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Gary Ballance’s first Test ton gives England advantage over Sri Lanka Gary Ballance’s first Test ton restores England advantage over Sri Lanka
(about 2 hours later)
Until Gary Ballance, with a maiden Test century of immense mental strength, and Chris Jordan, a vibrant addition to the Test match arena, came together for an hour and a half after tea and added 78 for the seventh wicket, England found that a game they had been dominating had been turned on its head.Until Gary Ballance, with a maiden Test century of immense mental strength, and Chris Jordan, a vibrant addition to the Test match arena, came together for an hour and a half after tea and added 78 for the seventh wicket, England found that a game they had been dominating had been turned on its head.
All out for 453, with Angelo Mathews’ fine century adding to that of Kumar Sangakkara the previous day, Sri Lanka had conceded a first-innings deficit of 122. The talk then was of England optimism: even if a dead-duck draw seemed the likeliest outcome, perhaps they could still push on quickly on a pitch that had yielded little to the bowlers of either side thus far, and who knows, perhaps even a declaration before the close and a chance to get into the Sri Lankan batting. All out for 453, with Angelo Mathews’ fine century adding to that of Kumar Sangakkara the previous day, Sri Lanka had conceded a first-innings deficit of 122. The talk then was of England optimism: even if a dead-duck draw seemed the likeliest outcome, perhaps they could still push on quickly on a pitch that had yielded little to the bowlers of either side to that point and, who knows, perhaps even a declaration before the close and a chance to get into the Sri Lankan batting.
But new or old, this is still England, with all that entails. At lunch, Alastair Cook and Sam Robson had already added 27 not entirely convincing runs but were still together. By shortly after tea, when Matt Prior tamely patted a catch that was snaffled with great glee in the gully, the scoreboard read 122 for six as Shaminda Eranga first of all, in a brilliant little spell, and then little rotund Rangana Herath, delivered body blows. But new or old, this is still England, with all that entails. At lunch Alastair Cook and Sam Robson had added 27 not entirely convincing runs but were still together. By shortly after tea, when Matt Prior tamely patted a catch that was snaffled with great glee in the gully, the scoreboard read 122 for six as Shaminda Eranga first of all, in a brilliant little spell, and then little rotund Rangana Herath, delivered body blows.
England were floundering, the lead merely double their total: challenging still for a fourth-innings target on a fifth-day pitch, even at Lord’s, but by no means close to a comfort zone.England were floundering, the lead merely double their total: challenging still for a fourth-innings target on a fifth-day pitch, even at Lord’s, but by no means close to a comfort zone.
All the while, Ballance, the scourge of spellchecks, had been batting with great determination, a gutsy innings, and he found a willing ally in Jordan Gradually the pair, one in his second Test and one in his first, stole the initiative back from Sri Lanka, so that by the time Jordan chipped a catch to mid-off from the leading edge, England were surely safe, a position then reinforced by a rapid 57-run stand between Ballance and Stuart Broad that took only seven overs. All the while Ballance, the scourge of spellchecks, had been batting with great determination in a gutsy innings, and he found a willing ally in Jordan. Gradually the pair, one in his second Test and one in his first, stole the initiative back from Sri Lanka so that by the time Jordan chipped a catch to mid-off from the leading edge England were surely safe, a position then reinforced by a rapid 57-run stand between Ballance and Stuart Broad that took only seven overs.
Ballance was to return to the backslapping pavilion unbeaten on 104, having, with an eye on the clock, biffed his way from 81 to three figures in the space of seven balls, his century arriving when he carved Herath over square leg and into the grandstand for six. Ballance was to return to the backslapping pavilion unbeaten on 104, having, with an eye on the clock, biffed his way from 81 to three figures in the space of seven balls, his century arriving when he carved Herath over square-leg and into the grandstand for six.
At 267 for eight, England now have a lead of 389, and must declare overnight: already they have too many, surely, for Sri Lanka to chase, and 90 overs in which to try and dismiss them to win the match. If the cloud cover that hung over the ground all day lifts by then, however, it will be no easy task to take wickets. At 267 for eight England now have a lead of 389 and must declare overnight: already they have too many, surely, for Sri Lanka to chase and 90 overs in which to try to dismiss them to win the match. If the cloud cover that hung over the ground all day lifts by then, however, it will be no easy task to take wickets.
