Inzamam-ul-Haq admitted that a target of 282 was achievable, but blamed the sudden batting collapse for Pakistan’s tame defeat. Here’s what he had to say in the post-match press conference:
On whether Pakistan was complacent today after winning the Bangalore Test Tests and ODIs are very different games. The boys worked hard today in the heat but sometimes these things just happen.On the first-ball let-off for Virender Sehwag He’s a good one-day player and if you drop him it will always be expensive. Without him India would not have made 281.On Sachin Tendulkar’s golden arm Non-regular bowlers occasionally pick up wickets. Today was a good day for India when everything they did worked.On the target The target of 282 was a gettable one, it shouldn’t have been difficult because the pitch was still in very good condition. The turning point came when we slipped from 45 for no loss to 64 for 4 very quickly. After that it was very difficult.On why Shahid Afridi didn’t open the batting He has batted lower down the order for us in the last 15-20 matches and he has been very successful, so we decided to keep him there.On the weather Obviously the weather was very difficult and it was very hot. The gloves were becoming difficult to grip because of the heat but we are professionals and we should be able to adjust to these weather conditions.On Younis Khan’s fitness He is still not fit but we have two more days to go before the next game so he can’t be ruled out yet.
Five years after being unceremoniously axed from British television, Geoff Boycott has been brought in from the cold by Channel 4 and will join their commentary line-up for next summer’s tours by New Zealand and West Indies.Boycott was ostracised by the British media following a high-profile court case in France in 1998, although he continued to work regularly overseas. In 2002 he was diagnosed as having throat cancer, which he successfully fought, and made a few low-key guest appearances for Channel 4 last summer.Announcing the news, David Kerr, Channel 4’s head of sport, told The Guardian: “Geoff Boycott is one of the great voices of cricket and we are very happy to be bringing him back to the commentary box. He has strong opinions informed by a career playing cricket at the highest level and a unique insight into the game of cricket.”After Geoffrey commentated on the C&G final this summer we had a very positive response from viewers and we wanted to give them the chance to hear his thoughts over the coming summer."Boycott remains one of the most popular media analysts, renowned for his blunt comments.
Zimbabwe found themselves on 260/6 at the close of play of the first day of the second Test, a situation that may have seemed a letdown during a prolific partnership between Andy Flower and Dion Ebrahim but one that they would have settled for when they started batting on a pitch holding much promise of degeneration.The highlight of the day was a brilliant knock of 92 from Zimbabwe’s most reliable scorer – Flower – at a ground where, before this Test, he averaged more than 200 – the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Ebrahim, at the end of the day, was still fighting on with a hard-earned knock of 82; giving him company was Travis Friend on seven.Earlier in the morning, the big news was that of VVS Laxman being dropped in favour of Virender Sehwag. Zimbabwe too made one change: Ebrahim coming in for Gavin Rennie. Stuart Carlisle won the toss and did not hesitate to bat first on a track that has cracks running the length of it. The Zimbabwe skipper himself did not have much luck though; Javagal Srinath bowled him for a duck off the fourth ball of the morning.The other opening batsman, Trevor Gripper (8), was out-thought by Zaheer Khan. After letting the batsman pull a short-pitched ball for four, he followed up with one that seamed away, and Gripper duly nicked it through to Rahul Dravid at first slip.Zimbabwe were in dire straits at the time with just 11 runs on the board and two wickets down. The old firm of Flower and Alistair Campbell then proceeded to add 54 runs for the third wicket, steadying the boat against some purposeful bowling by Zaheer Khan and Srinath.Campbell (15) was caught by Rahul Dravid off the bowling of Zaheer Khan, brought on to bowl his second spell half an hour before lunch by skipper Sourav Ganguly. Ebrahim then joined Andy Flower, and the two batsmen went about repairing the faltering Zimbabwean innings.Flower, contrary to his displays in Nagpur, seemed in wonderful touch, striking the ball cleanly to all parts of