JOE ROOT BREAKS RECORD AFTER RECORD ON NEAR-PERFECT DAY TO DRIVE ENGLAND TO VERGE OF SERIES VICTORY
With the lights glowing in the pavilion as Joe Root made history, the only thing missing was a sunny sky to match the mood.
As Lord’s rose to a standing ovation at 3.05pm, one of the loudest ever heard at the ground, Root punched the air, removed his helmet and raised a fist skywards, a routine as familiar to him as packing his meticulously arranged cricket bag. After all, he had done this 33 times before and just 48 hours earlier after the first innings.
But this was different. Root knew it too. He had surpassed Sir Alastair Cook as England’s most prolific scorer of Test centuries and this was truly a moment for supporters to cherish.
The incredible thing is that Root is still evolving. Though this was his 145th match, 34th hundred, ninth of the Bazball era, seventh at Lord’s, third of the summer and second of the match, it was also the quickest of his Test career. New ground was broken over the course of 111 balls of serene, risk-free batting.
As he moved through the 90s, the television cameras several times focused on Cook as he was wheeled into the comms box for the moment. “I don’t know, kick a man when he is down,” he joked.
“Soak it in Joe,” he said a few moments later as Root lashed a four off Lahiru Kumara to bring up his hundred and quell anxiety building in the crowd (although not in the batsman’s head) as fears of him running out of partners grew with No10 Olly Stone at the other end.
Root, the team man, will only care about the hundreds scored in victories, 21 out of the 34 so far. It should be 22 on Sunday after Sri Lanka restart 52 for two, 430 behind after Root glued England’s second innings of 251 together and they forged a lead of 482.
A fifth successive win this summer, setting up the possibility of a clean sweep in both series at the Oval next week, should be confirmed on the fourth day of a Test that was so hard to sell to customers. Only 7,000 tickets were shifted before the game, though a further 1,000 have been bought since. But as bad light cut short day three just after 5pm, there should be a little more cricket to enjoy.
Sri Lanka will not give up, though. Their bowling on Saturday was inventive and disciplined, forcing England to hunt for scoring areas as the bouncer tactic combined with leg-side fields reduced options. World-class left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuirya clamped down one end so that the seamers could rotate and stay relatively fresh.
It forced Ollie Pope’s hand. He was dismissed for 17 trying to find a way to score with a six-three leg side field. He tried to lift a short ball from Asitha Fernando into the empty gap in front of square on the off side only to be caught at deep point. His scores as captain read 6, 6, 1 and 17. It was less frenetic this time, but he has a knack of finding ways to get himself out. With England streets ahead, thanks to a 231 first innings lead, this was not the punch to the guts that Australia administered with the short ball at Lord’s 12 months ago. Then Australia played with their egos, with the game in the balance, but this time Sri Lanka just showed how to take wickets on a flat pitch.
Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith fell to attacking shots, while Root continued on his merry way towards scoring a hundred in each innings of a Test for the first time in his career. Only three others had done it at Lord’s - Michael Vaughan 20 years ago, Graham Gooch in his run-drenched India Test of 1990 and George Headley, a few weeks before World War Two in 1939.
It was not a good day for Vaughan, or Essex legends Gooch and Cook. Root’s seventh hundred at Lord’s passed that duo’s joint record of six. When he moved to 97, he overtook Gooch’s record runs total at Lord’s, 2,015.
The succession of partners continued to come and go. Chris Woakes flat batted to cover and Gus Atkinson was out playing an extraordinary reverse hook, his first innings hundred perhaps tempting him to try to play like Kevin Pietersen.
With the seamers bowling at his body to a leg side field, there were few gaps for Root, the master manipulator of a ball. Stone started to look a little nervous, too. A big heave off Jayasuriya could have seen him stumped, another ball ripped past the outside edge as he tried to drive. Root was unflustered. “He is staying calm, staying in the moment. Just like he has been all day,” said Cook, who could have added “all his career”.
Finally a seamer dropped short outside off and Root cut it for four, his 10th of the innings. Job done, his name indelibly etched again on the Lord’s honours board. There had been one groan, when he missed a ramp shot when in the 60s, the crowd recognising the significance of the shot going haywire for Root. That was it, though. Perfect batting. Moments after he was last man out caught pulling at deep square leg he was hugged by his father Matt as he walked up the steps to the pavilion; a touching family moment that encapsulated the significance of it all.
It was not the end of Root’s landmark day. He clung on to an edge of Nishan Madushka for catch number 199. Six overs later it was 200 as Pathum Nissanka edged Stone, bowling his one over, before the light faded and the umpires told England to use spinners. Naturally, Root bowled. Fours overs in total without success. It was about the only thing that did not go perfectly for him on this most perfect of days.
Root: I have plenty more to contribute for England
Joe Root has declared that he has “a lot more to contribute still” after hitting his 34th Test century for England, breaking Sir Alastair Cook’s national record.
Root’s second innings 103 – his second century of the game and seventh at Lord’s, breaking the record shared between Michael Vaughan and Graham Gooch – has put England on the brink of victory.
