Updates from day two of the second Test at the Riverside
Alex Hales: I’m still improving as a red-ball cricketer for England
Email vithushan.ehantharajah.casual@guardian.co.uk or tweet @Vitu_E
5.40pm BST
28th over: Sri Lanka 75-6 (Thirimanne 5, Herath 5)
Change of approach for Woakes as he comes around the wicket. He’s cramping Herath for room and, as a result, bad pad, set deeper than usual, looks interested in one that pops up just short of him. A fourth maiden for Woakes.
5.37pm BST
27th over: Sri Lanka 75-6 (Thirimanne 5, Herath 5)
This is a bit more like it from Finn. Pace and, crucially, bounce. Two spit up at Herath and sting the bat sharply enough to have him taking off his bottom hand as it jars causing discomfort. Still, Herath keeps his nerve to stay still and open the face of his bat to guide a back of a length ball between third slip and gully for four. A decent ball but well played by Herath. Joseph Harvey emails in from Colorado with some fascinating detail on the nuances of baseball-batting:
5.32pm BST
26th over: Sri Lanka 70-6 (Thirimanne 5, Herath 0)
Still very good from Woakes, who keeps Thirimanne honest with balls he can’t quite drive. Even the deliveries in the left-hander’s half are shaping across him, meaning he can only lead of play straight back down the ground, where a couple of fielders lurk to prevent any run. Maiden it is – Woakes’ third in a row.
5.29pm BST
25th over: Sri Lanka 70-6 (Thirimanne 5, Herath 0)
Finn around the wicket to both left-handers and Thirimanne – Sri Lanka’s last hope at saving their skin from total embarrassment – pushes two into the covers. A single off the final ball, as Finn brings his length back but loses his line instead. It’s not quite happening for him right now.
5.26pm BST
24th over: Sri Lanka 67-4 (Thirimanne 2, Herath 0)
To say Rangana Herath “will play his shots” doesn’t quite tell the whole story. To be honest, some of them can’t quite be termed as such: they are more involuntary twitches that, occasionally, produce runs. A few flays and misses – one nicely timed drive to point – but no runs in that over. Continuing on the baseball-cricket theme, is John Starbuck:
5.21pm BST
23rd over: Sri Lanka 67-6 (Thirimanne 2, Herath 0)
Vish here to take this through to close. Quite the procession from Sri Lanka (again). Milinda Siriwardana was drafted in for his batting, by the way. He’s quite classy to watch when he gets going. Maybe tune in for a Sri Lanka home series for that. Steven Finn bowls a maiden but does not really ask anything of the batsmen. Chris THE DESTROYER Woakes to continue at the other end...
5.17pm BST
Michael Avery emailed me before Milinda Siriwardana went, espousing Jonny Bairstow’s excellence.
“By my reckoning the most catches by a wicketkeeper in a three match series is 21 by Amal Silva back in 1985,” he wrote. “I know this might be getting getting ahead of myself, but Bairstow is already on 11 with another potential 36 wickets to fall. If England keep on bowling like this then Bairstow could end up high on the list alongside the likes of Knott, Stewart, Prior and Russell. Not bad considering all the concerns that have been raised about his keeping.”
5.14pm BST
22nd over: Sri Lanka 67-6 (Thirimanne 2) Siriwardana is in, which means we’ve got a pair of elegant lefties prone to giving it away at the crease. Although, to be fair, it’s been a good day for their breed, after Mo’s daddy ton earlier. Woakes continues his probing work, and beats Milinda second ball, which just seems to nip away. He plays the next couple better and looks composed enough, I suppose.
The Sri Lankans are in a horrible mess here, and it’s just got worse. It really has. The last ball of the over, again, is in that channel. He’s nicked it, of course he has. He’s nicked it and Bairstow’s taken the catch.
Chris Woakes continuing from his nine-fer on Monday here, just relentlessly at the batsman every ball. The right pick
5.09pm BST
Oh, well bowled Chris Woakes. That’s very tricky to play and Mendis is on his way. It’s a tight line and has got very big on him as he’s tried to defend. Anyway, it’s flown off the shoulder of the bat and Anderson’s taken the kind of catch that Anderson does not drop.
5.08pm BST
21st over: Sri Lanka 67-4 (Mendis 35, Thirimanne 2) It’s Steven Finn again, and the Sky lads have got a graphic up shaming his pace, or lack of. Oh well, it’s a fine, and pretty uneventful maiden to Thirimanne.
Robert Wilson is back and he’s here to debunk myths about baseball: “Crickety-types,” he says, “always tend to think that baseball is the coarse and nuance-free version of the purer game. The thing about baseball is that it’s a lotharder than it looks. I once had a go in a batting cage and I can tell you that it’s a very bad place to be if you don’t know what you’re doing. Ouch is too small a word.”
5.04pm BST
20th over: Sri Lanka 67-4 (Mendis 35, Thirimanne 2) Woakesy, as the England lads - Broady, Rooty, Halesy and Stokesy - no doubt call him, to bowl his third over. Thirimanne picks up a nice single down the ground, then Mendis edges - with very soft hands, unlike his mates - edges to third man for four. Oh, what have we here? That’s a jaffa from Woakes. It’s just nipped away and squared Mendis up, and flies through to Bairstow’s right, and he drops it. Never fear, it was off the back pad, not the bat. Too good for everyone.
4.59pm BST
19th over: Sri Lanka 62-4 (Mendis 31, Thirimanne 1) The three wickets this session have all come from the last ball of the over. Something in that? Probably not. Jimmy’s off now, and Steven Finn is replacing him. Mendis, who has looked impressive again as more seasoned colleagues have prodded around horribly, takes three from Finn’s first two balls. He turns a couple round to fine leg, first for two, then one. Thirimanne’s the new man and he’s beaten outside off first ball for my money. He leaves the next and then just prods elegantly into the offside to get himself off the mark. Mendis turns the last ball of the over to midwicket and... there’s no run.
