BUMBLE ON THE TEST: Chris Woakes’ improvisation provided some top entertainment amid bad light fiasco – and why Freddie Flintoff’s Lions job is a fantastic appointment
- England were pushed back by Sri Lanka on the second day of the final Test of the summer
- Woakes was forced to bowl off-spin on the day due to poor light
- Flintoff will meanwhile lead the England Lions team after a spell as coach
England’s final Test match of the summer continued on Saturday as they look to repeat a winning streak over their 2024 opponents.
After Ollie Pope’s brilliant century on day one, the Surrey man’s team collapsed on day two, scoring a total of 325 points before taking the ball onto the field.
The home side played well initially, restricting their opponents to 93/5, but an unbeaten duo of 118 between Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis brought Sri Lanka back into the match.
England now face the difficult task of getting back into the game as the scores are level at the start of matchday three.
Mail Sport’s DAVID ‘BUMBLE’ LLOYD takes you through some of the stories you may have missed from day two at Lord’s.
England face a tough task to stay in contention against Sri Lanka in the third Test
The match is evenly matched, with England scoring 325 runs before their opponents have recovered properly
Ollie Pope wants to make sure his century proves meaningful after a tough second day
Bad light fiasco
This is the entertainment business, where people pay top dollar, so it was ridiculous to see Chris Woakes bowling slowly at 2pm because of the bad light.
The light was not dangerous. We have many days like this in England, but the big problem these days is the fear of lawsuits. If we continue like this, we will ruin the game.
Whatever the weather
Speaking of bad light, you can see the influence of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. The best thing to do is to leave the field when… ‘You get shivers in the dark, it’s raining in the park but meanwhile – south of the river you stop and hold on to everything.’
I’m convinced Sultans of Swing was about the bad lighting in the Oval!
Chris Woakes provided some light entertainment when he was forced to bowl off-spin during the day
Freddie Flintoff (right) has been appointed manager of the England Lions, amid a spell as senior team coach
He will have to work closely with Brendan McCullum (centre) – the pair are like two peas in a pod
Fan of Freddie
It is great to see England give Andrew Flintoff the Lions job. Make no mistake, Freddie is a top bloke. It is an excellent move to put him in charge of the emerging talent and he will have a very close relationship with Brendon McCullum.
They are two people who are on the same page, with similar views and values.
The future looks bright for the Pope
For Ollie Pope it was a very timely blow and a reminder of his abilities. He had looked frantic throughout the series but on his home court he played beautifully and at a great pace.
This ton should show Pope that if he concentrates on intent, he doesn’t look nearly as shaky as he normally does at the start of his innings.
Pope’s innings was a timely reminder of his talent, and he should focus on his intent in the future
The boat saga continues
The boat saga is not good. The weather up north is beautiful, but my boat is grounded because the solenoid in the battery has blown — and it can’t be fixed until Monday.
Meanwhile, a buddy of the river has just returned from his vacation in Newark. To be honest, I thought he said New York!
The bigger picture
Yes, England collapsed, but I didn’t mind that so much because they wanted to continue the game.
While 325 in the first innings against Sri Lanka is a decent score, it is not against the likes of Australia and India. Be careful, because these totals will not be enough Down Under. You need to go big and take control.