Issues with umpiring and an injured bowler's musings

Jonathan Agnew, writing in the Test Match Special blog, thinks umpire Asad Rauf should be more patient while handing out verdicts, after his decision to rule Ryan Sidebottom lbw, when replays showed that he had inside-edged the ball, put Sri Lanka on the brink of their 88-run win in the first Test in Kandy.

It was a great shame that umpire Asad Rauf’s poor decision to see off Ryan Sidebottom with about half an hour of light left should add a touch of controversy to the climax...

All umpires make mistakes, but Mr Rauf made more than he should in this game, and he needs to take more time in reaching his decisions. His finger is up in a flash, and a little more consideration might have prevented him from dismissing Sidebottom lbw when the ball deflected off his bat into his pad.

But that was not why England lost the test: for that they need to look closely at their attack – as we discussed yesterday – and get more runs on the board.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph's Simon Hughes thinks third umpires should have more say in on-field decisions.

The first Test was even more frustrating for Matthew Hoggard, who sustained a back injury while bowling. He chronicles his journey back to Colombo and his efforts to get in shape in his article in the Times