England v Sri Lanka: first ODI – live!
COME ON ENGLAND #COMEONENGLAND
7.53am EDT 07:53
24th over: Sri Lanka 115-3 (Perera 63, Hasaranga 31) These two have put on 69 from 98 balls, starting to lay a bit of a foundation after losing three wickets in a poor power play. Six singles off Rashid here.
“Hello Adam.” Hi, Andrew Benton. “My pressing question of the day is whether cricket bat makers still use rattan for the handles. Rattan grows in the forests of Sri Lanka and India, maybe it was critical to the development of the game all those years ago?! Wondering if anyone knows. Best regards and thanks.”
Great question. If you know the answer, please send it my way.
7.51am EDT 07:51
23rd over: Sri Lanka 109-3 (Perera 60, Hasaranga 28) A less ferocious offering from Curran but still effective. And nicely played Hasaranga, working runs into the legside from the middle-stump line.
7.46am EDT 07:46
22nd over: Sri Lanka 104-3 (Perera 58, Hasaranga 25) The right approach against Rashid, Perera sweeping with authority then Hasaranga going over mid-off with control for three more.
7.44am EDT 07:44
21st over: Sri Lanka 99-3 (Perera 56, Hasaranga 22) Is this Sam Curran or Patrick Patterson? Blimey, for the second time in two overs he’s pinged Perera with extra bounce from just short of a good length, this time whacking him on the shoulder. And, once again, here comes the medical bag. Ooooooh, and what a delivery to follow up, nearly cutting him in half past the inside edge. And now again! Past the outside edge, just over the off-stumps. The lad is on fire.
7.37am EDT 07:37
Perera passes 50
20th over: Sri Lanka 98-3 (Perera 55, Hasaranga 22) His 15th half-century in ODIs to go with half a dozen tons – an important counterattacking knock with wickets falling around him. He celebrates the achievement by slog sweeping Rashid’s next delivery for SIX! That’s the first big one we’ve seen so far today. He’s on the sweep again later in the set: hard and flat and into the gap – it’s four more. 13 from the over, with the Sri Lankan skipper now 55 from 48.
7.34am EDT 07:34
19th over: Sri Lanka 85-3 (Perera 49, Hasaranga 16) Slammin’ Sammy Curran is spun around to follow Wood. And he does a bit of Wood impression halfway through the over, getting a delivery to leap off a length at Perera’s gloves – nasty stuff that, requiring some medical attention. He’s good to go again now, retaining strike to square leg. The Barmy Army’s new (?) trumpeter is playing Sweet Caroline between overs – not the right time for that, I don’t think. Now he’s playing the Great Escape theme… someone have a word.
7.27am EDT 07:27
18th over: Sri Lanka 82-3 (Perera 47, Hasaranga 15) The spin of Rashid is far more agreeable for Hasaranga, lifting him across the line – one bounce over the rope at long-on. As Sangakkara notes on telly, it’s also a good sign that he’s picking the wrong’un early on.
7.24am EDT 07:24
17th over: Sri Lanka 75-3 (Perera 45, Hasaranga 10) Wood – charging in on his home ground today, as Ian Ward reminds me – and continuing to do so at serious pace, beyond Hasaranga’s outside edge at 91mph. He’s conceded just ten runs in four rapid overs. The crowd love it, giving him a big rev up at the end of the over.
7.21am EDT 07:21
16th over: Sri Lanka 74-3 (Perera 44, Hasaranga 10) Spin to win, that’s what Adil Rashid says. Look, he probably doesn’t – a dreadful cliché – but he’s into the attack and asking all the right questions of Perera. He’s so rarely ropey when coming into the attack, which helps set him apart as England’s No1. The over includes the quicker topspinner and the wrong’un. This should be a fun spell to watch.
7.14am EDT 07:14
15th over: Sri Lanka 73-3 (Perera 43, Hasaranga 10) Four risk-free runs off Wood after Perera gets out the way of a short one. Drinks.