the field. Going into this Test, Flower had an average of 104.60 against India. The more interesting statistic, though, was his record at the Feroz Shah Kotla. In four innings here before the start of this Test, Flower had scores of 115, 62*, 183* and 70, averaging a whopping 215.Today again he looked like getting to yet another century as he smashed 15 boundaries and a massive six over mid-wicket off Anil Kumble before falling eight runs short of the three-figure mark. He was caught bat-pad at forward short leg by Shiv Sunder das off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh after making 92 runs off 154 balls.The fourth-wicket partnership between Andy Flower and Ebrahim yielded 116 valuable runs. Grant Flower replaced his brother in the middle and had an early reprieve; Deep Dasgupta missed an easy chance, letting the ball go right between his legs after the younger Flower had edged a `doosra’ from Harbhajan Singh.Dasgupta, in fact, had a disastrous day in the field, and it would be very difficult for this youngster to keep his place in the team as a wicket-keeper. Both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh were palpably frustrated by Dasgupta’s dismal glove-work.Grant Flower had made 30 runs and added 65 runs for the fifth wicket with Ebrahim before he was run out by a direct hit from Kumble. Flower sacrificed his wicket after Ebrahim called for a needless run; Kumble, fielding off his own bowling, had all three stumps to aim at, and he did not miss, throwing down the stumps at the striker’s end.Heath Streak came in to bat and immediately dragged a ball from Kumble onto his stumps without even opening his account. The dismissal of the former Zimbabwe skipper left the visitors in trouble at 246/6. Friend, as he showed at Nagpur, is no mug with the bat, and he played on bravely against the double spin attack of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to remain unbeaten on seven off 38 balls.Zimbabwe will look to Ebrahim to carry on the good work tomorrow to put up a decent first-innings score. The hard-working diminutive batsman is unbeaten on 82 off 183 balls and has so far struck nine boundaries. Ebrahim has looked at ease especially against the spinners, using his feet to good effect.As for India, Zaheer Khan was easily the pick of the bowlers with the figures of 15-3-44-2. Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Srinath picked up one wicket each on a track that is breaking up even on the first day.
The five-wicket victory on Sunday by Australia proved why they are currently rated the best team in the world. They are now well on course for the Final on 23rd of June with maximum points so far.Tuesday’s one-day international between England and Pakistan has now become a must-win game for England if they have any chance of making the Final. However Pakistan showed last Thursday they have all-round strength and experience in the one-day arena, and it will be difficult for the hosts to break their sevengame losing streak.My advice is back England at 6/5 to keep their hopes alive.Click on the link below to place your bet:Ladbrokes offers up to £20 FREE BET to all its NEW Customers. Register and place your first bet on England v. Pakistan and when it has been settled, we’ll credit your betting account with a free bet equal to your original stake, up to a maximum of £20 or equivalent currencies.Please note: odds quoted are subject to change. Please check on the Ladbrokes website for current minute prices.
With the typically ever-present Bruno Fernandes forced to take on a rare watching brief for Manchester United’s clash with Newcastle United, all eyes were on who would be the man to step up in the Portuguese’s absence.
For much of the first half, it was fellow playmaker Mason Mount who looked like taking on that mantle, with the resurgent Englishman at the centre of everything for the Red Devils, both in and out of possession.
The 26-year-old’s growing importance was none more so evident than when he was ultimately absent after the break, with the hosts simply retreating in that backs-to-the-wall second-half performance.
Frustratingly, it would appear that the ex-Chelsea man’s fitness woes have reared their ugly head again, with Mount simply unable to prove himself as a reliable presence in Ruben Amorim’s side, having lasted the 90 minutes on just two occasions all season.
As was evident with his strike away at Molineux, there is a quality player in there. Unfortunately, with his talents repeatedly overshadowed by injury, Amorim and co are in need of an upgrade.