4.53pm BST
18th over: Sri Lanka 58-4 (Mendis 28) More from Woakes. He’s a sort of watered down Jimmy, isn’t he? The tactics are the same. Stick it in the channel outside off, and see how hard-handed they are. Mathews is the man facing, and he’s not looking too convincing, I’m afraid. After a play and miss, a horrible one, he cover drives for two. But last ball he’s got a nick and Bairstow takes the catch! He’s just squared up a wee bit. The review comes from the skipper, but he knows it’s futile. He really does. Rod Tucker is very chatty in the third umpire chair. Gone.
More cricket/baseball patter, this time from Leo Phillips, who is somewhere rather warmer than me. “Just back from Bangkok’s Molly Malone pub,” he crows, “where I happily watched the morning session... and now at home catching up with OBO in the last session. I, like David Keech, (though thankfully without the dual nationality), lived in the USA and occasionally watched baseball (Chicago Cubs and White Sox). It was certainly a fun afternoon out with (at least as was then) beer and junk food - and the additional attraction of a sing-song in the middle. Test Cricket it was not. Nor ever could be.”
4.48pm BST
17th over: Sri Lanka 56-3 (Mendis 28, Mathews 1) Broad’s off, but Anderson ain’t. He bowls a maiden to Mendis, the most interesting moment of which was an edge that never threatened to carry to the cordon. Mendis cover drives to the man placed to stop it, then plays and misses at the wobble ball.
An email from John Starbuck: “David Keech is right in that cricket champions do go on a bit about their superiority to baseball,” he writes, :which most of them probably thinks of as traditionally a girls’ game i.e. rounders*. While cricket and baseball are similar in the pitcher/hitter and bowler/batsman psychological contest being similar, cricket has a third element which both must master - the pitch and how it plays, plus the atmosphere generally. I’m ready to be corrected but do baseball field conditions matter so much?”
4.45pm BST
16th over: Sri Lanka 56-3 (Mendis 28, Mathews 1) So, after eight overs each from BRANDERSON, Cook makes a change. He throws the ball to Christopher of Woakes. his first ball is an absolute beauty and beats Mendis outside off. Bowled, young man. He just looks so lovely, doesn’t he? The sort of fella you’d want your daughter or sister to go out with. Below is an 18-month old tweet from the man sat to my left that just about sums things up. Mendis gets off strike with a legbye, then Mathews gets a beauty first ball too. Beaten outside off, but he’s off the mark next ball, tucking it to leg. Last ball of the over is shorter, and Mendis just fences it into the covers for one.
When you're a teen, you'd lie to your parents about going to Alex Hales' house party by saying you were staying at Chris Woakes' house.
4.39pm BST
15th over: Sri Lanka 53-3 (Mendis 27) Mendis starts this Jimmy over with a nice-looking drive through the covers that earns him three runs. Chandimal now, and he’s really looking to get on the front foot early. Not sure that’s the brightest move, mate. His first come from one such lunge, an outside edge squirting through the cordon down to third man for four.
Oh, and there it is! He shoves himself forward once more with hard hands, the ball is in the nasty channel and the edge is taken. Cook takes the catch at first slip.
4.33pm BST
14th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Mendis 24, Chandimal 0) Broad to Chandimal and his bad hand. I get the impression Broad knows what he’s doing here. He’s just bowling full, swinging them away, and taking him slightly wider each time. The fourth ball is different. It’s the inswinger, and it hits Chandimal’s pad, but only after his bat had intervened. The appeal is half-arsed, which is enough the tell the umpire that it’s never out. Stuart Broad’s appeals are never half-arsed. The rest of a maiden is safely negotiated: defence then leave.
STRANGLED CELEBRAPPEAL
4.30pm BST
13th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Mendis 24, Chandimal 0) This, you sense, is where the going gets really tough for the Lankans. Both the openers are gone, and both Anderson and Broad are doing their thing. Chandimal, who has a dicky thumb, joins Mendis, who plays and misses at Jimmy’s first ball. The only runs of another probing over come off Mendis’s outside edge - of course they do - through the backward point region for two. An absolute seed last ball misses the outside edge by a smidgeon.
4.24pm BST
12th over: Sri Lanka 44-2 (Mendis 22) The commentators are talking rather a lot about agriculture. Ploughing and the like. Not sure it’s great chat personally. Broad to Mendis. He leaves the first and then plays the flick off his pads that he so loves and is DROPPED! Oh no, of all the people. It’s Compo, at midwicket. That’s a tough chance, diving to his left, but he’s dropped it.
Later in the over, he gets an inside edge passed his stumps, and Silva comes on strike. Last ball of the six, he nicks off and Bairstow takes the catch low to his right. How low? Is it too low? Has it bounced in? We are going upstairs to have a look. You know what this means? FORESHORTENING CHAOS! We’re looking at loads of angles. Will he? Won’t he?
4.17pm BST
11th over: Sri Lanka 43-1 (Mendis 21, Silva 13) Jimmy looks like he’s relishing the chance to bowl to Silva, who is pretty wet behind the ears. After a leave, he’s beaten outside off. Oh, that’s a pretty decent shot, mind. He’s just pressed forward and guided to third man off the face of his bat. He gets four as Vince can’t quite haul it in running back from gully. Defends, leaves, defends. Over.
4.13pm BST
10th over: Sri Lanka 39-1 (Mendis 21, Silva 9) Lurvely stuff from Mendis to Broad. He throws his hands hard at a drive from the first but only manages to find point. The next, though, was an altogether smoother job, and it whistles along the deck for four through extra cover. He then leaves, defends, leaves again and then defends again. Four from the over. They are ticking along here, the Lankans.