Aged 33, Root is enjoying arguably the finest run in his career yet. He has scored 641 Test runs at an average of 91.6 this summer. From scoring 17 Test hundreds until his 30th birthday, Root has scored another 17 since. Only five men in history – Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Rahul Dravid – have scored more than Root’s 34 Test hundreds.
“It will sink in at some point but I feel like there’s a lot of cricket still to go in me,” Root said, making clear his determination to continue playing for years to come. “I feel like there’s a lot more work to be done and a lot more to contribute, still.
“You continually want to add and evolve and get better and put into the pot. It’s all a product of what this team is creating.”
As he left the field after his innings, Root embraced his dad in the crowd.
“I didn’t even realise it was him to start with, so it was really nice to share that moment with him,” Root said. “Clearly family plays a part in any player’s journey so to be able to share that with him was really special. To have my wife and kids here, as well, very special to have that moment together.”
After some criticism that he was changing his game too much since stepping down as captain, Root said that he believes that he has found an ideal tempo to his batting. His strike rate this summer, a still very healthy 67, is 10 runs fewer than last summer.
“I feel like I’ve had a good balance of wanting to get better and evolving, but not trying too much, too quickly,” Root said. “I guess that’s the art of it.
“It’s trying to move the benchmark for yourself and for the team, always looking to push the ceiling and see how far we can get, and, you know, see what we are capable of as a group.”
In 2020, during the pandemic, Root had an extended period at home which he used to refine aspects of his batting.
“I had a deep dive into what my strengths were, where I was making similar mistakes, and how could I eradicate them and become a more rounded player,” he explained.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things - being able to have that time away from things to gain clarity and find ways of improvement, and then experience and knowledge. And it’s so easy to flourish in this environment, the way that we want to play the game, the way we look at it.”
England vs Sri Lanka, second Test, day two as it happened
06:05 PM BST
It’s official
That’s stumps. Sri Lanka are 430 behind with eight wickets in hand and two days left. Join us tomorrow for the denouement.
06:03 PM BST
Joe Root speaks to Sky Sports
It was nice to share a moment with my dad that was quite special. When I’m a washed-up old veteran I’ll look back on it but at the moment I feel like I’ve got an awful lot of cricket still to play.
I do enjoy batting, I’m not going to lie. You never bat in the same situation twice. Each innings is a new opportunity to get your team ahead in the game.
What you judge yourself on as a player is can you manage the scenario. You want to get going with the game. I was a bit twitchy at the back end but as a team we play to win and that’s not we are about [personal milestones].
That would have been funny! I would have loved that [Were you worried that Ollie would declare on you in the 90s?] Maybe not at the time but that would be funny!
05:59 PM BST
No official call yet
But with two minutes to get the players back out there I can call it. Play will resume at 11am tomorrow.
05:25 PM BST
I doubt there will be more play
Ian Ward has even got his mac on as he chats to Mel Jones and Eoin Morgan on the field. The stands remain about half full, though. There’s a stiff breeze which may help disperse the clouds?
05:09 PM BST
Bad light stops play
Sri Lanka trail by 430 runs with eight wickets in hand.
This is not Stumps. The umpires take a reading now and if it improves before 6pm, they can come back on.
England wanted to bowl seam because they didn’t want the ball to deteriorate for tomorrow by bowling spin until the close in case Sri Lankan willow and the outfield damaged its surface.
05:06 PM BST
OVER 20: SL 53/2 (Karunaratne 23 Jayasuriya 3)
Karunaratne shuffles back to whip a single behind square leg and Jayasuriya slaps a cut for two more.
At the end of the over Pope says he wants to bring a seamer on and the umpires say that it isn’t safe and take the players off.
05:02 PM BST
OVER 19: SL 50/2 (Karunaratne 22 Jayasuriya 1)
Maiden for Root to Jayasuriya who is batting in a cap. He has tried his arm-ball but not the leg-break or bouncer so far.
05:00 PM BST
OVER 18: SL 50/2 (Karunaratne 22 Jayasuriya 1)
Still spin and Jayasuriya blocks until he is given a fuller one which eh squeezes behind point for a single to get off the mark.
04:56 PM BST
OVER 17: SL 49/2 (Karunaratne 22 Jayasuriya 0)
Brook fails to stop a Karunaratne edge scuttling past his left hand and running down for four. Pope posts another slip to plug the gap. Karunaratne uses his feet to target mid on and midwicket but can’t beat the field.
04:52 PM BST
OVER 16: SL 45/2 (Karunaratne 18 Jayasuriya 0)
Just the single off Bashir, as Karunaratne pushes one to cover. Jayasuriya, batting in a cap, plays out the next five balls. Pope asks for another light meter reading at the end of which he is told to stick to spin.
04:49 PM BST
OVER 15: SL 44/2 (Karunaratne 17 Jayasuriya 0)
Karunaratne drives Root for a single through point and down to the sweeper. And the umpires tell Pope it has to be spin from both ends.
