A school’s out vibe hung over England’s performance at The Oval but two players made events memorable
Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Sep-2024England’s farcical batting effort to start the day. Chris Woakes proving he is not perfect with some of the worst offspin for four-balls’ worth of bad light. The umpires telling Ollie Pope he could not use his quicks at the start of an extended evening session due for 43 overs but delivering just 17 of innocuous spin.Those were just three examples of a Friday that simply was not serious. And that’s before we get to Harry Brook’s innings. A bad day for the brand of Test cricket. An exception to the rule that this England are compelling viewing every time they step out the gate.There will be a temptation to say this second day of the final Test of the summer had an “end of term” feel. But those usually follow a whole lot of learning. And really, what did Saturday at The Oval teach you that you didn’t know about this series with Sri Lanka?Egging the head teacher’s car is a million times more enjoyable than watching the vastly superior of the two sides toss away their final seven first-innings wickets for 64 runs in exactly 100 deliveries. TP-ing the halls far more engrossing than witnessing an experienced seamer reduced to bowling off a few paces before sending down what Michael Atherton on commentary aptly described as “filth”. And the only thing the evening session had in common with the last day of school was everyone giving up less than halfway through.Related
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Test cricket relies on jeopardy – and this had none. It also requires respect and, barring Sri Lanka’s attempts to ensure this remains a contest, there was little of that, too. There were, however, two lone rangers fighting the good fight for relevance and meaning. And perhaps unsurprisingly, it was two newbies at different stages of their careers who provided it.Olly Stone regarded last week’s Test at Lord’s, his first cap in three years, as something of a second debut. A variety of injuries and a couple of screws in his back have not dulled his incisiveness, with four wickets in that comeback earned through wanging it into a length on a dull surface. And it clearly has not affected his swooping as he responded perfectly to a tip-and-run from Pathum Nissanka by throwing down the stumps.That dismissal, the first of Sri Lanka’s response to England’s 325, lifted the ground. Run-outs usually do; the something-out-of-nothing quality, the visceral mess of the stumps, the wild on-field celebrations that ensue. All set against the disappointment of the batter caught short, which in this case was Dimuth Karunaratne continuing on his way towards the away dressing room.”It was a great feeling,” Stone said. “Maybe a point where it was better than taking a wicket myself!”The 30-year-old went on to take two of those, punhing a hole in the middle order that Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis worked hard to cover up. Angelo Mathews was drawn into playing away from his body. Dinesh Chandimal was blitzed by a full inswinger that registered 89mph. A day after Mark Wood was ruled out for the rest of the year, that delivery in isolation was a timely reminder of Stone’s merits as an out-and-out quick.Josh Hull had his first bowl on debut•ECB via Getty ImagesThey were also the first and third wickets to fall for just seven runs in a three-over stretch that at least contained some sincerity. And it was largely because the second in that sequence belonged to Josh Hull.He looked bashful when it arrived. Perhaps because of the deliveries of varying lengths and lines that came before. Maybe because of the exuberance of his team-mates at their 20-year-old large adult son not just getting his maiden Test wicket, but doing for a classy Nissanka.The opener had jived his way to a pristine 64, profiting from Hull’s looseness before attacking a ball that was better than he thought; sharp, arching late, pitching just short of a full length. Woakes’ catch at cover was on a par with Stone’s run out for outfield excellence, but it was very much Hull’s moment.England were not lying when they said there was a lot to work with. Brendon McCullum’s insistence that picking a left-arm skyscraper who shapes the ball into the right-handers “is not a huge gamble” looked to be about right as he operated at an average of 82.6mph and clocked a top speed of 87mph.And then tea came and with it more light-related nonsense that meant the two central figures to England’s time in the field were unable to continue their work. That led to Hull contributing to the farce of the day when he dropped a sitter at mid-on that cost Shoaib Bashir his first wicket of the match. Bashir consoled Hull, who knew that dropping Dhananjaya on 23 (who finished unbeaten overnight on 64) was costly. Again there was embarrassment across his face, like he wanted a hole to open up and swallow him. At 6ft 7in, it would have given the San Andreas Fault a run for its money.Nevertheless, Hull will remember this day for the rest of his career and Stone may rely upon it alongside Lord’s and what is to come in this match for a role in England’s future, starting with tours of Pakistan and New Zealand this winter. For everyone else, it was one of the more forgettable days in this England team’s recent history.