4.09pm BST
9th over: Sri Lanka 35-1 (Mendis 17, Silva 9) It’s Jimmy from the other end, of course it is. Mendis is beaten outside off a fair bit here, for that is what Jimmy does. The rest are defended or left, until the last, which is edged wide of gully for three runs. The young thrusters Hales and Vince chase it down and haul it in to save one. A controlled edge, that is called.
No such thing as enough Foxy Fowler love.
@willis_macp Good to see Graeme Fowler getting all this love. This was an epic GF tweet. He's the anti Chris Gayle. https://t.co/vLxIb6spT3
Career landmark for Samit Patel - 10,000 f-c runs. Congrats pic.twitter.com/NKuHzkqPNh
4.05pm BST
8th over: Sri Lanka 32-1 (Mendis 14, Silva 9) So Broad is having a bowl to Silva, and slowly but surely the ball is honing in on an edge. The first couple are outside off, and left well alone. The next is a little straighter and just misses the outside edge as Silva prods forward. The fourth is straighter still and kisses the edge, but the hands are soft enough to see it die; as it rolls through to Cook at first slip. The fifth is defended better, and the last left, but not all that tidily. It’s a maiden.
David Keech writes from Ohio, about talking cricket to the agnostic: “I’m a dual national Anglo-American living here in Ohio. I have a ton of experience explaining cricket to my now fellow yanks – which is best done in baseball terms – but as a dedicated follower of baseball too I get so tired of the unbelievable arrogance of so many cricket followers poo pooing baseball. When you understand them in depth – as I do – they are both tremendous sports. What better way to spend a day than watching cricket via ESPN web feed in the morning and baseball in the evening? As an IT professional I know tons of Indians. So I have spent a lot of time explaining baseball to them. Once you explain that both sports are about mind games and a subtle psychological battle between bat and ball it is much easier to get their interest. In fact the mind games between pitcher and hitter are even more pronounced and fascinating than those between bowler and batsman.”
4.00pm BST
The players are out! The cricket is nigh.
3.55pm BST
The wonderful Graeme Fowler is talking on Sky right now. He’s a very good man, is Foxy. And yesterday, he gave a similar interview to Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special yesterday at lunchtime. I listened to it on my way home yesterday, and it’s spectacular, and a wee bit emotional. You can listen to it here. Please do. You won’t regret it.
3.50pm BST
Hello! It’s Will. And I’m back. Moeen Ali’s a bit lovely, isn’t he?
Anyway, talk to me. I can be reached in two ways. There’s the twitters @willis_macp or the email: will.macpherson.freelance@guardian.co.uk. I’m ready and raring to read your witticisms.
3.45pm BST
Right, I’m off for a power
nap
tea. Will Macpherson jumps back into the OBO chair for the first hour before I return to take things home. We’ll be back in five...
3.42pm BST
7th over: Sri Lanka 32-1 (Mendis 14, Silva 9)
Two through cover for Mendis off Anderson. He wasn’t quite to the pitch of the ball but his hands were good enough to get that through cover. The ball isn’t moving about as much as Headingley. Most of your lot from Durham does tend to come off the pitch. While the odd delivery is deviating, Mendis is able to cover any movement and even nab a couple through point. That is the tea interval. Just the one wicket to fall – Anderson bowling Karunaratne around his legs (from over the wicket to the left-hander!).
3.37pm BST
6th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Mendis 10, Silva 9)
Groans as Silva punches a back of a length ball from Broad into the area where a short leg may have been. Would have been one hell of a catch, mind. He gets off strike with a slightly mistimed square drive for three, which doesn’t quite have the legs to reach the boundary. He doesn’t make any mistake with the penultimate ball of the over: this coming right out of the screws for four to cover. Over on Sky, Michael Atherton has asked Sir Ian Botham what subject he would have studied at university. “Hmmmm, I was always into Chemistry,” replies Botham. “I think we should leave that there.”
3.32pm BST
5th over: Sri Lanka 20-1 (Mendis 9, Silva 2)
Soft hands from Mendis gives him three through to third man off a controlled edge. A single ends the over, as Kaushal Silva steps across his stumps – front pad right in front of middle and off – to work a full ball into the leg side. Might be worth keeping an eye on that, Jimmy...
3.29pm BST
4th over: Sri Lanka 16-1 (Mendis 6, Silva 1)
Mendis, who got off the strike with a single off the last ball of Anderson’s over, sends Broad to the cover boundary with a glorious drive. Granted, it didn’t take much to stand out among the Sri Lanka batsmen at Headingley, but his 53 in the second innings showed exactly what the selectors see in him. He’s young, talented and, crucially, enjoys the graft.
Anderson's ball to dismiss Karunaratne was pitched 7.2m from the batsman's stumps and it swung 0.78 degress #ENGvSL
11 wickets at an average of 4.54 runs per wicket....Jimmy Anderson this series... #engvsl
3.24pm BST
3rd over: Sri Lanka 11-1 (Mendis 1, Silva 1)
Perhaps the worst part of that Karunaratne dismissal is the fact that he had no idea what and happened so hung around on the outfield for a bit and had to be given out again by the umpire. Watch the replay in the dressing room, Dimuth. Kusal Mendis comes out. “You don’t get a lot of rest being a Sri Lanka number three,” says Atherton.
3.22pm BST
Oh wow – bowled around his legs! A gross misjudgment from Karunaratne sees him make too big a move to the off side to leave his leg stump exposed. Anderson, who probably thought the delivery was going to be tucked around the corner, gets his first wicket of the match.
3.19pm BST
2nd over: Sri Lanka 10-0 (Karunaratne 9, Silva 1)
Stuart Broad’s starting around the wicket to the left-handed Karunaratne, who has been undone outside off stump on a number of occasions. Mostly because he loves to take the ball into the leg side, which is always going to cause him trouble, particularly when the ball is moving. He keeps his cool, though, and takes a single into the leg side. Kaushal Silva gets his first ball of the Test and, after a skewed blocked, he gets off the mark with a dab into the leg side. Broad then finds the outside edge of Karunaratne’s bat, but for no reward, as the batsman takes three.