04:44 PM BST
OVER 14: SL 43/2 (Karunaratne 16 Jayasuriya 0)
England’s quickest bowler in the match, Stone may hasten the players going off for bad light. But for now the umpires are going to let him bowl and he duly takes a wicket as Nissanka gropes in the dark. Were I Sri Lankan I would be pretty cheesed off with them letting a 90mph bowler bowl when they warned off then using Woakes four overs ago. Karunaratne asks the umpires again about the light but they say it is fit to play. Sri Lanka send in a ‘lightwatchman’, Jayasuriya. And the umpires now say England must use spin after Nissanka fell to the last ball of the previous over.
Were Roy Castle still with us, he would never be off his trumpet this afternoon.
04:39 PM BST
Wicket!
Nissanka c Root b Stone 14 Too quick, too much bounce and it nips away too. Nissanka nicks off to slip. FOW 43/2
04:36 PM BST
OVER 13: SL 42/1 (Karunaratne 15 Nissanka 14)
Potts starts with poise and accuracy, good length and probing Nissanka’s forward defensive probity for three dot balls until he opens the face to glide four wide of the slips. The right-hander ends the over with a second boundary, lashing a half-volley between the bowler between bowler and extra cover. Shot!
Pope turns to Stone. As if he were Jeff Lynne…
04:29 PM BST
OVER 12: SL 34/1 (Karunaratne 15 Nissanka 6)
Karunaratne shuffles deep into his crease and flicks a two into the legside and two more through midwicket off Bashir. England ask if they can bowl a seamer next as they don’t want the ball to go soft too early. The umpires take another reading. And take their time doing so, measuring the light from both ends. And they agree that England can bring back a quick. It will be Matthew Potts.
04:26 PM BST
OVER 11: SL 30/1 (Karunaratne 11 Nissanka 6)
The light dictates that Root will have to have a bowl. As if he hasn’t done enough… Amusingly Pistol Reiffel calls over after Nissanka slog sweeps the fifth ball for four until the third umpire intervenes. He must have lost a pebble. Stuart Broad quips ‘This isn’t the Hundred!’
04:23 PM BST
OVER 10: SL 26/1 (Karunaratne 11 Nissanka 2)
The umpires take a light meter reading which forces a bowling change from Atkinson to Bashir. It’s very gloomy out there. The offie has a slip, leg slip, short leg and shortish backward square for the right-handed Nissanka. After Kurunaratne cuts for a single, Brook at leg slip catches Nissanka ostensibly off his pad at leg slip. No one appealed but at the end of the over Sky shows that there was the faintest of nicks.
Light looks to be a real issue: not sure we’ll be playing beyond 5pm, if we even get that far. Though good news for Lord’s ticket-holders tomorrow - and, of course, there’s still plenty of tickets left.
04:17 PM BST
OVER 9: SL 24/1 (Karunaratne 10 Nissanka 1)
Karunaratne steers a back-foot punch uppishly through gully for three. On the last ball of the previous over Nissanka survived not diving for a tight single when Stone’s underarm shy missed the stumps by a hair’s breadth. He would have been six inches short of his crease.
04:13 PM BST
OVER 8: SL 21/1 (Karunaratne 6 Nissanka 1)
Nissanka, who scored a century on debut against West Indies at Antigua three years ago, gets off the mark off a thick inside edge. This is his first Test for more than two years.
04:06 PM BST
Wicket!
Madushka c Root b Atkinson 13 There was a break of about 90 seconds between overs while the umpires discussed taking the players off for bad light. They decide to stay on and the very next ball is back of a length, nips through and Madushka follows with a flat-footed push, nicking it straight into Root’s sternum. FOW 19/1
04:05 PM BST
OVER 7: SL 19/0 (Madushka 13 Karunaratne 6)
Two singles off Woakes, reward for his impeccable line in admittedly bowler-friendly conditions in the Lord’s gloom with the lights on.
04:03 PM BST
OVER 6: SL 17/0 (Madushka 12 Karunaratne 5)
Atkinson is up to speed now and comes close twice, first when he surprises Madushka for pace and he almost drags on while deliberately playing late. The ball scuds into the ground off his angle bat and bounces over the stumps. Later in the over he pins him with one that nips back but would have vaulted leg stump. Beat him with the movement and pace, though. Madushka deals with the actual bouncer better, pulling it to midwicket for two.
03:59 PM BST
OVER 5: SL 15/0 (Madushka 10 Karunaratne 5)
Another probing Woakes over, excellent lines to right- and left-hander alike, challenging the edge and the batsmen’sresolve not to let their hand stray outside the line.
03:55 PM BST
OVER 4: SL 14/0 (Madushka 9 Karunaratne 5)
Atkinson’s ratpower is flagging, his mean pace down to the early 80s. Madushka tucks a single off his hip and Karunaratne tucks into a half-volley and creams it through the covers for four despite Potts’ dutiful chase and slide.
03:49 PM BST
OVER 3: SL 9/0 (Madushka 8 Karunaratne 1)
Maiden for Woakes with his nagging line to the left-handed Karunaratne. The one he got to nip back was given out leg-before wrongly but the rest threatened the outside edge and were played judiciously by the opener.
