Player of the Match
Player of the Match

4.06pm So it will be Stuart Broad with the new ball, he was mightily unlucky in the first innings, having bowled with real pace.

Davoc: "So when we get back home next year, what does the team look like? It looks like we need to drop 2 players to make room for 2 more seamers, but with Rashid playing like this, but needing a compact spinner to play with him?! Ed Smith has a tough job!!" That's the long and the short of it. Leach and (whisper it) Foakes might find their specialist roles aren't as useful at home.

4.04pm Mark: "This would be the 18th highest chase in Test history, but only the 3rd highest by Sri Lanka after 391-6 v Zim in 2017 and 352-9 v South Africa in 2006. "

DA: "Dilruwan Perera ends 6 innings with 22 scalps. Remarkable how he has prepared himslef and taken up the duties left vacant by Herath's retirement." Indeed, and in a losing cause too. He's been a redeeming feature, for sure.

3.57pm So, another typically topsy-turvy England innings - failures at the top, aggression in the middle, endurance at the tail - and they have given themselves a very good shout at wrapping up a 3-0 series win, their first overseas since 1963

Doosra: "I really hope that when the Selectors look back at batsmen such as Foakes they "double" their scores. Batting so low down in the order yet capable of working the ball around and "protecting" the lower order is an amazing feat! The frustration it adds to the fielding side is also massive."

69.5
W
Perera to Leach, OUT, edged and gone! Leach's vigil is over, and it's five wickets for Perera - by a whisker, that front foot is encroaching once again... outside off, zipping past the edge, through to Dickwella, and Sri Lanka will need 327 to win

MJ Leach c †Dickwella b Perera 0 (13b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

69.4
1
Perera to Foakes, 1 run, nudged to leg, Leach has two balls to survive this time
69.3
2
Perera to Foakes, 2 runs, crashed into the gap at midwicket and that is good aggressive running, taking on the fielder, who had to steady himself to intercept a fast-travelling ball

ZS: "I wonder why is Sam Curran not playing in this match? He would gave scored another quick fire 50 or more. Strangeeee" Side strain. Next!

69.2
0
Perera to Foakes, no run, flicked on the up to wide long-on. Foakes opts against the single this time
69.1
2
Perera to Foakes, 2 runs, on the back foot, pumped into the gap in the covers, and that's a well-judged two runs, realised it early and went for it

END OF OVER:
69 | 3 Runs | ENG: 225/9

  • Jack Leach0 (12b)
  • Ben Foakes31 (78b)
  • Malinda Pushpakumara12-2-28-3
  • Dilruwan Perera29-3-83-4

Lakwin: "What on earth is happening? Why cant we jus wrap this up. I have a funny-good feeling, that we will make a good fist of this chase -- inspired by Mathews and Gunatilake"

68.6
0
Pushpakumara to Leach, no run, Leach blots this back down the pitch. England rumble ever onwards
68.5
1
Pushpakumara to Foakes, 1 run, pulled out to the leg side, Foakes takes the single this time as Pushpakumara drops short

Ian Hampton: "Don't forget Broads century was against a Pakistan side that was cheating,bowling deliberate no balls" They were also bowling absolute nuts with the Duke's ball, and reducing Engand to 47 for 5 ... batting has rarely been harder than in that summer...

68.4
2
Pushpakumara to Foakes, 2 runs, swept, in the air, but plugs safely at deep midwicket!
68.3
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, on the pads, clipped off the toes
68.2
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, flogged sweep, and that has nobbled short leg! Ouch, that is flush on the shoulder, no chance of calling that a catch, he was already turning turtle in anticipation of a battering. Out comes the doctor to give him a check-up

Philip McCarthy: "Has Broad himself ever said anything about he head blow that he took ... that is, has he said ... "and so I said to myself, I'm done with batting!" ... could that blow just be a coincidence?" To be fair, he has rather conceded that point

68.1
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, swept out to the leg side

END OF OVER:
68 | 1 Run | ENG: 222/9

  • Jack Leach0 (11b)
  • Ben Foakes28 (73b)
  • Dilruwan Perera29-3-83-4
  • Malinda Pushpakumara11-2-25-3
67.6
0
Perera to Leach, no run, stunned into the covers

Dev : "Why exactly isn't Foakes going hammer and tongs? How many more can he get by taking singles to farm the strike? " Because there's still an hour and two days left of this game. Quite literally no rush

67.5
0
Perera to Leach, no run, driven to cover

Lakwin: "This is a possible chase -- albeit highly improbable. If we are to even have a glimmer of hope, I think it'll be cardinal for us to bat to the end of the day at no loss or maximum one wicket"

67.4
1
Perera to Foakes, 1 run, sliding through outside off, a firm chop through point and this time Foakes reckons the single is worth taking
67.3
0
Perera to Foakes, no run, back of a length, biffed off the back foot to cover
67.2
0
Perera to Foakes, no run, flogged across the line, hitting with the spin, out to midwicket

Marshall Raja: "It all changed with one bouncer from Varun Aaron. Broad was never the same since that injury." Sad but true. A very squelched nose was the upshot

67.1
0
Perera to Foakes, no run, massive appeal for everything! It's a shout for lbw in the first instance, as Foakes misses a sweep on a very full length and is thumped on the shin, then there's a call for a catch at short leg, as the ball bobbles up and away to Kaushal. So ... the lbw is missing and there's no inside-edge! Sri Lanka hedge their bets, and none of them come off!

END OF OVER:
67 | 1 Run | ENG: 221/9

  • Jack Leach0 (9b)
  • Ben Foakes27 (69b)
  • Malinda Pushpakumara11-2-25-3
  • Dilruwan Perera28-3-82-4
66.6
0
Pushpakumara to Leach, no run, three men close catching on the leg side as Leach works off his pads, but safely enough. Another over chalked up
66.5
1
Pushpakumara to Foakes, 1 run, worked into the covers this time and they jog the single
66.4
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, on the hip, nudged to leg, but nothing there either
66.3
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, thumped back to the bowler. Foakes can't find the gaps right now
66.2
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, hoisted into the leg side, lots of intent for no upshot
66.1
0
Pushpakumara to Foakes, no run, big rip from outside leg stump! Dickwella gathers with a fumble, but there's no edge there

Sri Lanka 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st15FDM KarunaratneMD Gunathilaka
2nd9FDM KarunaratneDM de Silva
3rd10FDM KarunaratneBKG Mendis
4th18AD MathewsBKG Mendis
5th30PADLR SandakanBKG Mendis
6th102ARS SilvaBKG Mendis
7th30ARS SilvaN Dickwella
8th11MDK PereraARS Silva
9th1RAS LakmalARS Silva
10th58PM PushpakumaraRAS Lakmal