Day 4 Report: Ballance puts England in command of 1st Test by Andy Jalil

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Scorecard:	England v Sri Lanka
Event:	Sri Lanka in Ireland and England 2014

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DateLine: 15th June 2014

 

By Andy Jalil In association with INVESTEC

 

Andy Jalil in London In association with INVESTEC cricketarchive.com, pcboard.com.pk © Andy Jalil

 

London – Gary Ballance’s unbeaten maiden Test century of great distinction, in only his second Test match was superbly timed in pulling England out of the mire and placing them in complete control on 267 for eight at stumps on the fourth day, an overall lead of 389. It was an innings carefully executed with caution at first when the wickets were falling and then gradually proceeding with much confidence as shown by the six swept over mid-wicket into the Grandstand to take his score to 104 not out complied in four-and-a-quarter hours. He had faced 188 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six.

 

Alastair Cook’s run of low scores continued with Shaminda Eranga moving a ball away from the left-hander and taking an edge with him on 28 following 17 in the first innings. The England captain has now gone eleven innings for an aggregate of just 289 and his last Test century was as far back as May, 2013. This is a period that must be starting to worry him with a tough series to follow next month against India. Prior to that he has the second Test next week at Headingly which has not always provided a particularly batsman-friendly pitch.

 

Five runs after Cook’s dismissal England lost the second wicket on 51. Eranga had struck again, moving a ball into the Test debutant Sam Robson to hit the stumps. Robson seemed a little late in playing at it and the ball might have just shaved the edge of his bat. The Sri Lanka pace bowler was in an inspired spell as he then uprooted Ian Bell’s off stump for 9, once again bringing the ball in sharply and England were 69 for three with Eranga taking the three for three in a 21-ball spell.

 

It was then the turn of the left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, to inflict further damage to the England innings. He pushed a ball through a little quicker to Joe Root, the unbeaten double-centurion of the first innings, whose footwork seemed to have eluded him, in and playing from the crease he was trapped lbw for 15.

 

Moeen Ali confidently lifted the first ball over the bowler straight for four to bring up the hundred of the innings but was beaten by the spin of the next delivery, helped by the footmarks, as he played outside the line to be bowled and England had lost half the side for 102. Meanwhile Ballance had kept going and was on 26 when Matt Prior was held at gully off a top edge reducing the hosts to 121 for six.

 

Ballance was holding the innings together and was content with running ones and twos, in fact at one stage had faced 26 balls without scoring. England recovered considerably in with the seventh wicket partnership between Ballance and Chris Jordan. Balance was playing more shots and stylishly cut Pradeep to the backward square leg for his fifth four, taking his score to 48 and his maiden half century came two balls later, from 130 balls.

 

It took Sri Lanka an-hour-an-a-half to break the 78-run stand when Jordan, on 35, stepped out to drive Herath and miss-hit to mid-off. Balance took two fours in an over from Herath to get into the eighties with Stuart Broad also playing shots to increase the England lead more rapidly. They added 57 in 44 balls before Broad went for 35 from just 18 balls.

 

Earlier, resuming on 415 for seven and trailing by 160, Angela Mathews, being the only remaining specialist batsman, had the task of protecting the lower order while reducing the England lead. Rangana Herath held on to his wicket for half-an-hour, scoring 2 before England struck with James Anderson hitting the middle stump. Meanwhile Mathews had added 13 to his overnight score of 79.

 

He moved on to 97 with a lofted drive to long-on off Anderson and in the bowler’s following over he brought up his third Test hundred from 171 balls with the last of his 12 fours. Two overs later Liam Plunkett had him lbw and Sri Lanka were 442 with the last man in. A bouncer from Jordan, hit Nuwan Pradeep who fell on his stumps and with that hit wicket dismissal the innings was wrapped up on 453 giving England a substantial first innings lead of 122.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2014 Andy Jalil)