And here’s the match report:
Related: Centuries for Joe Burns and Travis Head put Australia in control
After a long and draining summer this was finally the day Australia’s batsmen had been dreaming of. Well, two of them anyway: Travis Head and Joe Burns.
Proceedings actually began worryingly to type with three early wickets. None of Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja or Marnus Labuschagne were able to navigate some probing new-ball swing and cash in on the batting paradise that was to follow.
87th over: Australia 384-4 (Burns 172, Patterson 25) Sri Lanka’s torment extends into the final over the day. Too full from Perera, enabling the long limbed Patterson to meet it at the pitch and push firmly through the offside where Chandimal fails to perform his duties in the covers allowing the young lefty a late boundary.
86th over: Australia 380-4 (Burns 172, Patterson 21) Burns has now improved his best score in Test cricket, beating the 170 he accumulated in Christchurch three years ago.
85th over: Australia 378-4 (Burns 171, Patterson 20) Yeah, scrap that talk of Australia putting the cue in the rack, Patterson absolutely larrups Rajitha over midwicket for his first six in Test cricket. That was a fair old wallop.
I should add, I’m disappointed how little correspondence has come in following the realisation Sunil Gavaskar and Viv Richards were both in the Royal Knockout Tournament thingumy on TV in the 80s. In this piece from Marina Hyde I dug out there’s even the nugget that during the broadcast Sir Viv was smooched by John Travolta! This needs much deeper investigation.
Related: A part in W1A would be Knockout, theatrical Prince Edward decrees
84th over: Australia 371-4 (Burns 170, Patterson 14) Australia happy to see the day through to its close now. Ten minutes to go.
This is now Australia's highest first innings score in their last 12 Tests. The average first innings score in the last 11 tests was 250. #AUSvSL
83rd over: Australia 370-4 (Burns 169, Patterson 14) In a day of glorious run-scoring the defining feature has been Joe Burns’ cover driving. Twice this over he launches into Rajitha, first through extra cover, then just in front of point, each time with classical execution and that bent front leg that encourages the held pose. Marvellous batting all day from the Queenslander.
82nd over: Australia 361-4 (Burns 160, Patterson 14) Vishwa Fernando’s left-armers are less menacing and Patterson capitalises, leaning into a couple into the onside. Patterson is leaving well at the moment. He knows there’s no need to chase anything this late in the day with the prospect of a mountain of runs on offer tomorrow.
I’m keeping that last sentence in despite Patterson chasing after a wide one to the final delivery of the over, just to show how annoying this OBO malarkey can often be. It was a commentator’s curse before it’d even found an audience beyond my screen.
81st over: Australia 359-4 (Burns 160, Patterson 12) Kasun Rajitha has the first go with the new ball and there’s a little movement in the air for the right-hander from over the wicket, in to the left-handed Patterson, away from the right-handed Burns. Targeting the pads of both batsmen Rajitha has a couple of stifled appeals and for the first time since about 11.30am Australia have some defending to do.
8,556 at Manuka Oval today #AusvSL
The second new ball has been taken.
80th over: Australia 358-4 (Burns 160, Patterson 11) Deary me, a maiden over was on the cards until the latest absymal piece of Sri Lankan fielding gifted Patterson a single.
Since reaching his 50, Joe Burns has scored at a strike rate of 101.4 against the pacers with 50% attacking shots. Against the spinners he's been very circumspect scoring at 55.9 with 16% attacking shots and only 3% false shots. #AUSvSL
79th over: Australia 357-4 (Burns 160, Patterson 10) Dilruwan Perera’s back for a whirl but I’m distracted looking for this clip of the Royal It’s a Knockout from 1987. It’s the nearest I could think of to a restoration comedy starring cricketers. Sunil Gavaskar and Viv Richards took part in this low-point of constitutional monarchy.
78th over: Australia 354-4 (Burns 158, Patterson 9) Still a dozen overs or 40 minutes from the close, this day’s play is running out of puff. Like a sparkler that’s still burning long after you’ve spelled out your name and your repertoire of swears in the night sky.
@JPHowcroft re 76th over: are you trying to hurt me? I support Carlton. I don't need to fret about future JB and BT experiences too.
77th over: Australia 351-4 (Burns 157, Patterson 7) Patterson joins in the boundary-hitting fun, standing tall at the crease and timing sweetly off the back foot in a shot reminiscent of Clive Lloyd. “Pshaw!” says Burns, climbing into the most sumptuous front foot cover drive, “call that elegance?”. Lynn, an idea for a new show, live restoration comedy starring Test cricketers...
76th over: Australia 341-4 (Burns 152, Patterson 2) Not much to report. First time this session really. Plus I got distracted by James Brayshaw on TV introducing the concept of Marcus Stoinis’ “rig” like it’s the first time he’d ever mentioned it. I had my ear’s pricked for subsequent mention of “roosters” but none were forthcoming. Only a few weeks until the footy season.
75th over: Australia 339-4 (Burns 151, Patterson 1) Patterson gets off the mark with a single into the offside, a passage of play that betrayed Sri Lanka’s mindset. After his nervous opening delivery there should have been suffocating pressure on the new batsman. Instead he nudges harmlessly into an acre of space.
74th over: Australia 337-4 (Burns 150, Patterson 0) Burns consolidates following the dismissal of Head but he still has the presence of mind to dab a single through the gully region to bring up his 150. Then PATTERSON IS THE LATEST TO BE DROPPED! First ball! The new batsman props forward and lobs a simple bat-pad catch straight to short leg but it’s a shocking attempt, barely anywhere near Thirimanne’s fingers as he snatched at the ball like a hungry hippo. What a torturous day this has been for Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Huge let-off for Patterson after watching Head and Burns make hay.
