Root (capt.), 5 Dan Lawrence, 6 Jos Buttler 7 Sam Curran, 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jack Leach 10 Mark Wood 11 James Anderson/Stuart Broad
Stats and trivia
Each of the last 26 Tests in Sri Lanka have had a result. The home side has won 14 of those.
Buttler's Sri Lanka record is better than his overall record. He scored 250 runs in the country on that previous tour, at a strike rate of 72. He crossed fifty twice and was never dismissed for less than 16.
Angelo Mathews needs 19 more to get to 6000 Test runs. He'd be the fifth Sri Lanka batsman to that milestone, after Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva.
Even since the start of this century, England have won six matches in Sri Lanka and lost only four.
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Post by Admin on Jan 14, 2021 13:47:42 GMT
Apparently Sri Lanka were a bit pants today
Wasteful Sri Lanka skittled for 135 as England take control in Galle Dom Bess takes five before Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow drive England's reply
England 127 for 2 (Root 66*, Bairstow 47*) trail Sri Lanka 135 (Bess 5-30, Broad 3-20) by eight runs
In years to come, people will see the scorecard of this game - and Dom Bess' first-innings bowling figures, in particular - and presume this was the sort of Galle surface where the ball spun sharply throughout.
It was not really so. In truth, the first day of this match was defined by a remarkably soft batting performance from Sri Lanka. No doubt they are low on confidence after their 2-0 drubbing in South Africa. No doubt they missed their captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, who was forced to pull out of the match having suffered a recurrence of pain from a hand injury sustained in Johannesburg. And no doubt they are lacking in preparation time after rain ruined what little opportunity they had for training.
But despite those caveats, this was a wasteful display from Sri Lanka characterised by poor shot selection and ugly dismissals. On a blameless surface, against an attack that at times looked rusty, they succumbed to the lowest first-innings score at this ground in Test history.
It seems churlish not to celebrate a young man's Test-best figures. And Bess, having suffered a disproportionate of missed chances off his bowling during the English summer, was no doubt due some fortune. But, despite finishing with 5 for 30, he would surely admit that he has bowled better for no reward.
Perhaps, knowing that Bess came into this series under a little bit of pressure, Sri Lanka were looking to attack him. But by attempting to reverse-sweep Bess' second delivery, Kusal Perera instead simply helped him settle into the game. It would have been an ambitious choice of stroke in many contexts, but with a slip in place and Sri Lanka having lost two wickets in the opening seven overs, it looked simply irresponsible. Perera succeeded only in scuffing a catch to slip off his glove.
It was the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella which summed things up. Served the longest of long-hops, Dickwella somehow conspired to splice his cut stroke to point. It was a moment of cricket which might have been more familiar at the lower reaches of a club game.
To be fair to Sri Lanka, they didn't enjoy much luck, either. Dasun Shanaka connected nicely with a slog-sweep only to see the ball thump into the ankle of Jonny Bairstow, jumping to evade it at short leg, and balloon to the keeper. Then Lasith Embuldeniya was run out backing up after the bowler, Jack Leach, managed to get a fingertip on Wanindu Hasaranga's straight drive and the ball deflected into the stumps.
But Hasaranga - getting into a horrible position as he attempted a reverse-sweep - was bowled to complete Bess' five-for, summing up a grim display with the bat. Maybe there have been softer first-innings five-fors in recent Test history, but it isn't easy to recall them.
While Bess may gain the accolades, Stuart Broad could arguably reflect on the key performance with the ball. Coming into this match having taken just three wickets on his three previous Test tours of the country, he could have been forgiven for a sense of dread as he bowled his opening deliveries. Any hope that the unseasonably wet weather in the area might provide some assistance for the seamers was dispelled as the ball steadfastly refused to move, in the air or off the seam, and carried through at a gentle pace.
But within his first eight overs, he had doubled his career wicket tally in Sri Lanka and made deep inroads into their batting. Recognising that his usual ploy to left-handers - going round the wicket, aiming at off stump, and persuading the odd ball to leave the bat - was not going to work on this surface, he instead started to improvise.
Angling the ball into the left-handers, he was rewarded as Lahiru Thirimanne, attempting to nudge the ball off his hip, succeeded only in guiding the ball to Bairstow at leg gully, before Kusal Mendis was drawn into feeling for a cutter outside off stump which gripped and left him fractionally. It was Mendis's fourth successive duck and means he has been dismissed five times from his most recent 13 balls in Test cricket without scoring a run.
While Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews rebuilt in a stand of 56 for the fourth-wicket, Broad's return after lunch split the pair. Varying his pace relentlessly, he persuaded Mathews to attempt to cut one that was probably both too full and too close to him for the stroke. The resultant edged flashed to slip where Joe Root did well to hold on.
