CHESTER-LE-STREET: Moeen Ali capitalised on poor Sri Lanka fielding with an innings of 155 not out as England established a commanding position on the second day of the second Test at the Riverside on Saturday.
Moeen’s century, his second Test hundred, was the cornerstone of England’s 498 for nine declared.
At tea, Sri Lanka were 32 for one in reply, a deficit of 466 runs, after Dimuth Karunaratne was bowled round his legs by James Anderson.
Kaushal Silva was nine not out and Kusal Mendis 14 not out.
England’s total was especially imposing given Sri Lanka had been dismissed for 91 and 119 during the hosts’ innings and 88-run victory in the first Test of this three-match series at Headingley last week.
Moeen’s hundred was also his second in Tests against Sri Lanka following an unbeaten 108 in a losing cause at Headingley two years ago.
Having made his name as top-order batsman with Worcestershire, Moeen has primarily been deployed by England as an off-spinner.
Often batting as low as No 8, he was promoted to No 7 after all-rounder Ben Stokes was ruled out of this match with a knee injury.
Moeen, dropped on 36 and 105, did his best to set his skipper straight as he ran a sloppy Sri Lanka ragged, taking twos even when the field had been pushed back.
England resumed the day at 310 for six with Moeen on 28 and Chris Woakes eight.
Sri Lanka held several brilliant catches on Friday, but Saturday’s early overs saw them drop two chances.
Moeen fended outside off stump against Nuwan Pradeep but Karunaratne at a wide second slip couldn’t hold the shoulder high chance.
Worse followed when Woakes, yet to add to his overnight score, edged Shaminda Eranga straight behind.
But wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandimal, who appeared not to see the ball until too late, didn’t even get a glove on the routine chance.
Woakes’ luck ran out on 39 when he edged Lakmal and Mendis held a simple catch to end a seventh-wicket stand of 92.
Moeen, unbeaten on 85 at lunch, went to his hundred in style, driving paceman Pradeep on the up for his 12th four in 152 balls.
Moeen who hit 17 fours and two sixes during his 207-ball knock, had made 105 when he miscued a pull off Shaminda Eranga, only for Milinda Siriwardana to make a complete hash of the opportunity on the boundary.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took his 300th Test wicket when he caught.
Moeen scored 70 of the 90 runs England piled on in 16 overs after lunch before Cook declared.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 310-6):
A.N. Cook c Karunaratne b Lakmal 15 A.D. Hales c Mathews b Siriwardana 83 N.R.D. Compton c Lakmal b Pradeep 9 J.E. Root c Silva b Pradeep 80 J.M. Vince c Thirimanne b Siriwardana 35 J.M. Bairstow c Chandimal b Pradeep 48 Moeen Ali not out 155 C.R. Woakes c Mendis b Lakmal 39 S.C.J. Broad c Mendis b Pradeep 7 S.T. Finn c and b Herath 10 J.M. Anderson not out 8
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8) 9
TOTAL (for nine wkts decl, 132 overs) 498
FALL OF WKTS: 1-39, 2-64, 3-160, 4-219, 5-227, 6-297, 7-389, 8-400, 9-472.
BOWLING: Eranga 27-3-100-0; Lakmal 29-4-115-2; Pradeep 33-5-107-4; Herath 29-1-116-1; Mathews 6-2-16-0; Siriwardana 8-0-35-2.
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
F.D.M. Karunaratne b Anderson 9 J.K. Silva not out 9 B.K.G. Mendis not out 14
EXTRAS 0
TOTAL (for one wkt, 7 overs) 32
FALL OF WKT: 1-10.
TO BAT: L.D. Chandimal, A.D. Mathews, H.D.R.L. Thirimanne, T.A.M Siriwardana, H.M.R.K.B. Herath, R.M.S. Eranga, N. Pradeep, R.A.S. Lakmal.
BOWLING (to-date): Anderson 4-0-14-1; Broad 3-0-18-0.
Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016