3.15pm BST
1st over: Sri Lanka 5-0 (Karunaratne 5, Silva 0)
James Anderson with the new pill, Dimuth Karunaratne the man to face up first. And he’s off the mark fourth ball with a tuck off his legs that just – just – gets to the boundary sponge for four. Anderson corrects his line immediately and bowls an away-swinger that leaves the batsman late. Good nut. A single off the next ball and Karunaratne will see what Stuart Broad has to work with. Meanwhile, Robert Wilson emails me to accuse me of serving up the “War & Peace of humblebrags” with my goalscoring exploits.
3.10pm BST
“Maybe my mind is too tidy,” starts Janet Stevens on email, “and I do see the point of declaring before Sri Lanka, get the last wicket – ‘you couldn’t even bowl us out’ – but why on earth didn’t he let them get the 500 up?! Psychological barrier and all that.”
Odd one, you’re right. It might - and I’m just guessing – have something to do with the time left in this session. Sri Lanka’s openers have just over 30-minutes to bat before tea. Should they make it through that, they have to start again after the break.
3.02pm BST
Pat Nagle on email has turned the tables on enjoyment morphing to sadness. And it’s brilliant...
“About 15-years ago I received an email one morning from a friend who had worked at a certain brewery for 22 years: ‘They’ve just announced they’re closing the brewery. It’s a bit like being at a funeral of a friend’s mother. And you’ve just won the lottery’.”
3.00pm BST
132nd over: Just four runs off the over and Alastair Cook decides Sri Lanka have suffered enough and brings the late assault to an end. Moeen Ali finishes on a career best 155, James Anderson on eight.
2.55pm BST
Paul, on the Twitters, raises an important point
@vitu_e is this now a 'daddy' hundred for Moeen? Where's the threshold?
2.53pm BST
131st over: England 494-9 (Ali 152, Anderson 7)
Rob Mildren brings up an excellent stat and subsequently reaches an excellent conclusion: First 5 wickets notched up 227 and the last five have (so far) hit 260. Time to reverse the batting line up and make Alastair Cook really sweat to reach 10,000?” All for that, Rob. A few nice drives but no runs.
2.50pm BST
130th over: England 494-9 (Ali 152, Anderson 7)
Just as things had begun to look a bit silly, Moeen slogs to midwicket for six to become the fifth England no.7 to score 150. Jonny Bairstow did it a few months ago in South Africa. Controlled cross bat into midwicket allows Moeen to take a single off the last ball. That over aside, Roy Allen has a point...
With almost 500 on the board and no personal milestones at stake, not taking available runs is stupid. #ENGvSL @vitu_e
2.47pm BST
129th over: England 487-9 (Ali 145, Anderson 7)
It’s getting to that point in the session where you’re not really sure who is enjoying themselves. Sri Lanka don’t really want to bowl, Moeen doesn’t fancy running, Jimmy’s quite happy with his feet up at the Non-Striker’s Inn (surely there’s a boozer by the same name, somewhere?). Three from the over.
2.41pm BST
128th over: England 483-9 (Ali 142, Anderson 7)
Oh Jimothy – what an absurdly good stroke that was! He gives himself room on the leg side – Lakmal still around the wicket – and swings him over cover for three. Moeen gets back the strike and whips a full-ish delivery beyond the diving man at square leg, who had no chance of taking the catch. Four. That’s Lakmal’s hundred, too – he joins three other Sri Lankan bowlers on that “landmark”.
2.34pm BST
127th over: England 476-9 (Ali 137, Anderson 4)
An over of dead-batting and turning down singles from Moeen. Speaking of which...
Moeen Ali reached 50 from 109 balls and has scored 84 from 64 while turning down about 15 singles since
2.30pm BST
126th over: England 476-9 (Ali 137, Anderson 4)
Herath reaches 300 and, in James Anderson, he’s eyeing up 301 already. Last ball of the over, Anderson reaches forward and plays that patented reverse sweep to get off the mark with a four.
Rangana Herath takes his 300th. A human being that is really a round ball of awesome.
2.28pm BST
Finn goes for a huge swipe but can barely get it past the other end and Herath takes the catch. That wicket is Herath’s 300th in Tests and he becomes only the third Sri Lankan, after Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, to reach the milestone.
2.26pm BST
125th over: England 471-8 (Ali 136, Finn 10)
Peculiarly, Moeen gives the strike up so Suranga Lakmal, who replaces Eranga, can pepper the number 10 from around the wicket. He does OK, even if he does wear more than he would like. But a controlled dab around the corner, gives Moeen the strike, who immediately takes it back with a similar shot of his own. AND THEN BOOM! What a shot that is! Steven Finn opens up his stance – he’s basically chest on to the bowler – and uses that V100 to clatter Lakmal through midwicket for four. SHOOTING
2.20pm BST
124th over: England 464-8 (Ali 134, Finn 5)
Moeen’s on fire – Rangana is terrified. First, a six gloriously larruped over long on. Then, as Herath darts one straight, a swipe to midwicket which is parried over by one of the three leg-side boundary riders.
2.17pm BST
123rd over: England 451-8 (Ali 122, Finn 4)
A single off the third ball gives Eranga the chance to try and pepper Steven Finn with some short stuff. The next three balls are, as you’d expect, comical. Finn tries to take on the short ball and misses completely. The next shot – the best of the lot – sees him drop his wrists from high to low to play the ball around the corner, well short of the man at leg gully. He misses the finally ball, too, but it cannons off his surfboard pads for four byes behind the keeper.
