128.3 -
Eranga to Anderson, FOUR, oh Jimmy! The plan to bowl short was as obvious as a sitcom. Jimmy knew the length, hopped up inside the line of this short delivery and opens the face of the bat just a touch to guide the edge wide of the keeper and the slip
126.1 -
Lakmal to Bairstow, FOUR, oh Bairstow! What a charmer. Another slice of luck. Goes hard at the width, fails to tame the bounce and the top-edge flew wide of Thiri at slip who was stationed wide of the keeper in a skewed disposition. Why Mathews, why? The ball finds the gap between him and Chandimal. Karma. The fielder tries to pull out a half-hearted dive to his left but fails and tumbles
125.3 -
Herath to Finn, FOUR, tossed up from Herath and Finn bullied this. Free swing of the arms to demolish it past the non-striker's stumps. Vroooooom!
118.5 -
Pradeep to Broad, FOUR, cracking shot! Pradeep doesn't get the height on the short delivery, offers width as well, Broad hangs back and punches it sweetly square of the wicket on the off-side, raced away to the fence
114.4 -
Mathews to Bairstow, FOUR, 150 for Bairstow. It is also his highest score in Tests. Another opportunity for the Lord's crowd to stand and applaud. Bairstow acknowledges it with a raise of the bat. Mathews sprays it down leg, Bairstow tickles it fine and reaches the landmark
113.1 -
Herath to Bairstow, FOUR, straightaway Bairstow greets him with a beautiful drive. Teased up on off, Bairstow gives himself some room to open up the off-side field, drives inside out to beat short extra cover and long-off
108.3 -
Eranga to Bairstow, FOUR, he tried this shot in the previous over, but this time finds the gap. Shortish and just outside off, Bairstow waits and steers it late to the left of gully, raced away to the vacant third man region
104.4 -
Eranga to Woakes, FOUR, that's put away with utter disdain. Banged in halfway down, around the off-stump line, Woakes transfers his weight onto the back foot, rolls his wrists and pulls it in front of square, no chance for the man in the deep
102.3 -
Eranga to Woakes, FOUR, driven in the air and in the gap between point and gully. What a way to get to your first fifty in Test match cricket, well played Chris Roger Woakes! Slices the drive on this full and wide delivery and beats Kusal Perera's sparing dive
100.4 -
Eranga to Woakes, FOUR, dripping with class and authority is that shot! Woakes brings up his highest score in Test cricket by clobbering a powerful drive through the covers
100.0 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, the scattergun ploy continues from Sri Lanka. Bairstow had so much width offer on this fullish delivery, brought his bat down and caressed it to square third man boundary boards
99.4 -
Pradeep to Woakes, FOUR, full at the pads, superbly timed by Woakes! Gets that front leg across and spanks the flick through mid-wicket region, down the hill and no-one's chasing that...
95.1 -
Pradeep to Woakes, leg byes, FOUR, splays one down the leg-side, Woakes fails to put bat to ball on the leg-glance, off the pads and scorches away to the fine leg fence
92.0 -
Herath to Woakes, FOUR, short and turning away outside off, Woakes pounces on it. Rocks back and smears the cut behind backward point, raced away in a hurry!
86.1 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, short and wide, gleefully accepted by Jonny Bairstow who camps back and cuts late with an angled willow behind backward point. Just a strike short of his hundred now...
