England vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test

First topic message reminder :

Venue
Headingley, Leeds

Dates
19th - 23rd May 2016

TV Coverage
Live: Sky Sports 2 from 10am Daily
Highlights: Channel 5 19:00 Daily (also Sky Sports on differing channels and at differing times)



Officials

Umpires - Aleem Dar and RJ Tucker
TV umpire - S Ravi
Match referee - AJ Pycroft
Reserve umpire - PJ Hartley



Weather




Form

England - LWDWL
Sri Lanka - LLWWL



Teams:

England - 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Nick Compton, 4 Joe Root, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James Anderson

Sri Lanka - 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Shaminda Eranga 11 Nuwan Pradeep



Pending Milestones:

Alastair Cook needs 36 runs to become the 12th player - and first Englishman - to 10,000 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he will be the youngest to do so.
Rangana Herath needs three wickets to become the third Sri Lankan to 300 in Tests.

Gooseberry wrote:

KP_fan wrote:another note.....Bairstow survived the LBW via DRS....but he has a technical problem and a severe one.....of getting his left pad right in front of  the stumps and playing around the line of the straight ball......not having the flexible wrists to maneuver a stroke like that.....like a lot of sub-continent batsmen could...makes him much more vulnerable.

Full, fast on Middle and Off...leaving mid-wicket open......makes him a sitting duck for an LBW if a disciplined bowler can persist with that line and length.

Averaged about 70 in South Africa. Not bad for a number 7 with a severe technical issue.

He's only been out 6 time sin tests lbw and most of those were spinners, so if that really is a thing rather than a one off pickle he got himself in yesterday then bowlers havent picked up on it and exploited it yet.

yes i think too that that is the case

What an interesting first day ! Unlike a lot of people I wasn't convinced Sri Lanka were total rubbish - sure they've lost some star players , England should have their measure ; but they have a fair competitive record in England despite always getting sandwiched in at the end of the summer for one match or in May for two or three ; and , like any Test Team , can't be taken too lightly. Shanaka had quite a first three overs in test Cricket !
Did England take them too lightly ? Perhaps Root and Stokes did ? Or perhaps they just overreached a little - a year ago they were in at 30/4 against NZ and attacked their way out of trouble...I won't be too critical of their failures today ; and I don't think Bayliss will either. Though maybe next time they will be a little more cautious at the start...

Hales confounded expectations.No swash and buckle , though he hit a lot of boundaries ; but great application while wickets fell around him. Not an easy batting day : so his success despite his acknowledged weaknesses point to hopes he may yet adapt to the long game....early signs yet ; but hopeful ones.
Bairstow was just superb. In hot form , as we know - and frankly (lbw scares notwithstanding) looked totally in command. I sense that hundred in SA has convinced him for the first time that he really belongs ; and we may see him go on to improve further ...dare we hope it will rub off on his keeping ? OK , only Sri Lanka ...but it is a positive start to the summer for the Yorkshireman. We will see later in the summer if Pakistan can exploit his front pad issues. In the meantime I like having him in at seven and I'll bet the England dressing room do too.

lankans haven't gotten the length right.......too short..for this pitch so far this morning.

they are bowling seamer's length and not swing bowling length

KP_fan wrote:lankans haven't gotten the length right.......too short..for this pitch so far this morning.

they are bowling seamer's length and not swing bowling length

True. Think they'd have learned from early success yesterday.

Bit of a try at boring Bairstow out wide outside off ...but apart from the caught and bowled chance no scares for England.

Hales remaining very patient !

Overly negative again from Sri Lanka. They seem happy to wait for the second new ball, but that is another hour or so off yet.

England will be happy to carry on as they are - 350+ must be the target.

Weather looks miserable for Saturday, so a positive result looks some way off at the moment.

They have retarded the scoring , I suppose - Hales almost motionless this morning ; but you'd think if these two are there after lunch it could be party time.

Guess the one chance today came from frustrating Bairstow a little. But there has been some movement ; so a more attacking approach seemed called for...

Oh Alex Hales, crushing disappointment.

Really mature innings from him, gave England a solid base.

So no century for Hales as he falls to Herath. Disappointment after all that hard work...but a fine patient innings - if more the kind of knock you'd expect from Compton.

Well played anyway and he has put England into a much sounder position.

Ah a shame for Hales, but a really encouraging innings from him for the future

Bairstow starting to open up a little bit - 94*

Gutted for Alex, but a massively important innings both individually and for the team. Showed great character under no small amount of pressure to dig England out of a big hole.

Seven down.

Bairstow needs to accelerate now, England need another 100 runs or so.

Moeen gone for a duck and at 231/7 and a new ball four overs away England are in danger of folding for a mediocre total after all... good time for a Broad cameo ?

Chopped on.

And England's hard work in the first hour is all for nought. Bairstow has to try to clobber England to 300.

...not happening for Broad as Chameera has another one ! Sri Lanka having a great patch and arguably getting back on top now...

Bairstow might be left high and dry .

Lack of application from the top to middle order. Sri Lanka have bowled well at times, but too many gave it away with loose shots early.

Marvellous century for Bairstow, his county form carries over. Very important knock, and getting it on overthrows must be a rarity!

No finer way to reach a hundred imo

100 for Bairstow. Steadily proving me wrong about his suitability for the test team. One of 2 batsman to escape with credit.

Bairstow gifted his hundred with overthrows But he deserves it however it came. A really fine innings.

Reckon we will see some aggression now

Lunch on 243/8. Morning belonged to Bairstow ... and Chameera who came back well with the two late wickets to peg England back.