Although Chandimal was badly missed at cover by England's debutant, Dan Lawrence (presented his Test cap by former Essex captain, James Foster, before play), off the unfortunate Leach when he had 22, he failed to make England pay. Attempting a repeat of the stroke, he was well held by a diving Sam Curran.
Broad's figures - 3 for 20 - may look unremarkable. But on this surface, they reflected an outstanding performance by a man who has reinvented himself and found a way to keep improving just as it appeared his period at the top level was coming to an end. England's seamers are often talked about as if they're flattered by taking wickets in helpful conditions; here Broad showed again that he deserves more respe
England did not have things all their own way in reply. Embuldeniya, drawing Dom Sibley out of position with his drift and beating him with his turn, gained an edge to slip, before Zak Crawley's unnecessary attempt to clear the infield resulted only in a catch to mid-off.
Had Root, on 20, not reviewed a leg-before decision off the same bowler, Sri Lanka might have felt they had clawed their way back into the game. But Root, albeit by a tiny margin, survived and with Bairstow added an unbroken 110 for the third-wicket to take England within eight of Sri Lanka's total. Watchful and patient, yet busy and positive, they ensured Sri Lanka could never build any pressure by running hard, rotating the strike, sweeping often and putting away the rare loose ball. It is already England's highest Test partnership in Galle and, on a surface expected to deteriorate, has provided a terrific opportunity to build an impregnable position on day two.
For an England side who lost the toss and have lost the first Test in five of their last six series, it was almost a dream opening day. For Sri Lanka, it was a nightmare.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by Admin on Jan 15, 2021 14:40:09 GMT
Not losing this one
England 320 for 4 (Root 168*, Lawrence 73) lead Sri Lanka 135 by 185 runs
Joe Root's first Test century since November 2019 has helped England tighten their grip on the second day of the first Test in Galle.
Root went through 2020 without a century - the first time in his Test career he has gone through a full year without one - and dropped out of the top 10 in the ICC's batting rankings in the process.
But here he has provided a demonstration of his enduring class in negating the sharply turning ball with calm authority and moving to his 18th Test century in the process. More importantly, he extended England's lead to 185 with six first-innings wickets still in hand by the time rain returned at tea to bring an early close. Sri Lanka will have to bat substantially better than they managed in the first innings if they are to make England bat again.
If they require an example of how to go about things, they could do far worse than emulate Root. With his judgement of when to go forward and back, his ability to manoeuvre the ball into gaps and his ability to sweep both in front and behind square, he has provided a masterclass in playing spin bowling. Kusal Mendis, at short leg, took so many blows, you suspect a boxing referee might have suggested he had taken enough punishment. Never has Root scored so many runs in a single innings from the sweep
It was Root's eighth score of 150 or more in Test cricket and the highest score made by an England player in a Test in Sri Lanka. The previous highest was Kevin Pietersen's 151 made in Colombo in 2012.
Root was given assured support from debutant Dan Lawrence. The pair added 173 in 43.1 overs - England's highest-ever stand in Tests in Sri Lanka - for the fourth wicket, with Lawrence losing little by comparison.
Indeed, were you to put together a highlights package of the day, it would be Lawrence's strokes that dominated. There were cuts, drives, sweeps and, shortly before lunch, he launched Lasith Embuldeniya for a slog-swept six that would have pleased Pietersen or AB de Villiers, the men his father told the BBC he idolised growing up. All in all, it suggested England might just have found a man with the character and skill to flourish at this level. Sterner tests loom, no doubt, but this was an accomplished first international innings from Lawrence.
To be fair, Root's innings was not the sort to be accurately represented by a highlights package. 72 of his runs have come in singles, after all. But while those runs might not have made the immediate impression of Lawrence's six, his ability to find the gaps and rotate the strike make him desperately tough to contain. He looked hungry, patient and technically excellent.
While Lawrence was not able to emulate the achievement of Ben Foakes, who made a century on debut here in 2018, this was a hugely promising start from the 23-year-old. Getting off the mark first ball, Lawrence looked confident from the off and, picking up the length nicely, was comfortable to skip down the pitch or go deep into his crease when required.
He did provide one chance. Appearing to lose concentration for a moment, he skipped down the pitch to Embuldeniya when he had 68 and was fortunate to see the keeper, Niroshan Dickwella, parry the ball past the slips. A short while later, he received one from Dilruwan Perera which spat off the surface, took his glove and ballooned to short-leg. It was a disappointment for Lawrence, of course, but England will have noted the signs of deterioration in the surface with interest.