7.11am EDT 07:11
14th over: Sri Lanka 69-3 (Perera 41, Hasaranga 9) Curran oversteps, picked up by the TV umpire, Richard Kettleborough. As you may have seen, a new set of match officials were called up this week due to a Covid close-contact moment, which means that Tim Robinson, a hero of the 1985 Ashes series, is out there today as one of the central umpires. Perera doesn’t make the most of the free hit but its a more productive over for the visitors, scoring from five deliveries.
7.06am EDT 07:06
13th over: Sri Lanka 62-3 (Perera 37, Hasaranga 7) As Dinesh Karthik notes on telly, facing bowling as quick as Mark Wood this early in an innings is a new challenge or Hasaranga, who does his best work towards the death. Each delivery is up above 90mph in the old money, the last of those missing off-stump by the proverbial coat of varnish – Kusal Perera is a very fortunate to not be walking off.
7.02am EDT 07:02
12th over: Sri Lanka 60-3 (Perera 36, Hasaranga 6) Sam Curran, always busy, on to replace Willey. And he’s in the game before long, finding Hasaranga’s outside edge, over the cordon down to deep third for a couple. Nice bowling across the right-hander. He follows with a bumper, but it’s too high and called a wide. A nice stroke to finish, pushing with control through point, just reaching the rope.
“Morning Adam.” Hello, Brian Withongton. “Following the link to The Spin’s piece on TMS statistician Andy Zaltzman, I was reminded of one of his famous predecessors, the so-called Bearded Wonder, Bill Frindall, he segued lengthily. I batted against him for my school in the mid-70s when he rather bizarrely guested for the visiting Chelmsford Clergy, or some similarly denominated band of strolling Essex vicars. He was definitely quite a character, more than living up to his TMS reputation. He had brought along some examples of his famous score keeping system which were apparently most impressive. I was more pre-occupied with keeping out his disguised slower ‘effort’ ball and trying to keep abreast of his inscrutable field changes that were communicated by a baffling variety of whistles and grunts like something out of The Clangers. His batting was brief and very much of the agricultural (pre Common Agricultural Policy) variety. Strange day indeed.”
A man who inspired many anecdotes like this, Bill Frindall, as Daniel Norcross and I learned when making the Calling the Shots last year. And here’s that lovely Spin piece with Zaltzman, via Jim Wallace.
6.55am EDT 06:55
11th over: Sri Lanka 52-3 (Perera 37, Hasaranga 0) Mark Wood now, to really turn up the volume after Woakes’ immaculate first spell. And he locates Perera’s edge right away from around the wicket, racing down to the boundary. From there, he’s virtually stump-to-stump, the captain retaining the strike with a tuck to finish.
“Morning Adam.” Morning to you, Stephen Brown. “Bit harsh giving the birthday boy a duck wasn’t it? Root could have dropped that and let him get off the mark without risking the match for England.”
You’re a forgiving soul, which I like. But the duck-on-debut list is a pretty good one, to be fair. Let’s hope Asalanka goes onto big things.
Confirming also that this is my email address, not the one that was listed at the top of the page – I’ve fixed that now. The other account hasn’t been in operation since 2017 but, for some reason, won’t die.
6.48am EDT 06:48
10th over: Sri Lanka 47-3 (Perera 32, Hasaranga 0) Perera gives the strike straight over to Hasaranga, who is in strife against Willey’s inswinger, surviving one big LBW shout then getting an inside edge on another. A lot of swing for the left-armer here. That’s his best over so far as Sri Lanka’s power play comes to its conclusion.
6.45am EDT 06:45
9th over: Sri Lanka 46-3 (Perera 31, Hasaranga 0) Hasaranga isn’t going anywhere, defending the rest. That’s another wicket maiden for Woakes, who currently boasts the absurd figures of 5-4-6-2. In truth, they are a set of numbers highlighting the mismatch here.