Man Utd make Premier League midfielder their No.1 target
While Mount – signed for £55m back in the summer of 2023 – has typically been deployed in a left-sided number ten berth in Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, the recent tactical reshuffle has seen United’s number seven slot into something of a deeper role, orchestrating proceedings in almost Fernandes fashion.
It was the midfielder’s stunning switch which picked out Patrick Dorgu at Villa Park, in the build-up to Matheus Cunha’s agonising missed header, with there having been promising signs from the Champions League winner in recent weeks.
As already stated, however, Mount is frustratingly unable to remain fit and firing, with the need to continually manage his game time ensuring he has started just 29 of his 63 games for the club in all competitions.
With that in mind, and with the recent change to a back four seemingly set to continue, Mount could be a potential casualty, not least if INEOS are able to land Nottingham Forest sensation, Elliot Anderson.
According to the Daily Mail’s Nathan Salt, the 23-year-old is now the Old Trafford side’s “No.1 target”, with the England international wanted as the centrepiece of United’s midfield overhaul in 2026.
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As per the report, the ex-Newcastle man is likely to be more of a summer target for Amorim’s side, with the likes of James Garner being considered as more short-term alternatives for the New Year.
As previously indicated, any deal for Anderson – be it next month or next summer – is likely to cost upwards of £100m.
Why Anderson could be the perfect Mount upgrade
It hasn’t been seen enough, yet Mount’s quality is hard to question, with Amorim having singled him out as a “proper footballer” following his appointment back in November 2024.
When fit and firing, the injury-prone talent can be so influential to the current United iteration, notably ranking in the top 11% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as per FBref, as well as ranking in the top 8% for tackles made per 90.
He is an asset then at both sides of the game, although that is certainly also true of Anderson, with the Forest playmaker a master at breaking up play, albeit while having that progressive quality to match in possession.
Now the leading candidate to partner Declan Rice at next year’s World Cup, the youngster’s all-round quality was on full display in the Three Lions’ autumn internationals,
Indeed, he averaged 8.6 ball recoveries per game in World Cup qualifying, while also boasting a stellar 93% pass accuracy, as per Sofascore.
Such standout form has also been replicated even amid a turbulent Premier League campaign at the City Ground, averaging 8.4 ball recoveries, while also recording 1.6 key passes per game from his 17 starts.
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For comparison, Mount averages just 2.7 recoveries per game, even while leading the press under Amorim, having also averaged just 0.8 key passes from his 15 outings, only ten of which have come from the start.
Anderson vs Man Utd (01/11/25)
Stat
Record
Minutes
90
Touches
84
Pass accuracy
75%
Key passes
3
Possession lost
25
Dribbles
2/2
Tackles won
1/1
Recoveries
14
Total duels won
7/14
Stats via Sofascore
It may not seem as if Anderson would be a direct competitor to his compatriot, although it’s fair to say he isn’t just a safe and steady number six, with talkSPORT’s Max Scott even going as far as to suggest that he is like “Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Zinedine Zidane all rolled into one”.
Also lauded as a “world-class” talent by commentator Jamie Martin, the in-demand Geordie has the tools to operate in a more advanced, box-to-box role if required, memorably registering 13 goals and assists in just 21 games on loan at Bristol Rovers a few years ago.
Unlike Mount, who hasn’t featured for his country since the 2022 World Cup, Anderson is now a central figure in the Thomas Tuchel regime, showcasing which of the pair really is the man on the rise right now.
Mount might be Amorim’s man, yet with Friday evening having been the latest in a long line of frustrating setbacks in his stop-start United career, the time might have come for the Portuguese to hang his hat on another classy midfield operator like Anderson.
Tevez 2.0: Man Utd "maverick" is looking like a bigger talent than Semenyo
Manchester United may appear set to miss out on Antoine Semenyo, but that isn’t the end of the world.
