Alastair Cook will be looking for some big runs in this innings © Getty Images (File Photo)
Alastair Cook will be looking for some big runs in this innings © Getty Images (File Photo)

Jun 20, 2014

Catch Live Scorecard of the England vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test here

(Catch live cricket score and live updates of the Test match played between England and Sri Lanka at Headingley)

 

That’s the end of the day then. A day in favour of England. A day which has belonged to Liam Plunkett, Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Sri Lanka will be hoping for a change of fortunes for Day Two. England will be hoping for more of the same.

 

 

Cook and Robson are just biding their time now. They know all that there is to play for are their wickets right now. Cook has been struggling for runs. So it makes no sense to go after the bowlers now.

 

 

With 18 overs to bat till the end of the day, Cook and Robson will just look to see off this day. England have played some wonderful cricket today. They would like to keep it that way by not losing a wicket here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liam Plunkett’s five-for, Stuart Broad’s hat-trick and some inspired bowling from James Anderson has knocked out Sri Lanka for just 257 in their first innings as they folded up inside the first day of the second Test. England’s pace battery bowled superbly throughout the day, as they didn’t let the Sri Lankans breathe easy even for a minute.
OUT! N Pradeep 13(19)

 

 

Finally, Sangakkara departs. He played with his luck a little too much today, one would feel. And finally his quota runs out. A flashy drive outside off, gets the edge, and Ian Bell takes a stunner at gully. Of all the easy chances they have let go against Sanga today, that was a fitting end to that innings. Broad the wicket-taker.
Dhammika Prasad is the new man in, who has replaced Nuwan Kulasekara in the team. And he doesn’t last long. Two balls to be precise. Liam Plunkett the wicket-taker again. Another snorter from Plunkett, and Prasad was squared up, as he handed an easy catch to Prior. OH WAIT! Another wicket. Broad gets another set batsman out. Chandimal the victim this time. He was playing well. But that’s a regulation edge and a regulation catch to Captain Cook at first slip. Sri Lankan innings is falling apart. Shaminda Eranga is the No. 10. And he justifies his batting position. OUT first ball. Another edge, and Prior holds on to the dying edge. Broad on a hat-trick. Nuwan Pradeep survives. England have destroyed Sri Lanka in this session. 4 wickets in 3 overs. 3 for Broad.WAIT! WAIT! Stuart Broad has actually got the hat-trick. Because Sangakkara’s wicket had come off the last ball of his previous over. Nobody has realised this.
OUT! K Sangakkara 79(147), D Prasad 0(2), D Chandimal 45(55), S Eranga 0(1)

 

 

So, Sangakkara and Chandimal carry on post-Tea. Chris Jordan starts the last session of the day for England. And it’s Anderson from the other end. So the idea seems to be very clear from England. They want to test Chandimal with some bounce, and test Sanga with their most lethal weapon in the form of Anderson. Chandimal has hit a couple of boundaries this session and is looking to get to the front foot. Should be an interesting battle this one.
And the 200 is now up for Sri Lanka.

 

Sri Lanka have lost half their side against some inspired swing bowling from Liam Plunkett and James Anderson, and are precariously placed at 182 for the loss of five wickets at the end of the second session, Day One of the second Test at Headingly against England.

 

 

Mathews’s counterattacking tactics backfire. Up against James Anderson, he again pokes at a delivery in that corridor of uncertainty, and this time Gary Ballance takes an easy catch at third slip. That is Ballance’s first catch in Test cricket, and Mathews becomes Anderson’s bunny for the second time in as many Tests. Anderson lets him know that with a charged-up send-off.
Dinesh Chandimal is the new man in now. So one end opens up for England, as Chandimal has been terribly out of form. And Sanga SURVIVES again. He flashes at one outside the off-stump, and Moeen Ali is the culprit this time at backward point. Sanga’s luck ride continues.
OUT! A Mathews 26(28)

 

 

5o for Sangakkara. His 47th in 124 Tests. After surviving those easy chances, he is making England pay now. Like he generally does. And he is liking Moeen Ali’s harmless off-spin here. And the 50-partnership is up between Mathews and Sanga as well. They are moving at a really good speed now. Counterattacking tactics.
The two best bowlers of the day don’t bowl in tandem for England for long. Plunkett has been replaced by Moeen Ali. Probably getting a breather. He had a long spell in this session. Similar to what Anderson did in the morning session.

 

 

Plunkett’s gameplan against Mathews seems to be very simple. Bounce and aim the rib cage. So far Mathews has negated the strategy quite well. But England will be mighty pleased with their efforts so far. Only if Prior had held on to that sitter to send back Sangakkara. Sangakkara, having survived two close calls, would be itching make these lives count now. Plunkett has been the pick of the bowlers so far. He has been fast, has bowled in the right areas, and most importantly, has got the wickets to show for.
Now, James Anderson is back into the attack. Can he inflict further damage? Should be interesting to see.