73rd over: Australia 336-4 (Burns 149, Patterson 0) “Is Jason Gillespie the last South Australian to score a Test century before today?” asks David Busuttil. Yes, he is/was David. I thought you were going to be in a position to ask a similar question but replacing century with double century, but alas Head has now departed.
This incredible partnership is finally broken and Head walks off to a rapturous applause for a 204-ball 161. Fernando is the man celebrating, trapping his man plumb in front, angling the ball in from around the wicket enough and beating the attempted swipe across the line.
72nd over: Australia 330-3 (Burns 148, Head 156) Head clubs another four to extend the partnership in excess of 300. Then he checks a firm drive straight back to Dananjaya but, of course, the bowler shells it. A horrible, horrible day for Sri Lanka somehow manages to get even worse. That was very catchable, firmly struck, but straight at the bowler around hip height.
Travis Head's innings progression today
0-50 runs at 4.16 runs per over, 29% attacking shots
51-100 runs at 3.75 runs per over, 42% attacking shots
100-150 runs at 7.57 runs per over, 73% attacking shots#AUSvSL
71st over: Australia 324-3 (Burns 147, Head 151) The scoreboard now has one six and 44 boundaries on it. The 44th is the streakiest of the lot after Burns cue-ended one through the slips. They all count, I guess.
Just want to er... alert you to New Zealand's opening partnership in this Test from 20 years ago @JPHowcrofthttps://t.co/cWzDDEi5dV
70th over: Australia 317-3 (Burns 142, Head 150) 81 runs from the previous ten overs (before this one) in case you were wondering. An eventful over for Travis Head. First he escapes a flukey dismissal, then he eases beyond 150.
Abhijato Sensarma is creatively bored. “With an extended net session going out in the middle I have penned this (admittedly long, and my apologies) question for you!
Head making his first one count. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/eXyQYtqauQ
Not out! The soft signal is clearly wrong. Replays instantly show the ball was chopped down by Head onto the toe of his boot and down onto the pitch before it leapt up and into the hands of slip. The third-umpire takes a belt-and-braces approach to overturning the soft signal but he gets there in the end.
Travis Head might be out... Sri Lanka reckon he is after chopping a drive onto his boot and into the hands of slip. The soft signal is out.
69th over: Australia 314-3 (Burns 141, Head 148) Head overtakes Burns in the race to 150. He profits from yet another short and wide medium pace delivery, mercilessly carving it to the boundary like a scimitar-wielding extra from Jason and the Argonauts.
68th over: Australia 306-3 (Burns 141, Head 141) This is now the biggest Australian partnership for any wicket against Sri Lanka, and also the highest first-class partnership at Manuka Oval. Runs, runs, runs, runs, runs...
“Re appropriate names, in Sydney grade cricket Manly used to have an opening pair of Bush and Tuckerman (which relates to a 1980s tv show if you’re wondering what I am on about)”. Lovely stuff from David Markham.
67th over: Australia 301-3 (Burns 140, Head 137) Another bowling change, another first-ball boundary, Vishwa Fernando the latest to be treated with contempt by this partnership. Head battered that four through the offside then tried to launch Fernando’s next ball into orbit but didn’t get hold of everything. This is so dispiriting from a Sri Lankan perspective. They can’t find a dot for love nor money and this pair are batting like it’s a competitive dads v lads T20.
Nick Jewlachow (61st over) is back with an enlightening clarification, thanks Nick. “My apologies Jonathan, it’s David Colley. He was an all-rounder and a teammate of Border’s at Mosman. So, when Border joined as a pup in the mid 70s, Colley was already a bit of an old dog having played his tests in 1972.”
The last time Australia made this many runs in a Test innings at a faster scoring rate was the 2016 Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, when they made 624/8d, scoring at 4.39rpo. #AUSvSL
66th over: Australia 293-3 (Burns 139, Head 131) Dananjaya de Silva has been brought on to stem the bleeding but his opening delivery is something of an anti-coagulant, short wide and calmly put out of its misery by Burns’ ruthless blade. The run-rate is edging up towards 4.5 rpo. This is brutal.
Travis Head has looked totally secure today playing only 7.3% false shots. Of the 20 centuries scored by Australians at home since 2016 only Smith & Warner have scored more secure hundreds. #AUSvSL
65th over: Australia 285-3 (Burns 132, Head 130) Glorious from Burns, crunching a cover drive off Chamika like a golfer loosening his shoulders with a warm-up swing. Effortless timing. The same length but more width from Chamika looks destined for a similar result but there isn’t the same whipcrack off the bat and Burns has to settle for a single. The runs keep coming though, Head disdainfully ramping a wide delivery up and over the infield and down to the third-man fence. The partnership skips gleefully beyond 250, becoming the highest fourth-wicket stand for Australia against Sri Lanak in the process.
