Sri Lanka V England 1st Test Match in Galle

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SL 127-4

Anderson 2 Broad 1 wickets & a run out.

CHG

128-5 Patel's first test wicket.

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258-8 82 overs. New ball now taken.

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M Jayawardene brings up his 150 thanks to Monty who drops an easy shoulder high catch over the boundary for 6.

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Panesar drops Jayawardene again, an even easier one. His attempted catching is at about the level of a 5 year old :-(

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289-8 Close of play. Jayawardene 168 no.

BlackForestReds

To be fair to Monty Jatawardene had scored most of his runs at that point, but hopefully we can knock over the last two wickets cheaply tomorrow and get batting. England will need a decent first innings score as that wicket tends to deteriorate rapidly.

LenGlover

A good 50 or more than we would have hoped at 128-5.

All is not lost if we finish them off for under 300.

BlackForestReds

A good 50 or more than we would have hoped at 128-5.

All is not lost if we finish them off for under 300.

But for Jayawardene we would already be batting, he always bats well at Galle and it does have a reputation for being batsman friendly, Gayle scored a triple hundred there a couple of years ago and getting Sangakarra first ball was a plus.

Chirpy Red

Sri Lanka 318 all out. Anderson took 5 to take him to 5th place in Englands all time Test wicket taking list. Just Underwood, Trueman, Willis and Botham ahead of him now.

We are not making a great fist of it. 43/3, Cook, Strauss and Trott all out.

McBobbin

92/6. A sense of deja vu beckons. What is it with England which means that we can't bat in Asia? It's not as if Sri Lankan bowling is something to be feared

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126-7 Bell 41 no

LenGlover

At least we've avoided the follow on!!

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157-8 Swann out 24.

Chirpy Red

157-9 Bell out.

It's harder to stay at No.1 than to get there..

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157-9 Bell b Herath 52

Monty is on his way in. I'll say God help us (so hopefully that way he will get some runs)

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Strange innings. The batsman couldn't bat (apart from Bell). Yet Broad, Swann, Anderson & Monty were hitting plenty of 4's & didn't look in much trouble. I know new ball etc. However, at this stage the pitch looks perfectly decent.

191-9. Tea delayed as Anderson 22 Panesar 12.

Chirpy Red

193 all out.

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Yeah, knew that would happen. Every time I make a comment that we're doing ok, a wicket falls. Just like if I walk out the room a wicket falls or I miss a goal if the footie's on. It really is uncanny.

falconwood_1

Bob Willis slaughtering the batsman. Like his sideburns, hilarious!

Chirpy Red

A good effort by Jayawardene in scoring 56.6% of his teams runs but not quite in the same league as Mr Turner……

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1977/ENG_LOCAL/CC/GLAM_WORCS_CC_29JUN-01JUL1977.html

McBobbin

48/4, Swanny finding some turn. Maybe it's all to play for? This won't last five days, that's for sure. I reckonwe need to be positive against spin but not reckless. Bell showed what can be done.

JohnBoyUK

A good effort by Jayawardene in scoring 56.6% of his teams runs but not quite in the same league as Mr Turner……

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1977/ENG_LOCAL/CC/GLAM_WORCS_CC_29JUN-01JUL1977.html

Blimey, thats one hell of a stand he put up at one end!

Karim_myBagheri

84/5 not bad come back. well done swaney.
even if we do get them out for around 50 more runs, our batting looks woeful.

killerandflash

I can see us bowling the remaining Sri Lankan batsmen out cheaply...but can't see us scoring 250-300 on current form against the spinners...

That's a great scorecard Chirpy!

BlackForestReds

We scored at more than 4 an over, Test match batting in Asia is about occupying the crease and grafting for runs.

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SL 214 all out. England need 340 to win, the highest ever by England to win a test match. It could have been 293 to win as Broad made a c&b, but batsman was recalled as Broad had no balled.

Chirpy Red

32-1 Cock out.

Chirpy Red

I think I meant Cook.....

ValleyGary

3-10 Cock out.

Countdowns on

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52-2 Strauss gone.