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England vs Sri Lanka: Men's Third Cricket Test, Day One – Live | England vs Sri Lanka 2024

Important events

“I also have very fond memories of 2004,” writes Will Vignoles. “As a 14-year-old, I attended my first Test against West Indies at Lord's. It was excellent cricket throughout, but what really sticks in my mind from that summer was the return of Simon Jones.

“There's a chance this is all just a fever dream brought on by my now advanced age, but I remember him bowling a ridiculous reverse swing cycle that only brought a couple of wickets, but he seemed to hit the bat multiple times in every over. The following year he used it to much more devastating effect, of course, but that was a really eye-opening moment. Probably the biggest what-if player for England in the 21st century?”

Without a doubt. He was 26 years old when he left Trent Bridge in 2005.

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“For my part, I have very fond memories of the summer of 2004 (and not just because of the Edgbaston trophy that still adorns my living room),” says Tom Hopkins. “Freddie at his peak, successfully pursuing some difficult goals (for the time) and a growing sense of 'hey, we could actually do something against Australia'. I guess sometimes shadows can be cast forward in time.”

I guess even if it's about the destination, the journey can be a lot of fun. Winning in South Africa, when England were nowhere near their best, would have been the highlight of the past few decades.

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About the team

Sri Lanka have opted for the additional seamer, with Vishwa Fernando replacing left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Kusal Mendis also returns, replacing the out-of-form Nishan Madushka.

England Duckett, Lawrence, Pope (c), Root, Brook, Smith (wk), Woakes, Atkinson, Stone, Hull, Bashir.

Sri Lanka Karunaratne, Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Mathews, Chandimal, Dhananjaya (c), Kamindu Mendis, Rathnayake, V Fernando, A Fernando, Kumara.

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Sri Lanka wins the toss and the bowl

This will be a good test for England's openers.

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It is dry (at the moment) and cloudy at The Ovala bowl-first day and no errors.

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Do you want to play for England? Well, you'd better start averaging 60 with the ball in first-class cricket. Josh Hull, 20, follows Shoaib Bashir and is selected for his attributes rather than his averages. And what attributes they are: 6ft 7in, left-handed, bowls at a high 80mph, swings the ball to the right-hander. In the language of our times, his potential is enormous.

Hull have just been presented with their Test cap by Andrew Flintoff. If you really want to feel old, he turned 1 during the 2005 Ashes.

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Updated on

preamble

There are certain things that don't come naturally to the English. Eye contact, relaxation – and winning every Test in a home summer. That's something for those ruthless MFs down there. In home seasons with at least five Tests, there have been 17 cases where teams have won every game:

  • 8 Australia

  • 3 South Africa

  • 2 England, West Indies

  • 1 India, Sri Lanka

England's two clear victories came in 1959, when they thrashed a weak Indian side 5-0, and in 2004. Michael Vaughan's team beat New Zealand 3-0 and West Indies 4-0, a feat for which they probably don't get enough credit. The 2005 Ashes casts a long shadow.

England hope the 2025-26 Ashes will do the same. That has been the focus this summer, which makes their five consecutive wins even more remarkable. It's easy to say they should always beat West Indies and Sri Lanka at home, but before this summer they had only managed that twice in their history: in 1928 and 2004. (We're not counting the two Test series in 2009.)

The weather helped. Or rather, it had helped. There is a yellow rain warning for The Oval today, so there could be a delayed start. The forecast, while never utopian, improves as the game progresses, so there is still plenty of time for an outcome: either a demonstration of England's new ruthlessness, or a reminder that they will forever be England.

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