Watch: Despite skittling Sri Lanka for 135 on the first day at Galle, England didn’t actually bowl all that well, and this wicket from Dom Bess summed up the innings.
The spinner had already been gifted one wicket, with opener Kusal Perera reverse sweeping straight to first slip, but his second dismissal was even cheaper. The offie dragged down the first ball of a spell only for Niroshan Dickwella to rock back and pick out Dom Sibley at backward point.
Bess barely celebrated at first, perhaps due to the poor quality of the delivery.
“An absolute drag down,” said Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports Cricket. “If anything sums up this morning it has been that dismissal.”
“That was a shocking delivery to start with,” added Ian Ward. “Dom Bess almost looked embarrassed to have taken the wicket. They are smiling now, why wouldn’t you? Sri Lanka are six down, but that’s a terrible drag down to start the spell, hit me anywhere, and Sibley just picked it up in time. Dickwella cannot believe what he’s just down. There have been some shocking dismissals from the Sri Lankans so far.”
Watch the comical dismissal below:
Well, they do say…#SLvENGpic.twitter.com/TWoms3x6DV
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 14, 2021