Updated at 6.47am EDT
6.41am EDT 06:41
WICKET! Shanaka c Bairstow b Woakes 1 (Sri Lanka 46-3)
That’s beautiful stuff: in at off-stump, forcing the right-hander to play, decking away, tickled through to the gloves of Bairstow.
6.40am EDT 06:40
8th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Perera 31, Shanaka 1) Willey has a wicket to his name but Perera has the better of him at the moment, flicking a leg-stump delivery away for three then hammering a square drive out to the rope later in the over – his fourth boundary. Make that five, opening up the bat to steer through third man, where there isn’t currently a fielder outside the circle. Third man drops back after that and is nearly the action, Perera slashing over the cordon in the direction of Rashid – it doesn’t quite carry, but he does well to parry the ball away from the rope to save three runs. 17 off the over.
6.34am EDT 06:34
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-2 (Perera 16, Shanaka 1) Is that four leg byes or cut off by Curran at fine leg? The former. From there, Shanaka is kept quiet by Woakes, who has sent down three maidens in four.
Here’s the first of England’s wickets.
6.29am EDT 06:29
6th over: Sri Lanka 25-2 (Perera 16, Shanaka 1) Shanaka edges his first ball too, through about fifth slip. Back-to-back successful overs for the hosts, who can really turn the screws now. How will Perera respond? I suspect by shifting to his top gear – it can’t hurt.
6.27am EDT 06:27
WICKET! Asalanka c Root b Willey 0 (Sri Lanka 24-2)
Asalanka fends off the back foot, edging into the hands of Root, diving across safely at second slip. Slick cricket from England. Meanwhile, the young left-hander joins the duck on debut club.
England’s David Willey celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka for a duck. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 7.10am EDT
6.25am EDT 06:25
5th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Perera 15, Asalanka 0) Watching that dismissal back, it caught the very bottom of Nissanka’s blade. Asalanka, on debut, has two balls to deal with in the successul over and he’s through it safely enough, defending then pulling with control. That’s a wicket maiden for Woakes. Stellar stuff. A quick correction: (thanks, John Starbuck): contrary to how I intepreted the pre-match chat, it is Bairstow not Billings with the gloves.
6.21am EDT 06:21
WICKET! Nissanka c Moeen b Woakes 5 (Sri Lanka 23-1)
A shorter slower ball from Woakes, banged into the track, miscued by Nissanka straight to Moeen at midwicket. Good modern bowling.
6.19am EDT 06:19
4th over: Sri Lanka 23-0 (Nissanka 5, Perera 15) Perera swings, inside edge, four. So close to his leg stump on the deflection. Willey is giving him the chance to keep swinging to leg, the final ball flying straight over his middle stump. The captain isn’t going to let the power play and come go this time, as they did in the final T20.
“Hi Adam!” Morning, Abhijato Sensarma. “Considering Sri Lanka’s recent form, and the absence of their senior trio, this match will probably be over before England’s Euro knockout begins. But I’ve been doing (technically) freelance work for a new website I’ve founded with some folks I met on the Internet – wonderful stuff. I’ve taken up the responsibility of covering this series, and I’ve learnt a big lesson: the magic of sports writing lies in the ability to weave magic around the mundane. In a mismatched series such as this, picking narratives for writing features is both a pain and a joy.”
Good luck to you, young man. I’m sure your career will progress with plenty of goodwill and support from readers in these parts.
6.16am EDT 06:16
3rd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Nissanka 5, Perera 9) After a fiercely accurate first over, Woakes’ radar lets him down a bit the second time around, missing down the legside twice to Nissanka, two wides called. Between times, the opener worked a couple behind square and a couple more behind point. And in the the middle of all that, he was beaten outside the off-stump by a beauty.
6.12am EDT 06:12
2nd over: Sri Lanka 11-0 (Nissanka 1, Perera 9) Willey, the man playing his 50th ODI today, slides down the legside to begin – Sri Lanka’s first run. Perera gets some room to work with next up, slapping over point to notch the first runs from the bat. He makes it two boundaries in the over to finish, lifting the left-armer over cover; no concerns with that during the power play. My sense is that for the visitors to seriously threaten England today/this week, it’ll require something special from their talented skipper.
6.05am EDT 06:05
1st over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Nissanka 0, Perera 0) Nissanka is happy leaving outside the off-stump to begin before getting bat on ball to cover. Excellent from Woakes throughout, moving the ball off the seam away from the right hander, completing a maiden.
6.01am EDT 06:01
The players are on the field. The captain Kusal Perera is opening alongside Oatham Nissanka, into the team after Sri Lanka’s three forced omissions. Chris Woakes has the ball in his hand. PLAY!
England players take to the field. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Updated at 6.10am EDT
5.59am EDT 05:59
“Hi Adam, hope you are well.” And you, Ned Tidmarsh. “Just reading your opening comments, is this potentially the most one sided series England have ever had? I can’t think of one Sri Lankan player who would even make England’s second XI… Realising as I send this this means England will be beaten by 200 runs today.”
And coming at a good time for England. They have won six and lost five since the World Cup win, Nasser Hussain reminds me on telly, and haven’t really been at their best. Sure, they’re not at full strength here either, but this is the right time of the cycle – two years from their title defence – to start getting their act together again.
5.52am EDT 05:52
Joe Root is speaking to Rob Key about his 150th ODI. “It’s a time to look back on some of the wonderful things we’ve achieved as a team.” Says he enjoys changing formats with the freedom that brings, “if you’re struggling in one it can really help in another.” Not surprisingly, he’s dead keen to get into that T20 World Cup side.
A fan looks on ahead of the start of play. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters
Updated at 6.44am EDT
5.44am EDT 05:44
Some thoughts on the Blast from Gary Naylor. Always worth a read.
5.39am EDT 05:39
“I really feel sorry for him,” Kumar Sangakkara says of the Kusal Perera. It’s a very inexperienced team they’re putting out there.
Sri Lanka XI: Kusal Perera (wk & captain), Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama.
Charith Asalanka is making his debut… on his birthdaaaay!
5.36am EDT 05:36
Kusal Perera says he was also going to bowl. Asked about the three players who were sent home, he says “it is very hard” for them alongside injury concerns. “We are going to give some youngsters the chance to get some international experience.” He acknowledges it has been a tough few days for him as Sri Lanka’s captain.
England XI: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (captain), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
It’s Joe Root’s 150th ODI and David Willey’s 50th.
5.34am EDT 05:34
England are bowling
Eoin Morgan has won toss. He says the conditions look good. He’s asked by Athers where this series fits in. “It has quite a significant importance with qualification for the next 50-over World Cup. In regards to our development of the side, this plays a major part in terms of giving games to guys who might not be in our best XI.”
Eoin Morgan tosses the coin alongside Sri Lanka captain Kusal Perera Photograph: Nathan Stirk – ECB/ECB/Getty Images
Updated at 6.20am EDT
5.04am EDT 05:04
Preamble 
Welcome to County Durham, for England’s first ODI of the home summer, up against the depleted touring Sri Lankans. I say depleted because senior players Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka have been sent home after being pinged for partying hard in the city after the final T20 – you can’t do that when bubbled in this times. So, some drama before a ball is bowled.
Making matters worse again for Kusal Perera’s team is that Avishka Fernando – a serious 50-over player – tore a quad muscle in the T20s, so they are coming into this first ODI in a huge amount of strife. Up against the world champions, at home, in a series for World Cup Super League points… it all points to a very tough week.
As for the hosts, there’s no Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler – the latter ruled out of these three matches after injuring a calf in the T20s – but batting depth is seldom a problem for Eoin Morgan’s charges. Sam Billings will take the gloves instead of Jonny Bairstow, who will keep on keeping on as one of the most destructive openers in the world.
We’re about 25 minutes from the toss at Chester-le-Street. Drop me a line at any stage through the course of the morning.