SL tour of Eng, Aug 21 - Sept 10

[Arthur Crabtree]

Return to form for Pope?

Dead rubber runs though.

[Durhamfootman]

failure for Root

[Arthur Crabtree]

Probably England's player of the summer though?

Run a ball ton for Captain Pope. Wonder when the last ton by an England captain was.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes v Australia last summer at Lord's

[alfie]

Not much of a contest , is it ? Sri Lanka bowling was frankly awful... ball doing plenty in dodgy light but they couldn't land two in a row where they wanted... Total waste of the toss advantage.

England happy to help themselves to the pies. Duckett seemed to be having fun and Pope will be glad to have kept up his amazing Oval average (probably his easiest hundred but coming when he was under a spot of pressure very welcome !) Scoring at five+ per over : 221/3 so the lost time shouldn't stop them from having a match-winning total halfway through day two : and if Sri Lanka bat like they bowled it might not take long to finish the job.

Amazingly Root couldn't really get going. Saving his runs for when the team actually needs them ?

[Durhamfootman]

Probably England's player of the summer though?

Probably.

A big shout for Gus Atkinson, though

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes, he's my runner up...

Pope's average when he scores a ton is 208.

[andy]

Sri Lanka plan to harry brook to keep it wide and frustrated him worked he has gone...finally a way to get him out maybe? Much better from Sri Lanka this morning

[Durhamfootman]

that's a big old collapse. 290-4 to 325 ao

[mikesiva]

England 325 all out

Pope 154
Duckett 86

Rathnayake 3-56

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe England wanted to move the game on.

[andy]

Stone strikes in his first over and removed Mathews cheaply!

[Durhamfootman]

first wicket for Josh Hull

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well done to him.

SL getting on with it.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Presume there's bad light with Laurence getting a long bowl.