Root and Lawrence were helped, it does have to be said, by some loose bowling. While Embuldeniya - who took the first three wickets to fall - continued to ask questions of the batsmen, he lacked the support required to build pressure. Perera, in particular, has struggled with his line and length - a floated full toss allowed Lawrence to ease his second delivery through the covers for four - allowing England to pick up regular singles.
The legspinner, Wanindu Hasaranga, was no better. Lawrence was able to cut, sweep and drive him for boundaries as he struggled with his length. Hasaranga has conceded more than four-an-over so far; in a low-scoring game, it is a cost Sri Lanka can ill afford.
To be fair to the bowlers, when you have Root's range of strokes - his ability to find the gaps, in particular - it can be hard to find answers. But the fact that there were only eight maiden overs in the innings (and only three on the second day), reflects both the excellence of the batting and the lack of discipline in the bowling. To have hit 'only' 12 fours - 10 of them on the leg side - but still have a strike rate of 66.14 runs per 100 balls, underlines Root's method: it's maybe not as eye-catching as soon, but it is mightily effective.
Earlier, play was delayed by 70 minutes due to rain. When the resumption eventually came, Jonny Bairstow fell in the second over of the day without adding to his overnight score. While Bairstow may reflect he could have left the ball, Embuldeniya had drawn him forward nicely and gained sharp turn to take the outside edge. Mendis also did well to cling on to a sharp, low catch.
At that stage, Sri Lanka still held a narrow first-innings innings. But Root and Lawrence crushed any hopes the home side may have had of making deeper inroads into the England innings. Even the rain that returned at tea to wash out the final session only delayed Sri Lanka's pain.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2021 14:19:49 GMT
Sri Lanka 135 and 156 for 2 (Thirimanne 76*, Perera 62) trail England 421 (Root 228, Lawrence 73) by 130 runs
Sri Lanka's batsmen have earned themselves a chance of saving the first Test after a much improved performance on the third day in Galle.
Having endured a miserable first two days, Sri Lanka started their second innings with a deficit of 286. But after a first-innings display their batting coach, Grant Flower, rated as "the worst" he had seen, they demonstrated far greater resolve and application the second time around. Going into the fourth day, they have cut that deficit to 130 with seven second-innings wickets in hand.
A grim stat emerged after Sri Lanka's first innings. It suggested that Lahiru Thirimanne had the lowest average of any batsman in Test history (operating between 1-6, anyway) to play a minimum of 50 innings. And it's true, an average of 22.06 halfway through his 37th Test suggested he was somewhat fortunate to win another opportunity.
But here he went some way towards justifying his inclusion. In patiently accumulating an unbeaten 76, he not only recorded his highest Test score since March 2013 (when he made a century against Bangladesh on this ground), but exposed some vulnerability in an England attack who were flattered by the speed with which they accounted for Sri Lanka in the first innings.
In particular, England may be a little concerned by the performance of their spinners. For while Stuart Broad bowled with excellent control - he has conceded three from eight overs - and Mark Wood generated sharp pace from a sluggish surface, these are conditions in which spinners must be expected to do the bulk of the work. And on a surface on which their Sri Lanka counterparts gained sometimes sharp turn and bounce, Jack Leach and Dom Bess rarely threatened and managed only four maidens between them in 33 overs.
Bess, especially, struggled to settle into the required line and length, while Leach, though more threatening, conceded almost four-an-over for much of his spell and looked a little rusty. Perhaps that is not surprising given this was just Leach's third first-class game since December 2019 but the result was England's spinners failed to build much pressure. At times, Joe Root looked the most dangerous of them.
Sri Lanka's batsmen deserve some credit for that, of course. While Kusal Perera's aggression was his undoing in the first innings - he was caught at slip after attempting to reverse-sweep Bess' second ball - this time he took a more calculated approach to his positivity and made it tough for the spinners to settle, as a result. Leach, for example, was lofted for a straight six and, when he pulled back his length, slog-swept the next ball for four. The opening stand, 101, was not only the first century opening stand England had conceded since the MCG Ashes Test at the end of 2017, but the first time Sri Lanka's openers had survived more than 10 overs together in their most recent six innings.
How important a moment Perera's dismissal may prove remains to be seen. But, having made his third half-century in as many Tests since he was promoted to open, he failed to capitalise with another soft dismissal. Throwing his hands at a short, wide ball from Sam Curran, he succeeded only in picking out the man on backward point boundary.
Thirimanne could have gone in similar fashion. On this occasion, however, Dom Sibley, at gully, put down a straightforward chance when the batsman had 51. The looks of anguish on the faces of the England players spoke volumes.
Kusal Mendis, coming into the innings having suffered four successive ducks, at least made it to double figures. But when he went, drawn into a forward prod and caught behind as the ball spun to take the edge, it gave England - and Leach, in particular - an end of day boost.