83.5 -
Eranga to Woakes, FOUR, pitched up and begging to be hit, Woakes slides his front leg and drives it ram-rod straight. Bairstow takes an evasive action and dives desperately to ground his bat, no harm done though
82.3 -
Mathews to Woakes, FOUR, if the previous one was better, this has to be the best. Not quite a half-volley but Woakes pounced on it with sheer authority, got that front foot across and silked a pleasing drive through cover, all the way
82.1 -
Mathews to Woakes, FOUR, Woakes into the act now! Gets a big, booming stride forward and lets those arms through a fluent drive, met the middle of the blade and raced away through the cover region
81.5 -
Eranga to Bairstow, FOUR, he's been itching to clear that off-side ring and now when he gets a wide delivery, he takes full toll. Driven with crisp elegance as short cover dived to his right in vain, just 12 short of his ton now
68.4 -
Lakmal to Moeen Ali, FOUR, top shot! Overpitched from Lakmal, Ali takes full toll of it, drives it along the ground through covers. No need to run for those
65.2 -
Eranga to Bairstow, FOUR, edged and four! Short and width provided, Bairstow flashes at that, the ball takes the outside edge and runs away wide of the lone second slip
64.2 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, nicley played! Back of a length delivery outside off, Bairstow stands tall and punches it towards cover. The ball races away to the fence in a jiffy
63.3 -
Eranga to Moeen Ali, FOUR, too straight, no problems with that! Ali nonchalantly clips it behind square and the timing is pristine for the ball to race away
62.2 -
Pradeep to Moeen Ali, FOUR, nothing tentative about that. A good stride across to a full ball, there's not much scope of error on the drive as he has smothered the pitch and then crunches it through the covers
61.5 -
Eranga to Bairstow, FOUR, oh so close! All the luck is running with Bairstow at the moment. On a good length, comes in with the slope to catch a thick inside edge on Bairstow's jab forward and could have easily chopped it on. But as is the case, it whirs over the top of off-stump and into the fine leg fence
60.3 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, it's not a ball which is blatantly presented for the drive. It's perfectly on a good length outside off but Bairstow's confidence trumps the merit of anything else right now. He prods across and drives it on the up through the covers
58.4 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, flicked away for four! That's where Bairstow is so good. You stray a little in line or length and this man makes sure to punish you. Crisply hit through mid-wicket
58.2 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, leg byes, FOUR, Pradeep goes up in appeal as Bairstow is struck low on the pad by a half-volley, but it's easily going down leg. And all of a sudden, the ball is racing to the boundary for overthrows. While Bairstow was preoccupied with the appeal, he didn't bother getting back into the crease and would have been GONE with a direct-hit, so the throw was completely justified
54.2 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, oh Nuwan Pradeep! You gotta feel for him. Dropped catches and outside edges, he is doing everything his captain wants, but no luck. Pitched it on a good length and gave width to lure Bairstow into a aerial drive. Bairstow acknowledged and went through with his stroke, a thick outside edge sneaks wide of the man at gullly
51.0 -
Mathews to Cook, FOUR, that's Cook at his very best. Leaning forward and letting those hands take over. Ah! Look at the flow of that drive, just so pleasing to the eyes. HawkEye confirms it came right off the sweetest spot of the willow, width on offer and belted through the covers
49.3 -
Herath to Cook, FOUR, crunched! Plenty of width and Cook threw the kitchen sink, leant back and spanked the cut through the covers, don't bother running Skip.
45.1 -
Herath to Bairstow, FOUR, Bairstow is slowly settling in, that drop catch might come back to haunt Sri Lanka. Backs away a smidgen and creates room to lift the inside out drive over extra cover. Placement was the key and the timing was spot-on
36.0 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, what an over this. An absolute assortment. Two boundaries, now, and a dropped catch. This drive off the front foot was placed well between extra cover and mid-off. Shot along the turf and offered no leeways to the fielders' eyes following it
35.2 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, this is so, so unfair. And a similar clip this time that fetches him a four. Kept it down, kept it wide and scorched it away for a beaming boundary
34.4 -
Lakmal to Cook, FOUR, if shots could heal, this cover drive would be a messiah. Full length outside off and Cook burps out a drive. On the front foot, opened himself nicely and shotgasmed his way all the way through to the fences
33.4 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, now an on-drive. Gets a length fullish enough, and with a downward angling of his crisp willow, drives it through mid-on.
32.0 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, FOUR, sliding down leg and that's almsgiving.. helping Bairstow get off the mark. Overbaked angle into the pads and Bairstow shames it with a clip round the corner. Downhill and it had wheels
30.1 -
Lakmal to James Vince, FOUR, ah, beautifully played. Not a half-volley this, just a fullish delivery to which Vince leans forward and oozes it away with a drive through covers. Did well to ensure that he was well forward to blunt any purchase off the pitch
24.1 -
Lakmal to Cook, FOUR, poor line, drifts it on the pads, Cook clips it fine and the ball races away to the fine leg fence
17.3 -
Pradeep to Cook, FOUR, sweetly timed! Half-volley from Pradeep, leans forward and creams the drive wide of mid-off. The ball races away into the fence
12.2 -
Eranga to Cook, FOUR, here comes the fifty run opening stand - the first for either side in the series. Who's surprised? Full ball on the pads crying to be put away, and Cook obliges. Flick of the wrists to make the square leg fielder and the umpire mere spectators
12.0 -
Pradeep to Hales, FOUR, and it's been catapulted downhill. Races away. Pradeep dragged his length back a touch, good bounce and Hales used it to help it away with a tuck - that stuck to the ground - through square leg
11.1 -
Pradeep to Cook, FOUR, two dives, two falls and a boundary. Punched handsomely to the left of Pradeep who air-dived but failed, as did mid-on. Crunchy
8.3 -
Eranga to Hales, FOUR, that's a bread-butter ball. Too full on the pads, too straight a line and it's digested round the corner with a clip
5.3 -
Lakmal to Hales, FOUR, nicely timed! Sees the fullish delivery, gets on the front foot and drives it along the ground after opening the face of the bat. The ball races away into the fence
4.3 -
Eranga to Cook, FOUR, easy pickings for Cook. Spearing on the pads, Cook gets inside the line and clips it off his hips to square into the leg-side.