In Test cricket, the benchmark of a good player is set not just by an obvious skill but by how he can apply that. Ballance, it has to be said, has a technique – back first and then further back still – that does not lend itself to scrutiny. The accepted wisdom is that he would be susceptible to good short-pitched bowling, but also to sideways movement that can be pitched further up than normal. To seam, his front foot, even with his weight forward, does not go further than the crease. He has a hard-hand game. Bowlers would fancy their chances. And yet, somehow, through sheer determination, he squeezed out this innings. His first 50 runs took him 130 balls, his second just 54. Against the spinner, he looked to cut if length allowed and he drives with power. But he showed commendable restraint when it mattered and equally commendable freedom when the situation changed later. In Test cricket the benchmark of a good player is set not just by an obvious skill but by how he can apply that. Ballance, it has to be said, has a technique – back first and then further back still – that does not lend itself to scrutiny. The accepted wisdom is that he would be susceptible to good short-pitched bowling but also to sideways movement that can be pitched further up than normal. To seam his front foot, even with his weight forward, does not go further than the crease. He has a hard-hand game. Bowlers would fancy their chances. And yet, somehow, through sheer determination, he squeezed out this innings. His first 50 runs took him 130 balls, his second 54. Against the spinner he looked to cut if length allowed and he drives with power. But he showed commendable restraint when it mattered and equally commendable freedom when the situation changed later.
Until then, England’s had not been a pretty effort. Cook had already been missed in the slip cordon when he edged to the keeper, three crunching boundaries no camouflage for the fact that he is a batsman who has lost his sparkle, and shortly afterwards Eranga removed Robson’s off stump. Until then England’s had not been a pretty effort. Cook had already been missed in the slip cordon when he edged to the keeper, three crunching boundaries no camouflage for the fact that he is a batsman who has lost his sparkle, and shortly afterwards Eranga removed Robson’s off stump.
It kickstarted a procession: Ian Bell managed a sumptuous cover drive before he, too, lost his off stump to Eranga, who had now taken three wickets for three runs in 21 balls, and Joe Root, a century under his belt from the first innings, was lbw to Herath, so that the nerves were already niggling. There followed the briefest of cameos before tea from Moeen Ali, who danced fearlessly down the pitch to his first ball and hit it over the top to the pavilion but then prodded and was bowled by the next. It kickstarted a procession: Ian Bell managed a sumptuous cover drive before he, too, lost his off stump to Eranga, who had now taken three wickets for three runs in 21 balls, and Joe Root, a double-century under his belt from the first innings, was lbw to Herath, so that the nerves were already niggling. There followed the briefest of cameos before tea from Moeen Ali, who danced fearlessly down the pitch to his first ball and hit it over the top to the pavilion but then prodded and was bowled by the next.
Prior survived a third-ball reprise of his first-innings trial by replay, Hawkeye judging now, as then, that Herath’s delivery had beaten his inside edge but had struck the front pad the merest smidgeon outside the line of off stump. A more unfortunate man might have made a pair. This time there was no capitalising on his luck. Prior survived a third-ball reprise of his first-innings trial by replay, Hawk-Eye judging now, as then, that Herath’s delivery had beaten his inside edge but had struck the front pad the merest smidgen outside the line of off stump. A more unfortunate man might have made a pair. This time there was no capitalising on his luck.
It took England a further 75 minutes to dismiss Sri Lanka, in which time Mathews had completed his hundred and celebrated appropriately by marmalising a low full toss from Jimmy Anderson through extra cover for his 12th boundary. He had already lost Herath, who was yorked middle stump by Anderson, and had batted for almost four hours when another yorker, this time from Liam Plunkett, pinned him back on his stumps and lbw. In the morning it took England a further 75 minutes to dismiss Sri Lanka, in which time Mathews had completed his hundred and celebrated appropriately by marmalising a low full toss from Jimmy Anderson through extra cover for his 12th boundary. He had already lost Herath, who was yorked middle stump by Anderson, and had batted for almost four hours when another yorker, this time from Liam Plunkett, pinned him back on his stumps and lbw.
It left Jordan with the task of cleaning up, which he did in style by hitting Nuwan Pradeep on the right shoulder as he tried to avoid a bouncer, the batsman then tumbling over and draping himself over his wicket. Ends come not much more ignominiously.It left Jordan with the task of cleaning up, which he did in style by hitting Nuwan Pradeep on the right shoulder as he tried to avoid a bouncer, the batsman then tumbling over and draping himself over his wicket. Ends come not much more ignominiously.