England v Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day Two: Five Things We Learned

After an indifferent day one, Jonny Bairstow and the bowlers tilt the match England’s way with a dominant display. Here’s what we learned from day two…

MAN OF THE DAY: JOHNNY BAIRSTOW 140

“One on the bucket list,” said Bairstow four days ago, when asked what a hundred at his home ground would mean to him. Well, he can check that one off. That the last two runs to get to three figures came through overthrows matters not. There was an inevitability to Bairstow’s ton: he was rarely troubled and, even with the fielders out, was able to hit the ball into gaps through his exemplary timing rather than the brute force that serves him so well. While Alex Hales struggled to recommence his innings, eventually dismissed for a career best of 86, almost everything came out of the middle. In four innings at Headingley this year, he has 551 runs at 183.67. He also became only the sixth keeper to score a century and take five catches in an innings, in a Test.

OH, JIMMY JIMMY

Discovering that “Headingley length” has always been a tough ask for even the most seasoned of bowlers. But under grey skies, with the ball preserved to near perfect, Anderson came into his own in the evening session. Some of his deliveries were unplayable – Dusmantha Chameera getting three of the most outrageous first up, all of which missed his outside edge and skimmed off stump. With Anderson not featuring in white ball cricket, the window to enjoy his mastery is smaller, which made this evening spell, in which he bowled three wicket maidens on the hop, all the more special. His five for 16 – from 11.4 overs! – are now his career best at Headingley. Not to mention the fact that he now goes above Kapil Dev on the all-time wicket takers’ list. Just the 438 now…

SRI LANKA BATSMEN FOUND WANTING

It’ll get worse before it gets better. That much is sure. The loss of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are huge losses for any side. Not to mention that conditions today favoured the bowlers: as well as movement through the air, with an inspired Stuart Broad and Anderson, the pitch quickened and exposed the tentative defences of the top four, who were all caught behind the wicket. Angelo Mathews stuck around for a bit – as you’d expect for a man with exemplary powers of concentration. Lahiru Thirimanne, off the back of some horrible form, looked in good touch for his 22. Those are the sorts of crumbs of comfort they should take from an appalling first effort of 91. This could all be over tomorrow.

AZHARUFINN

Hands down, the shot of the day was Steven Finn’s four off Shaminda Eranga. The Sri Lankan right armer, swinging the ball away from the right hander, had dug a trench outside off-stump. For a man of Finn’s talents – he’s not called The Watford Wall for nothing – he seemed happy to let the ball go by. Until one moment, when possessed by a god-like power, he produced the shot of the day. Eranga was outside off – Finn stepped across, pushed forward and flicked the ball from a fifth stump line, all the way along the ground for four through square leg. Bairstow couldn’t believe it while Finn just laughed. Utterly outrageous.

WHAT NEXT

Sri Lanka are following on but the lead of 206 does make you wonder… an innings victory in the offing? Conditions are expected to be similar tomorrow and, barring a herculean effort relative to today’s showing, England won’t be batting again. If they are, it is set to be a fairly routine chase. Either way, find yourself something to do on Sunday…