Free hit, free hit, and another free hit Can’t beat this. Three no-balls in a row for Brett Lee. Three free hits for the batsmen. For the first one, Robin Uthappa stepped away, read the short one well and sent it crashing over long-on for six. The second he swatted straight to mid-off for a single, while Gautam Gambhir drove the third straight into the hands of Andrew Symonds at backward point, who took the catch, which, of course, didn’t result in a wicket as the delivery was a free hit.Matter of respect Harbhajan Singh is used to the customary booing each time he walks out to bat and in fact thrives on the hostile atmosphere. The asking-rate was almost two runs a ball and Harbhajan didn’t buckle under the pressure. Stuart Clark bowled one short, slow and outside off, and Harbhajan slapped it effortlessly over cover. Next one he pushed to the vacant mid-on and scampered back for two but Uthappa had run one short. Clark showed his frustration by bowling wide down the leg side, giving away five runs. A straight delivery that followed was thrashed by Harbhajan over the bowler’s head for four. Another double was stolen and by the time he exited after a delightful cameo of 20, he surely demanded more respect.What the … He went down on his knees with both hands clasped behind his head. No, it didn’t appear like a tennis champion after having won a Grand Slam, but more akin to the anguish of a footballer who’s just missed the last kick in sudden death. Ricky Ponting had that look of dismay when his brilliant stop and throw from mid-off failed to hit the stumps. Irfan Pathan had taken on one of the best arms on the circuit and was lucky to survive.Gilly scores a try, almost Gautam Gambhir charged down the wicket to Nathan Bracken and got an inside edge, which sneaked towards the vacant fine-leg region. Adam Gilchrist was in hot pursuit, but when he realised he couldn’t catch up, he threw himself down like a try scorer in rugby about 10 metres from the target. The 37-year-old wicketkeeper’s slide was a little off the mark, but the effort deserved top rating.Powerplays can be confusing Captains have their hands full trying to figure out Powerplays these days. The third one was nearing its end when Ponting pushed an extra fielder outside the inner circle. Three men are allowed to be positioned in the outfield during the third Powerplay but Australia were taking it a fielder too far. The fact wasn’t lost, fortunately, on the vigilant square-leg umpire – Daryl Harper – who signalled a no-ball.Thump Gambhir went for a flat six over long-on off Brad Hogg, except it bounced a couple of yards inside the boundary then another bounce before clearing the hoardings. A couple of kids attempted to stop the ball, but deflected it right on to the forehead of the gentleman behind, who smiled gamely despite the rather unexpected blow.Outstretched Sreesanth was wayward, and Gilchrist cashed in, smashing two successive boundaries. Gilchrist was cramped for room when one came back in to the body, and got an inside edge that raced toward Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wrong side. Dhoni dived and caught the ball in his fingertips; though it remains to be seen if the illegal piece of webbing had given him an unfair advantage.Wake-up call Rohit Sharma, who came up with some scintillating saves at point completely misjudged one that came off the leading edge from Ponting. Ishant Sharma once again squared up the Australian captain with one that moved away; Rohit stayed put, at first thinking the ball was coming straight to him, only to find it moving to his left. A late dive was futile, and Ponting, on 15, had been let off early.Too late Rohit atoned for his previous faux pas by running out Matthew Hayden. Ponting pushed one into the covers off Virender Sewhag and called for a single. Rohit picked the ball with his left hand, switched it to his right while on the turn and threw it straight to the bowler, who triumphantly knocked off the bails. Unfortunately for Hayden, he was stranded mid-pitch as Ponting’s call to ‘wait’ had come too late.Cool down, Ishant It’s difficult to be a fast bowler when the batsmen get after you. Ishant Sharma got whipped by Hayden and Ponting in his first spell. As the innings neared its end he had Andrew Symonds bowled off a slow ball, and duly let out his frustration by celebrating a wee bit excessively. Symonds didn’t like that, words were exchanged between the two, and it ended with Sharma pointing towards the dressing room repeatedly. Umpire Harper cautioned Dhoni about the 19-year-old, who has been summoned by match referee Jeff Crowe for a disciplinary hearing on Monday.