2.12pm BST
122nd over: England 446-8 (Ali 121, Finn 4)
They say beautiful people can make even the most disagreeable task look sexy. Moeen Ali, to a ball outside off stump, has just unfurled the most outrageous slog to midwicket you ever did see. That shot, by any other batsmen, would be greeted with a groan and maybe a bit of sick. For Moeen, it looked as sensual as a rose petal filled bath tub with Barry White. And yes, Barry White is in the bath with you. It’s a big bath. Finn, given his ration of the strike, hits through cover majestically for two. Rangana Herath is the bowler, by the way. He’s also in the bath with Barry White.
2.06pm BST
121st over: England 439-8 (Ali 116, Finn 2)
Mathews jolts into life. He takes his time to set the field: a man goes out on the hook. Two men in fact – fine leg and square leg. Eranga, around the wicket, serves up the perfect bouncer. Moeen takes the bait and hooks high into the grey skies. And it’s dropped! Oh Milinda Siriwardana. After all the build-up and the execution, the plan fails at the last moment. That’s the third chance Sri Lanka have shelled today – the second from the blade of Moeen. Misery compounded by a brace of fours – one in front of midwicket, the other forehand-smashed over extra cover. That’s now a career best for Mozilla...
2.02pm BST
120th over: England 428-8 (Ali 105, Finn 2)
Ali goes to three figures with the very first ball of the over, then looks to celebrate by carting Pradeep into the North Sea. He misses. He still wants the strike, though, so pilfers a single off the penultimate ball. Mahela Jayawardene thinks it was a classy innings. He’d know.
Think of all the 100s Mo would score if all Tests were against Sri Lanka at Northern venues.
1.59pm BST
... and what a way to do it! Pradeep bowls in his arc and Ali hits high and gloriously over mid off for four! It’s come off 152 balls and featured 12 fours, each one as delectable as the last. That’s now back-to-back centuries for England number sevens...
1.56pm BST
119th over: England 421-8 (Ali 98, Finn 2)
Glorious carve through point for no run, as the fielder out in the deep stays where he is to field the ball. Ali’s only dealing in twos in the first four balls of the over, it seems. Second ball, he gets another brace, albeit after a review for a run out at the keeper’s end. Finally, Mathews brings the field up. Eranga bowls a back of a length ball which Ali strikes on the up to Rangana Herath at mid off. The throw comes into the nonstriker’s end... AND MISSES! He was a goner then, was Moeen, even with the dive!
@Vitu_E Moeen Ali Fan Club nervous as their hero get's into his 90's. pic.twitter.com/FoCqOdbvzr
1.51pm BST
118th over: England 418-8 (Ali 95, Finn 2)
Ali pushes deep into the covers and decides against the single. Steven Finn, who trots halfway down, understands and, soon, is hurtling back to the non-striker’s end as Ali works the ball down the ground for two. It’s the same the next delivery, when Ali goes wider for another couple. And then there’s the single, as Finn sees out the over.
1.46pm BST
117th over: England 413-8 (Ali 90, Finn 2)
Welcome back from lunch, OBO-ers. If you’ve returned from your sarnies and salads on time, then you would have been rewarded with a delicious flick through midwicket for four to take Moeen to 89. Shaminda Eranga is around the wicket, with the field out. And it stays out for the final ball of the over, allowed Moeen to get a single and keep the strike. Can Angelo Mathews count to six?
1.42pm BST
Play back underway... Eranga to continue, Moeen (85*) is facing up
1.38pm BST
A good afternoon, too, to John Davis writing in from Kathmandu and has experienced his first proper earthquake! “Thankfully only a 4.7 or so,” he says. Phew. “I was sitting on the toilet at the time.” And here come all my bog-based insecurities SCREAMING to the forefront of my mind.
“Anyway, I have access to a TV for the first time in a fortnight and the cricket is available. Sadly, my wife is using the time to catch up on The Walking Dead. I’m sure there is a joke in that somewhere.” If there is, John, we’ll do our best to find it and subsequently milk it for all its worth. Glad to hear that you and your wife are safe.
1.29pm BST
Afternoon all. I was a bit nervous about taking over from Will Maccpherson, who did a sterling job negotiating the crucial first and second hours. But just as I had convinced myself that this was my time, I get sledged from Finland, via my inbox, by Adrian Goldman...
“I’d point out that your twitter tag is very close to a swear word in Finland: Voi Vittu is what you hear the teenage girls in the buses say…and it translates as oh C…”
Sitting on an ergonmic chair, watching the cricket updates by @Vitu_E and playing Beatles songs on a Gretsch. So, basically, I've won today.
1.19pm BST
Anyway, I’m going to step out of the OBO chair for a wee while and let the only man with a longer Guardian email address, Vish Ehantharajah, take over. He’s a sort of wannabe Sri Lankan and he talks like Andrew Strauss, so play nice. The man is conflicted. Email him at vithushan.ehantharajah.casual@guardian.co.uk (I’d copy ad paste that rather than typing it out yourself, or tweet him at the pithier @vitu_e.
Before I go, another email from Robert Wilson, who is delighted that the Grand Seduction has got a shout out. I feel the need to watch this thing now. “A MILLION times yes!” he wails. “The Grand Seduction is a proper neglected masterpiece. With serious claims to the best cricket sequences in cinematic history. That’s serious cricket/cinephile nerd props!”
And he's off! @MichaelVaughan is on his way to Wembley! pic.twitter.com/mBz3QciYBK
Just had a live marriage proposal on the big screen during lunch at the Test match ... high risk strategy .. but she said yes
Fewest Tests to reach 1,000 runs and 50 wickets for England: 21 Ian Botham; 22 Trevor Bailey, Tony Greig, Ben Stokes; 25 Moeen Ali
1.11pm BST
Anyway, your emails!
Paul Mitchell’s super manly day isn’t going to plan. “Update: so far it’s not going well. I’ve put the steering wheel on backwards and I’ve got the mash temperature wrong.” Take solace in the fact that you would almost certainly be better than me at this. I am quite literally useless at DIY. Useless.
