13/01Result
1st Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Galle, Jan 14-18 2021
England won by 7 wkts
Player of the Match
Joe Root
Joe RootEngland
13/01Result
1st Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Galle, Jan 14-18 2021
England won by 7 wkts
Player of the Match
Joe Root
Joe RootEngland

4.38pm: Hard yakka but England have whittled their way through Sri Lanka, and will now need 74 to win. Surely not enough for a Sri Lankan miracle (though you can easily imagine England making hard work of it)? Props to Mathews, who followed Lahiru Thirimanne's lead in providing granite-willed resistance for more than 200 balls, but that first-innings hole was a deep one to climb out of. Miller will be here shortly for the start of the chase

Binusha sent this moments before the final wicket: "73 is the lowest 4th inning total in Galle. That is by South Africa against SL. Now the lead is 73. Just saying." Gonna be tight, then

136.5
W
Leach to Mathews, OUT, steered to slip, this one's done! Mathews goes at the last after an excellent fighting knock, and Leach has his second Test five-for! Caught in two minds about how best to get try and a single, ends dollied catch off the outside edge

AD Mathews c Root b Leach 71 (344m 219b 4x4 0x6) SR: 32.42

Root brings in extra cover, mid-on and midwicket

136.4
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, full and flighted and Mathews jabs it into the off side, again declines the single
136.3
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, twirls away, blocked defiantly on off stump
136.2
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, pushed in with the arm, spinning from middle and leg and prodded away going back
136.1
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, dragged down and Mathews cuts, won't take the single towards deep extra cover

Leach to continue, one away from a five-for

"This is getting into England batting collapse territory," warbles James nervously

END OF OVER:
136 | 1 Run | SL: 359/9

  • Asitha Fernando0 (6b)
  • Angelo Mathews71 (214b)
  • Mark Wood21-5-49-0
  • Jack Leach41-6-122-4

And now it's drinks, with about an hour and a half left in the day. Never mind England's chances of victory, my hopes of a lie-in tomorrow are slipping away...

135.6
0
Wood to Fernando, no run, hurled down straight, 148kph/92mph as Wood gives it everything, but blocked again! This. Is. Sparta!
135.5
0
Wood to Fernando, no run, back of a length, over the stumps and past the outside edge with Asitha backing away! Millimetres in it, brings a sheepish grin from the No. 11

Can Wood finish with a wicket (and a smile)?

135.4
1
Wood to Mathews, 1 run, dug in and he swings a pull towards deep midwicket, again he'll take the single from the fourth ball
135.3
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, dug in and swatted out to deep midwicket, again he declines the run on offer
135.2
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, dug in, 140kph/87mph and whizzing through past a flailing horizontal bat
135.1
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, short ball, pace off from Wood, pulled without timing towards square leg

Still some 20-odd overs left in the day, if the light holds...

END OF OVER:
135 | 5 Runs | SL: 358/9

  • Asitha Fernando0 (4b)
  • Angelo Mathews70 (210b)
  • Jack Leach41-6-122-4
  • Mark Wood20-5-48-0
134.6
0
Leach to Fernando, no run, bit of flight, spins to hit the outer half of the bat, Asitha is forward and keeps it down on the bounce to gully

"Mathews should start hitting big shots. No point playing defensive now!" I think we can trust him to know what he's doing here, Vishall Kalwani

134.5
1
Leach to Mathews, 1 run, tossed up, spinning away and Mathews jabs it wide of slip, they jog one to deep backward point
134.4
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, flighted, Mathews plunges forward on off to block
134.3
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, tucked into the leg side
134.2
0
Leach to Mathews, no run, Leach goes up for caught behind, similar to the Dilruwan dismissal and Buttler is looking for another stumping - he's got the taste now! Back foot was grounded
134.1
4
Leach to Mathews, FOUR, reversed away past gully for four! Plants the front foot and slaps it hard to the rope

One wicket standing, SL 67 in front. Can Angelo burgle a few more?

END OF OVER:
134 | 1 Run | SL: 353/9

  • Asitha Fernando0 (3b)
  • Angelo Mathews65 (205b)
  • Mark Wood20-5-48-0
  • Jack Leach40-6-117-4
133.6
0
Wood to Fernando, no run, fired in straight at 143kph and he gets partially front on, pokes it away to safety again

"Where's the debate in that wicket?" carps Anthony. "Nothing behind the line = out. Plain and simple."

133.5
0
Wood to Fernando, no run, unleashes a 148kph/92mph yorker, which Asitha nonchalantly bunts to the leg side. Tekkers
133.4
1
Wood to Mathews, 1 run, short ball, collared through midwicket and he'll trot the one now - leaving Asitha two balls to survive
133.3
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, sprayed full and wide, 143kph/89mph, backing away again and he can't get bat near it
133.2
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, bumper, Mathews swings it away on the pull to deep square leg... but won't take the single on offer
133.1
0
Wood to Mathews, no run, dug in short and Mathews backs away, fends it through square leg

"I'm amazed he found that definitive to give it out - possibe example of a 3rd umpire being worried about the perception if it gives it to his home nation?" I dunno, Thomas. He asked for evidence the foot was grounded behind the line (as opposed to on it) and couldn't find any. Seemed good umpiring

END OF OVER:
133 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SL: 352/9

  • Asitha Fernando0 (1b)
  • Angelo Mathews64 (201b)
  • Jack Leach40-6-117-4
  • Mark Wood19-5-47-0
132.6
0
Leach to Fernando, no run, flighted, lets this spin through outside off

Mickey Arthur didn't like that decision, by the way... Out comes Asitha Fernando at No. 11

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England 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st3DP SibleyZ Crawley
2nd9JM BairstowZ Crawley
3rd2JM BairstowJE Root
4th62JM BairstowDW Lawrence