Tasmania experienced a perfect start in their plan to make the Pura Cup final as they captured two points before stumps on the first day against a dreadful South Australia. After a horrible collapse of 9 for 53 dropped the home side for 139, Tasmania, who started the game equal with the leaders New South Wales, eased to 2 for 149 through Michael Di Venuto’s speedy 78.Having won the toss and batted, Darren Lehmann would have been pleased with the Redbacks’ position when he guided them to 1 for 86. However, Jason Borgas was taken at short leg and Lehmann (34) had not added to the score when he slipped against the occasional bowling of Michael Dighton.Callum Ferguson scraped to 29, but the rest of the order could not reach double figures and Luke Butterworth mopped up with 4 for 39. Butterworth finished the innings by taking Dan Cullen and Paul Rofe in consecutive balls while Jason Krejza and Brendan Drew collected two wickets each.South Australia were unable to match their opponents’ productivity and Cullen’s removal of Tim Paine for 26 was their first breakthrough. Di Venuto, who struck nine fours and a six in his 85-ball display, was run-out by the bowler Cullen Bailey’s direct hit from a drive and by the close Tasmania had a 10-run lead.
Sri Lanka are about to find out whether home ground advantage is a blessing or a handicap when they set out on their quest to win the Under-19 World Cup next month.The venues and conditions may be familiar to Angelo Mathews and his side but set against that will be the enormous expectations on the players to do well in their own backyard.And it will be their ability to deal with those expectations that could go a long way to deciding whether or not Sri Lanka achieves the goal of becoming U19 World Champions.History is against the hosts as only one team has ever won the tournament on home soil – and that was Australia way back in 1988 when only eight teams took part.Since then the closest any home side has come to being champions is Sri Lanka, as they finished runners-up in 2000 when they were beaten by six wickets by a powerful Indian line-up.Sri Lanka’s players do, however, have several factors on their side this time around as they bid for glory including, crucially, the draw.The hosts have been included in Group C and although that group also includes tournament favourites India, that is not necessarily a disaster for Sri Lanka.It means that providing they finish as one of the top two sides – and New Zealand and Uganda are also standing in the way – they will not have to face India again until a possible meeting in the final as the two sub-continent sides have different potential paths to that ultimate match.Also in the side’s favour is the fact the core of the squad has been playing together for the past seven months now and during that time they have improved steadily and produced some encouraging results.That seven-month period did not start all that auspiciously with a disappointing tour of England in which they lost the ODI series 2-0 (with one match washed out) before they lost all three Test matches.But since then results have improved as Sri Lanka reached the final of the six-team Afro-Asian U19 Cup in Vishakapatnam in November and then did likewise in a tri-series also involving hosts Bangladesh and England the following month.During that intense period of matches several players produced impressive form and that bodes well for the main event of the World Cup.Chief among those leading performers was the captain Mathews, who is the only remaining member of the squad that took part in the previous tournament in Bangladesh two years ago.Mathews was comfortably Sri Lanka’s leading batsman on the tour of England, scoring an unbeaten 123 in the final Test of the series at Headingley, and he followed that by being the leading run-scorer in the tri-series in Bangladesh with 302 runs in seven matches.He really is the heartbeat of the side as he has also opened the bowling with his medium-pacers and if he hits form then Sri Lanka will be a real threat to any opponent.Mathews’ abilities as a batsman are likely to be complimented by several others, all of them vying for top-order places. Wicketkeeper Sameera de Zoysa and Dimuth Karunaratne have opened together on a regular basis and they are likely to be followed by SachithraSerasinghe and Hans Fernando.Karunaratne is also a capable medium-pacer while Fernando impressed in the tri-series with scores of 119 not out (from only 106 balls) and 70 against England.With the ball, Sri Lanka are