by Arthur Crabtree » Sun May 15, 2016 10:53 am
Test cricket returns to England for the first time since the home side's surprisingly emphatic Ashes win last summer (and since their innings defeat at the Oval). And a return to Headingley , the venue of this summer's early season visitors, Sri Lanka"s thrilling 100 run win in 2014: won with a ball to spare when James Anderson looped a catch from a short ball from Shaminda Eranga to Rangana Herath at backward square leg from the second to last ball of the game; ending his 81 minutes of resistance, and rendering Moeen Ali's six hour ton futile.
Conditions will start cold and cloudy in Leeds on Thursday in yet another early season fixture for the northern venues (the second Test is in Durham!). There is some rain forecast over the weekend. Seam has been dominant in both games played at the home of Yorkshire this season, with Adil Rashid yet to take a wicket. In Headingley Tests this decade, only peak Graeme Swann has a five wicket bag among spinners, in 2013 against New Zealand. Runs can be scored, especially when the sun is shining. Alviro Peterson and the returning captain Angelo Mathews have big hundreds in the 2010s, and Alastair Cook got one of his two home Test hundreds in England since 2012, on this ground, also against New Zealand. But the sun won't be seen.
If Sri Lanka's triumph in England in 2014 went unforeseen, a win in this three match series would be as likely as Leicester City winning the Premier League. Stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have retired since 2014. Sri Lanka have struggled since, and were frequently shambolic in New Zealand where their batting was hopeless, particularly against the short ball, and their commitment could be questioned. What optimism they had was in Dushmantha Chameera, whose twelve wickets at 24 were rewards for striking pace and a dangerous short ball. But otherwise Mathews often resorted to bowling himself to gain control and Herath was ineffective. Their attack will be strengthened by the return of Shaminda Eranga from injury, back to the scene of his triumph in 2014.
Results for England have improved significantly under Trevor Bayliss, and a tough 2015 was generally successful. From the Ashes win, Adam Lyth, Ian Bell, Jos Buttler and Mark Wood have made way, together with (sadly) James Taylor from the winter tours. That's a lot of change in the batting, and here is England's flaw. In Tests over the last three year, only three batters average over 40 at home. Joe Root of course who averages (Route) 60.66. And Kevin Pietersen and the Zimbabwe born Gary Ballance, who are both unselectable, in differing ways. But the seam bowling is strong and should prevail. England go on rebuilding, but the foundations shouldn't be tested just yet.
Most of all, I hope for a competitive series. One sided home series are blighting the game and rumours of the Test cricket's demise are starting to spike again. England will prepare the slow seamers that won them back the Ashes. Hopefully Sri Lanka can exploit them too, and have some luck with the toss.
Players to watch: James Anderson. The England opening bowler has had to fend off suggestions that this will be his last year as an England player after his injury troubled 2015. He has started the season encouragingly at Lancashire and should thrive in the spring weather, but it'll be worth having a look at his often expressive body language, and for signs of early season fatigue.
And Dushmantha Chameera. He will be expensive, but his pace and cutting edge will be Sri Lanka's best chance of seizing a win. The tall 24 year old has a strike rate of 42 in his four Tests. England have been found out by the short ball before, and Chameera displayed a disconcerting bouncer against the Kiwis where he was the quickest bowler on either side.
I always say that everybody's right.