1.04pm BST
116th over: England 408-8 (Ali 85, Finn 2) Mo just nudges into the offside for one more to take his score to 85 before Pradeep, after his fifth wicket, continues the leg theory to Finn, who I don’t fancy to bite. There’s a yorker, that he digs out, then for the last ball, short leg and leg gully go in! It’s fullish and hits him on the pad. Pitching outside.
Anyway, it’s lunch, and I’ve been caught off guard by it. Good session for England, but Sri Lanka will be a bit disappointed, especially with their diabolical fielding.
Moeen's is now the highest score by a batsman at No. 7 or lower in Tests at Chester-le-Street. #ENGvSL
12.57pm BST
115th over: England 407-8 (Ali 84, Finn 2) Finn is looking a doughty partner for Moeen here. he’s happy to take the singles. He’s just punching to deep cover for one and they get three from the over. By the end of the over, Lakmal is going round the wicket and bouncing poor Finny. He gloves the last one into the legside.
Beijing’s Andrew Benton writes. “Just like to thank my friend, neighbour and colleague Olly, who popped round a moment ago to remind me that I should be following the OBO. Oh, most heinous of crimes! How on earth did it slip my mind? Believe it or not, I was thinking of potato spirals - yes, we have them here in Beijing too! And lo and behold.... Anyway, a round of applause for all OBO-ing busy dads with young families. I don’t think I could do it.”
12.52pm BST
114th over: England 404-8 (Mooen 82, Finn 2) On rolls Mr Pradeep. Finn’s justblocking these, and defending into the legside. The fourth is fuller and he drives uglily to cover. No run. There is a run from the fifth delivery, nudged through square leg. He’s nicked the blooming strike again. Clever Mo cleverly steals it back though, a punched pull earning him one.
Duncan Stackhouse is back with news of his studies and a really very good question. “Thesis writing going okay today, as I’m sure you all wanted to know,” he says. “I’m saying this in the knowledge that I will be lampooned by all of you if he now gets out/runs out of partners but... If Moeen makes a century today would it be the first time that the only centurion for a side batting first in both tests had been the number 7 batsman? And a different player to boot?”
Lost a pair of prescription sunglasses in a blue case somewhere between the station Citrone's cafe and the Test. Please RT.
12.48pm BST
113th over: England 402-8 (Mooen 81, Finn 1) Interesting times there, for Moeen Ali. Field is out, trying to get the beautiful blighter off strike. It doesn’t work for the first three balls, which he defends and blocks. The fourth is cut to point and they take the single. Finn’s firmly in behind the penultimate, then he nudges to leg for one to steal the strike. It’s given as a leg-bye.
Paul has a question. What do we reckon? World In Motion is a song that should be listened to any time you want, in my opinion.
@willis_macp I have a non-cricket question, if that's OK. Does the end of tonight's CL final mark the point at which it's permissible...1/2
@willis_macp ...to assume Euro 2016 mode (ie. listen to World In Motion) without it feeling like you're listening to Xmas hits in July?
12.44pm BST
112th over: England 400-8 (Ali 80, Finn 0) Bit odd. Finn was sat on the balcony looking a bit village, with helmet on and all, ready to bat. The Broad gets out and it’s his turn to bat, but he took an absolute age to get to the middle. He leaves a couple then defends. The last one whacks Finn on the pad and they go up, but Ravi’s having none of it. Sliding down, innit.
Ian Copestake is tempting fate with some kind of reverse double-jix: “Eighties are the new hundreds. So hopefully we will be celebrating Mo’s achievement in the next over. Before he gets out.”
12.40pm BST
England have 400 runs. Well done them. That is brought up by Moeen just pulling Pradeep easily for one. But now Broad is gone! He’s just wafted outside off, got a nick to one that nipped and Mendis takes his second catch behind the stumps. Good work from the Lankans.
12.36pm BST
111st over: England 399-7 (Ali 79, Broad 7) Moeen has got to the stage where he’s just knocking the singles about a bit and pick up runs at will. He does that to Lakmal’s first ball, just pushing into the offside. Then Broad drives nicely on the up for a couple through the same region. Could have run three. He plays the same shot next, but they only get one as it was straight to the man in the deep. Mo defends, then takes another of his singles into the covers. Lakmal drops shot and Broad dodges.
12.31pm BST
110th over: England 394-7 (Ali 77, Broad 4) Mr Pradeep is replacing Herath for a bit. Probably because there are two lefties in and he likes bowling to lefties. Ali takes one to point and gives Broad, the newbie, the strike. He misses one, defends to mid-off, and then gets a thick edge through gully for four. He misses again, and then defends with utter, perfect certainty.
Lee Smith is feeling a bit left out: “What’s a man supposed to do?” he muses, from the Riverside. “I don’t live in Paris and I certainly haven’t been schlepping around highfalutin’ galleries so can’t report from a glamorous locale (well Durham). Plus I’m not a grumbling Lanky and I don’t have a hangover. I haven’t had any curly friesy but I did see Ben Watt and Bernard Butler last night at the Cluny.”
12.26pm BST
109th over: England 389-7 (Moeen 76) Lakmal comes on for Mathews, who really does hate bowling, doesn’t he? Anyway, after Woakes plays an emphatic cover drive to the man in the deep for one, Mo pulls beautifully but the man in the deep just dives over it. Four.
After another single for Mo, from nowhere, Woakes is gone! He’s just had a drive and feathered through to Mendis, deputising for Chandimal behind the sticks. The stand was worth 92.
Saqlain Mushtaq deal is one week working with spinners at second England v Pakistan at Old Trafford with poss view to winter tours
12.21pm BST
108th over: England 383-6 (Moeen 71, Woakes 38) During this Herath over, Moeen plays one of those back foot drives, and one of those cover drives, that make it fairly likely that my firstborn will carry the name Moeen. Moeen Macpherson. Ring to it, I’m sure you’ll agree. Anyway, he gets four for both, and uses his feet (Tom) cleverly for the latter There’s also a nudge to leg for two more.
