Sri Lankans hit back with second new ball
Sri Lankan pacemen hit back with the second new ball to grab four wickets for 35 runs within 13 overs to limit England to 320 for 6 by stumps on the second day of the first cricket test to bring themselves back into contention in the second and final cricket test, here at Headingley yesterday.
Dhammika Prasad (C) celebrates dismissing Alastair Cook (4L)) for 17 runs on the second day of the second Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds, northern England on June 21, 2014. AFP
England were strongly placed on 278 for 2 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 257 when Nuwan Pradeep struck in his third over with the new ball to remove Sam Robson with a beautiful ball that moved in to sneak through the gate and bowl the opener.Shaminda Eranga in his sixth over with the new ball removed Ian Bell, when the right hander tried to flick a ball that was going across and gave a faint edge to wicket keeper Dinesh Chandimal who held it brilliantly diving down the leg side.
Bell, who was playing his 100th Test made 64 in 90 balls with eight fours and made his exit on 311 before Mathews struck four balls later to have Joe Root caught behind when the Yorkshireman who made an unbeaten double century at Lord’s played forward on the same total.
Two runs later Eranga had Moeen Ali was caught behind for two to send England to 313 for six while wicket keeper Matt Prior and allrounder Chris Jordan survived a fiery last five overs of the day.
Earlier, Robson, in just his second Test, grafted a painstaking maiden century as England took more time than they would have liked but ambled along to build a gradual first innings lead.
Australian-born Robson who played for Australia under 19 team but later chose England and made his debut in the first Test at Lord’s last week, batted for six and a quarter hours and faced 253 balls to score 127 with 15 boundaries and a six.
The 24-year-old right hander who qualified to play for England last year, put on 142 for the second with Gary Ballance after England captain Alistair Cook Sri Lanka’s only victim in the pre-lunch session after England resumed the day on 36 without loss.
Cook who is going through a lean patch and is under tremendous pressure to keep his place, edged a delivery from paceman Dhammika Prasad that was going across his body to be caught at first slip for 17 after facing 58 balls, hitting two boundaries.
Ballance who registered an impressive century at Lord’s in only his second Test, joined Robson in the fourth over of the day with total on 49 and carried them safely to lunch on 106 for 1.
Skipper Angelo Mathews who delayed himself into the attack till the 65th over, struck in his second over to snatch the breakthrough when he had Ballance pushing forward to offer a thin edge to a ball that zipped across his body and was caught behind by Dinesh Chandimal.
The Zimbabwe-born left hander made 74 in 157 balls with eight boundaries in a three-and-a-half hour stay and his wicket which came five overs before tea on 191 was the only success for Sri Lanka in the afternoon session.
| Scoreboard
Sri Lanka 1st Innings 257 all out in 69.5 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 79, Dinesh Chandimal 45, Liam Plunkett 5 for 64, Stuart Broad 3 for 46) |