England v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test: Day 4 - The Chance of an Epic Finish

 

England v Sri Lanka

3^rd Test: Day 4

The Chance of an Epic Finish

 

June 12^th  2016

Rain has played its part in setting-up what could be a classic last day. With 98 overs to play – rain permitting – Sri Lanka need 330 runs to win, England need 10 wickets and this is a case where, quite genuinely, all four results are possible.

The day will be chiefly remembered for Alex Hales beating his best Test score, but still failing to get that maiden Test century that he deserves and for a high-profile umpiring error that gave him the chance to make a century.

Many umpires are now reluctant to call front foot no balls. It makes it even more ironic that Rod Tucker called no ball when the excellent Pradeep clean-bowled Hales on 58. Unfortunately it was, if only marginally, a legal delivery. We tend to forget just how often in the not so distant past batsmen were given out to balls that should have been called and how upset people have got about the number of uncalled no balls and how many runs batting side have been cheated out of. There is also, frequently, some frustration that experienced, professional bowlers push the limits of the line so much and are thus, asking for trouble. The Sri Lankans though were frustrated… and very unhappy and the familiar conspiracy theories have come out. The fact that one umpire is Indian and the other is Australian is hardly evidence of a conspiracy to stop Sri Lanka winning at all costs.

[Added later: And the 3^rd Umpire, asked to rule on DRS calls, is a Pakistani. Even if you claim that the two on-field umpires are from “Big Three” countries and thus naturally prejudiced in favour of their Big Three partner, Alim Dar, who has to give the toughest calls of all, is not.]

Despite the fact that Hales has 292 runs at 58.4 in the series and has passed 80 in three of his five innings, the missing six runs today and a career average under 33 led to the fan feedback to go into overdrive with suggestions that he had proved once again that he was not good enough and should make way for someone else. The fact that Compton, Root and Vince have aggregated just 191 between them seems lost on people!

Apart from that, the day will be remembered for three remarkable events: Alistair Cook hitting a six and playing several Dilscoops was astonishing enough; making an attacking declaration was getting into Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy territory (“if you’ve done six impossible things before breakfast, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe?”)

Facing twelve overs and playing and missing constantly, Sri Lanka could be forgiven for finishing two or even three down at the Close. They are though 32-0 and have a fighting chance of pulling off possibly the finest chase of their history.

The ball is still quite new. There is turn in the pitch. Conditions are likely to favour the bowlers. And one wicket could bring 3 or 4, but we may just be in like for an epic finish.