England defeat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets, complete a 2-0 clean sweep. Joe Root smashed another big hundred, and captained this new England team to another away series victory. The top performers for Sri Lanka were Angelo Mathews and left arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya. Mathews scored a superb century in the first innings to set the tone for the Sri Lankan innings. While Embuldeniya took 10 wickets in the match, along with a crucial 40 runs in the second innings.
Brief Scores:
1st innings Sri Lanka 381-10(139.3 overs). A Mathews 110(238), N Dickwella 92(144), J Anderson 6/40, M Wood 3/84.
England 344-10(116.1 overs). Joe Root 186(309), J Buttler 55(95), L Embuldeniya 7/137,R Mendis 1/48.
2nd innings Sri Lanka 126-10(35.5 overs). L Embuldeniya 40(42), R Mendis 16(20), D Bess 4/49, J Leach 4/59.
England 164-4(43.3 overs). D Sibley 56*(144), J Buttler 46*(48), L Embuldeniya 3/73, R Mendis 1/48.
Result- England beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets, on Day 4 of the second test match.
Man of the Match – Joe Root
Man of the Series – Joe Root
James Anderson takes his 30th 5-wicket haul in tests.
When Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss on Day 1, it was an easy decision to bat first. The pitch was decent to bat on and huge runs could be scored if the batsmen gets settled on the crease. But James Anderson blew away the Sri Lankan top order by taking 6 wickets. Angelo Mathews scored a century and Niroshan Dickwella made a quickfire 92 but it was Anderson who stole the show in the first innings.
Joe Root scores another huge hundred, gets run out on 186.
Joe Root continued his sublime form, and stroked his way to 186 runs. He got little to no support from the other end, and England fell 37 runs short of the hosts’ first innings total. Lasith Embuldeniya dismissed 7 English batsmen, and registered his best bowling figures in test cricket in an innings, as well as in a test match.
Sri Lanka had a major collapse in the second innings, and at one point were reeling at 78-8. But then Lasith Embuldeniya and Suranga Lakmal put on some runs to take Sri Lanka to a decent enough score. English spinners took all 10 wickets, with Dom Bess and Jack Leach returning 4-fers. Even England captain Root took 2 wickets.
England chased down the target of 164 without breaking much sweat. Although they were in trouble at one point when they were 89-4. But Dominic Sibley and Jos Buttler guided them home safely without fall of any more wickets.
Joe Root was by far the top run scorer of the series with 426 runs at an average of 106.50. This included a double century and a big daddy century. Hence he was rightly adjudged both Man of the Match and Man of the Series.
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