Paul Mitchell is spending Saturday being a professional Man. “On the topic of what I’m doing while reading OBO,” he grunts, “I’m juggling brewing up a batch of beer and fixing the car in between keeping an eye on the cricket. I’ll probably end up with oil in the homebrew.”
12.18pm BST
107th over: England 371-6 (Moeen 59, Woakes 38) In comes Mathews, and Mo has a wild hoick, which goes over the slips and down to third man for four. I believe I’m supposed to point out, at this stage, that they all count. They do. It’s true. Mo takes one more through point, then Woakes eases through midwicket for two to end the over.
Spiral potato news from South Korea:
@willis_macp Greetings from Seoul - spiral potatoes - one of the strange but enticing things you can do with a spiraliser attachment.
@willis_macp it's gonna be a slow morning isn't it? Everyone either hungover and/or waiting for champions league build up. Hang in there!
12.13pm BST
106th over: England 364-6 (Moeen 54, Woakes 36) It’s time for a bit of Rangana Herath, and the wonderful chubby funster is looking for his 300th wicket. Only one milestone this over, though, as Moeen skips down and knocks him over mid-off to reach a mighty fine half-century. Well batted that man. There’s a single to leg later in the over, then Woakes just blocks a couple.
12.10pm BST
105th over: England 359-6 (Moeen 49, Woakes 36) Jonny Bairstow’s still doing his blooming crossword or sudoku or whatever it is. Career smoothie David Gower is teasing him about it on commentary. Angie Mathews continues, and there’s just two from the over, as Woakes turns to leg for two.
I’ve had an anonymous email from the Czech Republic about these mysterious spirl potatoes. There’s a pic attached. “They take a potato,” the email reads, “stick it on a drill and then work the potato like it’s on a lathe to create the spiral. Deep fried, they’re fantastic crisps. They have them at stalls in the main squares and when it’s Easter, christmas and the like. These, plus beer, sausage, langoš, and hot wine make living here a fine experience.” Sounds and looks rather delicious, I have to say.
12.06pm BST
Action: Dinesh Chandimal, who has a dicky thumb, has handed the gloves over to Kaushal Silva, who also keeps. Chandimal’s gone off.
The wonderful Robert Wilson has been in touch from Paris and it’s never seemed more important that Chris Woakes makes a ton. “The OBO’s getting a little high-falutin’ what with all the Paris correspondents and the schlepping around galleries,” he writes. “Having woken up with someone else’s hangover (there’s no way this thing could be mine), missed a train, nearly got involved in a pro/anti corrida streetscrap and been stopped in the middle of the blindingly sunny street by a helmeted & flak-jacketed policeman who only wanted to check I was alright, I feel it’s time to bring the Gonzo back to cricket. Depressed by my ability to turn Arles into back-in-the-day Belfast, I’ve cracked open a hair of the dog and I’m here to tell you that if Woakes doesn’t make a hundred, I might kill myself.”
12.02pm BST
104th over: England 357-6 (Moeen 49, Woakes 34) Properly yummy stuff from Mo to start this Lakmal over. There’s a lovely backfoot drive through the covers for an easy two, then a front-foot cover drive for two more, but they had to run much harder. After a block and a leave, he tips and runs into the offside for a single to move to 49. Woakes strokes the last through the covers and they scamper three. Eight from the over and they’ve run the lot of them. That there is drinks.
Lee Henderson’s been in touch and, like many of you, he cares more about the Roses match than this. “So once again,” he writes, “the Yorkists have conspired to thwart Lanky desires with Bairstow and Root occupying the crease for far longer than needs be thus insuring that Jimmy wont be playing in the Roses match tomorrow. Will anybody actually be watching/listening/reading about the third day of the Test or will they like me and most other stalwarts all be doing those very things but at Headingley and watching the biggest game of cricket this year in any country... anywhere, let alone in the UK!”
11.57am BST
103rd over: England 349-6 (Moeen 44, Woakes 31) While Woakes and Mo trundle on, Jonny Bairstow is knee-deep in the sudoku. He’s working damn hard at it, by the looks of things. Mathews carries on and Woakes is still being very careful. But off the fifth ball of the over, the edge is found but it runs away through the cordon for four runs. That’s the 50 partnership. Well done lads.
Mathews is really rubbish at reviews.
Ang Mathews not very good at this reviewing caper. #ENGvSL
"Old man falls at bus shelter” is the current method for fielding in covers for Sri Lanka.
11.54am BST
102nd over: England 345-6 (Moeen 44, Woakes 27) Amid all this blocky stuff, Mo brings some jazz. He leathers a lovely cut to backward point, who gets in the way but cannot fully stop it, so they run one. A couple of Lakmal balls later, Woakes drives hard and uppishly down the ground for four. Next ball, Lakmal gets on to jag back at Woakes and it hits him on the pad. They appeal a bit and after what seems like an age later, Angelo Mathews takes a punt on the review. Woakes has got one of the fattest edges going on this. I heard the edge, and I’m in London. That’s a long way from Durham. Dire review. They lose one, obviously. But they should probably lose two. Woakes drives the last ball of the overs to cover, and some more ropey fielding gives him three more.
Phil Sawyer writes: “I’m off to Southport later in the season to catch a county match with my Dad, who hails from there, so my eyes were drawn to the link to the Southport Food and Drink festival on that Friends of Real Lancashire site. Amongst the exotic foodstuffs on offer I noticed ‘spiral potatoes’. Are they what the rest of the world refer to as curly fries? Mind you, they’re probably still too exotic for my dad.”
11.47am BST
101st over: England 337-6 (Moeen 43, Woakes 20) Angelo Mathews is coming on for a jam roll. Just two overs from him yesterday. Woakes looks wary. There’s a block, a leave and another block. Another block. A nudge to midwicket. The Mathews sends it down legside, Woakes misses and Chandimal drops it. Good. Cricket. All. Round. Maiden, mind.
