2nd Test: England v Sri Lanka, Leeds, June 20-24

[Boycs]

I wonder what the record is for most maiden centuries in a Test series.

[Kingsholmmad]

I could see Root being captain if he hadn't been dropped in Sydney. He seems to have his head screwed on right.

I'd bet on Root becoming captain one day but chucking him into it at the start of a five-test series against India with a team in transition is not the time to do it.

[Boycs]

I could see Root being captain if he hadn't been dropped in Sydney. He seems to have his head screwed on right.

I'd bet on Root becoming captain one day but chucking him into it at the start of a five-test series against India with a team in transition is not the time to do it.

I think they are thinking of him as a future captain one day, they way they ID'd Atherton early.

[Going South]

Whoever lasts the longest out of these two today (Root and Ali) should be the next captain.

so you want Ali as captain, eh?

[Ankur]

Lanka may not win here, despite Root wicket, Moeen looks set for his maiden heroic century.

[Going South]

193 from 49 overs needed with 4 wickets on hand for win.

[Kingsholmmad]

WE WUZ ROBBED! That was a no ball; how can you possibly give Prior out for that? All the umpires hate England! 'Snot fair!

Not that it'll make a lot of difference: New ball due in half a dozen overs or so; loads of overs yet to bowl and we're into the tail end. I'm betting we last till just before 5 o'clock.

[Going South]

Thinking of growing a long beard. May be it's the formula for success if I am a batsman.

[raja]

I think my post-match criticism of Moeen Ali and Plunkett after the Lord's Test might have stung both of them. :-)

They're both doing their best to shut me up. Good job, boys! Credit where it is due.

England look very much in a position to pull this off and go 1-0 up in the series.

[Ankur]

New ball not working for Lanka, England look confident

[raja]

England are cruising here.
This is just their way of making a Test match exciting.

Their real batsmen are still to be dismissied - Root, Prior, Moeen Ali, Broad, Jordan, Anderson.

Headingley has had a few famous Tests in its history - no reason to believe this won't be another one as England pull the rug from under SL's feet.

Thought there's no need to wait till the match finishes to say "I told you so".

[raja]

Jordon gone.

Just England's way of making this look more exciting. Always more fun when you win with 8 or 9 down, than with 7. :-)

[raja]

When Broad comes in at No.10, you realise what a strong batting line-up England has.
Especially when you realise that No.11 is Jimmy Anderson.
Surely the best No.11 in the world, especially to hang in there?

[Going South]

27 overs left. 134 to make. Can they do it? Ali with some support might as do it.

[raja]

Moeen Ali is doing a VVS here.

[Ankur]

No lights at substandard Headingley may help England draw this game.

[Going South]

I count on ECB to do their best to cheat. Wait and watch.

[raja]

When Herath is your go-to bowler in this side, why would you bowl Eranga?
Is Mathews missing a trick here?

[Ankur]

England are very good at saving tests. I cant remember one which they lost after getting so close.

[raja]

They have a very good nos 8,9,10, 11.

Unless you have a Mitch Johnson type express bowler, these guys are more than capable of blocking out deliveries.

The likes of Eranga don't bother them.

[raja]

Moeen Ali gets his hundred.
Very well played, lad!
What a situation to be in for your maiden hundred!

[raja]

if you have more than 20 overs to get one last wicket, and can't do so - and the no.11 of the opposition plays out 44 balls - your bowling seriously lacks bite.

[Ankur]

Wow England made it Awesome !!! Bad Luck Sri Lanka !!!

[Ankur]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssss !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[afghankhan]

Congrats to Raja of all. I am sure this must be one of the better moment in his cricket following life.

[Going South]

Congrats to all those who wished for Lankan win. . Even "I" would accept that this is good test match, one of a kind that is played for full 5 days and gave a result.

[Going South]

Moeen Ali must be gutted. Feel sorry for him. He should give everyone a slap in the dressing room now.

[Going South]

England ware going to post 550+ again. This time it should be enough.

ahahahahahahaha. Some famous words !!!!!!

[Going South]

Bring back KP !!!!!

[Going South]

Prasad should be MOM.

[SuperGLS]

The power of the jinx that raja and I presented for this test match was too much. Sri Lankan fans owe us everything.

But wow, do I feel for Jimmy.

[raja]

Recording this for posterity.

