England batting vs Sri Lanka at Galle in the Second Test, late January 2021
ZAK CRAWLEY = ct Tirimanne b Embuldeniya …… 05
7.1 edged and gone straightaway! No sighters to Crawley! An impeccable left-armer’s dismissal, round the wicket, angled in and dipping on an off-stump line, biting sharply to kiss the edge, and a simple snick to the lurking slip! Big problems at the top of the order for England. And big problems for the foreseeable in this innings! 5/2
DAN LAWRENCE = ct Tirimanne b Embuldeniya …… 03
41.2 turn and bounce, and another one bites the dust! Not much Lawrence could do about that, once he was committed to the front foot. Round the wicket, dipping on an off-stump line, demanding he put bat to ball, and sharp spin biting the edge through to the first of two slips. That banana was a waste of rations, and Embuldeniya has all four! 132/4
SAM CURRAN = ct Tirimanne b Embuldeniya …… 13
81.2 edged and grabbed at slip. The new ball slides in at off stump, a crease-bound Curran plays for turn and edges it low to Thirimanne. Five-wicket haul for Embuldeniya. Well done 252/6
DOM BESS = ct Tirimanne b Embuldeniya …… 32
109.5 edged and taken cleanly at first slip. Thirimanne clings onto this to give Embuldeniya his sixth wicket. On a length, drifts in from wide of the crease at off, kicks up and rips away. Off the glove and balloons to Thirimanne 333/7
MARK WOOD = ct Tirimanne b Embuldeniya …… 01
111.2 Thirimanne leaps to his left and grabs it. Pushed through outside off, drifts away, Wood has a big swipe at it and edges it, Thirmanne is alert to it, taking his fifth catch and giving Embuldeniya his seventh wicket 337/8
Dan Lawrence peeved because done
End of ESPN REPORT
5.33pm: And that will be stumps after a fairly even day, dominated by two men: Joe Root, who again put on a clinic of how to play spin in Asia, and Lasith Embuldeniya, who took seven wickets out of nine to keep Sri Lanka slightly ahead of the game. England trail by 42 runs with Anderson set to join Leach tomorrow morning for the last wicket. Some support from Buttler and Bess today, but this was a stunning individual performance from the captain. With the ball, Lakmal toiled hard and Dilruwan Perera grew into the game but it was more or less a lone hand from Embuldeniya, with Lahiru Thirimanne chipping in with five catches off his bowling.
**** ***
It is unforgiving that Embuldeniya had to baby sit Thirimanna as latter was unable to create catches unless they come at him at catchable heights.
Not down playing Thirimanna, but when you are on the field & field in the slips, you need to create catches. Root was let off at 174.
There need to be blinder & half chances taken.
Roshan Mahanama, Mahela, Angelo, Kusal Mendis have demonstrated as they move with both hands into the direction of the snick.
Famous Bobby Simpson was known as a fly catcher. Not even a fly, fly past him.