03:47 PM BST
NOT OUT
Hit him outside the line. Poor decision. High and wide.
03:46 PM BST
SL review
Karunaratne lbw b Woakes Hit him on the back leg. A touch high? Outside the line? But possibly umpire’s call?
03:45 PM BST
OVER 2: SL 9/0 (Madushka 8 Karunaratne 1)
Atkinson shares the new ball as he did in the first innings and, as Michael Atheron says, he was showing the signs of the burden of his first long, Test summer in the first innings, speeds down and line inconsistent. Madushka whisks his first ball for four when he erred too straight but he almost gulls him with a yorker next ball that is chiselled out of the blockhole. The last ball of the over is too straight again and Madushka clips it hard for two, forcing Lawrence to turn turtle at short leg.
03:40 PM BST
OVER 1: SL 3/0 (Madushka 2 Karunaratne 1)
Chris Woakes has first dibs on the new ball. Madushka is off the mark in streaky fashion after inside-edging a defensive push into his front pad. Karunaratne whips a straight one to deep backward square for one and his partner doubles his tally by doing the same.
03:19 PM BST
ENG 251 all out
Sri Lanka will need 483 to win in seven sessions as they take an early tea.
He has done it! And if anybody has to beat Sir Alastair Cook’s record of 33 Test centuries for England, it could not be anyone nicer or more decent than Joe Root. Or will it be Sir Joseph Root soon? The applause for his record-breaking was even louder than for Ollie Stone when he blocked a ball when Root was 99. He deserves the accolade from Sir Alastair that he “is England’s greatest.”
Sir Alastair Cook on TMS: “Take it in Joe. We are watching a genius”. His comments as Root soaked up the applause for one of the loudest century ovations I’ve heard at Lord’s. His 34th Test hundred, a new England record and with the promise of plenty more to come. His seventh at Lord’s, beating Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan.
03:17 PM BST
Wicket!
Root c Mendis b Kumara 103 Caught on the hook at deep backward square after his record-breaking knock. FOW 251 all out
03:15 PM BST
OVER 54: ENG 250/9 (Root 103 Bashir 0)
Root turns down singles off Jayasuriya and then goes for a couple of big shots that don’t come off, leaving him stranded with Bashir to face the quick.
03:13 PM BST
OVER 53: ENG 250/9 (Root 103 Bashir 0)
And they don’t declare neither after Root had broken Cook’s record nor when Stone holed out.
03:10 PM BST
Wicket!
Stone c Nissanka b Kumara 7 Stunning catch on the boundary off a top-edged hook. It looked as if it would clear the rope but the fielder judged it perfectly, toppling backwards and avoiding the rope. FOW 250/9
03:09 PM BST
Root becomes England’s record hundred-maker
He’s done it, carving Kumara for four in front of square with a magnificent cut. That’s his 34th Test century and a century in each innings for the first time.
He receives a standing ovation. It’s taken him 12 years. That’s all. Astounding.
03:06 PM BST
OVER 52: ENG 245/8 (Root 98 Stone 7)
Stone takes a big stride and drives through midwicket for four. Kumar Sangakkara compares the shape of the shot to Virat Kohli’s on drive. High praise indeed. Too high …
Quiet a scare when Stone is beaten by one that rags past the edge so he calms the crowd by blocking the next ball, nose over it.
England’s players on the balcony have changed into their whites so will declare as soon as he makes it or is out!
03:01 PM BST
OVER 51: ENG 241/8 (Root 96 Stone 3)
Root pulls Fernando’s bouncer and sprints back for two but turns down the single on 98 when he pulls hard again but straight along the ground to the fielder. He’s the record Test run-scorer at Lord’s now. Can he make two more for a 34th Test century, the most by an Englishman? The camera pans to Sir Alastair Cook (on 33 Test centuries) in the TMS box.
He turns down another single off a pull. Two balls to come. He’s breathing hard. Fernando’s next bumper is ace, across him, aimed at his chest and he drops his hands. The last ball of the over is fuller and he misses an attempted flick to fine leg.
02:57 PM BST
OVER 50: ENG 239/8 (Root 98 Stone 3)
The insouciance of Root yet again turns one into two, spotting he had timed the stroke perfectly to catch the fielder thinking he would wait for it to come before realising he had to run in for it. Two singles into the legside put him level with Gooch on a record 2015 Test runs at HQ. What a career he’s had and he maintains the hunger to carry on for a while, too.
02:53 PM BST
OVER 49: ENG 234/8 (Root 91 Stone 2)
Root turns down the single early in the over and waits until the fourth ball after using his feet to Fernando to trust Stone who does his duty.
02:47 PM BST
OVER 48: ENG 232/8 (Root 91 Stone 2)
Jayasuriya continues and Root works him off his pads for two and then presses a single into the covers. Stone is given one looped outside off and drills it on the drive for two then keeps out the rest of the over. England lead by 463.
02:43 PM BST
OVER 47: ENG 227/8 (Root 88 Stone 0)
Last Englishman to score centuries in both innings of a Test match? Jonny Bairstow at Edgbaston v India in 2022. And at Lord’s? Michael Vaughan v West Indies in 2004.
