England v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, The Oval, 6-10 September, 2024

Dead rubber time.

Same team for England I would imagine. I just wish they would give us a game .It's been far too easy this Summer.

Basil wrote:Same team for England I would imagine. I just wish they would give us a game .It's been far too easy this Summer.

Well Root is due a few failures, if Smith has an off day, or they miss Kamindu, it could well be a different story. Plus England usually get complacent when theyr triumphant. Although under Pope's leadership i feel that the usual hubris has been absent. He seems an honest chap less edgy than Stokes or Root. Possibly also becos the main successes of the summer Atkinson and Smith are quite new.

I dunno how fit Murali is nowadays but TMS in 1 of its lengthy intervals during the last test [due to the slow over rate no doubt] seemed to suggest he was at Lords.

Another fill his boots test for Root.

Hull in for Potts

That was the only change ever likely.

Lawrence on his last chance you’d think.

How near is Crawley to fitness?

lardbucket wrote:That was the only change ever likely.

Lawrence on his last chance you’d think.

How near is Crawley to fitness?

Crawley expects to be fit for the tests on Pakistan.

The best that Lawrence can expect is to do enough to go to Pakistan as the spare batsman, but even that might not be enough.

So now we have 2 no11s, the top order better come good.

Lost Wombat wrote:So now we have 2 no11s, the top order better come good.

Who can forget Giddins, Mullally and Tufnell? God knows I've tried.

Bowlers who can't bat - a ferkin disgrace.

Weather looking rather damp for the oval, could be a lot of interruptions and the floodlites on. Warnings of floods in fact.

Gus and Woakes down to play 6 consecutive tests this summer, might be better if Gus joins Woakes on the sidelines after this test instead of playing in the odis.

Sri Lanka win the toss and will bowl first. England would have done the same according to Pope.

Duckett says phurt to the seamy conditions and smokes a quick 50*.

Eng 1-76.

Ton up for for Pope. That puts the talk about his place in the side to bed for now.

In difficult batting conditions, SL bowled too short or too wide, Duckett when there was an easy 100 in the offing just threw it away going for his 4th ramp in 2 overs, got a 6 & a 4, but nearly been caught behind already. Very dark all day, hopefully better weather tomorrow. Fine 100 by Pope on his favorite ground, hope he just keeps going, becos Brook looks like he wants to copy duckett, and the lankans surely will bowl better tomorrow.

England heading for another 400 total.

Only rain can prevent 3-0 to Eng.

I was wrong (no shocks there!!). SL crashed through to stop Eng at 325.Eng went from 4-290 to AO 325.

Now can they close the Draw out with a decent total?

Everybody was caught but not in the slips, pretty rubbish by England, just giving lankans catching practice. Theyve had it far too easy this summer, so maybe SL can make them pay for their stupidity with a big score.

All a bit reckless, trying to take the draw out of the game but in doing so letting SL right back into it.

Now let’s see what young Emu’s made of.

Good day for Lanka in the end, pretty rubbish for england, although it might have felt better if Hull hadnt spilled a sitter from Silva off Bash. It was dark out there, but Silva threw away his bat in disgust until he realised he was OK. Great catch by Woakes to give Hull his first wkt. Comms who crit Pope for going off yesterday, crit him for staying on and bowling 17 overs of spin which SL despatched pretty easily.

This Josh Halifax or Hartlepool or whatever he'd called looks like he can bowl a bit

So Lanka are going to concede a smallish I1 lead to England.

There's still the best part of 2 days remaining (weather permitting) so my moneys on England finishing this Test off with a speedy I2 target then cleaning up Lanka for 3-0.

A target of 200 could be 50 too many ...

Fred Nerk wrote:This Josh Halifax or Hartlepool or whatever he'd called looks like he can bowl a bit

Barnstoneworth?

Welly well. Eng 138 ahead, 6 down. Interesting.