England v Sri Lanka - Test Match Series

Hull has so much to offer an England side.
He has pace, he's left handed so offers variation, he's tall so he'll get a lot of bonce.

So he ticks all the boxes. He just needs to become international quality. Simples

For Sri Lanka Kusal Mendis & Vishwa Fernando return at the expense of Madushka & Prabath Jayasurya.

England batting first, on a bowler friendly wicket.

Typical that they play a match at the Oval on an over cast day, whereas it's cracking the flags up north.

Not sure what going on down south at The Oval, its crackin' flags up ere.

(06-09-2024 06:34 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  England v Sri Lanka 3rd Test - The Oval Day 2 Close
Toss - Sri Lanka elected to field
England 325 (69.1 overs) Pope 154 Duckett 86 Rathnayake 3-56 Dhananjaye 2-18 Vishwa 2-46 Kumara 2-97
Sri Lanka 211-5 (45 over) Nissanka 64 Dhananjaya 64 no Kamindu 54 no Stone 2-28

Not so much Bazball as Kamikaze cricket. Duckett's never going to get a really big score if he keeps playing high risk shots.

England collapse from a solid position of 290-4 to 325 all out, losing 6-35 inside 10 overs. The conditions favoured bowling & England rode their luck at times, yet all of the 7 dismissals fell to catches off attacking shots, in the main they got themselves out rather than were got out by good balls.
Perhaps with the time loss in the match on Day 1, England felt the need to move the game along. First innings run are vital in my book, & a total in excess of 400 looked achievable.

(07-09-2024 13:06 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  

(06-09-2024 06:34 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  England v Sri Lanka 3rd Test - The Oval Day 3 Close
Toss - Sri Lanka elected to field
England 325 (69.1 overs) Pope 154 Duckett 86 Rathnayake 3-56 Dhananjaye 2-18 Vishwa 2-46 Kumara 2-97
Sri Lanka 263 (61.2 over) Dhananjaya 69 Nissanka 64 Kamindu 64 Stone 3-35 Hull 3-53 Woakes 2-42
England 156 (34 overs) Smith 67 Lawrence 35 Kumara 4-21 Vishwa Fernando 3-40 Asitha Fernando 2-49
Sri Lanka 94-1 (15 over) Nissanka 53 no Kusal 30 no
Target 219Sri Lanka require 125 runs to win

England have been unbelievably sloppy since reaching 290/4 in the first innings.
Deary deary me.

When we need the rain the forecast shows almost a zero chance of it. However up North there's 100% certainty of it.
England have played terrible cricket in this match and deserve to lose.