On come the drinks after Potts’ dismissal.
02:41 PM BST
Wicket!
Potts c Chandimal b Fernando 2 Feathered a legside bouncer off his knuckles through to the keeper. FOW 227/8
02:41 PM BST
SL review
Potts strangled off his gloves? Yes he did touch it.
02:38 PM BST
OVER 46: ENG 225/7 (Root 87 Potts 1)
Root sweeps Jayasuriya for two and then for one. Potts gets off the mark with an off-drive off Jayasuriya for a single.
02:34 PM BST
OVER 45: ENG 221/7 (Root 84 Potts 0)
All a bit dull at the moment as the bouncers on a slow pitch aimed outside leg are cuffed away. Atkinson gets the first one fine enough off his hip to go for four then exchanges singles in similar fashion with Root. Perhaps to ease the monotony of this diet of bowling Atkinson invents a new stroke, the right-hander’s left-handed pull, but lime may innovations the blend is not right first time and it blows up in his face.
Not even Harry Brook, surely, has played the shot which Gus Atkinson attempted. How should it be described? Answers on a scorecard please...
02:29 PM BST
Wicket!
Atkinson c Kumara b Fernnando 14 That’s a shot I’ve not seen before. A reverse pull that flies off the top edge and sails to fly slip who stands his ground and keeps his feet the right side of the rope. FOW 220/7
02:27 PM BST
OVER 44: ENG 214/6 (Root 83 Atkinson 9)
Turn for Jayasuriya to Root, forcing the batsman to adjust late to keep it out with his back leg coming round. Playing off the back foot comes easier and Root pats the next ball behind square for one. Atkinson drives the left-armer for a single and Root top-edges a firm sweep for two over square leg so laps the next one finer over his shoulder for two more.
It is worth re-stating that the floodlights are still on - and batting against Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers has not been easy, because they began the day with an almost new ball and they are inventive in finding methods of attack. Joe Root has had to be near the top of his game to hold England’s second innings together.
02:23 PM BST
OVER 43: ENG 208/6 (Root 78 Atkinson 8)
Asitha Fernando is on for Milan Rathnayake to bowl bouncers at Atkinson from round the wicket. His first two attempts don’t get up and he pulls easily for singles. So does Root x2 but the last ball climbs around his earhole and he has a waft but misses it by a fair distance.
02:20 PM BST
OVER 42: ENG 204/6 (Root 76 Atkinson 6)
Milking time, two singles apiece of Jayasuriya, Atkinson using front and back-foot drives for his.
02:18 PM BST
OVER 41: ENG 200/6 (Root 74 Atkinson 4)
Root tries the reverse scoop that did for him in the first innings here, at Rajkot and Mount Maunganui, but doesn’t connect. Next ball is short so he just collars it with a wonderfully smooth pull shot for four more.
After Woakes holes out, Atkinson joins his fellow first-innings centurion, applauded all the way to the middle, and gets off the mark first ball with a jammy bottom edge that sent the ball scuttling between slip and keeper for four.
02:12 PM BST
Wicket!
Woakes c Nissanka b Rathnaake 5 Hanging on the back foot in anticipation of the bouncer, he pans a fuller one cross-batted straight to cover. FOW 196/6
02:11 PM BST
OVER 40: ENG 178/5 (Root 69 Woakes 5)
Fabulous over for England and Root with three boundaries off four balls, the first a lovely on drive off a low full toss, then a middled sweep and finally a reverse-sweep next ball between point and third man. Try setting a field when he’s in this mood. He is both sprightly and spritely.
02:09 PM BST
OVER 39: ENG 178/5 (Root 56 Woakes 5)
Woakes has a boundary in the scorebook though I’m not sure that he hit it. He tried to… whirring through a pull but was struck on the helmet, knocking one of the three lions out cold. May have feathered it, I suppose but it looked like he headed it over the bar for four.
02:02 PM BST
OVER 38: ENG 171/5 (Root 54 Woakes 0)
Jayasuriya has found his rhythm after lunch and deserved that second wicket and, indeed, the wicket maiden as he tied Woakes up for five dot balls.
England lead by 402 which is enough.
01:56 PM BST
Wicket!
Smith lbw b Jayasuriya 26 He did review it but it was plumb. Smith was sweeping but the ball straightened to beat the bat and pinned him just above the shin and would have gone on to hit middle and leg. FOW 171/5
01:55 PM BST
OVER 37: ENG 171/4 (Root 54 Smith 26)
Lovely shot from Root who is enjoying himself, late cutting Rathnayake for four. Handsome stroke.
01:53 PM BST
OVER 36: ENG 166/4 (Root 50 Smith 25)
Jayasuriya carries on after lunch, wheeling in from the Pavilion End and Smith presses a single into the covers before Root reaches his fifty with a shovelly drive off the arm ball for a single. Jayasuriya, for the first time today, turns one past Smith’s outside edge but is clipped next ball wide of mid-on for another single.
Root’s record since giving up the captaincy? 59.39 with eight centuries and 12 fifties in 28 Tests.