Earlier, Root's double-century - the fourth of his Test career and his second as captain - helped England take a commanding first-innings lead by the time they were bowled out on the brink of lunch on the third day.
The ease with which Root amassed his runs might give a somewhat misleading impression about the nature of this pitch. But while Root appeared to find life straightforward - he was last man out, caught on the long-on boundary, attempting to set-up a declaration - it was noticeable that, after the first innings of both sides were completed, only two other men in the match had made more than 30. The last five in the England side contributed only 17 runs between them as Sri Lanka claimed six wickets in the morning session.
But Root looked comfortable throughout. Quick to size up the length of the ball and making liberal use of the sweep - a stroke that was very much a feature of this innings; CricViz have suggested Root's innings has contained more sweeps than any Test innings for which such data exists - Sri Lanka were never able to stop his flow of runs.
Only Wally Hammond (with seven) and Sir Alastair Cook (with five) now have more double-centuries for England. Root's score here represents the second-highest score by an England player in Asia after Cook's 263* in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
Root also surpassed 8,000 Test runs during the course of the innings. He is the seventh England player to reach the landmark and, in terms of innings (this is his 178th) the second quickest after Kevin Pietersen, who reached the milestone in 176 innings.
Asitha Fernando did provide a brief moment of joy for Sri Lanka, though. The seamer had only bowled nine of the first 100 overs in the innings but, immediately after an out of shape ball was changed, he gained some wicked late swing to claim wickets with two successive deliveries. First he took Buttler's edge with a full one which late him late, before persuading one to nip back between Curran's bat and pad to bowl him. Dom Bess negotiated the hat-trick ball securely enough but was run-out shortly afterwards as Root called him through for an impossible single, before Leach was tapped in front by a sharply-turning off-break and Wood miscued an attempted sweep and ballooned a catch to the keeper.
Broad survived being given out twice in three balls - umpire Kumar Dharmasena was forced to change his decisions after DRS showed neither of his LBW decisions were correct - and responded with successive boundaries off Fernando.
Meanwhile England received a boost off the field with the news that Moeen Ali had been released from isolation and was free to move to the team hotel. Moeen has been quarantined away from the rest of the tour party after testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka on January 3. He is unlikely to be considered for selection for the second Test as England take a cautious approach to his recovery.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by man in the stand on Jan 17, 2021 11:40:40 GMT
Baristow seems to be involved in a lot of run outs.....nearly another one as I write...England 14 for 3...
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Post by Admin on Jan 17, 2021 14:04:13 GMT
MITS
Always difficult chasing small total, last hour was epic fun, suspect Jack Leach to hit winning run
England 421 and 38 for 3 (Embuldeniya 2-13) need 36 more runs to beat Sri Lanka 135 and 359 (Perera 62, Thirimanne 111, Mathews 71, Leach 5-122, Bess 3-100)
It may look like a modest target, but England face a nervous final morning in their bid to wrap up victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
When Sri Lanka's second innings ended, midway through the final session on day four, it seemed the result was little more than a formality. England had been set just 74 to win, after all.
But within minutes, England were 14 for 3. The left-arm spin of Lasith Embuldeniya, in particular, appeared to send panic coursing through the England line-up with Joe Root, their captain, run out by yards as he attempted to complete a highly optimistic single.
By then, England had already lost both openers. Dom Sibley, desperate not to be drawn into playing at one that left him, instead left a straight ball that hit his off stump. Zak Crawley, meanwhile, was unable to capitalise upon being dropped on one, pushing at one that did indeed turn away from him and presenting a sharp catch to gully.
But it was only when Root feel that Sri Lanka would have sensed they could pull off one of the great comebacks. Jonny Bairstow had barely dropped the ball more than a couple of metres in front of him, but seemed to call Root through for a single that was as unnecessary as it was unlikely. He had collided with the bowler, Dilruwan Perera, but was left well short of his ground regardless, as the keeper, Niroshan Dickwella, broke the stumps with his direct hit.
Had Bairstow, looking more than a little rattled, been run out to the next delivery - he attempted another impossibly quick single and would have out by yards if there had been a direct hit - Sri Lanka might even have been favourites.
But he survived. And in partnership with an impressively calm Dan Lawrence, Bairstow added 24 more runs before bad light forced a slightly early close. You suspect, ultimately, that the damage incurred in Sri Lanka's first innings will simply prove too deep to mend. That said, England still require another 36 to win on the final day, and as the first six overs of their innings showed, it would be wrong to take anything for granted.