 

 

100 up for Sri Lanka. And Sangakkara survives again. Lima Plunkett has been bowling well since morning, finally gets Sangakkara to knick one, Prior fumbles the easiest of chances. This was a chance he could hold on to half asleep. But he takes his eyes off the ball before holding on to it. And Cook and co. are shocked. Need we say more about Plunkett’s reaction? He is devastated. Sangakkara rides his luck again. But he gets his revenge in the next over. Jayawardene knicks this time, and Chris Jordan at second slip takes a wonderful low catch to his right. It was travelling and dying on him, but he held on to it. Plunkett will be relieved. He gets his reward.
Lahiru Thirimanne is the new man in. And he departs first ball. Plunkett on a hat-trick. That was a mean first ball, fast, rising towards the rib cage, and Thirimanne can only hand a simple catch to shor-leg. Can he get the hat-trick now? No, Angelo Mathews survives.
OUT! M Jayawardene 22(47), L Thirimanne 0(1)

 

 

And we are back for the second session of Day One now. And strange tactics by Cook to start with. With the ball still relatively new and swinging, he starts with Moeen Ali. Probably just to change ends for Jordan and Plunkett. We will have to wait and see. Yes, it was change of ends. So, it is Broad and Plunkett bowling in tandem now. And no real movement so far in this session for the pacers.
This is THE partnership for Sri Lanka. Everybody knows that. Hope Cook too realises that. Because with Jayawardene still not completely settled, he should ideally be attacking him more. Why not have a fourth slip or a second gully? This is a good pitch with true bounce. Once set, these two batsmen can cause some serious injury to England.

 

 

Change in bowling finally. Jmes Anderson’s marathan opening spell comes to an end. Liam Plunkett replaces him. And straightaway, a wicket. Karunaratne drives through the line, and loses his timber. It was a wonderful delivery, swung a long way to crash into the stumps between the bat and pad. Mahela Jayawardene is the new man in now.
Meanwhile, Sangakkara is getting into the flow now. He has already hit three fours in this innings. And Plunkett is looking good for England. And that is lunch. Good session for England. But ideally, they would have liked a couple more on the wickets column.
OUT! D Karunaratne 28(65)

 

 

50 up for Sri Lanka, but they haven’t been convincing in the middle so far. And James Anderson is bowling a marathon opening spell here. He has already bowled 10 overs. And I won’t be surprised to see him bowl a few more. Karunaratne still not reading as to which way the ball’s going to swing, and Sangakkara has not yet found his feet against Chris Jordan. Jordan too has bowled well so far. He is keeping it at a good length outside the off stump, knowing that Sanga has the knack of poking at wide ones early in the innings. He is getting the odd one to shape in too.

 

 

James Anderson is bowling a marathon opening spell here.he has already eight on the trot now. And that is why! Beats Silva twice in a row, and on the third time, gets the faint edge, and Prior holds on to the easy catch. Anderson at his very best is too good for young Silva.
The sort of movement the English pacers are extracting right now, they should fancy themselves to get one or two more in this session. Meanwhile, a modern great, Kumar Sangakkara has just arrived at the centre for Sri Lanka.
OUT! K Silva 13(38)

 

 

Stuart Broad and James Anderson are getting some alarming movement early on in the innings here. Broad should have already had Kaushal Silva in the 8th over. Initially you felt that ball was a little too high to be given lbw, Broad wanted to review the decision. Cook and Prior thought otherwise. But then replays showed Broad might have been justified in reviewing that. Anderson too is troubling Karunaratne at the other end.
It just looks like there’s a wicket in the vicinity. Cook though can be a little more attacking. What about a second gully? With the ball moving, might not be a bad option.

 

James Anderson and Stuart Broad opened the bowling for England. Actually England chose to bowl. It was Kaushal Silva who essayed a few boundaries early on. However one of the boundaries was of an outside edge. The first two overs bowled by Anderson were maiden overs. Sri Lanka are 11 for no loss after five overs.

 

England will play Sri Lanka in the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Headingley. The first Test match between the two countries at Lord’s ended in a pulsating draw what with Sri Lanka losing nine wickets in the second innings and just about escaping from a defeat. For England, Gary Ballance, James Anderson and Joe Root were the star performers from the first Test.

 

For Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews, Kumar Sangakkara and company did well. In fact, Sangakkara amassed his first hundred at Lord’s and that too at the age of 36. England will to forget what happened in teh first Test and look for a win in the second Test. Where as Sri Lanka would think that they are very much in with a chance to win the Test series as well.

 

With England, Alastair Cook has come in for some criticism over his defensive captaincy.  Sri Lanka though, seem to be a happy unit, especially with their bowling unit functioning well and their batsmen being able to do well in the first Test at Lord’s.

 

Squads:

 

England:

 

Alastair Cook (c), Sam Robson, Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Matt Prior (wk), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Chris Woakes.

 

Sri Lanka:

 

Angelo Mathews (c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Prasanna Jayawardena (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Chanaka Welagedara, Dhammika Prasad, Dilruwan Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene.

 

Catch Live score and ball-by-ball commentary of the match here