01:47 PM BST
OVER 35: ENG 163/4 (Root 49 Smith 23)
Root’s hard running for Smith, turning one into two off the final ball of the morning’s play ensures he has the strike at the start of the afternoon session. Rathanayake starts with three dot balls and then Root gets to within one of a 35th Test half-century with a pair of twos caressed out to the point sweeper.
01:28 PM BST
A wise precaution?
After yesterday’s crowd strike?
01:07 PM BST
Lunch: ENG 159/4 (Root 45 Smith 23)
Sri Lanka have bowled pretty well this morning but were so far behind on first innings that they have been unable to get out from under. Duckett, Pope and Brook all fell playing their way, trying to kick on, while Root, as busy as ever, juts keeps rolling along.
England lead by 390.
01:04 PM BST
OVER 34: ENG 159/4 (Root 45 Smith 23)
England calmly extend their lead to 390 with three singles and a two off the left-arm spinner, Root taking two of those singles with nurdles and flicks either side of the wicket, Smith the two with a clip between midwicket square leg.
01:02 PM BST
OVER 33: ENG 154/4 (Root 43 Smith 20)
Spin or seam it matters not. Don’t bowl short to Smith unless you’re going to get it over his shoulders. Kumara’s bouncer brings the whirling dervish out of the wicketkeeper batsman who pounces by swivelling and lamping it for four in front of Joel Wilson at square leg.
They are going to squeeze in one more over before lunch.
12:59 PM BST
OVER 32: ENG 149/4 (Root 42 Smith 16)
Jayasuriya tests that ability of Smith’s to pick up length by dropping two inches two short and Smith is all over the pull, carting it wide of mid on for four. Five milked singles complete a productive over for England as we head towards lunch.
12:57 PM BST
OVER 31: ENG 140/4 (Root 39 Smith 10)
Root gobbles up another strike-rotator gimme on his pads, clipping it into the onside and Smith uses Kumara’s bounce to smear two through cover. Smith hasn’t got his timing right yet because of the pitch but the Kennington Kid reads length like a Lord’s native.
12:49 PM BST
OVER 30: ENG 137/4 (Root 38 Smith 8)
Root hangs deep to bookend the over with a pair of singles whipped into the legside and Smith shows a contrasting approach by backing away to leg to open up cover for a single.
12:47 PM BST
OVER 29: ENG 134/4 (Root 36 Smith 7)
Smith tucks Kumara fine off his hip for four and then drives the right-arm quick for two through mid-on.
It has been a dramatic morning in the circumstances of a Test match whose outcome is foretold. Left-arm spin and Bodyline – classical and modern you could say, with deference to Harold Larwood. The difference between this year’s Bodyline by Sri Lanka and last year’s by Australia is stark (rather than Mitchell Starc). Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers are much shorter and their bouncers less steep. England’s batsmen cannot therefore let them whizz above their heads; nor can they simply fend them off defensively with a straight bat as there is no future or run-scoring in that. Joe Root takes sober options, Harry Brook exuberant ones.
12:46 PM BST
OVER 28: ENG 128/4 (Root 36 Smith 1)
Prabath Jayasuriya gets his man but England are 359 ahead and with so much in the bank that their best batsmen can hardly be blamed for playing their shots now. I’m not counting Ollie Pope as amongst their best. He needed a score though yet again I’m sure Baz would say, it’s that lack of ego, the lack of selfishness that they value most as a character trait.
12:41 PM BST
Wicket!
Brook c Madushka b Jayasuriya 37 A kind of redemption for Madushka as he hands on to a tricky one at deep midwicket, stepping backwards and carefully avoiding brushing the rope. The spinner dragged that one down and Brook pulled but Madushka leapt to grab it. The earlier drop cost them 25 in total, which given how destructive Brook can be is something of a let-off. FOW 126/4
12:38 PM BST
OVER 27: ENG 126/3 (Root 35 Brook 37)
Brook has his skates on now and climbs into a drive off the returning Kumara’s first ball, smearing it past cover for four. It’s only day three but England seem in a bit of a rush. There is no rain forecast for Sunday and Monday but they could do with putting their feet up given this series is back-to-back-to-back.
Kumara drops short and Brook pulls calmly for two.
12:33 PM BST
OVER 26: ENG 120/3 (Root 35 Brook 31)
Joe Root uses his feet to skip down to Jayasuriya and, though he doesn’t middle it he hits it hard enough to drag it over mid-on for four.
Three balls later he replicates the stroke, down to the not middling it, and plinks it wide of mid-on for four more as England try to accelerate. Root then goe sback to the spinner to drill two down to the point sweeper.
Root, whose knee was heavily bandaged, takes off his pad to remove the strapping at the end of the over.
For the person asking below, the match referee is the keg on legs, David Boon.
12:27 PM BST
OVER 25: ENG 110/3 (Root 25 Brook 31)
Brook tells the umpire after he flashes a hook at a bouncer (and misses as it climbed over his shoulder) that it was one too many for the over (having already faced two) and Paul Reiffel duly signals no-ball. Fernando pitches the extra ball up and Brook smears it through cover for four.
