Gus Atkinson took five wickets to put himself on the Lord’s honours board for the second time in the match as England sealed a comprehensive 190-run win over Sri Lanka on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.
England’ newest superstar followed his swashbuckling first innings century with 5-62 in Sri Lanka’s second as the visitors ultimately crumbled to 292 all out, despite a spirited counterattack on the fourth day.
Set a massive 483 to win and resuming on 2-53 overnight, Sri Lanka’s task looked all but impossible. Their approach was to ignore the match situation and attack, ensuring a steady flow of wickets and boundaries that at times resembled a limited-overs contest.
The morning session cost the visitors only nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya (4) and Dimuth Karunaratne (55). Karunaratne made the first half-century by an opener in the series, striking Atkinson for three fours in one over before fending a lifter from Olly Stone to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Angelo Mathews (36) had looked typically assured after lunch before chipping a catch to Chris Woakes off Shoaib Bashir.
Dinesh Chandimal (58) appeared to be next out, trapped lbw by Woakes having raced to a half century off just 42 balls, but a review showed the thinnest of edges. He went soon after, caught by Dan Lawrence at short leg off Atkinson.
Kamindu Mendis came to the crease with little chance of affecting the result at 6-192. A star in the making with an astonishing average of 92 in his four-Test career thus far, he for once failed, slashing Atkinson to Ben Duckett in the slips.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva (50) and Milan Rathnayake (43) then cut and hooked England’s short ball barrage in a stand of 73.
That was as good as it got for Sri Lanka however, as Rathnayake swung once too often at a short ball to give Atkinson his fifth before Woakes induced Lahiru Kumara to sky one and end proceedings.
One sore point for the game’s administrators was the somewhat sparse crowd, with Lord’s only half-full in the September sunshine.
The third and final Test starts on Friday at The Oval.
Source Agencies
