by Rex Clementine

Some rules in England amuse you. For example, you can’t enter certain sections of Lord’s without a tie and a blazer. Fair enough. There has to be some sort of decorum and etiquette. But some 20 years ago, when you were about to make the Lord’s debut, senior scribes warned to wear a blazer and a tie to the press box. That was a bit too much. Britain often has these unwritten laws. In fact their constitution itself is an unwritten one.

During summer, England and Wales Cricket Board hosts two Test series. Which team plays in the first half and which team comes in the second half is in fact decided by a technical point. Whichever the country that achieved Test status first plays in the latter part of the summer. For example, let’s say India and Pakistan are travelling in the same year to England. Invariably, India will play in the second part of the summer while Pakistan will play in the early part. Playing early summer is a nightmare. Wickets are still fresh and it’s bitterly cold and teams struggle to cope against quality seam bowling.

Latter part of the summer is when everyone wants to play. Generally, the wickets have flattened out by then and batsmen make merry and spinners come into the equation as well.

You may ask if this was the case then how come Sri Lanka ended up playing the 1998 Test match at The Oval in August with South Afirca being the other touring country to England that year. Well, the rule did not apply for one off Test matches. Which is why Muttiah Muralitharan walked away with 16 Test wickets and Sanath Jayasuriya blasted a double hundred.

Otherwise, Sri Lanka’s tours to England that comprised more than one Test in 2002, 2006, 2011, 2014 and 2016 were always in the early summer.

The rule no longer applies nowadays and that is why Sri Lanka are playing late summer and West Indies played early summer.

Which is why Sri Lanka should be excited by their prospects in England. If the tourists come to The Oval with the series alive, Sri Lanka will be huge favourites to win the series for in Prabath Jayasuriya and Dhananjaya de Silva they have two match winning spin bowlers.

For several players, this will be their last tour of England too.  Angelo Mathews is 37 while Dimuth Karunaratne is 36. Dinesh Chandimal will turn 35 this year and the trio are unlikely to be around the next time Sri Lanka travel to England.

Sri Lanka have over the years depended heavily on spin to win games. One good thing to happen during the tenure of Chris Silverwood is that the emergence of several fast bowlers. In fact, Sri Lanka’s last Test series in Bangladesh was won thanks to the efforts of the quicks.

Six fast bowlers feature in the side and it provides selectors a chance to rest some in between Tests as we often don’t play three Tests these days. While Lahiru Kumara will be the key given the extra pace he generates, Vishwa Fernando is fresh from a stint with Yorkshire. His last game for the White Roses against Derbyshire earned him nine wickets and it will be exciting to see how he goes.

Pathum Nissanka has been primarily used in white ball cricket in recent years but he has made a comeback to the Test squad. True it is with a Test hundred on debut in the Caribbean that he made a name for himself, but subsequent selection panels considered him as a limited overs player. Nissanka could go on to open batting partnering Dimuth Karunaratne although Nishan Madushka has been opening in recent months.

Sri Lanka will play a warm-up game in Worcester ahead of the Test series. From Worcester they will head straight to Manchester with Old Trafford hosting the first Test.

The second Test will be at Lord’s followed by the third game at The Oval. This is the first time since winning in 1998 Sri Lanka are visiting the iconic cricket ground for Test match cricket. It was The Oval and not Lord’s that hosted the first ever Test match in England.