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England v Sri Lanka, First Test

Lord's

  • We have a competition to WIN 2 tickets to Lord's on Saturday, all you need to do is retweet our next tweet! T's&C's: bit.ly/1n7AxhG
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 6/12/2014 3:54:52 PM
  • WIN 2 tickets to Lord's on Saturday to celebrate the @waitrose Cricket Cook Off! RT to enter bit.ly/CricketCookOff
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 6/12/2014 3:55:32 PM
  • Over 66 – Eng 232-5 (Prior 16 Root 59)
    Prior pulls but only gets half of it at the most and runs a single. Root also pushes a ball for one as it looks comfortable if a little slow at the moment.

    6/12/2014 3:56:46 PM
  • The comp ends at 8pm tonight, and we'll pick a winner at random shortly after. Remember all you need to do is RT our last tweet! #EngvSL
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 6/12/2014 3:58:06 PM
  • Over 67 – Eng 234-5 (Prior 16 Root 61)
    Root flicks Eranga away for two, it’s quite a tight two and it could have been close had the throw in been closer but they’re safe enough.

    6/12/2014 3:59:44 PM
  • Over 68 – Eng 239-5 (Prior 21 Root 61)[4]
    Prior again going after Herath, he rocks back and plays the latest of late cuts which simply races away for four, no chasing that one.

    6/12/2014 4:03:17 PM

  • A quick look at Joe Root's wagon wheel, as seen on our iPad app. Download it here: www1.skysports.com

    6/12/2014 4:04:37 PM
  • Over 69 – Eng 244-5 (Prior 23 Root 64)
    Root trying to keep up with Prior, who’s looking in a very positive frame of mind, again it’s a flick away off the pads and it takes a diving stop to prevent the boundary – Root has to settle for three.

    6/12/2014 4:08:21 PM
  • Over 70 – Eng 247-5 (Prior 25 Root 65)
    A single for Prior against Herath, before Root goes for an almighty heave and is lucky his massive bottom edge bounces just wide of the stumps. A strange and unorthodox shot from Root given how he’s played so far.

    6/12/2014 4:11:34 PM
  • Over 71 - England 261-5 (Prior 26, Root 73)
    Four leg-byes off Prior's thigh take England past 250. A big no ball from Eranga makes it five runs from the over without Prior and Root having to do anything. Prior gets involved in the runscoring by pushing an easy single into one of the big gaps Mathews has left on the offside. Four more for Root from a rank long-hop, cracked away between point and cover. Poor ball but a good shot. And then an even better one as Eranga over-corrects and offers a half-volley that is pinged through point.
    6/12/2014 4:18:22 PM
  • [shanewarne] That’s another beautiful shot – have a bit of that! That’s back-to-back boundaries for Root.”

    6/12/2014 4:19:44 PM
  • Over 72 - England 268-5 (Prior 31, Root 75)
    Mathews getting his line wrong here, allowing Prior to clip him away through the legside for a couple of twos. Prior picks up a single before Mathews continues to drift into the pads and is picked off for two by Root.
    6/12/2014 4:26:03 PM
  • Over 73 - England 269-5 (Prior 32, Root 75)
    Just a single for Prior from Herath's over. An hour left in the day's play, so we won't be getting a full 90 overs here.
    6/12/2014 4:30:04 PM
  • Over 74 - England 273-5 (Prior 36, Root 75)
    Two twos for Prior off Mathews. Not the best spell of bowling this, with Prior able to get short balls away through midwicket and past point.
    6/12/2014 4:32:05 PM
  • Over 75 - England 274-5 (Prior 36, Root 76)
    Root knocks Herath through midwicket for a single. Tidy but non-threatening stuff from the left-arm spinner.
    6/12/2014 4:34:35 PM
  • Over 76 - England 278-5 (Prior 39, Root 77)
    Prior will spend the rest of the evening batting in a shirt with a huge brown-green stain down the front of it after he's forced to dive full-length to make his ground to complete a scampered two. Just about safely done.
    6/12/2014 4:38:51 PM
  • Over 77 - England 282-5 (Prior 42, Root 78)
    Field spread now, and Prior picks the gaps with ease to collect a two through midwicket and a single through cover. Root joins in with a nurdle to mid-on. Herath's got the wrong field here.
    6/12/2014 4:41:31 PM
  • Well done @tellltoprasanna & @BennySingarajan - tomorrow's @officialslc bell ringer is Sanath Jayasuriya: lords.org/news/2014/june…
    by Lord's Ground via twitter retweeted by RusselArnold69 6/12/2014 4:43:00 PM
  • Over 78 - England 287-5 (Prior 46, Root 79)
    [4]Prior moves within one shot of 50 with a controlled, steered edge down to the third-man boundary off Mathews. Sri Lanka look subdued here now after making such a bright start this morning.

