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Cricket in-play betting tips: England v Sri Lanka first Test latest odds and advice
Richard Mann previews day four of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.
It might have appeared unlikely when Jamie Smith was completing his maiden Test century early on day three, or when Sri Lanka then slumped to 1-2 at the start of their second innings, but we might yet see an exciting finish to the first Test in Manchester.
Thanks to a spirited half-century from veteran Angelo Mathews, and a plucky one from Kamindu Mendis who will resume on Saturday morning unbeaten on 56, the tourists now find themselves nursing an 82-run lead with four wickets still remaining.
That lead isn't yet a significant one, but having copped a nasty blow to his thumb that forced him to retire hurt for a short while, Dinesh Chandimal is still standing on 20 not out.
If the tail can wag, Sri Lanka could still make a game of this.
What a way to get your maiden Test fifty on debut, take a bow Milan Rathnayake 👏 pic.twitter.com/GPnqJ8wgwq
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 21, 2024
England, of course, will fancy chasing just about anything on an Old Trafford surface that while a touch slower than we are used to seeing here, has generally played pretty well since the mid-part of the opening day.
Much will depend on whether Mark Wood is fit to bowl again in the innings, and if the two set Sri Lanka batsman can negotiate the next 20 overs before somehow getting through the second new ball.
Lots of ifs and buts, then. Certainly too many to want to strike another bet, though it's worth remembering that this England batting line-up is missing two key men in Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes.
A damp forecast for the weekend complicates matters further, but perhaps those wanting a cheap trade might be able to get in and out on Sri Lanka, given how England have so often been full of surprises since the inception of Bazball.
Readers of these pages are with Chandimal for top Sri Lanka batsman in the second innings, but the 65 already set by Mathews is a pretty stiff target, while Mendis looks set to go past that anyway.
Even if he doesn't, that would leave Chandimal with an awful lot of ground to make up batting with the tail, so I'm not particularly hopeful at this stage.
Posted at 2105 BST on 23/08/24
Day three betting update
2pts Dinesh Chandimal top Sri Lanka second innings batsman at 5/1 (General)
A brilliant unbeaten 72 from Jamie Smith ensured England finished a rain-affected day two at Old Trafford with their noses just in front.
England have found a real gem in Smith, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that this outstanding young talent can reach three figures on Friday having been advised to make a first innings century at 7/1 in my pre-match preview.
Smith bats well with the tail, so England will hope he can stretch their lead, which currently stands at 23, to something closer to 100 by the time the final four wickets have been dislodged.
That would put England firmly on course to complete another rather predictable Test win, though I'm hoping DINESH CHANDIMAL can at least hold them up the second innings.
Chandimal was my pick for top Sri Lanka batsman in the first innings, and nothing I saw on Wednesday has changed my view.
Amid the early chaos that saw the tourists slip to 6-3 against the new ball, Chandimal appeared largely untroubled until being dismissed LBW on 17 to a delivery from Shoaib Bashir that barely bounced above his ankle. It was desperate bad luck on the first morning.
Dhananjaya De Silva (74) and debutant Milan Rathnayake (72) rescued the innings, and played very well, too, but I'm not ready to give up on Chandimal who has enjoyed a fabulous run of form in the last three years.
A brilliant century at Durham in 2016 – incidentally coming in the second innings – when defying the likes of Chris Woakes, James Anderson and Stuart Broad highlights just what Chandimal is capable of, even in these conditions.
An average of 40.00 in New Zealand backs that point up, and I've always admired his plucky character and appetite for the fight.
Sri Lanka will need that fight in the second innings, and 5/1 or bigger rates a bet in my book.
Posted at 2135 BST on 22/08/24
There is an old cliché in cricket about being unable to truly judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it, and Sri Lanka will be hoping that proves to be the case having been bowled out for only 236 on day one of the first Test at Old Trafford.
To their credit, the tourists did well to get that many, having slipped to 6-3 and 92-6, before captain Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant Milan Rathnayake mounted a spirited fightback in the Manchester gloom.
An unsettled start to Thursday, according to the Met Office, suggests Sri Lanka’s seamers could have something to work with early on when play resumes, though England looked largely untroubled when cruising to 22-0 at the close of the play on Wednesday.
Dinesh Chandimal was desperately unlucky when LBW to a delivery that rolled along the floor just before Lunch, but other than that, Sri Lanka’s early troubles were more down to their own frailties than any real demons in the surface.
That’s not to say we are dealing with a road like the one England amassed 592 on against Australia here last summer, but there were definite signs as the ball softened up that it was by no means a minefield, either.
The other thing to consider is whether this Sri Lanka attack will be able to get as much life out of the surface as the likes of Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood managed. The suspicion is that they won't.
Even if the weather remains unsettled, I’m still not convinced there will be enough assistance through the air or from the surface to seriously hurt England’s batting. That Sky Bet are only 3/1 about England passing 500 in the innings suggests bookmakers agree.
We already have Joe Root and Jamie Smith on side to make centuries in the innings, and though I’d prefer the sun to come out and that tinge of green currently visible on the surface to burn away in the August sun – wherever it may have gone – I’m not desperately keen for another bet.
I’d expect England to have built a sizeable lead by the end of day two, so here’s hoping Root and Smith are at the forefront of another strong showing with the bat.
Posted at 2045 BST on 21/08/24
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