If England do go on to win, it will prove an especially memorably performance for Jack Leach. Leach, who came into this game having played just two first-class games in the last 14 months, has endured a tough time since he last represented England in Mount Maunganui in November 2019. He fell ill on that tour of New Zealand and was subsequently hospitalised with a case of sepsis that he admitted had him fearing for his life.
While he was recalled to the England squad for the tour of South Africa, he fell ill once again and was eventually sent home early to ensure a complete recovery. With the outbreak of Covid-19 adding to the concerns of a man with a reduced immune system (a courtesy of his long-term battle with Crohn's disease), Leach has admitted there were moments when he wondered if he would ever return the Test team.
So to complete a five-wicket haul - his second at this level and his first since England last toured Sri Lanka in 2018 - represents a remarkable comeback. And a further demonstration of the strength of character that lurks under that mild-looking exterior.
In truth, neither Leach nor Dom Bess was at their best for much of this game. Lacking the preparation they would have liked, there were times when they were unable to harness the undoubted assistance provided by this surface. Both would confess they bowled more release deliveries than they would have liked.
Increasingly, however, they started to find their rhythm on the fourth day. There were moments in Sri Lanka's second innings when Leach, in particular, looked a dangerous proposition with his drift and turn troubling the right-handers.
The wicket of Dickwella might have been particularly pleasing for England. It saw Jos Buttler complete the first stumping of his Test career to underline a really accomplished performance with the gloves. Buttler, in his 28th Test as keeper, had earlier missed a desperately tough stumping opportunity, but has generally kept impressively in this game. Completing such a dismissal from his old friend, Leach - the pair developed together at Somerset - was due reward for his improvement. And it will please the selectors, who have preferred him to Ben Foakes, who was player of the series when England won here in 2018.
There were also moments it appeared Sri Lanka could set England a testing fourth-innings target. Certainly when Lahiru Thirimanne was at the crease, Sri Lanka will have retained thoughts of repeating their remarkable performance here in 2015, when they overcame a huge first-innings deficit to bowl India to defeat in the fourth innings.
Thirimanne's only other century at this level came on this ground in March 2013. But, since that match against Bangladesh, he had averaged 19.16 in 27 Tests coming into this game. Having failed in the first innings, it is no exaggeration to suggest that, by the time he walked out to bat on the third day, his career - and Sri Lanka's hopes of salvaging anything from this game - were hanging by a thread.
But he revived his side's hopes with an impressively assured contribution in the innings. Showing both patience and composure, he demonstrated a decent defensive technique and put away the loose ball effectively in reaching his first century in 54 Test innings.
Each time it seemed Sri Lanka were on the brink of establishing a strong position, however, England would claim the wicket that pulled them back into the mire.
In the end, it was the new ball that did for Thirimanne. After Sam Curran had moved a couple away from him, he got one to hold its own and take the inside edge of Thirimanne's bat. Shortly afterwards, Dinesh Chandimal was drawn into poking at one from Bess that went straight on.
Still, by the time they reached parity, Sri Lanka still had five wickets in hand. In partnership with Dickwella, Mathews had negotiated a disciplined spell from England's seamers to add 48 overs in 23.4 overs.
That frustration may well have led to Dickwella's downfall. Attempting to run a short ball to third man, he succeeded only in top-edging the ball into the gloves of Buttler. In the next over, Dasun Shanaka was beaten in the flight by Leach and effectively yorked before Wanindu Hasaranga was drawn into a drive and Root held onto a sharp chance at slip.
While Mathews reached a determined half-century, he was unable to replicate his heroics of Leeds in 2014 and became the final man to fall after edging one that left him from the deserving Leach. It was a performance that gave Sri Lanka just a scintilla of a chance. You cannot help but wonder, however, what might have happened had they managed even 50 or 100 more in their first innings.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2021 8:33:10 GMT
No alarms this morning
England 421 (Root 228, Lawrence 73) and 76 for 3 (Bairstow 35*) beat Sri Lanka 135 (Bess 5-30) and 359 (Thirimanne 111, Leach 5-122) by seven wickets
England have won the first Test in Galle by seven wickets.
In the end, it was straightforward enough. Resuming on the final morning with 36 more runs required to win, it took England just 9.2 overs to wrap up victory. Jonny Bairstow settled any nerves that may have been lingering by rocking on to the back foot and cutting Lasith Embuldeniya for four in the second over of the morning, while Dan Lawrence picked off singles with an ease that seemed impossible the previous evening. Together they posted an unbeaten stand of 62 for the fourth wicket with Lawrence providing admirably assured support on debut.
There were a couple of anxious moments. Replays suggested that, had Sri Lanka called for a review when Lawrence, on 9, was hit on the pad by Dilruwan Perera, he would have been given out.
