Day 16: Spin it to win it

Is it possible for a spinner to find the rhythm they need in just a day of match practice? The answer is usually no. However good the conditions. It would never be easy for Jack Leach and Dom Bess. Leach hasn't played much cricket in the last 12 months, and Bess has been under scrutiny during the same time despite five wickets in the first innings. Bess has the credit of an impressive tour of South Africa in the bank, and Leach deserves his chance.

It was also inevitable that Sri Lanka would bat better second time around. England are still on top of course, and with two days to go, it won't be easy. More formidable challenges await in India, but there is no expectation that the rest of the Test series with Sri Lanka won't be tricky. How England respond will be interesting. Of course, this isn't a full-strength England side. Ben Stokes, Rory Burns and Jofra Archer aren't in Galle. James Anderson is having his workload managed. It is a long year of Test cricket for England as ever the build-up is to the Ashes next winter.

With the first two days' efforts, expectations are high with Sri Lanka well beaten in South Africa recently that could have given the position they would roll over. The first innings did little to dispel that.

What England need over the next seven days cricket is to find a way of winning. There is enough promise there, and one disappointing day doesn't make a Test year.

Ireland play

Ireland finally managed to play some cricket today. It wasn't the planned ODI against UAE, but instead, Afghanistan stepped into the breach as the two sides ramp up preparation for the series between the two sides. Ireland lost by 23 runs, but the majority of the squad took part.

South Africa let Luus

South Africa announced its women's squad to face Pakistan. Without the services of Dane van Niekerk, Sune Luus will lead the Proteas.

Pakistan's new coach David Hemp will be hoping to see his side beat a well organised South Africa team.

Make or break day

Australia will be kicking themselves that they failed to reach 400 in the fourth Test at The Gabba. Tim Paine needed to bat well, talk that his place was under pressure not just as captain, but also behind the stumps.

Australia will have to bowl well in the first session. If there was ever a day was made for Cheteswar Pujara to bat all day, then this is.

County Cricket is back!

It wasn’t long ago that the traditional curtain raiser to the county cricket season was staged in front of a sparse crowd at Lord’s as the MCC take on last year’s county champions. Things have moved on. Abu Dhabi now hosts the game and last season a pink ball was used.

There is a special breed of person that looks forward to another season of county cricket. Some may not venture into any of the countries county grounds, some may follow it in the daily paper and others on the internet, but their passion isn’t any the less because of it.

Last year I started this website with the intention of covering as much of the county season as possible. This died a death rather quickly as new ventures came to the fore. I want to revive it. But with a different intent. I will update when possible maybe not as in-depth and missing games that you would figure have more prominence. Some of it will be from games I have been to, watched on television or read about.

One thing you get will be my opinion. I don’t support a county with a test venue for a ground but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You may get fed up with my opposition to Franchise T20 in this country, but that is the way I see things.

So, for now, what am I looking forward to this season?

1.       The new Specsavers County Championship – A new sponsor means it will take a while to get used to. But the same intrigue will be there. Can Yorkshire make it three from three? Who will go down? And who will come up? With only one team being promoted ahead of a shift in the structure of the county season from 2017, it will be a hard fought season with a Worcestershire and Sussex heading the queue.

2.       England – The rebuilding of a young side continues, and it is an exciting prospect. With Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the two touring sides will offer some interesting battles, which England would expect to do well in. There are still places up for grabs at the top of the order which will keep things interesting.

3.       England Women – A new coach in Mark Robinson and a new intent about an already talented line-up will be looking for more consistency that saw them lose last year’s ashes series.

4.       Women’s Super League – After the success of the WBBL over the winter, it will be interesting to see how a first franchise style league plays out in this country. It will also hopefully help grow the international talent pool outside of the centrally contracted players.

5.       Ireland – I have followed the Irish side for a while now and am a big advocate of more opportunities for the associate nations.

6.       Sussex – I am a big Sussex fan, so I will always have something to say about how they are getting on. I will be at Northampton to see them kick-off their county championship season of April 10^th. It is a time of rebuilding. Much is still expected of the side captained by Luke Wright.