12.56pm: Right, Sri Lanka trail by 62 on first innings and England will have to get through what I am contractually obliged to call an 'awkward mini-session' before the lunch break at 1.45pm local time. A strange innings which featured some low-intensity, low-quality cricket... Pathum Nissanka looked a million dollars during his 64 but couldn't kick on, while DDS and Kamindu made fifties in the gloom last night. Stone the pick of the bowlers, with Hull taking three on debut too.
Hope you heard what Asitha Fernando said to Lahiru Kumara through the stump microphone after that bouncer from Stone. 'We need to give him a taste of his own medicine.' I have actually omitted one word. Can't put that here.
— Rex Clementine (@RexClementine) September 8, 2024
Dunc: "Asitha's highest test score achieved!" -- He's had a stunning career with the bat in Tests. How did he ever get 30 in a first-class game?!
Ed: "Dominic Cork got 3/93 against SL in 2002. It wasn't his debut and it's not in England, but it's a port city!"
Alfred: "This isn't going to be another 'England can't dismiss a tenth wicket pair' story, is it?" -- No.
Pete: "Not sure I'd call it "burning a review" when SL are 9 down AND England still have reviews in reserve." -- Yes, completely justified in sending it upstairs... though it is burned either way, whether or not the burning was justified!
AM Fernando c †Smith b Shoaib Bashir 11 (20m 14b 2x4 0x6) SR: 78.57
Jamie: "I think it's about to get very wet at the Oval, based on the weather at the moment a few miles south of there...."
END OF OVER:61 | 2 Runs | SL: 259/9
- Lahiru Kumara5 (29b)
- Asitha Fernando7 (12b)
- Olly Stone9-3-35-3
- Shoaib Bashir11-0-33-0
12.50pm: The players will have a drink... with Sri Lanka nine down and two blokes in who average 8 between them...
Not sure England even appealed for that. Two minutes of our lives we'll never get back.
Nagraj Todur: "Matt, if I am not wrong today is Shubman Gill's birthday. Happy Birthday to wonderful and terrific Indian batsman!!" -- And closer to home, Jos Buttler turns 34 too.
END OF OVER:60 | 3 Runs | SL: 257/9
- Asitha Fernando6 (11b)
- Lahiru Kumara4 (24b)
- Shoaib Bashir11-0-33-0
- Olly Stone8-3-33-3
Marcel: "Terrible selfishness by Stone, dropping a sitter to mop up the tail himself"
END OF OVER:59 | 5 Runs | SL: 254/9
- Asitha Fernando4 (8b)
- Lahiru Kumara3 (21b)
- Olly Stone8-3-33-3
- Shoaib Bashir10-0-30-0
Can Stone finish this off?
END OF OVER:58 | 1 Run | SL: 249/9
- Asitha Fernando0 (6b)
- Lahiru Kumara2 (17b)
- Shoaib Bashir10-0-30-0
- Olly Stone7-3-28-3