England take handy lead as Sri Lanka collapse in final Test

LONDON: England bowled out Sri Lanka for 288 to enjoy a first-innings lead of 128 on the third day of the third Test at Lord’s on Saturday.

An early tea was taken, after which England opened with Nick Compton beside Alex Hales. Captain Alastair Cook missed the entire middle session to go to hospital for scans. Cook took a blow to the knee from Kusal Perera while fielding at silly point.

Joe Root was left in charge, and he oversaw an attack which took the last four Sri Lanka wickets.

From 218-6 at lunch, the recalled Perera, and Rangana Herath put on 71 with an entertaining stand including a dozen boundaries.

Stuart Broad finally broke the stand by bowling Herath for 31.

Perera, playing his first Test in six months after he was cleared of doping, went for 42 after charging James Anderson and nicking behind.

Anderson got Suranga Lakmal for a duck soon after, and Chris Woakes claimed Shaminda Eranga on 1 to finish with 3-31.

Steven Finn took 3-59, and Broad and Anderson got two wickets each.

Earlier in the first session, Woakes sparked a collapse after Sri Lanka began the day at a well-placed at 162-1.

England, bidding to complete a whitewash at 2-0 up in the three-match series, took five wickets for 56 runs in Saturday’s first session.

Sri Lanka resumed with Kaushal Silva 79 not out and Kusal Mendis 25 not. But they both fell for their overnight scores as Sri Lanka collapsed in overcast conditions that made batting harder than had been the case on Friday.

Sri Lanka had not added a run when Woakes had Mendis lbw with his first ball on Saturday to end a partnership of 54.

It was just reward for the Warwickshire all-rounder, who saw Jonny Bairstow drop a simple catch off his bowling to reprieve Dimuth Karunaratne, eventually out for 50, on Friday.

But wicket-keeper Bairstow, whose 167 not out on Friday was his Test-best score, made no mistake on Saturday when he Silva edged Broad straight to him.

Two years ago, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews made a Test century at Lord’s. But the all-rounder was felled for three, with 166-3 becoming 169-4 when he was squared up by Woakes and edged to Joe Root at second slip.

Woakes, bowling at sharp pace, almost had a wicket next ball too only for Dinesh Chandimal to inside-edge a yorker that just missed the stumps for four.

Woakes’ opening spell yielded impressive figures of two for 11 in seven overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne and Chandimal, who made an admirable 126 in the second Test, briefly resisted.

But 169-4 was transformed into 205-6 as under-pressure fast bowler Steven Finn took two wickets for three runs in 12 balls on his Middlesex home ground.

Chandimal was lbw for 19, with Thirimanne (17) edging to Root at second slip.

Left-hander Perera hit back by hitting two fours off Finn, including a defiant straight drive that whistled into the Pavilion fence.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 416 (J.M. Bairstow 167 not out, A.N. Cook 85, C.R. Woakes 66; H.M.R.K.B. Herath 4-81).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 162-1):

D. Karunaratne c Bairstow b Finn 50

J.K. Silva c Bairstow b Broad 79

B.K.G. Mendis lbw b Woakes 25

L. Thirimanne c Root b Finn 17

A.D. Mathews c Root b Woakes 3

L.D. Chandimal lbw b Finn 19

K. Perera c Bairstow b Anderson 42