Anderson 10 for 45

England 298 all out
v Sri Lanka 91 all out
& 119 all out following on
England win by an innings & 88 runs

Saturday 21 May 2016

Played at Headingley

Twitter @ball_sup

That superb win was celebrated with a can of Redwillow, Shameless IPA at 5.9%

First up. Chatter about the wisdom of playing Tests in Leeds & Chester-le-Street in May. Sigh. We have an inbuilt, insurmountable Pint, Quart situation. Unless we stop the treadmill, we have to squeeze 7 Tests in & white balls. The champagne picnic out the back merchants at Lord’s get two. The losing money hand over fist, debt riddled Counties can only afford to bid for the “minor series”. We should be playing fewer matches all round - international & domestic. We should not be starting Champo cricket in April, nor Test cricket in May. But, we are.

So, it’s a Day Three finish. Conspiracy theories have it that debt riddled Counties don’t like Day 5. It costs more to pay security & service staff than you can make at the gate - the conspiracy goes.

You can have it as;

Sri Lankans cold & don’t like the weather,
Sri Lanka a young & inexperienced side,
Sri Lankans undercooked,
Conditions suited England.

You play what is there. We live & play in England. That is our weather. Those are our conditions. It ain’t a Bubble. That is a great & resounding win against the XI the other Mob put out. 11 vs 11 with Bats & Balls, & a drink.

I’d have given Man Of The Match to Anderson. Two five fors & 10 for 45 in the match. On a string.

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