expected to rely heavily on the skills of off-spinner Rajeewa Weerasinghe, an exciting talent who performed superbly during both the Afro-Asian Cup and that tri-series in Bangladesh.He took 15 wickets in the latter tournament and he could well be another key figure if Sri Lanka are going to progress in the World Cup.Sachith Pathirana, a 16-year-old left-arm spinner, is another slow bowler that Sri Lanka will look to for both control and penetration while another left-armer, Malinga Pushpakumara, made an impact in the tri-series by taking 4 for 39 in Sri Lanka’s solitary win overBangladesh.The seam attack includes not only allrounders Mathews and Karunaratne but also Shalika Karunanayake (also a capable lower-order hitter) and Chathupama Gunasinghe, both of them veterans of the England tour last year where they showed promise in unfamiliar conditions.Recent results suggest Sri Lanka will be extremely competitive and they have an impressive record to maintain as they are one of only four sides that have always reached the Super League stage.The fact their Group C opponents India and New Zealand are also in that list (along with Pakistan) means that at least one side will lose that proud boast in the next two weeks.Sri Lanka will be hoping it is not them and they will know if they can win some matches early on, build some momentum and generate increasing interest and support then they really can go all the way and lift the trophy on February 19.Sri Lanka squad Angelo Mathews (capt), Sameera de Zoysa,Dilhan Cooray, Hans Fernando, Chathupama Gunasinghe, Shalika Karunanayake, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Prabudha Perera, Thisara Perera, Ashan Priyanjara, Malinga Pushpakumara, Sachithra Serasinghe, Rajeewa Weerasinghe.
Danish KaneriaOn comparing his performance here to the effort at Kolkata The wicket here suited me much more than the Kolkata pitch. I was also suffering because of dehydration at Kolkata and couldn’t get into the right rhythm. Here I found my rhythm early and it worked out well.On whether he had a specific plan for Sourav Ganguly Nothing was planned for Ganguly. He was dropped of the earlier ball so I thought he would try and come down the track and attack me. I thought he might want to disturb my length and sent down a googly. That’s exactly what happened and he was stumped.On tomorrow I am confident of giving it my 101% and bowling India out tomorrow. We will surely be trying our best for a win.On the pitch It has deteriorated day by day. The ball was turning today but it was mainly slow turn. But if a bowler is willing to put in some effort then he can surely get some turn. Considering it will be a fifth-day wicket, it will surely help me. The bowlers haven’t done much in this game so far because of the pitch and also because of some extraordinary innings played. But it depends on the day tomorrow and I am confident of doing well.On the declaration I think it is a fighting target.On his own performance over the last few months My confidence has improved after every performance. County cricket definitely helped me because I learnt to bowl on pitches that didn’t suit me.On the key wicket tomorrow Definitely Rahul Dravid. He is a big player – the Wall as they say – and he is the one batsman who can prevent us from winning. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are also very dangerous but Dravid will be the main wicket.VVS Laxman On the strategy tomorrow We will definitely go for a win. The start is very important. We have had fantastic starts throughout the series from both Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The strategy will be based on the start tomorrow.On his innings today I was disappointed at not reaching a hundred. It was not my usual type of free-flowing innings but I had to adapt to the situation.On batting with the tail It’s a different experience at No. 5 or 6. One has to adjust to the situation. It’s also important to have confidence in the tailenders’ batting ability. All our tailenders have done well in the recent past and there is a lot of competition in the lower order now. Lakshmipathy Balaji did well at Mohali. Harbhajan Singh and Kumble had a good partnership at Kolkata. And Irfan Pathan has batted well earlier. I just tell them to hang in there.On a few tailenders throwing away their wickets irresponsibly It is disappointing but the tailenders can also benefit from going for their shots. So it works both ways.Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is on the staff of Cricinfo.