2.5 -
Eranga to Cook, FOUR, poor delivery, goes for the inswinger and sprays it down leg, Cook leg-glances it to the fine leg fence
128.4 -
Eranga to Anderson, out Caught by Chandimal!! And now he goes. Just the way Sri Lanka planned. Eranga bends his back further, gets the ball to ricochet up quick off the turf and Anderson's hop was late. Feathered an edge back to the keeper for England to end on a 416 all out. All credit to Bairstow and Cook for resurrecting an innings that threatened shambles. Anderson c Chandimal b Eranga 4(3) [4s-1]
127.5 -
Herath to Finn, out Caught by Lakmal!! Now that's gone. No technology to deny Herath this time. Hits a length on the pads, Finn knives his bat in front to sweep but fails to ride the bounce. A top-edge that's been pouched in the deep at backward square leg. Lakmal ran to his left and managed to hold onto it well with a leftward dive. Anderson one wicket away to get that new ball. Finn c Lakmal b Herath 7(22) [4s-1]
122.2 -
Lakmal to Broad, out Caught by Kusal Mendis!! Sri Lanka strike. Maybe this's the session. Lakmal switched to round the wicket for the left-hander, pinged a length outside off and kept it wide. Broad stayed leg-side to create further room, had a flash at it but failed to ride the bounce. An edge skewed off the outside half and settles nicely into the hands of gully who plucked it on his left. Broad c Kusal Mendis b Lakmal 14(32) [4s-1]
113.3 -
Herath to Woakes, out Caught&Bowled!! It was a matter of time. Woakes looked itchy to the line Herath was operating to. He decides to unsettle him by dancing down the wicket, is undone by the dip and gently chips it back to Herath, who clings on with the help of his chest. Sri Lanka needed that wicket as the pair looked too comfortable for their liking. In fact, Herath had a couple of juggles before hanging on. Woakes c and b Herath 66(142) [4s-8]
73.5 -
Herath to Moeen Ali, out Caught by Mathews!! Moeen Ali had been pushing at those with firm hands and finally it devours him. This one did not turn much after pitching around off and went straight, Ali's firm blade induced an outside edge that carried low to the slip, who took a fine catch. Moeen Ali confirmed it with Mathews whether the catch was clean, who affirmed. The umpires, in the meantime, intervened and asked Mo to wait before sending it upstairs. Moeen Ali c Mathews b Herath 25(60) [4s-3]
56.2 -
Pradeep to Cook, out Lbw!! Captain Cook departs 15 runs short of what would have been a well-deserved hundred. The round the wicket angle, yet again, working for Sri Lanka. And how badly did Nuwan Pradeep deserve a wicket? Very, very badly I must say. Bowled it slightly fuller and angled it in to create that confusion - Cook wasn't fully forward, shuffles across his off-stump and tries to pick the flick from middle and off. Ends up playing all around it and is struck plumb in front, umpire Rod Tucker's finger is up in a flash and rightly so. Cook lbw b Pradeep 85(173) [4s-9]
31.3 -
Pradeep to James Vince, out Bowled!! Wait, let me recollect what happened. There was a huge appeal for caught behind as Vince ended up playing inside the line.. Pradeep begged and begged some more until some of his teammates shouted "bowled" about thrice before he could hear it. All theatrics. On a length this ball was, just kissed the pitch, darted away ever so slightly to let Vince play inside the line, and kissed the off-middle bail spigot.. with enough force to dislodge it. Vince was stuck on the back foot when he should have been forward to blunt that mischief off the pitch. Didn't and perished. James Vince b Pradeep 10(17) [4s-1]
26.1 -
Lakmal to Root, out Lbw!! Sri Lanka have decided to review against Root for an LBW : "Fair delivery. Front on please. Hot-Spot please. RTS please. Pitching - in line, impact - in line and wickets - hitting." conveys Aleem Dar. So OUT should be the decision. This is a big wicket for Sri Lanka. Good review from Mathews. Coming to the ball: it was full and angling in on the stumps, Root wanted to play across the line, misses and is struck low on the front pad. The on-field call was NOT OUT but replays suggested clearly that everything was against the on-field call. So, Root had to trudge back to the hut. Root lbw b Lakmal 3(9)
