Eng vs SL: First Test

Kulasekera promptly edges a four.

Freddie and Hoggard have bowled a staggering 81 overs together.

Woah! :O :O
 
481 for 8

Vaas not out 30
Kulasekara not out 30

Lead of 122 with 52 overs left in the day. Another 30 runs and they could POTENTIALLY make things interesting (all would depend on Murali)
 
491 for 8 now

Vaas is on 31 and Kuli is on 39.

A lead of 132 with 54 overs remaining. This is getting interesting! Keep fighting Sri Lanka.
 
The decision to give Jonty the ball receives a warm reception from the crowd
 
4 maidens in the last 5 overs. Sri Lanka going into 'I'd rather die than score a run' mode
 
Bad light stops play!

Sri Lanka well in the drivers seat to securing a draw.

Fantastic stuff. Teaching the English a lesson in how to play cricket in their own backyard.
 
Hash said:
Bad light stops play!

Sri Lanka well in the drivers seat to securing a draw.

Fantastic stuff. Teaching the English a lesson in how to play cricket in their own backyard.

Its tea.
 
Great stuff from the Sril lankans, 5 fifties and a century in this innings.

Sanga, Dilshan, Tharanga, Maharoof, and Kulasekera have all recorded fifties with Mahela getting a century.

Very good fightback, great going!
 
So, here we go - final session begins.

510-8 SL lead by 151 runs.

Crowd right behind Eng - good atmosphere at Lords
 
You would think that game is safe now for SL - You have to also say that it was the 1st time Freddie was challenged as Eng capain - and his failure to bowl Monty was a bad one.

I think Strauss bowled him when FF went off the field.
 
Maybe SL want to declare???? Put Eng in to face Murali.

btw Rudi turns down aplumb LBW off Mahmood. Luck with SL
 
haha such a poor decision from Rudi. Maybe he saw Sajid bowling and thought Pakistan were playing?
 
Big Mac said:
haha such a poor decision from Rudi. Maybe he saw Sajid bowling and thought Pakistan were playing?
:D No other explanation
 
These 2 playing like solid, frontline batsman. Super defence
 
Also calls into question FF's decision to enforce the follow-on. Eng could have batted on and got a quick 200 and rested their bowlers - who look dead!

Catches win matches....
 
Lead by 164 runs.

Brilliant fightback by Sri lanka. Hope Kulasekera gets his maiden century and becomes a frontline batsman.
 
He can maybe turn to Pietersen, lets see what happens.

He could break the partnership.
 
OH MY GOD.

Terrible. Worst fielding display by an England side for years. No matter how dominant our 1st innings was, we don't deserve to win this game now. SL have played magnificently for the last 3 days and deserve at least a draw.

I think the win for SL is out of the question, they may have Murali but the rest of the attack is ordinary, even Vaas is a bit iffy now. We have played Murali well in this match anyway - England collapses these days are usually due to amazing pace and great leg spin, and SL have neither.

Next 2 wickets by 5 o clock and I think we will win, but we'd be very lucky to steal a win here. A draw is probably a fair result assuming we get that.

2nd test had better be a different story.
 
Botham again says Aleem Dar is one of the best umpires; Nasser Hussain agrees.
 
Whippy squash said:
OH MY GOD.

Terrible. Worst fielding display by an England side for years. No matter how dominant our 1st innings was, we don't deserve to win this game now. SL have played magnificently for the last 3 days and deserve at least a draw.

I think the win for SL is out of the question, they may have Murali but the rest of the attack is ordinary, even Vaas is a bit iffy now. We have played Murali well in this match anyway - England collapses these days are usually due to amazing pace and great leg spin, and SL have neither.

Next 2 wickets by 5 o clock and I think we will win, but we'd be very lucky to steal a win here. A draw is probably a fair result assuming we get that.

2nd test had better be a different story.

Much that I would like this fairy tale to continue, I dont think SL will survive the next test.

Btw, didnt SL win their last test at Lords?
 
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

This is pretty amusing in my opinion. England have been dropping catches left right and centre and Pietersen has been the only safe pair of hands!
 
Hoggard makes the breakthrough - Pieterson takes the catch.
 
Whippy squash said:
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

This is pretty amusing in my opinion. England have been dropping catches left right and centre and Pietersen has been the only safe pair of hands!
I take it you are thinking of his Ashes experiences!
 
MenInGreen said:
Much that I would like this fairy tale to continue, I dont think SL will survive the next test.

Btw, didnt SL win their last test at Lords?

I think they drew their last test at Lords but went onto lose the series.

The famous recent Sri Lankan performance in England was the massive win at the Oval where Murali bowled like a God.
 
England finally make the breakthrough - Kulasekera goes for a magnificent 64, very well played young man.
 
Could be a tight game this, I would promote Pietersen to open with Tresco.
 
This could be a great finish - leaving off from the Ashes last year.

Some of the greatest cricket is played in Eng.
 
1st ball to Muarli raps him on the gloves. Dar and Rudi offer them the light - SL are off the field.
 
Let's hope Murali doesn't get a serious injury from that or the rest of the series is a write-off for Sri Lanka.
 
Whippy squash said:
Let's hope Murali doesn't get a serious injury from that or the rest of the series is a write-off for Sri Lanka.
He's OK - Im sure it was a bit of show for the umpires. Plus it was his left hand.
 
Brilliant, absolutely brillant cricket being played.

The most boring of teams coms to light when playing in england, its tremendous.

The number 10 played a great knock, credit to Freddy for bringing on Hoggster, did anyone see Pieterson/Hoggy racing with that Sri Lankan physio, ha ha great spirit :)))
 
Also Dar has made some pretty good decisions today, especially that bouncer that was assumed to have been gloved, Rudi gave a poor decision off Sajid, was plumb in front !
 
Is there any point? SL must be licking their lips. They will either draw when England fall short of the target, or win through a mad collapse where every England player tries to get a six.
 
It's gonna be a great chase !

Will be a great battle, especially if murali comes on v early
 
haha, Murali trying to block. The big shot will come soon i expect. C'mon Hoggy
 
Whippy squash said:
Pietersen opening...? :))) :))) :))) :)))

Suicide.

If they need to go at 7+ RPO, why not? I can't see Strauss or Cook scoring that fast.
 
i think we should aim for the stumps. More chance of a bowled than an edge
 
Easatheman said:
If they need to go at 7+ RPO, why not? I can't see Strauss or Cook scoring that fast.
you don't need a slogger to score fast. Strauss and Cook playing authentic strokes could easily pick up boundaries.
 
Easatheman said:
Was it an easy chance?

Was travelling at a decent speed but it was right above his head so he just had to reach up and grab it but he's tipped it over the crossbar instead.
 
If a wkt doesnt fall in this over - you feel its curtains for Eng.
 
Big Mac said:
Was travelling at a decent speed but it was right above his head so he just had to reach up and grab it but he's tipped it over the crossbar instead.

Thanks. By Collingwood's standards, that should have been caught.
 
Poor bowling, Mahmood.

I know Freddie has bowled 50 overs, but he simply has to come in and bowl again. This is the final hour, England need him.
 
Not sure what this does to Monty's confidence - I can understand if wkts were falling, but Eng are desperate - and they still ignore him???
 
Aleem Dar is showing a lot of authority out in the middle.
 
Big Daddy said:
gota give it to england though , they are making lanka slug it out
I disagree - its been very easy for them. Could have been a lot harder
 
Bad light - they go off.

Has to be a draw now.

Moral victory to SL - they have to do much much better come next test match.
 
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