Aus 100s when a venue is hosting its first test match:
Adelaide Oval - P McDonnell
Bellerive Oval - M Taylor
MCG - C Bannerman
WACA - I Redpath and G Chappell
Gabba - D Bradman
Cazaly Stadium - D Lehmann, S Waugh, M Love
Marrara - D Lehmann, S Waugh
Manuka - J Burns, T Head
64th over: Australia 273-3 (Burns 126, Head 124) Half a life for Head who doesn’t get everything on a wristy drive that flies just beyond the fingertips of a diving short midwicket. Chastened by the experience the left-hander sashays down the pitch a couple of balls later and absolutely marmalises one into the post that holds up the sightscreen. The first six of the innings is followed up by the 38th four, Perera offering enough width for Head to check his forward intent, rock back and cut powerfully behind square. This is getting ugly now for Sri Lanka. Very very ugly indeed.
It took Travis Head 18 goes at converting a 50 into a first-class 100. It's only taken him five tries to do the same at Test level. #AusvSL
63rd over: Australia 258-3 (Burns 125, Head 110) Another over, another gentle half-volley, another boundary. Burns smokes his 20th four through mid-off with classical efficiency.
This is very good from OB Jato. “Regarding names which make sense, perhaps the most destructive and reliable ODI partnership of all time, between Rohit and Kohli of India, can be an answer to the question you asked in the 56th over. Virat means ‘momementous or huge’ (two of the word’s meaning in Hindi, anyways), while Sharma means ‘being shy’. Virat Sharma would roughly mean in Hindi - ‘being hugely shy’. Even then, I must say after looking at their assured chases and astonishing chases, they don’t give off that feeling while batting!”. Rohit is currently captaining India in a very entertaining ODI series in NZ, one that recently turned into a Trent Boult special.
62nd over: Australia 252-3 (Burns 120, Head 109) Buns is playing the enforcer now, looking to move down the pitch and disrupt Perera’s length. It works fourth ball when he skips down the track and whips a four through midwicket.
Leave it early, shine off, sun out, pitch flattens, wear down the bowlers, ride your luck, cash in.
Just some good #RealOpeners work from Joe Burns. On the ✈️ #AUSvSL
61st over: Australia 247-3 (Burns 115, Head 109) Chamika returns and he begins by floating up a half-volley into Head’s slot and the boundaries just keep on coming, the 33rd between this pair already today at a rate better than one every second over. Chamika almost makes amends when Head makes a mess of a short ball, guiding it off the face of the bat - right in front of his eyes - towards second slip. Fortunately there wasn’t enough pace on the shot to carry on the full and despite a dive it arrives in the cordon on the half-volley.
“Re Head Burns: in the 1970s for a while the NSW No 5 and 6 batsmen were Border and Collie. Lots of dogged partnerships. They retrieved some the Blues from some ruff situations”. That is splendid Nick Jewlachow. I presume the big dog was Allan Border, who was the pup Collie?
60th over: Australia 243-3 (Burns 115, Head 105) Like London buses, you wait all summer for a century and then two come along at once. Considering the match situation neither will have a better opportunity turn their tons into doubles.
Travis Head advances down the pitch and drives Perera on the full through extra-cover for four. The boundary brings up a maiden Test century for the South Australian in his eighth Test. Tremendous moment for the 25-year old.
59th over: Australia 236-3 (Burns 115, Head 98) Rajitha’s over begins with an incorrect no-ball call, once again highlighting how preposterous it is that on-field umpires retain that responsibility when there are TV umpires better placed to do the job. Head nudges another single closer to his century. He will be on strike at the start of the next over.
@JPHowcroft batting partnership names that make sense: with the heatwaves we've been having, Marsh Burns now looks plausible...
58th over: Australia 233-3 (Burns 114, Head 97) A tickled three off Burns’ pads brings up the 200-partnership between this pair, by some margin the coupling of the summer for Australia, and they’re not finished yet. Head in particular is a man on a mission and he cuts his way four runs closer to his ton, feasting on a fraction of width from Perera.
57th over: Australia 226-3 (Burns 111, Head 93) The latest Rajitha over is an interesting one. Head is trying to force his way to a hundred through the offside but the field is well set. Rajitha lands the ball often enough in dangerous areas awaiting a false stroke but despite the left-handed batsman threatening to mistime one on the up he gives nothing away. The result is a maiden.
56th over: Australia 226-3 (Burns 111, Head 93) Dilruwan Perera resumes his spell and after Head nudges a single nearer his century Burns blocks out the remainder of the over.
Question: are there many other partnerships that make sense as a combination of names in the manner of Head Burns or Burns Head?
55th over: Australia 225-3 (Burns 111, Head 92) Kasun Rajitha begins the post-Tea action and he’s quickly flayed behind point for four by Burns. It was catchable height through a gully-ish region with Burns throwing his hands at a wide delivery without adjusting his feet.
35 more overs are remaining in the day’s play, so not for the first time this summer we will finish after the scheduled close of play.
Since 2000, only three right-handed openers have registered centuries for Australia in Tests:
Michael Slater - 1 - in 2000
Shane Watson - 2 - in 2009 & 2010
Joe Burns - 4 - in 2015 (2), 2016, 2019#AusvSL
Phillip Lewis is already my favourite reader. If you want to compete for my favouritism, you know what to do.
“Usman’s summer has been similar to that of Mitch Starc, emails Phil, the legend. “As a senior player more solidity and consistency was required. Both now legitimately have a question mark beside their name. Very good players but...? I began to have reservations about Harris when he kept getting hit in the head. Openers don’t have the luxury of struggling against the bouncing ball. If he continues hitting easy catches to point the selectors will soon conclude he’s not the man for the job”. Do you all agree? At what point does backing a senior player through a form dip become carrying a deadweight?
The standard of OBO chat has been intimidatingly high so far today. Don’t make me look bad by keeping quiet or dropping the ball (like Sri Lanka’s butterfingered fielders).
Tweet on Twitter should be directed to @JPHowcroft. Electronic messages can be delivered to the following address: jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Joe Burns averages 64.1 in the opening innings of a Test match scoring 4 out of the 8 fifty-plus scores in his career. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/jGbsCJB1xG
Thank you very much Geoff. No pithy handover aside today I’m afraid, so here’s Jimi Hendrix, in honour of the long-awaited centurion.
It’s one of those days where the batting side could say, “It did a bit early, then settled.”
Or more accurately, “We played some horrible shots early, then settled.”
Joe Burns, 100* #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/83Pl7uOQmE
54th over: Australia 220-3 (Burns 107, Head 91) Last over before tea. Perera bowling, and Head cashes in on his life by sweeping three runs fine. Burns knocks a couple through cover, though another shoddy piece of running has him in some trouble coming for the second. The luck is with this partnership.
Here’s an email note from Sam Casey: “On the Manuka/NZ chat, State Circle, which girts Parliament House, has avenues running off it for the capital of each state of Australia. Canberra Avenue, on which you find the oval, was intended to be named Wellington Avenue because there was still some thought that New Zealand may become a state of Australia (section 124 of the Constitution still allows for this).”
53rd over: Australia 215-3 (Burns 105, Head 88) Oh, Travis. As sure as eggs are a bad item to put in your pockets. You just have to keep bowling outside off and eventually he’ll flash a catch somewhere. The cut shot should bring him undone this time, but it’s dropped at gully. A combination of toe end and top edge, lifting but travelling direct. Perera the culprit, and that should have been taken. So they’ve dropped Burns at slip earlier and now Head, who should have been left to rue another shocker. Burns makes the bowler feel even worse by clobbering his own cut shot for four.
52nd over: Australia 210-3 (Burns 101, Head 87) Calm can resume. Perera bowling off-spin, a couple of singles taken, proper dull cricket. Perfect.
51st over: Australia 208-3 (Burns 100, Head 86) Kasun Rajitha comes back. Two slips, gully, ring field, fine leg. He bowls yet another no-ball, Sri Lanka have been bleeding these today. Burns whips it for two. Misses out on a pie down leg side, but makes up for it by pulling a limp short ball from about waist height for four.
He’s on 99! Can he get there? The header already told you that he can. After a couple of dots, he faces the last ball of the over. Taps and runs, towards cover. The crowd is cheering before he’s even halfway down. Makes it, and wheels away towards mid-on, pulling off the helmet as quickly as possible.
50th over: Australia 200-3 (Burns 93, Head 86) Hot tip: if you’re bowling to Travis Head you either need someone in the deep on the off side, or you need to not bowl short and wide. Ideally do both. Head smashes four from de Silva to raise Australia’s 200. The partnership is also Australia’s highest of the summer, now at 172 compared to the 166 at the Gabba between Head and Labuschagne.
49th over: Australia 196-3 (Burns 93, Head 82) Just a slip as Burns faces Perera, once Head turns over the strike. A ring field of six with two on the leg-side boundary. Just wanting to deny him runs and make him nervous? They’ll have to bowl more accurately than any of the bowlers have so far today. It works for this over.
48th over: Australia 195-3 (Burns 93, Head 81) Double spin with de Silva continuing, so Joe Burns is quick to get the baggy green cap on. Smart move with a century in the offing: those celebration photos look so much better in the vintage headgear. He nearly runs himself out though, stuttering halfway down the wicket after responding to Head’s call, but a misfield means he makes it safely.
47th over: Australia 193-3 (Burns 92, Head 80) Perera returns from the Church End. Or the Shops End. Whatever you want to call it. Taking his time setting up his field, taking his time as the right and left handers change over. But when you bowl short as an off-spinner, all the fielder can do is take his time to collect the ball from the fence.
Those who are au fait with Canberra watering holes will appreciate this sentiment.
The Pool end and the Canberra Avenue end?? Who on earth cane up with these ridiculous names for the ends at @ManukaOval for #AUSvSL
Surely they’re The Durham end and The Kingo end?
46th over: Australia 187-3 (Burns 91, Head 75) No runs from de Silva initially. Then two from an over. Now three. At this rate of increase, his 35th over is going to be entertaining indeed.
45th over: Australia 184-3 (Burns 90, Head 73) Fernando to Burns, who drives a couple of reach 90, then immediately shuts up shop. Could be some good quality nerves on display here.
Speaking of nerves in the 90s...
There's a lot of Shane Watson about Joe Burns - right from the relatively low centre of gravity to the rasping drives and pulls. Much fun to watch #AUSvSL
44th over: Australia 182-3 (Burns 88, Head 73) Dhananjaya keeps being the most economical bowler around, with a couple of singles.
Best evidence it's myth is that people tell the same story about Lady Denman creating the pronunciation CAN-bruh in place of can-BERRA forty years earlier.
43rd over: Australia 180-3 (Burns 87, Head 72) “We’re so used to the score being 166 after 70 overs, not 40,” observes Bharat Sunderesan in the seat next to me. Not with Flaming Joe Burns at the crease. He’s on fire. Sometimes he feels like someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull, and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of his skull. So he pulls the first ball of Fernando’s over for four, then drops his stance and crashes a diagonal drive through cover for the same. Fierce swinging on that second one. Head plays the more classical stroke to follow, which is unusual in itself, and gets four of his own.
Burns has Australia’s highest score of the summer, going past Head’s 84 last week in Brisbane.
42nd over: Australia 166-3 (Burns 78, Head 67) Dhananjaya de Silva has now bowled two consecutive maidens to Travis Head. This does not tally with anything that I know about Dhananjaya de Silva, Travis Head, or the game of cricket.
As for this other matter, I am going to get the Queen on the blower right now and sort this malarkey out.
41st over: Australia 166-3 (Burns 78, Head 67) Make that 1011, as Burns pounds away a pull shot from Fernando for a boundary. Heads adds a treble for himself down the ground. Doing it easily.
Controversy klaxon!
.@GeoffLemonSport that story about the Queen mispronouncing 'Manuka' in 1956 is an urban myth: https://t.co/zwbFCtI2so
40th over: Australia 158-3 (Burns 73, Head 64) Mixing things up, it’ll be Dhananjaya de Silva bowling his right-arm darts from the Pool End after the drinks break. A maiden to start with, from Head. A couple of overs ago Joe Burns passed 1000 Test runs, he’s now on 1007.
39th over: Australia 158-3 (Burns 73, Head 64) Joseph Anthony Burns! That’s just rude. Sashays down to Dilruwan and plonks him over mid-off for a boundary. Sweetly timed. Adds a single. He’s into the 70s. Time for a beverage.
38th over: Australia 152-3 (Burns 68, Head 63) Oh, hello. Shot of... not just the day, maybe of the year. Certainly of Head’s year. Back-foot drive past the bowler for four. Then a single square. Chamika comes back with a goody to Burns that squares him up from back of a length and beats the edge. But gives too much width thereafter and Burns cuts past point to the off-side sweeper for two. Then smokes the fuller ball with a square drive that point dives and saves brilliantly, conceding a single. There was a no-ball in there too, so another ball to Head makes up seven deliveries for the over. If Australia can’t break the season’s century drought today, we need to pop down the road for a Royal Commission.
37th over: Australia 143-3 (Burns 65, Head 58) Perera again. Mid on and mid off swap places, synchronised like a 1920s water ballet. When he bowls short, Head slaps a single. Burns goes back and carves through cover for four. The latter is starting to look really good. The partnership is starting to look imposing.
36th over: Australia 138-3 (Burns 61, Head 57) Don’t worry, everyone. The first half hour was a fever dream that we all experienced together. We’ve put it behind us now. Chamika Karunaratne bowls some more trash a mile outside the off stump, and Burns turns up his nose at it.
35th over: Australia 137-3 (Burns 61, Head 56) Enough from the wobbly seamer; Dilruwan Perera is on with his off-breaks. Head advances to the first ball and tries to smear it down the ground, but hits it flat to mid-on. Works a later ball to midwicket and gets a run on a fumble. Burns takes a while to set up. Short leg and a slip the only attacking fielders. Five in a ring field and two deep on the leg side. Big inside edge as Burns plays from the crease, which saves him from a leg-before appeal. He blocks out the rest.
34th over: Australia 136-3 (Burns 61, Head 55) Short, wide, Burns carves the cut but into the hands of point, on the bounce. Goes behind square next time for a run to deep backward. That’s a no-ball from Chamika Karunaratne, and he shows he’s rusty by bowling another, that also goes for a single. Burns flicks a couple off his pads.
Duncan Steel, a former Canberra resident from New Zealand, has all the hot Manuka tips you could need. The oval “is in a part of Canberra called Manuka, though really that’s the shops, the oval, and not much else. In NZ it’s ‘Man-ooka’, whereas in Canberra they say it more
like ‘Marnicka’, and claim it’s because the Queen said it that way
on a visit in 1956 or some similar year. Added botanical confusion comes from what is to be termed ‘tea tree’ in Australia and/or NZ. NZ is also very protective about what may be labelled as Manuka Honey.”
Related: New Zealand brings first 'fake mānuka honey' prosecution
33rd over: Australia 130-3 (Burns 58, Head 54) This might be a decent tactic to Head, even though it’s accidental. Poor old Rajitha has come around the wicket to the left-hander and is still bowling miles outside his off stump. Eventually Head gets impatient and carves one for four. He does get out doing that...
32nd over: Australia 126-3 (Burns 58, Head 50) Head’s turn. Fernando also offers a bit of width, though not as full, and Head doesn’t need any urging to play the cut shot. A calmer one than the slash he often employs, this one going into the ground, then the gap, then the fence. The cordon reduces to two slips and a gully as that third man position is now filled. Head follows up with a tapped and hurried single to reach his minor milestone.
Two balls left in the over. Burns gets back of a length with some width, so he just glides it away into the ground, and hits the cordon gap for a boundary. Suddenly keen to play shots, he pulls and top edges over the keeper for four more. Burns shakes his head and remonstrates with himself, even as Head punches gloves with him in congratulation.
31st over: Australia 109-3 (Burns 50, Head 45) Have to say the Manuka press box has offered me prime position. Right behind Rajitha’s arm as he delivers. The view is better for me than for him, as he bowls an absolute pie, half volley outside off, and Burns rises from his slumber to slay it through cover point for four.
30th over: Australia 109-3 (Burns 46, Head 45) Fernando decides to dial back the length and try the short approach at Head. No third man in place, which would have been an attractive tactic. Head ducks one, defends one, finds point with one, but amongst that lot he middles a pull shot and picks up a boundary.
29th over: Australia 105-3 (Burns 46, Head 41) Rajitha certainly looks the lesser operator of the current pair. Sprays a couple well wide of off, another too straight. Luckily for him Burns is in occupation mode, and the over is scoreless despite its quality.
28th over: Australia 105-3 (Burns 46, Head 41) At the swimming pool end it’s Vishwa Fernando, who dismissed Harris and Khawaja thanks to a pair of the fugliest shots you could hope to see on a cricket field. After lunch he’s immediately boring a channel outside Travis Head’s off stump from over the wicket, left-armer to left-hander. A brace through cover is the only score.
27th over: Australia 103-3 (Burns 46, Head 39) Kasun Rajitha, the only one of the new Sri Lankan seamers without a wicket, will start us off after lunch. Gets a ball to float into Burns’ pad, but it’s floating past leg stump. Burns just wants to play himself back in and sees out the over carefully.
If you’re not busy listening to that podcast that Adam posted, you should definitely set aside two minutes for this video made by I know not who. But it is a work of genius. Achilles is not just a tendon.
Thanks Adam. It is indeed the Sandwich Hour here in Canberra, with all the customary brightly coloured kiddies out on the ground – and what is more intrinsic to sport than kiddies doing something in uncoordinated fashion during a break in play?
Good atmos down around the ground from a healthy crowd. It’s nice in a smaller ground where a few thousand people can fill it, rather than a giant structure that makes them disappear There are still some slivers of grass bank at Manuka, though a lot of it has been covered with seating since we were last here for the Women’s Ashes about 18 months ago.
26th over: Australia 103-3 (Burns 46, Head 39) Head cuts a couple off Perera before shutting up shop from the final over of the session, the Austalian pair walking off Manuka Oval to generous applause having added an unbeaten 75 in just 104 balls since coming together with the score 28/3. With the exception of the chance Burns gave to slip, this has been a lovely little counterattack. Lunch it is.
As good as the last 75 minutes have been, the first 45 were very ordinary indeed, especially the dismissals of Harris and Khawaja. To back over that, and to take you forward through the next couple of yours, I’ll now pass you over to Geoff Lemon. Oh, and if you’re looking for something to pass the time until he jumps on, check out the latest ep of our Final Word pod, recorded in the grandstand of Australia’s fourth Test venue: the Exhibition Ground in Brisbane. Catch you tomorrow!
25th over: Australia 101-3 (Burns 46, Head 37) This has been an excellent second hour, Australia’s 100 up with another Head four, this time pulling Karunaratne away with ease. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bat in a Test with this much authority. The lunch break might be coming at the wrong time for the hosts.
24th over: Australia 95-3 (Burns 45, Head 32) Another boundary - three in a hurry since the dropped chance. It is Head this time, advancing at Perera before clipping him through the onside to the boundary in front of the Fingleton Scoreboard. With those runs in the bank, he’s happy enough defending the rest. Could this be a bit like the Windies Test at Hobart in 2015? Then, the visitors claimed three quick wickets but were unable to take a fourth... for six hours.
23rd over: Australia 91-3 (Burns 45, Head 28) Karunaratne is bowling at a pace that Burns is really enjoying, having ample time to get back to cut with authority to the backward point rope, ending the over with an almost identical shot with the same result. There are ten minutes left to lunch, so they’ll sneak in three overs.
Here is that dropped catch.
Dropped! Joe Burns gets a life #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/zoRJdFZ2vl
22nd over: Australia 83-3 (Burns 37, Head 28) Some fine batting from Head, less so from Burns. The latter has been dropped at first slip by Dhananjaya, a cut-shot straight into his hands. To be fair, it was off the face of the bat so it was a reflex in/out sort of chance, but still, it was their first opportunity to remove Burns so far. Perera was the bowler, swung around to the pool end. Earlier, Head played late and delicately through about fourth slip to add three, following that up with a punch for two the other side of point. These two have now put on 55.
21st over: Australia 75-3 (Burns 34, Head 23) Karunaratne is back for a second burst before lunch, and fair enough too given how quickly he got the ball moving around in his first international spell, which claimed a wicket straight away. But it is a different story this time around, Burns getting into position to pull four through the vacant midwicket region. All five of his boundaries this morning have been most easy on the eye.
20th over: Australia 70-3 (Burns 30, Head 22) Good hands from Burns to start the new Rajitha over, steering one along the ground behind point. He’s better to Head this time around, challenging him with a short ball then bringing back a delivery to his pads that beats the inside edge. But the South Australian makes contact with his clip the next time around, adding a single and keeping the strike.
19th over: Australia 68-3 (Burns 29, Head 21) Perera finds his range to Burns this time, keeping him quiet with the exception of one around the corner. After a miserable first 45 minutes for the hosts, the next have been solid. Now to reach lunch.
18th over: Australia 67-3 (Burns 28, Head 21) A lot to like about Head’s start, not giving Rajitha anything to work with here, taking two when the seamer moved from a fourth stump line to middle later in the over. He’s in the 20s.
Australia have more runs after 18 overs of this Test than they did after 18 overs of the Melbourne ODI against India. #AUSvSL
17th over: Australia 65-3 (Burns 28, Head 19) Spin for the first time, Perera bouncing away from us in the flash new media centre end. Head is immediately using the depth of the crease to cut a single. Burns also plays to his strengths, jumping down and crushing a lofted-drive to the wide long-on boundary. That’s a fine bit of batting. He backs that up with a sweep for two more. I really want to be writing about Joe Burns at stumps tonight.
Burns advances in style.
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16th over: Australia 58-3 (Burns 22, Head 18) You don’t see that very often in international cricket these days: an all-run four! The Burns clips nearly made it to the rope, giving them the chance to gallop back. Nathan Lyon said before the game that this is the best outfield in the world, and having filmed out there yesterday I do agree that it is a perfect surface. But perfect doesn’t automatically mean lightning fast, either. Anyway, it allowed an all-run four, which is good enough for me. To finish, Burns added a couple more off Rajitha in the same general direction.
15th over: Australia 52-3 (Burns 16, Head 18) Really good batting from Head, having the patience to leave Karunaratne’s tempers, the bowler dragging his length back but right into the South Australian’s cutting zone - his best stroke. Sure enough, no mistake is made and he now has three boundaries to his name.
14th over: Australia 46-3 (Burns 16, Head 12) Rajitha is back for his second stint of the morning, this time from the Manuka Pool End. I love the ends here: the Pool is north, the shops are south. I gather they are trying to dub it the “church” end on the telly, but I’ll take shops any day. This is a much better initial set than what he sent down earlier, beating Burns with another big outswinger. We’ve seen a few of those this morning; I’m looking forward to seeing the CricViz data on just how far they have moved the ball relative to, say, last week in Brisbane.
It’s wonderful to have the great Matthew Engel with us in the press box today, in the country researching a new book. We realised last week that his visit clashed with Canberra’s inaugural Test, enough for him to re-route his itinerary for the occasion. His previous match at Manuka was in 1986-87 when he recalls visiting the Prime Minister’s Lodge with the England team ahead of their PM’s XI game.
13th over: Australia 46-3 (Burns 16, Head 12) Burns has done a lot right here so far in contrast the chaos going on around him, crunching a third drive through cover for four to start this new over. Karunaratne adjusts his length before ripping down a big off-cutter, nearly cutting the Queenslander in half, lucky not to deflect onto the woodwork via the inside edge. To finish, he gets one to go the other way, finding Burns’ outside edge, albeit with soft hands through the carpet. Very good bowling from the man on debut. With that, they take a drink following a terrible first hour for Tim Paine’s side.
Let's hope Khawaja is not considered for the upcoming ODIs series to India and Pakistan. He needs some time in the Shield and then a county contract ahead of the Ashes. #AUSvsSL
12th over: Australia 41-3 (Burns 11, Head 12) Fernando lets the pressure off, Head getting enough on a sprayed delivery to pick up his second boundary down to fine leg. To finish, the South Australian plays his best shot so far, driving two straight past the bowler’s boots, overtaking Burns in the process.
11th over: Australia 35-3 (Burns 11, Head 6) Nice flick from Head, timing Karunaratne’s first inaccurate delivery through midwicket for four. He grabs another single off his pads later in the over. Everything I said about Labuschagne about 20 minutes ago now applies to Head: he must take the next step today.
This is all the more impressive for the fact that all four of Sri Lanka’s main seamers are missing this Test through injury, the replacements doing it in style. As Bharat Sundaresan from Cricbuzz notes to my left, this has to be the first time in a two Test series that six seamers have been used by one team.
Worst starts for AUS in their first innings batting at an AUS venue's first Test
3-17 WACA v ENG 1970
3-24 Exhibition Ground v ENG 1928
3-28 MANUKA OVAL v SL 2019
3-41 MCG v ENG 1877
3-83 Bellerive Oval v SL 1989
@cricketcomau#AUSvSL
10th over: Australia 30-3 (Burns 11, Head 1) Fernando is on the money to Burns first up, finding an inside edge that squirts away behing square, Head then giving the strike back with a push off his hip to get off the mark. The Sri Lankan seamer goes upstairs to the Queenslander a couple of times, but he wants none of it and understandably so after what has gone down here so far today.
“Two awful dismissals,” adds Patrick O’Brien. “Both batsmen made an early decision to play and went through with the shots regardless of what the ball was doing. Temperament? Technique? Coaching? Awful stuff.”
9th over: Australia 28-3 (Burns 10, Head 0) Head deals with the last couple of deliveries, Karunaratne’s first over in Test cricket a beauty. There were four Labuschagne runs before his demise, but they too were off the outside edge.
“Just wondering if the Australians got up early and watched the England test?” asks Phil Withall, who actually wote this before the third wicket fell. “They certainly seem inspired by it.”
Chamika Karunaratne has a wicket with his fourth ball in international cricket! That of Marnus Labuschagne, who has tickled a defensive push through to Dickwella. Easy work, this Test cricket business, that’s a very nice bit of bowling to begin. But make no mistake, this is ugly for Australia.
It gets worse!
Labuschagne goes from a good delivery, and it's 3/28 #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/wTdov66Jsr
8th over: Australia 24-2 (Burns 10, Labuschagne 2) That’s Joe Burns at his best, clobbering a second cover drive to the boundary of the morning. When he was making tons for Australia in the summer of 2015-16, that was the stroke that defined him. Fernando doesn’t bother him in the rest of the over, spraying a couple down the legside. A bonus two comes at the end via an overthrow, Karunaratne missing the mark with a ping to the bowlers’ end.
“Why the ‘Manuka’ Oval, is it a sponsorship?” asks Andrew Benton on email. No, thankfully the ground is without commercial baggage this week as far as the official title is concerned, named after the Manuka strip, at the southern end.