12:25 PM BST
OVER 24: ENG 104/3 (Root 24 Brook 27)
Root sweeps the left-arm spinner for a single and Brook crouches deep in his crease to stroke a single through cover.
12:22 PM BST
OVER 23: ENG 102/3 (Root 23 Brook 26)
Fernando comes round the wicket to Brook to try to cramp him and Brook retaliates with a tennis stroke, a variation of the Pope shot, using his bottom hand from above the ball to chop down hard to smack it square of the point sweeper for four.
Brook rolls his wrists to keep a pull down for a single as does Root whose return is doubled by an overthrow.
The two Tykes hare through to turn two into three after Brook guides a dabby to the right of third man for three.
England lead by 333.
12:14 PM BST
OVER 22: ENG 91/3 (Root 20 Brook 18)
Madushka drops Brook at deep midwicket after the right-hander top-edged a slog sweep off Jayasuriya. It was a steepler and seemed to swirl but the fielder’s footwork was all wrong, losing his bearings and having to reach backwards and behind him. They run two. Brook nails the stroke the next ball and smacks it for six to cow corner.
12:10 PM BST
OVER 21: ENG 80/3 (Root 19 Brook 8)
Fernando continues with his short-ball strategy which, though it did for Pope, seems premature to me as the conditions are good for seam and swing. Root twice pulls but can’t beat the infield, then collars one for a single to deep backward square. Brook takes two balls to do the same, rolling the wrists conscientiously.
12:07 PM BST
OVER 20: ENG 78/3 (Root 18 Brook 7)
We underestimate how tough it is for a spinner to bowl with a relatively new ball but Jayasuriya is making it look almost impossible in terms of achieving any consistency. His length is too varied so far and Brook uses his feet three times, twice thwarted by smart fielding until he finds the room between cover and mid-off to harpoon a drive to the boundary.
A bizarre dismissal for Ollie Pope. It continues his problems against the short ball at Lord’s, often struggling to adjust to the short ball: that’s now three wickets to short balls in his last four dismissals here, going back to last year’s Ashes Test too. Now 30 runs in four innings as captain: a small sample size, yes, but not the initial impression with the bat that Pope would have envisaged while stand-in captain.
12:03 PM BST
OVER 19: ENG 72/3 (Root 17 Brook 2)
The lights are on and Brook will be tested by the short ball too, carting the first bouncer to long on for a single. Root pats a short ball down with a roll of the wrists for a single and Brook does like Pope, backing away to create space for the uppercut but shows better judgment than his captain by aborting the shot as the ball kept too low to keep the risk withing acceptable parameters.
11:58 AM BST
Wicket!
Pope c Jayasuriya b Fernando 17 That looks terrible. Sri Lanka set the trap for a barrage with three men out on the legside for the pull so Pope steps away and carves the first short ball of the over to deep backward point. Captain suckered on a slow pitch. I suppose in his defence he will say he wasn’t caught on the pull, they’re 300 ahead and why not push on but he picked out the only fielder on the offside boundary. FOW 70/3
11:57 AM BST
OVER 18: ENG 69/2 (Pope 17 Root 16)
By contrast, Jayasuriya hasn’t started with the kind of precision his captain would want, Root pulling a fourth full toss for four and Pope exploiting a lapse in line to paddle three down to fine leg.
11:55 AM BST
OVER 17: ENG 59/2 (Pope 13 Root 10)
Good start from Fernando, Root taking only the single to cover.
11:48 AM BST
OVER 16: ENG 58/2 (Pope 13 Root 9)
Spin! Prabath Jayasuriya comes on for Kumara and Root tests the field with a couple of offside clips before driving a low full toss through cover for a single. Pope bunts another full bunger for a single and then has to dive headlong to make his ground after dawdling when Root called him through for a sharp run to midwicket’s right.
Double change. Asitha Fernando is called up, too.
11:44 AM BST
OVER 15: ENG 55/2 (Pope 12 Root 7)
Terrific from Rathnayake to nip one back up the slope and through Pope’s gate to hit him in front of middle on the back leg but it always looked like it was going over the stumps. To add insult to injury the ball went through for four leg byes which only a successful review would have erased. The ball before Pope had played a millionaire’s shot, whisking a fuller one fine off his toes for four.
Broad says Pope looks like he needs to get to 25 and then he will reach calmer seas, the butterfly will emerge from the chrysalis.
11:38 AM BST
NOT OUT
Yes, too high.
11:38 AM BST
SL review
Pope lbw Rathnayake Hit him above the pad on the back leg. Looked high.
11:38 AM BST
OVER 14: ENG 47/2 (Pope 8 Root 7)
Pope wears a bouncer right on the point of the elbow which, if personal experience is anything to go by, would make the little and ring fingers on his left hand go numb temporarily at least. He shakes his arm and gives it a rub. Root offers sympathy and not his usual delight when someone cops one. Two balls later he connects with a pull and rolls his wrists on it for a single.
Stuart Broad enters the commentary box, dressed in green. He’s come as the Riddler.