    6/12/2014 4:45:43 PM

  • Lord's a picture as Mathews bowls to Prior.

    6/12/2014 4:47:16 PM
  • Over 79 - England 289-5 (Prior 46, Root 81)
    Might just be time for Root to get a third Test century - and his second at HQ - before stumps are pulled tonight. Yet another flick off the pads brings him two more runs. New ball available after the next over.
    6/12/2014 4:48:19 PM
  • Reminder that #TheVerdict is coming your way at 9pm and we want YOU to get involved. We'll be tweeting your way shortly, stay with us.
    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 6/12/2014 5:37:49 PM
  • [betting]Having started the day at 11/10, England end it as 4/6 favourites to win the first Test with Sri Lanka out to 8/1 now and the draw 13/8. 
    Find Sky Bet's full first Test odds here.
    6/12/2014 5:41:42 PM
  • [mikeatherton] He is what is called 'a work in progress'; you can learn about captaincy but I also believe that it is in your make-up or it is not and I'm not convinced that Alastair Cook is a natural kind of leader. But there aren't that many alternatives at the moment and he is, of course, a mighty fine player, which is a help."

    6/13/2014 12:22:33 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:22:54 PM
  • [mikeatherton] The responsibility is on the captains and therefore they should face heavy penalties. It's hard to enforce run penalties."

    6/13/2014 12:23:56 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:24:52 PM
  • [mikeatherton] Before the game I would have gone with Cook, Root and Bell at the top of the order but now that the selectors have set their stall out with this batting line-up they are not going to want it to change much. I personally would have liked to have seen Bell go to number three but clearly that is not going to happen now for the forseeable."

    6/13/2014 12:26:46 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:27:27 PM
  • [mikeatherton] Getting my first cap, from David Gower. I've still got it - somewhere!"

    6/13/2014 12:28:21 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:29:33 PM
  • [mikeatherton] I think clubs that produce the majority of cricketers in this country are often really hard up and more could be done to help them."

    6/13/2014 12:30:48 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:31:05 PM
  • [mikeatherton] Simple - he should be in England's 50-over side but not the Test side."

    6/13/2014 12:31:48 PM
  • Thanks for all of the questions - time has beaten us, I'm afraid so there's just time for Athers to give us an idea of how he thinks this afternoon's session might go...

    [mikeatherton] England are going to have a bit of a fling and then Sri Lanka's batsmen will face a proper test trying to get on par or better in the first innings against what is a decent attack."

    6/13/2014 12:34:46 PM

  • Another tough choice to make which one for the Sky Boys to enjoy today ?? http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqAszJSIcAAa86P.jpg

    by Ian Botham via twitter 6/13/2014 12:42:32 PM
  • [4]Over 114 - England 484-8 (Root 153, Plunkett 6)
    Eranga starts the afternoon with a poor over. A succession of deliveries down the leg-side before Plenkett drives the final ball through mid-off for four
    6/13/2014 12:47:35 PM
  • [twitter]

    6/13/2014 12:51:10 PM
  • [4]Over 115 - England 489-8 (Root 154, Plunkett 10)
    Plunkett is not messing about, using his feet to get down the pitch to Herath without success and then heaving the last ball of the over to midwicket for four
    6/13/2014 12:51:49 PM
  • [4]Over 123 - England 536-8 (Root 177, Plunkett 33)
    Root's highest Test score is the 180 he made at this ground against Australia last year. He's now within three of that after a well-placed sweep off Herath runs away for four.
    6/13/2014 1:25:20 PM
  • [4]Over 124 - England 543-8 (Root 178, Plunkett 38)
    Plunkett - who has two first-class hundreds - uses his wrists to steer a drive into the leg-side for his sixth four. He's also closing in on his highest Test score, the 44 not out he made against West Indies at Headingley in 2007
    6/13/2014 1:30:02 PM

  • Root - closing in...

    6/13/2014 1:30:20 PM
  • Over 125 - England 547-8 (Root 181, Plunkett 39)
    Root's weight of shot into the leg-side allows him to comes back for two off the final ball of Herath's over - meaning this is now his best Test score.
    6/13/2014 1:33:17 PM

  • New Test best for @joeroot05 ... #EngvSL http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqA4roiIEAIRs6Z.jpg

    by Sky Sports Cricket via twitter 6/13/2014 1:34:27 PM

  • Plunkett c Silva b Pradeep 39[wicket]

    Plunkett's bright innings comes to an end with a miscued pull to Silva at midwicket.
    6/13/2014 1:34:30 PM
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