Haven't see Craig's road map for today but I guess Bairstow would like the tailenders to stay with him for another fifty or so ...around 300 would be a good score in these conditions. Right now I reckon Sri Lanka have done OK from sending England in - though whether they can back that up with the bat remains to be seen...

England will roll out Sri Lanka for a sub-200 score, so worry not.

300 would be nice for England from here.

Waiting for Craig to appear and excuse Ali and Broad's rubbish innings by stating they are attacking players and therefore unable to work out that a guy nearing a century and playing very well could just be worth hanging round to support

VTR wrote:Waiting for Craig to appear and excuse Ali and Broad's rubbish innings by stating they are attacking players and therefore unable to work out that a guy nearing a century and playing very well could just be worth hanging round to support

Broad maybe - but Moeen basically got out defending so you can't really have a go at him for recklessness.

Duty281 wrote:England will roll out Sri Lanka for a sub-200 score, so worry not.

That may turn out be so - but it doesn't alter the fact that Sri Lanka have done pretty well with their bowling ; albeit with some loose batting from England. If it were not for drs and the Bairstow overturn yesterday could have been a bit of a disaster !

I think Moeen's dismissal was a bit airy fairy, basically ended up a nothing shot as he was setting himself up to lace the ball to the boundary. Utter waste as he has been in good form in the CC

alfie wrote:

Duty281 wrote:England will roll out Sri Lanka for a sub-200 score, so worry not.

That may turn out be so - but it doesn't alter the fact that Sri Lanka have done pretty well with their bowling ; albeit with some loose batting from England.  If it were not for drs and the Bairstow overturn yesterday could have been a bit of a disaster !

They have indeed done pretty well, but I wager they could have done somewhat better if they weren't so negative with their bowling tactics, particularly during the first hour of play.

England must improve, and I have no doubt they will, further on in the summer.

And Bairstow now on the attack!

Brilliant innings from Bairstow anyway. Hales can't really be faulted, an 80-odd is as good as a century in some situations. I expect the rest of them are kicking themselves so the batting will improve as they re-adjust to playing Tests

Bairstow proving once again that he's the best runner in cricket at the moment, only Kohli comes close.

Very handy fifty stand

Getting towards a respectable total. Bairstow has the bowling on a string...

alfie wrote:

VTR wrote:Waiting for Craig to appear and excuse Ali and Broad's rubbish innings by stating they are attacking players and therefore unable to work out that a guy nearing a century and playing very well could just be worth hanging round to support

Broad maybe - but Moeen basically got out defending so you can't really have a go at him for recklessness.

Let it drop eh? I have moved on from it. Have you?

People have opinions that don't correlate with others so what? I am not going to trail back through posts and scoff at those who wanted Hales dropped and said Buttler should be in as Bairstow can't bat.

England in a solid enough position now to post a score in excess of 300 on a pitch that will always offer something for the bowlers.

Craig - in the words of Alec Stewart to me and many others, ''It's a game of opinions, sir.''

guildfordbat wrote:Craig - in the words of Alec Stewart to me and many others, ''It's a game of opinions, sir.''

Of course it is.

Anyway, Craig, back to work - England currently 289/9. What's the roadmap to stumps?

Happy to draw a line under it Craig, I was only trolling you to provoke you into life. I actually enjoyed the debate yesterday, we didn't agree in the end but its a game of opinions and all that

140 and out. Dragged England to a respectable total.

End of an excellent innings from Bairstow - caught deep at mid on for 140

300 might be a struggle now unless the Burnley Lara gets his cover punch working


Nah forget it ... Finn in command

Still got 2 guys with Test fifties at the crease. 400 is on the cards!

298. Near enough.

VTR wrote:Happy to draw a line under it Craig, I was only trolling you to provoke you into life. I actually enjoyed the debate yesterday, we didn't agree in the end but its a game of opinions and all that  

No problem.

About par. Would have liked 50 more, but I think it'll do.

guildfordbat wrote:Anyway, Craig, back to work  - England currently 289/9. What's the roadmap to stumps?

a road map to stumps?

England to be bowled out for 310. And Sri Lanka to reach tea on 20 for 2. And stumps England to reduce them to 100 for 5. That is what England will aim for.

Sri Lanka will look to bowl England out for no more than 310. Bat to tea unscathed on 25 for 0 and reach close on around 125 for 2.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:Anyway, Craig, back to work  - England currently 289/9. What's the roadmap to stumps?

a road map to stumps?

England to be bowled out for 310. And Sri Lanka to reach tea on 20 for 2. And stumps England to reduce them to 100 for 5. That is what England will aim for.

Sri Lanka will look to bowl England out for no more than 310. Bat to tea unscathed on 25 for 0 and reach close on around 125 for 2.

Too slow.

Sri Lanka to be rolled out for 119. Anderson with five.

Start as they mean to go on!

Seriously lop-sided scorecard. Two fellows make 226 and no one else past twenty.

And three partnerships account for about 250 out of the total.

Pitch a bit tricky at times with variable bounce , and some movement - though it might be easier now with the sun out - so if the England bowlers are on song they can make it hard for Sri Lanka's bats. Be interesting to see how they use the conditions.

Now it's in the interests of Compton and Vince for this series that Bairstow does decently behind the stumps. The Yorks man could still be binned as a keeper but he's not exiting this team as a batsman.

Broad gets some nice shape away from the left-hander, buys the edge.

One down.

And now James makes best use of the variable bounce. 12/2.

Bairstow solid behind the stumps both times.