Set a record target of 482 to win, Sri Lanka had lost two wickets for 53 runs win when bad light ended the third day’s play of the second test early at Lords after the tourists had bowled out England for 251 in an innings dominated by Joe Root alone who rode to twin centuries in a row of records.
Root who surpassed Alstair Cook’s record t becoming England’s highest century maker amounting 34 also capped his seventh test hundred at Lords – the most by a batsman at the citadel venue to surpassing Graham Gooch’s record to becoming the leading run accumulator at Lords and within 100 runs of Cook’s overall run-scoring records.
In that Joe Root magnificence, the Lankan bowlers had however, risen to a remarkable job of restricting England to less than 300 though their effort was underdone by the batsmen’s failure by a sub par 196 first innings total in conceding England a 231 lead.
Sri Lanka had suffered the setbacks of losing Nishan Madushka for 13 off Gus Atkinson edging to first slip Joe Root giving him his 200th test wicket, and Pathum Nissanka 14 also induced to a similar first slip casualty for Root’s second catch.
Dimuth Karunaratne remained unbeaten on 23 off 48 balls consuming 90 minutes having survived a questionable LBW decision by umpire Paul Reiffel which was overturned by the review with Prabath Jayasuriya surviving 23 anxious deliveries for 3.
Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara took 3 wickets apiece followed by 2 each by Milan Rathnayake and leg spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
CHIEF SCORES:
England 427 (Joe Root 143, Gus Atkinson 118, Asitha Fernando 5/102) & 251 (54.3 Overs) (Joe Root 103, Harry Brook 37, Ben Duckett 24, Jamie Smith 26, Ollie Pope 17,
Sri Lanka 196 (Kamindu Mendis 74) & 53/2 (20 Overs) (Dimuth Karunaratne n.o. 23, Prabath Jayasuriya n.o. 3, Olly Stone 1/1, Gus Atkinson 1/15)