7th over: Australia 18-2 (Burns 4, Labuschagne 2) Rajith’s turn. He did beat Burns with a nice little away-ducker in his previous set, which should build confidence after a ropey start. Labuschagne is on strike this time around though, off the mark early in the new over with a compact push for two through cover. The young Queenslander batted very nicely last Friday, his 80-odd containing just three boundaries. There will be no better opportunity than today for him to show he’s ready to take the next step.
6th over: Australia 16-2 (Burns 4, Labuschagne 0) Labuschagne misses the first ball he faces and the Sri Lankans are up for leg before! It is turned down and they don’t review, the batsmen scampering through for a leg bye. Burns, who has a massive job now as the most senior man left in the top six, defends the rest of the successful Fernando over.
Australia in early strife at Canberra! Khawaja Fernando has two wickets in four balls, this time picking up Khawaja for a duck! The No3 threw his hands at an outswinger he didn’t need to have anything to do with, the edge pouched safely by Mendis at second slip. Uh oh.
Well, well. Khawaja is OUT for a duck.
Australia 2/15... #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/H3Hr4AgLzG
5th over: Australia 15-1 (Burns 4, Khawaja 0) Shot. Burns off the mark with a lovely cover drive, out of the middle of the bat down and away to the rope out in front of the Bradman Stand. We’re nearly back up on the network here, thanks for your patience.
That’s a horrible way to get out early in a Test Match. Harris tried to smash Fernando through the off-side on one knee but only succeeded in gifting a catch to Karunaratne at point.
4th over: Australia 11-1 (Burns 0)
OUT. Harris hits it straight to point. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/lK0U2yt3EB
3rd over: Australia 5-0 (Harris 5, Burns 0) Better from Rajitha to Harris this time around, making him play the bulk of a second maiden on the trot. Sorry, we’re nearly back in business with the WiFi, I’m told.
2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Harris 5, Burns 0) I’m terribly sorry about the delay for these initial posts. As luck would have it, we have a venue-wide outage on the WiFi, which is being worked on furiously. Back to normal programming as soon as possible. Fernando starts his day with a maiden to Burns.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Harris 5, Burns 0) Well, that was a bit of an anti-climax, the newcomer Rajitha in his fourth Test spraying the first ball at Manuka in Test cricket well down the legside. He stays around that line for the bulk of the over, Harris off the mark with a clip through midwicket. A nervous full toss finishes off the set, the left-hander punching three past cover. A
Delivery one in Tests at Manuka. Not the most memorable but you can’t win them all. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/TDTTq98lqW
Out they come! Harris and Burns for Australia. Rajitha is bowling the first ball in Test Cricket at Manuka Oval from the Southern End, to Harris. PLAY!
The players are in the middle for the Indigenous welcome to country and the national anthems. As Geoff Lemon informed us via twitter this morning, they spent a lot of time this morning getting this pre-game bit right. “Staying 50 metres from Manuka Oval is great for convenience,” he said, “but less great when they play the Qantas song 80 times from 7am to test the PA. Good morning.”
92 years for a Test match to be played at the national capital. A world record? #AusvSL
Jack Fingleton. There have been many words in the lead up to this Test written about to the former Australian opener, who the scoreboard here is named after. After turning out 18 times in the 1930s, most famously during the Bodyline summer, he moved to Canberra to start a prolific political journalism career.
Along the way, in 1951 he convinced Robert Menzies to start the Prime Minister’s XI fixture, which continues to this day. When he died in 1981, it coincided with when the the decision was taken by the Melbourne Cricket Club to gift Manuka Oval their old hand-operated scoreboard, which stood since before WW1.
Jack Fingleton Scoreboard. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/H7gdHkP28Y
Tons. Australia hasn’t tallied one in the entire summer. Mike Hussey tells us on the Fox coverage that if they don’t break the drought this week, it’ll be the first time that they haven’t raised the bat at home since 1887 in a multi-Test series. The consensus is that they won’t get a better chance than here at Manuka, especially now that Paine has won the toss. His record with the coin now improves to 2-7.
Suranga Lakmal ruled out with a bad back. Terrible news for the visitors, all four of the first-choice quicks Sri Lanka brought to Australia are now injured. There have been four changes made to the side who were thrashed last week.
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal (c), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Chamika Karunaratne, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha
That doesn’t happen very often. Sure enough, Australia have elected to bat. His side are, the captain confirms, unchanged from the XI that won by an innings and plenty at the Gabba last weekend. Back with the Sri Lankan team shortly.
The pitch.
Pitch inspection #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/2xNdGujEjC
Cloudy and cool. Far from the brutal heat that we are accustomed to at this time of year in Canberra, with a bit of grass left on the track too, this could be an interesting morning. I don’t for a heartbeat imagine the captain that wins the toss will send in the opposition, but it might not be the worst toss to lose. Famous last words.
Manuka Oval, no. 11. #AUSvSLpic.twitter.com/DKvaQ6inmU
This is a proud day for the nation’s capital and anyone who has had anything to do with ACT Cricket over the years. Even a decade ago, I don’t think anyone seriously thought this beautiful ground would be holding a Test any time soon. Yet here we are, Australia hosting Sri Lanka in the Second and final match of this series.
Across 143 summers, only ten venues have been used in Australia for Men’s Tests. It’s a quirk of history that two new grounds have been inducted this year, the mutipurpose stadium in Perth and now here. By comparison, India, holding Tests since 1933, have done so at 27 different places. We don’t do this often.
Related: A love letter to Canberra, I could have had no better muse | Paul Daley
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