1st Test: England vs Sri Lanka at Headingley

Finn with another impressive driving catch. Four wickets each for Broad and Jimmy. Both fighting to see who can finish with a five-for. England desperate for one more wicket.

91 All Out

The follow on has been enforced, Alastair Cook offering handshakes to his bowlers

and asking them to go again.

SL have conceded a deficit of 207......

all out 91

Jimmy picks up the last wicket and wins the race to get a five-for - his first at Headingley. Sri Lanka all out for 91 and asked to bat again.

I wonder whether it was the high quality of English bowling or the rather poor batting display of the SL's was the caused for the rout!

[quote author=cricketguy link=topic=104279.msg694450#msg694450 date=1463764949]
I wonder whether it was the high quality of English bowling or the rather poor batting display of the SL's was the caused for the rout!
[/quote]
A high quality spell from Jimmy backed up by Broad. Jimmy's spell was magical with unplayable delivery after another. Both were aided by overcast conditions, perfect for swing bowling. Great to watch. Nothing much that Sri Lanka could do to be honest. Thiramanne was the only soft dismissal in the innings.

Sri Lanka to follow on! Disappointed is an understatement to describe the batting display! Guttered to witness the humiliation.

[quote author=dillinger10 link=topic=104279.msg694308#msg694308 date=1463674886]
And that's that. Play abandoned for the rest of the day. Though a truncated day, it featured two action packed sessions of cricket. Sri Lanka dominated early, Bairstow and Hales dug in after lunch and have at least got England back in the match.

I was seriously impressed with Hales today. He looked nervy early, but fought through it, dug in and never gave his wicket away. A very valuable contribution that will surely do his confidence a world of good.

Great to have Test match cricket back again. Lets hope Mother Nature smiles on us for the next four days, though, a quick look at the forecast doesn't look too clever.
[/quote]

Great Halo supporter but he was very tentative and in a way I support that as getting the first ton helps ones confidence.

We were quite poor with the bat with far too many soft dismissals, even Bairstow, and that will concern management.

Worst English batting performance for some time.

Our bowling was quite brilliant.

Rain forecast overnight so hope we get some play tomorrow.

I had not realise we had bowled them out.

Do you know if we have enforced the follow on?

I would.

A snorting delivery from Jimmy and England have their first wicket of the morning. Only 82 mph but unplayable bounce that exploded on Karunaratne. Sri Lanka 10/1.

A second wicket in the innings for Jimmy and a seventh catch in the match for Jonny Bairstow. Sri Lanka 35/2.

Sri Lanka will perhaps take some comfort in knowing that Stokes is unlikely to bowl today due to the injury he suffered yesterday and the fact that Steven Finn has looked very ordinary so far, struggling to find his line and length.