Generally, however, there was little of the anxiety that characterised the frenetic passage of play that ended the fourth day, when, had Bairstow been run-out - as he probably should have been - England would have been 14 for 4
Ultimately, Sri Lanka were never able to fully repair the damage incurred by their first-innings batting debacle. To be bowled out for 135 when the surface was at its best handed England a significant advantage which they never really allowed to slip.
For England this will be an especially satisfying victory. Going into this match, they had only one day of intra-squad warm-up cricket and had a poor long-term record at the start of series having lost the first Test in five of their previous six series. To see their captain, Joe Root, rediscover his best form with a double-century and their spinners, Dom Bess and Jack Leach, both claim a five-wicket haul would have been enormously pleasing. It is believed to be the first time two England spinners have taken five-wicket hauls in the same Test since John Emburey and Derek Underwood achieved it, also in Sri Lanka, in 1982.
It is England's fourth successive overseas Test victory, following the three that ended their tour of South Africa at the start of 2020. It is the first time England have achieved such a run in away Tests since 1955-57, when they beat New Zealand and South Africa twice each. It is also England's fifth successive Test victory in Sri Lanka and their second successive victory in Galle. Prior to the 2018 tour, they had never won at the ground.
It was Root's 24th victory as Test captain. Now only Michael Vaughan, with 26 wins, has more as an England captain. It was Root's first overseas Test victory achieved without Ben Stokes in his side.
The second and final Test, also in Galle, begins on Friday.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2021 17:25:42 GMT
2ND TEST GALLE 22/1/2021 TO 26/1/2021
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Post by Admin on Jan 22, 2021 17:58:26 GMT
Sri Lanka 229 for 4 (Mathews 107*, Dickwella 19*) vs England
Day one at Galle was a battle of attrition between the most-experienced players from either side.
James Anderson, masterful with the new ball, miserly with the old, claimed two wickets in his third over of the day to have Sri Lanka tottering at 7 for 2, before nicking off another batsman the over after lunch. He bowled with near supernatural control throughout, probing incessantly outside that off stump, extracting swing and seam where he could, but ensuring that his overs were like a closed fist if not - giving nothing away. Of his 19 overs, 10 were maidens; his economy rate down at 1.26. Although Sri Lanka rarely scored quickly (on a flatter surface than had been in evidence during the first Test), no other bowler was anywhere near as good. Mark Wood took England's only other wicket.
But as earnestly as Anderson toiled, it was Angelo Mathews' arm-wrestle of a hundred that most imposed itself on the day. Mathews was respectful of Anderson, but quelled Wood's pace to excellent effect, frequently taking on the short ball, even when Wood was operating near 150kph/93mph. The spinners barely bothered Mathews at all on a track that is yet to take even slight turn. Mathews batted out many quiet periods, hitting only 11 fours off his 228 balls, but at no stage did he seem rushed. The focus was on batting time - keeping England in the field, allowing the sun to fall on this pitch and the wind to dry it out so that when England go in to bat the surface might offer something. Completed in the last hour of play to muted celebrations, this was his 11th Test hundred, and first in Galle. He finished 107 not out.
Through the course of the day, Mathews struck up three productive partnerships. The first was with Lahiru Thirimanne, Sri Lanka's centurion from the first Test. In the early going, Thirimanne was the more confident of the two batsmen as they attempted to rescue Sri Lanka from the possibility of another abysmal collapse. Thirimanne drove through the covers with confidence, and picked off the bowlers - particularly Wood and Sam Curran - who bowled too straight. He was on 43 at lunch - the first time he'd made successive 40-plus scores since 2015 - but was tempted into a stroke at an away-swinging Anderson ball soon after the break, which he edged to the wicketkeeper.
It was Mathews' partnership with Dinesh Chandimal, however, that was most beneficial for the team, the two ultimately putting on 117 for the fourth wicket, Chandimal making 52 of those runs. Like Mathews, Chandimal was unthreatened by the spinners, even coming down the track to launch Dom Bess down the ground for six midway through the second session. Against Wood, however, Chandimal was less comfortable, wearing several snorting short balls on the body, and occasionally being struck on the glove. He faced 26 Wood deliveries, before the bowler finally got him out with an angled ball that reversed into his pads, and struck him in front of middle stump. Chandimal reviewed the out decision, but the ball was shown to be crashing into leg. It was Wood's first wicket of the series, having had no reward in the first Test.
That wicket, which fell part way through the third session, was the last England would claim for the day. No. 6 batsman Niroshan Dickwella began his innings resolutely (by his standards at least), occasionally venturing an expansive drive, but largely choosing to follow Mathews' lead. The two played out seven overs of the second new ball without major incident, as both Anderson and Curran found swing through the air in the last half hour of play. Dickwella finished not out on 19 off 60, hitting only one four - a cover drive off Curran.