11:32 AM BST
OVER 13: ENG 45/2 (Pope 7 Root 6)
Maiden from Rathnayake to Pope who defends stoutly after trying to use his feet and almost yorking himself before chiselling it out at the last possible moment.
11:29 AM BST
OVER 12: ENG 45/2 (Pope 7 Root 6)
Mixed over, Pope playing a lovely late cut for two but Root is beaten by Kumara’s line, coming wider on the crease and edges at very catchable height but between the sparse cordon of only slip and gully. It sails for four and Sri Lanka shut the stable door but too late.
It’s warm but very overcast at Lord’s.
No such thing as an easy slip catch is another saying. But it is easy when gully stops the ball and passes it on to first slip, where Angelo Mathews accepted the present.
11:23 AM BST
OVER 11: ENG 38/2 (Pope 4 Root 2)
This has been an excellent start by Sri Lanka, who have been on their toes in the field and bowling a consistently challenging line. Root takes a big stride to work two through midwicket but smart fielding cuts off his productive third man dab and sticks a dot in the scorebook for Rathnayake who now has one for seven off three.
11:17 AM BST
Wicket!
Duckett c Mathews b Rathnayake 24 The left-hander, a proper remainer who would never advocate leaving anything, had played and missed at a cut stroke the ball before and when Rathnayake pitched up he went for the big drive and edged hard to gully where Madushka, the deposed keeper, dived to his left but couldn’t hold on yet palmed it up to second slip who took the catch at neck height with his fingers pointing upwards. FOW 36/2
11:17 AM BST
OVER 10: ENG 36/1 (Duckett 24 Pope 4)
Duckett clips two off his toes and, next ball when Kumara overcorrects from middle to outside off Duckett slaps it to the point sweeper who can’t stop it at the first attempt as he slides and turns two into three. The fielder, Fernnado, is angry with himself which, as Nasser says, is a good sign of high standards. Indeed Karunaratne makes a very good running stop to stop a boundary off Pope’s open face drive through point, keeping him down to two.
11:12 AM BST
OVER 9: ENG 29/1 (Duckett 19 Pope 2)
Rathnayake shares opening spell duties with Kumara. The athletic quick bounds in from the Nursery End, round the wicket to Duckett, peppering back of a length. He keeps Duckett quiet although he plays at every one, determined to feel bat on ball whenever possible, until he gives the left-hander some width outside off and he slices a cut for two. When he pitches up Duckett plays tip and run to cover with a chunky push.
Remember the saying that “runs in the first innings are worth double”?
It is not always true but today is one such occasion when it is. Runs on the opening morning, after Sri Lanka sent England in, were worth much more than in England’s second innings, when it is help-yourself time.
Indeed, Scyld. The Blue Suede Shoes model. ‘One for the money, two for the show…’
11:07 AM BST
OVER 8: ENG 26/1 (Duckett 16 Pope 2)
Good morning. Thanks to Sam Green for starting the blog. Lahiru Kumara starts from the Pavilion End and it’s a fine opening over to Pope with one good shout for caught behind. Kumara was entirely convinced, following in halfway down the pitch before turning to beseech Joel Wilson. Looked like an inside edge on to pad on its way through to the keeper at first look but it was a fine decision from the normally derided Wilson, No bat at all, which is why, on reflection, SL did not send it upstairs, Incidentally Chandimal has taken the gloves back from Madushka today, clearly recovered from the finger injury that he sustained at Old Trafford.
10:55 AM BST
Good morning
Hello and welcome to the hid day of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
The hosts are in a commanding position after Gus Atkinson’s century and a superb bowling display gave them a lead of 256 runs with nine second innings wickets intact.
Olly Stone and Matthew Potts led the attack and Ollie Pope had a good day as captain after his role was questioned by Michael Vaughan.
There was also drama as an MCC member was hit a ball he was trying to catch off Kamindu Mendis’s shot.
After Atkinson’s entertaining 118 off 115 balls led England to 427 all out, Sri Lanka was skittled for 196 in 55.3 overs to face a 231-run, first-innings deficit.
England chose not to enforce the follow-on and reached stumps on 25-1, with a lead of 256.
Having won the first test in Manchester last week, England is on track to wrap up a second straight series victory this international summer – after a 3-0 win over the West Indies last month.
Atkinson has his name on both of the honours boards in the England dressing room at Lord’s. He took 12 wickets there against the Windies on debut, and has now starred with the bat by scoring a maiden Test century with a display of crisp ball-striking that, at times, made him look like a top-order batter.
“Incredible. Very surreal. It still hasn’t sunk in,” Atkinson said. “I didn’t think I’d be on the Lord’s honours board for my batting.”
Atkinson hit 14 fours — one of them a straight drive to bring up three figures — and four sixes. He is the sixth player to have a century and a 10-wicket haul at Lord’s and it was the sixth fastest hundred at the storied ground, after 103 balls.
“I was seeing it really well and getting myself in good positions,” Atkinson said.
Asked if he had been working on his batting, he said, “No,” with a laugh. “But it’s something, moving forward, I’m going to focus on.”
2024-08-31T17:19:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd