England v Sri Lanka: second ODI – live!

Afternoon everyone and welcome to the OBO. Sport, like life itself, comes in spurts, and this week the tap is refusing to be turned off. England beat Germany! Kane scores! Murray beat someone! And then someone else! Cav is back in business! Man United sign Sancho, after negotiating for only a year!

Among all these memorable moments, the male cricketers have done their bit by laying on a series of matches that have been forgettable even by the high standards of the white-ball game. England have played Sri Lanka four times and won the lot. Anyone for tension? Perhaps you’d like to try Wimbledon. The biggest excitement of this contest so far came when three Sri Lankans burst out of their bubble and got banned for a year. As my colleague Tom Davies said when he directed me to the page where these words are being typed, “Here’s yer link to England’s latest low-key stroll to victory.”

As always in cricket, though, there are sub-plots to keep us interested. Joe Root, who looked so lost in the Tests against New Zealand, returned to form in the last match with 79 not out. He may have hit only four of his 87 balls for four – two fewer than Jonny Bairstow managed off 21 balls – but that just showed that he was racking up the singles and twos. He’s the master non-blaster.

Chris Woakes was majestic too. Not only did he bowl like Jimmy Anderson without the grumpiness (four wickets! five maidens!), he also showed that you can come close to Jack Grealish’s hairstyle without looking ridiculous. If he was a footballer, Woakes wouldn’t be Grealish, gifted Brummies though they both are. With his decency, calm and ability to mix understatement with over-achievement, Woakes would be Gareth Southgate.

The Sri Lankans had their heroes too. Kusal Perera took on cricket’s impossible triathlon – captaining, keeping wicket and opening the batting – and somehow made it work, scoring 73 off 81 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga, shoved up the order from seven to five, rose to the occasion with a feisty 54. The only problem was that no one else turned up apart from Dushmantha Chameera, who was incisive but also expensive as Bairstow’s ebullience made a feeble total look even worse.

Today’s game is at the Oval, where the field is big and so, as a rule, are the scores. Jason Roy, expected to be fit again, will be licking his lips on his home turf. England usually beat Sri Lanka there, but then this contest is overdue some ebb and flow. Play starts at 1pm UK time and the forecast is dry. I’ll be back around 12.35 with the toss and the teams.