Although Sri Lanka may feel they had the better of the day, their slow progress (they scored at 2.63 runs across the 87 overs bowled), means England will still hope they can restrict Sri Lanka to a below-par total if they claim early wickets on Saturday. Chances are, though, their seamers will again have to provide the impetus for breakthroughs, this track having neutered spin so far.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf
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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2021 12:43:17 GMT
England 98 for 2 (Root 67*, Bairstow 24*) trail Sri Lanka 381 (Mathews 110, Dickwella 92, Dilruwan 67, Chandimal 52, Anderson 6-40) by 283 runs
It was a credit to the Sri Lanka batsmen - in particular their proficiency against spin - that James Anderson's six-wicket haul was as much an act of damage limitation as destruction on day two in Galle. When left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya made early inroads, England looked to be in danger.
It took an unbroken partnership worth 93 from Jonny Bairstow, homeward-bound to rest after this match instead of heading to India, and Joe Root to put them back on course, with Root particularly strong on the sweep to reach 67 not out off just 77 deliveries and push England to 98 for 2 by the close.
Where England's spinners had failed - all 10 Sri Lankan wickets fell to the seamers - Embuldeniya accounted for both openers for the third time in as many innings on this tour.
After scores of 4 and 2 in the first Test, Dom Sibley fell to Embuldeniya yet again, this time without scoring, pinned by one that struck him on the knee roll well back in his crease. Compounding the dismissal was Sibley's wasteful review, which only confirmed that the ball was hitting leg stump.
Zak Crawley, who is also yet to reach double figures this series, was out to a good ball from Embuldeniya, angling in and dipping then finding an edge that went straight to Lahiru Thirimanne at slip to put England at 5 for 2 and needing more damage control, this time with the bat. Root and Bairstow dug in to provide just that and ensure that the contest retained its intrigue.
The home side had earlier fought their way into a strong position through impressive innings from Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera.
Dickwella fell painfully short of an elusive Test century when he gifted Anderson his fifth wicket, chipping to Jack Leach at mid-off for 92, his highest score in 41 Test appearances.
Dilruwan made an impressive fifty from No. 8, taking to Leach in particular, dancing down the pitch three times to plunder fours through mid-on and mid-off and a six down the ground. He helped add 89 in partnership with Dickwella and then another 49 for the last two wickets to frustrate England.
It was another improved batting performance from Sri Lanka after their woeful start to the first Test, with multiple contributors and a stubborn tail.
By shortly after lunch, Anderson, the 38-year-old seamer playing his 157th Test, had doubled his tally from the previous day, adding three more wickets to help end Sri Lanka's innings on 381 and finish with figures of 6 for 40 off 29 overs.
It was Anderson's second straight five-wicket haul in Tests away from home, following his 5 for 40 in Cape Town a year ago, and the 30th of his career - only Richard Hadlee has more among pace bowlers with 36.
He removed centurion Angelo Mathews with his sixth ball on day two and drew Suranga Lakmal into a poke outside off-stump as Crawley took a sharp catch at gully either side of Dickwella's dismissal.
Mathews added just three runs to his overnight score before a subdued England appeal for what looked to be lbw, with the ball appearing to pass the inside edge and deflecting via the knee roll to Jos Buttler behind the stumps. Mathews was originally given not out but Root called for a review and UltraEdge revealed a spike as the ball passed the bat.
That prompted Dickwella to shift gears into drive, quite literally at times, as he assumed the lead upon debutant Ramesh Mendis' arrival at the crease. Dickwella unfurled a series of well-timed boundaries, carving Sam Curran through backward point and punching Mark Wood through long-on.
A fantastic take behind the stumps had Mendis out for a duck, a faint edge off Mark Wood going down the leg side and finding Buttler's glove at full stretch to his left.
Sri Lanka had lost two wickets for 11 runs in the space of 19 balls but Dickwella remained in excellent touch, piercing the covers with two beautiful drives, first off Wood then Anderson. He used Wood's pace to guide the ball effortlessly to the rope at fine leg before bringing up his fifty with a single off Dom Bess, whom he then swept twice to the boundary.
Leach joined Bess in the attack as England opted for dual spinners after the first hour, to Dilruwan's delight. Bess was also on the receiving end of some harsh Dilruwan treatment after lunch, spilling a return catch struck so hard it caused considerable pain to Bess's non-bowling hand.
Wood's hard graft was further rewarded with the wicket of Embuldeniya and Curran finally accounted for last man out Dilruwan, who holed out to Leach at deep backward square leg.