24.3 -
Lakmal to Compton, out Caught by Chandimal!! Compton's woeful form continues. He departs cheaply. Fullish delivery outside off, went for the drive with laden feet, perhaps he was late in doing so, gets a faint nick which carries to the keeper. Compton c Chandimal b Lakmal 1(11)
19.4 -
Herath to Hales, out Caught by Mathews!! Herath hits the first nail in the opposition coffin. Given plenty of air on this tossed up delivery, Hales wanted to swipe it to mid-wicket, the ball grips and turns to take the outside edge of Hales's willow to first slip where Mathews takes an easy catch. Poor shot from Hales as he was looking so good. Hales c Mathews b Herath 18(52) [4s-3]
123.5 -
Herath to Finn, no run, wow. Someone allow me to time-travel to an era where technology didn't exist. This arm-ball from Herath looked to have brazed past Finn's defence and hit the pad plumb in front. With two wickets to go, Finn went for a half-hearted review.. Everything looked right, everything looked plumb until the HawkEye showed the ball sliding down leg. Go figure.
107.0 -
Eranga to Woakes, 2 runs, that's excellent running, though Bairstow had to put in the dive, he made it in comfortably. On the pads, Woakes nurdles it behind square on the leg-side, deep backward square gets around and fires a throw to the bowler's end
88.1 -
Herath to Bairstow, 1 run, first hundred at Lord's for Jonny Marc Bairstow! Boy, isn't he pumped? Look at that reaction, screams "Yaaaay" after he flicked this dart into the leg-side and goes for a celebratory run. Not quite Imran Tahir like, but he is delighted to bits. Lord's rise as one to acknowledge the effort from the Yorkshireman. The captain and his colleagues too applaud from the picturesque balcony. Top-stuff!
80.0 -
Herath to Woakes, 1 run, flatter again, square driven towards sweeper cover for a single
78.5 -
Mathews to Woakes, no run, the mystery continues, if there was not bat... where was the sound from? Woakes poked at this length delivery outside off and was beaten. There was some sound and Chandimal appealed, Mathews joined in late. But decided to go upstairs once the appeal was turned down. The bat brushed the front flap. Now we know where the sound was from
64.1 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, 2 runs, overpitched outside off, Bairstow leans forward and drives it through covers. The fielder in the deep runs to his right, puts in the dive and saves a couple of runs for his team
61.3 -
Eranga to Bairstow, no run, Bairstow is the big one here, which is probably what has enticed Mathews into the review. It's a good shout actually with the ball hitting the back pad after beating the inside edge. No bat involved. And it's crashing leg-stump. Or is it? Oh no. The middle of the seam is a hair's breadth on the wrong side of the middle of leg-stump which is why Hawkeye decides it's umpire's call. Sri Lanka look puzzled. That's DRS for you..
59.1 -
Eranga to Bairstow, 1 run, fifty up for Jonny Bairstow! What a past few months he has had! Punches a back of a length delivery to deep point and ambles across
55.0 -
Pradeep to Bairstow, 1 run, clever from Bairstow, just pats the ball towards mid-on and signals a quick single. Cook, as ever, responds in kind and this time there's no head-first dive. No direct-hit either
50.3 -
Mathews to Bairstow, 1 run, he punches this in front of mid-off and sets off for a single which is rather non-existent. Cook took off and Bairstow can't back away, sprints and puts in a full-length dive. That meant a direct hit from the fielder came second to Bairstow's valiant effort
28.2 -
Lakmal to Cook, 2 runs, prunes the length back this time, angles it in and Cook helps it away with a hopping swiveling tuck for this Lord's crowd to be switched on. To clap. Cook has a fifty, his 48th in Tests