Khan Can: International Cricket 2019-20

[Kevin S]

The lead approaches 200 with two wickets gone.

[Kevin S]

Taylor playing a more aggressive game here, a personal run rate around 5, just what is called for if he can keep it up.

[Satchmo Distel]

Taylor's just gone to a poor umpiring decision (no DRS?) with the lead on 264 but Williams is in.

[Kevin S]

Yeah, there's no DRS at this one, just a third umpire for run outs, who gives the decision by making a red 'out' light or a green 'not out' light illuminate in the ground. The lead has now surpassed SL's first innings total, which is another decent landmark to reach.

[Kevin S]

Rain intervenes. Zimbabwe are 222/6, leading by 335. If the rain persists then the declaration may have to come sooner than they would like.

[Satchmo Distel]

It is supposed to be a passing shower but Zimbabwe certainly need to accelerate now they have a 335 lead. They'd want an hour at least at SL tonight. SL won't chase 400 at more than 3.5 an over.

[Kevin S]

Inspection in ten mins. Agreed - they need the target to look like something that might be gettable but isn't. Zimbabwe have batted at 3.5 and 3.2 in their two innings. Ideally it would be more than that but not by too much. If Sri Lanka start to think it is beyond them then they may well go for a blockfest and I don't know if ZW will get a result then.

[Kevin S]

Back on. About two hours of play left in the day; assume there'll be a drinks break and an innings change to account for so about an hour and a half or slightly more of play perhaps? Zimbabwe might only go on for 30-40 minutes from here then.

[Kevin S]

And off again, for the light. That could be it for the day. Lead is now 354 so if we just have one full final day then the run rate is (almost) tough enough. Fingers crossed the weather is ok tomorrow and we could have a humdinger: remember Zimbabwe themselves made 352/6 on the first day.

[Satchmo Distel]

Zimbabwe have to declare straight away, you would think. I don't think they'd get 98 overs in given the light* so SL would need 4 an over on a 5th day pitch.

*Zim could slow down the over rate if SL start really well.

[Kevin S]

If the Women's T20 Tri series is anything to go by, it's going to be hard to follow the World Cup in Feb;I competed their win over England at around 0630 our time this morning.

[Kevin S]

A swift declaration. Sri Lanka are 9/0 with a target of 361. Game on!

[Kevin S]

https://youtu.be/UhQy3mfa3Q4
or
https://youtu.be/G7VwaVhOZ54

Seems to be a couple of options today. One wicket gone, 32/1.

And it's only just occurred to me that this is another fifth day with all possible results still in the balance. Hope the ICC are enjoying it.

[Sporting]

Good point.

[Kevin S]

Oh no, a drop at slip! Bugger.

[Kevin S]

Sri Lanka seem to be progressing well here with Mendis and Fernando now looking set.

[Kevin S]

The 9th and 10th highest successful run chases are 362 (also both with target 359) - one of these being the Stokes and Leach stand last year - so this will be no mean feat. If Sri Lanka can time a boundary at the right point then the 9th highest successful chase is on the cards.

[Kevin S]

A glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe as Angelo Matthews goes for just 14. Sri Lanka are now batting for the draw I think as there won't be enough overs left. Zimbabwe need to take seven more wickets in something like a session and a half, so the draw is favourite at the moment. That could change if Mendis goes.

[Satchmo Distel]

184/3. It looks like SL would probably have got this target with more overs left, but then Zimbabwe would have set a bigger total. A draw seems fair given that rain spoiled Zimbabwe's plans to use all their wickets to set a higher target that would have exerted greater psychological pressure on SL.

[Greenlander]

Alas, not to be for Zimbabwe. In all truth their bowling attack is pretty weak and it showed today.

[Sporting]

"The final day had started with Williams declaring Zimbabwe's second innings on 247 for 7 after just one ball: an uncharacteristic leg-stump half-volley by Suranga Lakmal that Sean Williams flicked over deep square leg for six.

The shot brought up Williams' third Test fifty, but more importantly, Zimbabwe got the chance to use the heavy roller on a dry Harare deck at the start of the day. The idea presumably being to widen some of the cracks on the pitch, and give their bowlers a better chance of bowling out a team in the fourth innings of a Test for just the seventh time in their history."

The above quoted from cricinfo. But can anyone tell me the pertinent rule on the words in bold above? If Zimbabwe had declared overnight, they couldn't have used the roller?

[San Bernardhinault]

I think what happens is that the team currently batting chooses the roller to start the day, so they choose the heavy roller to try and break up the pitch. If Sri Lanka had been put in straight away they would have had the choice of roller - I think they also get the choice in the change between innings.

[diggedy derek]

New Zealand can't catch a break in their T20 series. They've just lost three in five at the back end of a very doable run chase.

[ursus arctos]

Jofra Archer has a stress fracture in his elbow and will miss the Sri Lanka tests

[Etienne]

India vs Bangladesh in the final of the under 19 world cup. India huge favourites after they crushed Pakistan in the semi-final.