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2021 12:32:56 GMT
Stumps England 339 for 9 (Root 186, Buttler 55, Embuldeniya 7-132) trail Sri Lanka 381 (Mathews 110, Dickwella 92, Perera 67, Chandimal 52, Anderson 6-40) by 42 runs
Another stunning knock by Joe Root frustrated Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test at Galle, but his fall right on stumps swung the contest back in the home side's favour.
Root's near-flawless 186 sent England to the close still 42 runs adrift after Lasith Embuldeniya claimed seven wickets with his left-arm spin that bamboozled almost everyone, except Root.
It was testament to Root's exertions that he fell in gut-wrenching fashion in the last moments of the day, unable to drag his exhausted, cramping body back into his crease in time after nudging Dilruwan Perera to short leg, where Oshada Fernando fired the ball back onto the stumps with an excellent throw.
As James Anderson had said on the second evening, you're never too old to improve or too experienced to learn. And as he, Root and Jos Buttler lived that adage as the stand-out performers in a battling England effort in this match so far, the young and inexperienced members of the squad could learn a thing or two from them.
On the third day it was Root and, to a lesser extent, Buttler who set the example for the likes of Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence upon whom, as current selection goes, England are looking to build for the future.
Root's innings was a masterclass in playing spin. He made batting look easy when, in fairness to the other batsmen, it clearly wasn't as Embuldeniya spun his way to career-best figures and his third five-wicket haul in just his ninth Test.
Root, player of the match in England's seven-wicket victory in the first Test with a double-ton at the same ground, defied his team's woes with the bat in this match. So strong on the sweep the previous day, when he racked up 67 runs off 77 deliveries, Root continued in the same vein on Sunday, his effortless switch-hit to the boundary off Embuldeniya to move to 87 a case in point.
Embuldeniya broke a century stand between Root and Jonny Bairstow when he had the latter out on review. Bairstow, who resumed on 24, added just four more - a powerful drive off Embuldeniya to the rope at long-on - before he got an inside-edge onto his pad, which was collected by Fernando at slip. Initially given not out, UltraEdge revealed a clear spike as the ball passed the bat.
Lawrence, so impressive with fifty on debut in the first Test, fell cheaply to an excellent Embuldeniya delivery from around the wicket which turned sharply and found an outside edge, taken at slip by Lahiru Thirimanne. Up to that point, Embuldeniya had taken all four England wickets to fall, having accounted for openers Sibley and Crawley - both for the third time this series - on Saturday.
Root brought up his 19th Test century by punching a single off Perera to midwicket with Buttler still relatively new at the crease. The pair put on 97 runs together for the fifth wicket, with Buttler contributing 55 before his bizarre dismissal to debutant Ramesh Mendis. Reaching forward to reverse-sweep, Buttler struck the ball directly onto his boot and it looped to Fernando at short leg. It took an umpire review to confirm the dismissal after the soft signal had been not-out on the presumption that the ball hit the ground.
Perera took the second new ball and almost immediately thought he had Sam Curran out lbw, but umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the appeal and Curran narrowly survived the DRS on umpire's call.
Curran responded by sending the last ball of Perera's over for a huge six down the ground but Embuldeniya had him out two balls later, edging to Thirimanne at slip, sending England to tea still 129 runs in arrears.
Root was doing his best to keep cramping at bay - understandable given his toil in hot, humid conditions in this match and the last - and he brought up his 150 with a powerful sweep to the boundary off Embuldeniya which epitomised the ability to read the ball and position himself accordingly that had underpinned his fine innings.
Dom Bess provided solid support as Sri Lanka struggled to make the one further breakthrough that would have them eating into England's tail.
Root gave them a chance when he edged through the slips cordon, but Thirimanne didn't get a hand to what would have been a sharp catch.
Bess survived an even later chance when he edged Embuldeniya extremely low towards second slip but replays showed the ball had gone to ground. Embuldeniya had him two balls later, however, Thirimanne taking a more straightforward chance at first slip.
Embuldeniya bagged his seventh wicket when Mark Wood edged to Thirimanne, whose effort leaping high to his left made him the first Sri Lanka fielder to take five catches in a Test innings.
Just as Anderson overcame injury which curtailed his 2019 season and near-constant murmurings about his age to pass 600 Test wickets, just as Buttler thought he was playing his "last match" for England before a pivotal innings against Pakistan last summer turned his batting - and keeping - for the better, it was just over a year ago that Root scored the most patient of centuries in New Zealand, his first Test ton in eight months.
Now Root is back in sublime touch, passing Kevin Pietersen and David Gower to move into fourth on England's list of leading run-scorers with 8238.
Before this match, Root said he had faith that Sibley and Crawley would emerge stronger from a tough introduction to Asian conditions on their maiden tours to the region. On Sunday, all they had to do was watch and learn.
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo
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