The Cricket Thread

False positives are a nuisance, but we can live with them....false negatives are of more concern.

 

Exactly Fran, long way to go before the situation is anything like under control. A comprehensive, accurate and reliable test, trace and isolate program needs to be established worldwide that, along with vaccine research and implementation, will make travel safe and a more 'normal' way of life possible

 

Sri Lanka 130-9

 

Sri Lanka all out 135 . Bess gets 5.

 

England close on 127-2. Trailing by 8. Root and Bairstow doing the hard lifting after openers out cheaply....sounds familiar.

 

Excellent day for England. Hopefully Joe can convert this into a ton. Absolute minimum for England is 300 but should really be making 400+.

 

Definitely a game where England only want to bat once. Even a lead of 100 might be enough but anything over 200 should be plenty.

 

England 320-4 at Tea
Root 168
Dan Lawrence out, but got 78 on debut

 

Raining

 

Root gets his 200 .

376-6

 

Sri Lanka doing well so far...

 

Sri Lanka finish the day on 156-2

 

Could go either way unless the weather intervenes.

 

England need 74 to win . Lucky for us Sri Lanka didn't turn up for the first innings...

 

Excellent bowling from the Somerset lads. (Yes I know Bess has defected, but he learnt his trade in Taunton). A great comeback from illness for Jack Leach, who has hardly bowled a ball for over a year. So pleased he got a five-for.

Looks like Dom Sibley needs a bit of coaching in dealing with spin...

 

Oh dear. Root run out after colliding with the bowler. 14-3.

England going into headless chicken mode.

 

It's panic time!

 

Only 36 to get on last day....shame it couldn't be finished today.

 

Interesting that it's Bairstow and Lawrence at the crease, because going forward after this series, they are fighting over a maximum of one spot. Stokes will come back in for one of the bowlers, to re-balance the team, so he shouldn't threaten their spots. But there's also Burns and Pope, both of whom should be available for India. I don't see Burns coming in for Bairstow and Lawrence - he'll either miss out, or replace one of the openers from this test - but Pope is almost certain to.

Being the guy - or guys - who takes us over the line tomorrow could be a big tick in their box looking ahead.

 

We won .