Day Three: First Test, England vs Sri Lanka

I went to this day. In fact, I travelled down from Lancaster the previous night just to go to this day. During the rain delay of the morning session, I went for a wander around the ground with my friend and it was on this walk that I bought myself an England cricket rubber duck: 

Jonesy the Duck. He's from Wales, he's named after Simon!

I also discovered that I have the same sized feet as Ian Bell on this wander. However, this is a rubber duck re-enactment of the day and no time for idle chit chat about the fact I'm taller than Eoin Morgan.

As the covers in the background behind Jonesy show, the Welsh weather was not as kind to me as it was when I had travelled down from Suffolk to watch Ipswich lose 4-1 to Swansea. 

Umpire Billy Ducktrove and the head of the Glamorgan groundstaff make an unwelcome return as the heavens open on the Welsh valleys. The crowd waits patiently and expectantly for play, wondering whether they are seeing some blue sky amongst the grey, or whether their eyes are just playing horrible tricks on them. 

Finally though, the skies do clear and the ground is left to dry out. An early lunch had been taken and there was much stale bread and people to feed it to the players around and about. Various England players made their way onto the balcony to enjoy the weather and soon the pitch was clear of any remaining covers and both the England and Sri Lanka teams came out for a warm up. 

The England squad come out for a jog. Swann cheats by not running the full length and Tremlett enjoys his flankerchief!

Anderson and Cook begin the day very watchfully, playing out four maidens before...

Jimmy gets frustrated and attempts to cut Mendis...

Only for the ball to end in Mahela Jayawardene's hands...

Beginning, quite possibly, the slowest waddle back to the pavilion I have ever seen.

In a massive case of deja vu over the past few months, Trott joins Cook at the crease and sets about rebuilding as England are in a slightly dodgy position of 48-2. He and Cook play watchfully too, hitting the occasional boundary.

Cook cuts to reach his 50.

50 for Cook, a sight all too familiar to Australian blue-beaked duck's eyes.

Trott cuts and it goes for two thanks to a misfield...

Meaning Trott also reaches a 50. Again, a sight all too familiar to our Australian  duck friends.

Cook has a scare as he clips one around the corner to short leg...

Only for the hero of day one to spill the chance. 

The drop allows Cook to carry on where he left off Down Under. He cuts for four...

And reaches yet another ton.

Trott soon joins him on three figures with a cover drive. 

Trott celebrates as the cries of Bob Willis echo around the ground.

Overall a good day for England, as Sri Lanka, like Australia before them, find  it difficult to get rid of the two batsmen who've been England's stodgiest.

Apologies for the fact it's about 5 days after the actual events, but I've got Hamlet quotes and Salman Rushdie floating around in my head. Should have the other days up before the second Test begins on Friday!