England held on for a fighting draw in what was a tense finish to a closely-fought opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. After battling efforts from Mark Butcher, Paul Collingwood and the lower order, the umpires offered England the light with four overs to go and nine wickets down.The weather certainly came to their rescue, but England’s draw represented an impressive display of tough concentration and commitment to the cause, especially against Muttiah Muralitharan on a wearing pitch. And as always in these situations, England will feel like champions and take plenty of heart with them to the next Test. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be ruing their inability to finish the job off, and their slow batting on the fourth day.After Collingwood was out on the stroke of tea for a gutsy 36, England were staring down the barrel at 170 for 7. But Ashley Giles and Gareth Batty made sure the floodgates didn’t open. They scrapped it out together for valuable 50 minutes after the tea break, before Batty threw all his hard work away in a moment of madness to give England the wobbles again. He gifted Murali another wicket when he played a vile heave across the line and was bowled middle stump (204 for 8). Batty stayed on his knees for a few seconds, realising the foolishness of such an irresponsible shot at such a crucial time.The light slowly deteriorated, the umpires continually checked their metres, but the show went on. Richard Johnson curbed his attacking instincts and admirably played one big block for 35 balls. But with seven overs remaining, he played on to Murali trying to leave the ball, and it was all down to Giles and Matthew Hoggard to save the day as the tension mounted.Giles refused to buckle under the pressure, and took the brunt of the strike. The umpires continued to deliberate on the conditions at the end of every over, and after what felt like an eternity for England, they offered the light – and the batsmen were off in a shot. Giles finished with an invaluable 17 not out, and as he looked up to the darkening skies, he knew his side had done enough to escape with a hard-earned and exciting draw.From the moment Dinusha Fernando resumed play with the new ball this morning, England realised they were up against it. Michael Vaughan was never allowed to settle as Fernando worked him over outside off stump. He squirted an attempted leave through third man for four, and after one sweet pull through midwicket, he propped forward to an immaculate full-length outswinger, and Hashan Tillakaratne at first slip grabbed the edge at the second attempt (16 for 1).Marcus Trescothick was in no mood to be dominated. He cracked a half-volley from Chaminda Vaas through the covers, and helped to put a dent in Fernando’s figures with a bullet of a cut shot. But his positive intent proved his downfall, when he danced down the track to Sanath Jayasuriya, failed to make contact and was bowled straight through the gate for 24 (62 for 2).Murali by this stage had barely bothered to warm up, but he was never going to be kept out of the limelight for long. Sure enough, he popped up with the prize scalp of the morning. Graham Thorpe was easing into his stride when he badly misread Murali’s doosra, and top-edged a simple chance to Vaas, who nonetheless made a meal of it as he ran in from mid-off (73 for 3).
Butcher and Collingwood provided stern resistance and ate up valuable time. Both batsmen showed good concentration and discipline against accurate bowling, led by Murali and Jayasuriya. But it wasn’t all just blocking. Butcher launched Kumar Dharmasena for six over mid-on, and then stroked an elegant straight drive off Murali to bring up a well-deserved half-century. Collingwood provided good support at the other end, playing with a calm concentration, as the pair put together a valuable fifty partnership.England’s bid for survival was slowly starting to take shape, but back came Vaas to pierce a double dent in their progress. Vaas landed one on a perfect length outside off and Butcher nibbled at the ball as it went through to Kumar Sangakkara (125 for 4). In his next over, Andrew Flintoff drove him loosely to Tillakaratne at point for a duck, and suddenly England were hanging on at 125 for 5.Chris Read refused to lie down and he swept his way to 14, including a six over midwicket. Collingwood continued to stand firm, putting away anything wide or short to the boundary. The clouds began to roll over the ground, but if England had any thoughts of scrambling to safety, that man Murali made them think again. Read propped forward to defend another big offspinner and gloved the ball via the pad to Mahela Jayawardene at short-leg (148 for 6).Batty knuckled down to give Collingwood support, and found time to effortlessly clip Dharmasena over midwicket for six and thwack Murali past midwicket. The rain started to trickle down, but the umpires decided to stay on. It was a big call, as England lost their anchor in Collingwood. He pressed forward to Dharmasena and was superbly caught by Tillakaratne low to his left at silly point (170 for 7). It was a big blow, as shown by the Sri Lankans’ shrieks of delight, and it set up a thrilling final session in which England somehow survived.