Ian Copestake reckons this won’t last til Monday. “I have a ticket for the final day of the Edgbaston Test against Pakistan in early August,” the lucky thing writes, “I say ‘final day’ but I mean the third day, which, as will be shown in this game, is the new black.” Was a three-dayer at Eggybaston last year too, if memory serves.
11.43am BST
100th over: England 337-6 (Moeen 43, Woakes 20) Lakmal is replacing Eranga and, in short, Mo is looking good but struggling to pierce the offside ring. With Lakmal coming round the wicket, there’s a backfoot drive - a very lovely one at that - that finds cover, and a cutty number that finds backward point. It’s a maiden.
11.38am BST
99th over: England 337-6 (Moeen 43, Woakes 20) Pradeep to Moeen here. It’s all fairly quiet stuff - leaves and blocks and the like. Fifth ball Mo goes for a little hit and run into the offside to steal a single. Woakes drives the last to the man at cover.
James Higgott is more cultured than you. “I’ll be dipping into the OBO as I travel from gallery to gallery to gallery,” he writes, presumably while sipping a macchiato, “this being my dedicated Bank Holiday Day of Culture (in case you’re wondering, tomorrow is a Day of Laziness and TMS while Monday will be a Day of Chores, Projects and TMS). Like many others, I’d love for Moeen to succeed here, batting on and steering England to 400+. And, while the Sri Lankans concentrate on him, for Woakes to score an under-the-radar half century. I’ve just jinxed them both, haven’t I?”
11.34am BST
98th over: England 336-6 (Moeen 42, Woakes 20) Oh do not bowl there to Woakesy. Eranga goes too wide and Woakes drives on the up through backward point. That was sexy. He’s looking at ease now, is Woakes, and he picks out the fielder with a well-timed cover drive, before the batsmen exchange singles - Moeen’s a gorgeous cut to the man in the deep - to end the over.
Peter Morrow’s sent me an interesting email. He’s talking about the Friends of Real Lancashire. “We need to get the county boundaries back where they should be,” he writes. “Swapping half the Lake District and some of the finest football teams in the land for a few square miles of Yorkshire was robbery with violence.” That’s me told.
11.30am BST
97th over: England 330-6 (Moeen 41, Woakes 15) Pradeep’s ditched the surprise short ball thing and is just going for rubbish short balls all the time instead. Woakes just ducks - he barely needs to - under a couple. Either side of this short nonsense, Pradeep bowled a couple of really nice fuller ones; one was left and didn’t go too far from the stumps. The other was defended well. A nice punched cover drive from Woakes ends the over, and he gets three for it. His first runs off the middle of the bat today.
No, tweets do too.
@willis_macp Shivering around the heater here in wintry Oz, about the same temp as summery Durham. Do only e-mails get in the OBO now?
11.25am BST
96th over: England 327-6 (Moeen 41, Woakes 12) Sri Lanka have literally dropped two fairly easy catches this morning having taken a series of blinders yesterday. Sky did a catching masterclass this morning with Mahela Jayawardene, seemingly celebrating their newfound brilliance. And they’ve quite after a day! Chandimal’s got a thumb injury, which might explain his fairly farcical drop. Anyway, Eranga bowls a maiden to Moeen, who plays a couple of nice shots, but straight to fielders. Oh well. On to the next.
OBOer Dan Lucas wants you to help him (he is the first person to ask):
@willis_macp Am I the first person to ask if any OBO readers have a spare Radiohead ticket for tonight?
11.22am BST
95th over: England 327-6 (Moeen 41, Woakes 12) Easy single for Moeen starts Pradeep’s new over. Just nudged into the offside. There’s been good carry so far today and perhaps just a wee bit more from the pitch and in the air. Five dots follow at Woakes, a bit of defending, a bit of leaving and one pulled whoosh at Pradeep’s favourite surprise short stuff. He misses and Chandimal doesn’t mess up this time. Shame he didn’t hit it.
“Chris Drew should bear in mind,” writes Phil Sawyer, “that Lankies also know how to carry a grudge. Let’s face it, 500 years later and we’re still grumbling about the War of the Roses.”
11.17am BST
94th over: England 326-6 (Moeen 40, Woakes 12)Another drop! Easier! Woakes is the escapee this time, and Chandimal, the keeper, is the guilty party. Nice stuff from Eranga in the channel outside off draws a nick from a forceful Woakes and it just goes straight through his hands! Did he not pick it up? That’s such rubbish keeping that Woakes gets four for his troubles, his first runs of the morning. The rest of the over is carefully defended. I reckon everyone will be a bit pissed off with themselves there.
Alisdair Gould is where we’d all rather be. “Hi-de-hi from Gay Paris,” he writes, “Shades of ‘Hi-De-Hi’ and Ted can’t hear you in your intro. (Apparently, a theatre manager colleague of mine told me, Ted was annoyed to put it mildly to be organized by his agent to open a fete in Southend. I forget the actor’s real name, so Ted was effing and blinding all the way in the taxi when not inhaling a cigarette but was v professional once out the taxi. Ted likes a drink). That brings me to today’s pleasure...reading you while drinking in a french bar. Merci beaucoup.” French bars = pleasure. Reading me = not so much...
11.12am BST
93rd over: England 322-6 (Moeen 40, Woakes 8) Gah! That’s dropped! First ball of Mr Pradeep’s over, and Mo is on the back foot driving. Except he’s edging, really. It goes highish to Karunaratne at gully, and diving to his left a bit, shells the thing. Not straightforward, but definitely the sort of chance the Lankans were gobbling up yesterday. Mo profits to the tune of two runs then, as if feeling a bit sheepish, plays rather more sensibly for the next three balls. He gets two more off the fifth, another back foot drive, this one from somewhere resembling the middle of the stick. Erugh. Mo. He has a flirty waft o