Cricket

A lead of 177 with the openers seeing the day out. What?

Yes Keaton!

Given the word 'declaration' renders Joe Root nauseous, how many sessions will it take for this England attack to glean the 2nd 10 Sri Lankan wickets?

I always say 4 sessions, if Root's declaring it'll be sometime tomorrow morning. More than enough in the bag already, like

Yep, a 500+ lead would be daunting.
There's also tthe bonus of exhausting the Sri Lankan bowlers in the 1st Test to blunt their edge in the remainder of the Series.

We might win a test match overseas. I repeat. We might win a test match overseas.

1st overseas Test win with only 3 specialist batsmen?

Great win. Leach looks promising, albeit in helpful conditions. Really seems like he can tie an end down.

Seems like they’re maybe planning to use Foakes as ‘keeper to free up Buttler and Bairstow as specialist batsmen. Bairstow might not be an automatic pick next year anyway unless he addresses his problems.

Hope Jennings can kick in from here but he seems to struggle with genuine pace in English conditions.

Probably said this enough times but I've watched enough of Foakes in the last few years to gauge that he's of international quality and he's shown it with both bat and gloves. Just looks easy to him.

Don't see how they can drop him now he's taken his chance, now up to the selectors to tell Bairstow who will more than likely kick his toys of the pram about it. Still think he can be a really, really good batsman at #5, he's had a rough year but I still regard him as one of the more reliable players in the side

I think a spell at county level will sort him out. He’s got issues with his technique but he’s ironed them out before and will come back and prove his class.

Fingers crossed Foakes is the new Matt Prior.

Bit of a shithouse start apart from Burns, but Buttler's looked wonderful this morning.

Conditions bad or just England?

It's a turner, but mostly England. Pretty fucked now.

200 up.

Put Rashid at #3, fuck it

Curran/Rashid now equal best partnership.

I've never understood the rigidity of the batting line up.
Here, with the toss won, pop a spinner who can see out at least a few overs,
(I realise these were at a premium in days past, see Phil Tufnell for more details),
so he can tell the other (supposed) batsmen what the opposition bowlers are doing and how they are setting up their 'Out' deliveries.
Still looks like we will soon have a team of completely interchangeable all-rounders,
all equally (in)capable of of circumspect first 20s followed by biffball cameos.

To be honest 240-250 isn't a bad score based off right now, it's not going to get easier to bat on

God I love it when Sam goes down the track

250 up.
How do the English management expect Curran to score runs when he is only left with the tail?

Seems to me that England have;
two openers, just for appearances sake,
7 equally unstuitable No.3s,
Root at 4, (=10),
and Anderson at 11.

Fantastic player to watch - very entertaining

Since his debut he's batted excellently with whomever and adapting to the situation. To have that ability at 20 years old is remarkable.

Sam Curran is something else. 5 sixes and 0 fours for his 50....

Strong Surrey, Strong England

Another 8 overs of this, Root can declare at 330-9
and let Anderson & Curran have a 6 over burst at Sri Lanka.

He's been watchful too - strike rate under 60, so not throwing the bat at everything