England completed preparations for next week’s first Test against Sri Lanka but questions remain over the likely composition of their side ahead of the trip to Galle.
After Thursday’s play was washed out without a ball bowled England will have been relieved to get a full 50-over-a-side workout against a Board XI in Colombo, putting on 210 for six with the bat against the hosts’ 200 for seven.
Opener Keaton Jennings probably did most to advance his cause, retiring on 45 after occupying the crease for 95 balls. It was not an innings of great style of dominance but there was determination and resilience, qualities England will need plenty of in the absence of the retired Alastair Cook.
Rory Burns is a certainty to debut in the latter’s place, dismissed here for 19 but already in credit after a confident 47 earlier in the week.
Less certain is Joe Denly’s status. The Kent man had a great opportunity to nail down the number three slot but was dismissed lbw by Lahiru Kumara for a second-ball duck, his second disappointing outing in a row following a scratchy 25.
Given the chance to push his credentials with as an additonal bowling option he also faltered, turning in five overs of innocuous leg-spin at a cost of 43 runs. After also dropping a catch in the first warm-up match, the 32-year-old’s case has weakened by the day.
Should the selection team decide to overlook Denly and Ollie Pope, also out for nought, the possibility of drafting Ben Foakes as a specialist wicketkeeper may become tempting.
Initially called up as cover for the injured Jonny Bairstow, Foakes is considered the deftest gloveman on the circuit.
In an interesting development he replaced Jos Buttler behind the stumps after 25 overs of the home side’s innings and whether that was an act of preservation or a late audition remains to be seen.
Ben Stokes tuned up nicely, retiring after a fluent 53 and working his way through six sharp overs. Fellow all-rounder Sam Curran was equally smooth with the bat, striking an unbeaten 48 from number seven, but proved expensive after one breakthrough with the new ball.
The 20-year-old left-armer was the costliest of the four pacemen on show and struggled in the absence of swing.
If England are presented with the anticipated spinning pitch on Tuesday morning they will surely play all three of their slow bowlers – Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Jack Leach – meaning room for only one more seamer after James Anderson.
Curran is theoretically vying with the established Stuart Broad, newcomer Ollie Stone and Chris Woakes for that job and the pecking order is now possibly harder to read than it was at the start of the week.
Leach was England’s busiest bowler after surprisingly sitting out the previous fixture, exercising great control with 13 overs for 29 and cleaning up Kamindu Mendis with a beauty.