---------------------------------
116.5
Eranga to Anderson, OUT, short ball, Anderson fends it off and loops a catch to backward square!!! Can you believe it! Eranga has pulled it off, a snorter that Anderson couldn't keep down for once and popped up a simple catch, what a disaster for Anderson after all that effort and what jubilation for Sri Lanka
JM Anderson c Herath b Eranga 0 (55b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

So with the penultimate ball of the Test, Sri Lanka have won by 100 runs and pull off the most dramatic of victories to give them a 1-0 series victory which is their first multi-Test series win in England. Their players are ecstatic. For so long it looked as if Sri Lanka were going to win comfortably with just five wickets needed on the final day but they were made to fight tooth and nail but just in the nick of time they have pulled it off.

[raja]

Congrats to Raja of all. I am sure this must be one of the better moment in his cricket following life.

Indeed it is.

I had given up hope.

[raja]

This has been a wonderful 2-Test series.

First England were gutted after NOT being able to close the game at Lord's.

Now they are gutted after NOT being able to save the game at Leeds.

And England are knocked out of the football World Cup.

Has any June been better than this? :-)

[raja]

Moeen Ali was trying to do a VVS but ended up doing a Sachin. :-)

[raja]

Fred Boycott ‏@FredBoycott 12h
We should play Costa Rica at cricket and Sri Lanka at football. That would give us an outside chance of winning one of the games.

:-)

[Going South]

See. One more reason to have even number match series over odd number of matches series to get a decisive series win result.

[Boycs]

Three maiden tons in one series must be a record.

[Boycs]

And it has, despite earlier predictions, been a cracker of a Test series, both Tests went down to the final, or penultimate, ball!

[Asim]

Three maiden tons in one series must be a record.

That too a 2 match "series"

[Boycs]

Three maiden tons in one series must be a record.

That too a 2 match "series"

True, but I bet for a 3 match series it would still be a record.

[hopeinj]

"When I walk out to bat, I don't think of myself as a captain," said Cook. "Being captain probably makes you more determined to score runs." - Cook (BBC)

That's it, then... All Cook needs is a shrink who can make Cook think of himself as captain, then he would start scoring tons of runs... whew.. thought this was such a huge problem...paranoid me...
Good decision not to quit the captaincy, Cookie, what with the BCCI team raring to get you back into form...

[Boycs]

India have the bowlers to get Cook back into form.

[GiantScrub]

It's funny. Despite the England flag I'm currently displaying, my dislike for Anderson in particular is such that I don't feel that bad about the epic fail here. Whiny git. Apparently he got Man of the Series for England, dunno how, he did nothing relevant. Feel bad for Moeen though. Maybe Cook should grow a giant beard, they seem to be correlated with runs these days.

[Going South]

It's funny. Despite the England flag I'm currently displaying, my dislike for Anderson in particular is such that I don't feel that bad about the epic fail here. Whiny git. Apparently he got Man of the Series for England, dunno how, he did nothing relevant. Feel bad for Moeen though. Maybe Cook should grow a giant beard, they seem to be correlated with runs these days.

+1. Even I want to grow beard. Once in my life I want to do this phase. I am all pumped up

[Kingsholmmad]

Crikey, what a finish. I've already explained why I think Cook should stay as captain and the fact that he can get his players fighting for him the way that Ali, Anderson, Root and Jordan did today must stand for something. Right now Ballance, Jordan, Ali and a few others are probably (I hope) feeling sick to their stomachs but desperate for the Indian series to start. If they can hold onto that and if Cook can regain his technique / form, then that series should, at the very least, be entertaining.

I imagine that, if we win the first test, the entire summer for me will be wasted: I'm never get any work done if I spend every waking moment glued to the cricket.

[Going South]

India have the bowlers to get Cook back into form.

dream on. On the contrary crappy Indian pace bowlers are salivating at the opportunity to get some good showing at the expense of pathetic English form to mint more money and IPL contracts from BCCI even though they fail miserably everywhere else.

[GiantScrub]

I'd accuse Paul Farbrace of being a cunningly placed double agent for the Sri Lankans, except I'm sure SLC couldn't afford it.

[Ankur]

A lot of negativity and hostility towards the English here. Let me say Balance, Robson and Moeen have proven they are apt replacement for KP., thou looking at Cook`s form, maybe ECB should have backed KP, in their ego clash and had Moeen open with RobsoN.

[Verity]

What a Woeful shot by Jimmy with couple balls to spare, 2 Test series are usually given to teams that are seen to be less then competitive, Well done Sri Lanka; Matthews has impressed me a lot.

Don't forget England had a 100+ run first innings lead, that makes this win even more impressive.