40th over: Sri Lanka 109-3 (Mathews 42, Chandimal 17) A maiden is beckoning to Bess when he drags one down and is lucky to get away with a single.
Here’s Felix Wood, picking up on Daniel’s remark in the 29th over about bowling depth. “I’m not sure that England do have such an embarrassment of bowling riches,” he argues. “Rotating Broad and Anderson to lessen chances of injury speaks to me of a lack of confidence in the other options. None of the others offer the same control, and I do worry that our bowlers will be taken to the cleaners in India and Australia. If either series is anything like as good as those two duking it out then it will be a good year, pandemic be damned.” It will. I’m not sure the rotation is to avoid injury. In Sri Lanka, there’s only room for one trad right-arm fast-medium bowler, however distinguished. You need two spinners, one paceman and something a bit different.
