Lose first Test by an innings

Inexperienced Sri Lanka undone by swing

SA’ADI THAWFEEQ reporting From England

LEEDS: Sri Lanka’s inexperience against the swinging ball proved to be their undoing in the first Test against England at Headingly where they crashed to an innings and 88 runs defeat inside three days.

Kusal Mendis the only Lankan batsman to respond to England’s bowling with an aggressive maiden Test half-century on the third day of the first Test at Headingley on Saturday

The high quality swing bowling of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn was too much for the Lankan batsmen to handle as they were shot out for 119 after being forced to follow-on.

The total was only a marginal improvement on their first innings score of 91 and England won in a canter after scoring only 298. Anderson was unplayable as he finished with his second five-wicket haul of the match for figures of ten for 45.

However, the Man of the Match award went to wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow who century (140) lifted England from a despairing 83-5 to 298. Bairstow also contributed tpwards Sri Lanka’s downfall by snapping up four victims behind the wicket today to take his tally for the match to nine catches.

It was a pretty ruthless performance by a professional England outfit to go one-up in the three-match series.

The rain seemed to be the only savior for the Lankan batsmen who were up against a high class fast bowling attack which in English conditions proved too hot to handle.

But even a delayed start and an interruption to rain in the first session of play could not save Sri Lanka.

Anderson and Broad, the destroyers of the Lankan batting in the first innings, were on the ball again probing and testing the patience of the free-scoring Lankans with tempting balls pitched on and around the off stump and moving away towards the slips cordon.

In the first session of play reduced to 19 overs Sri Lanka lost both openers Dimuth Karunaratne (7) and Kaushal Silva (14) – both falling to the Bairstow-Anderson combination.

The remaining wickets fell in a clatter after the resumption with Sri Lanka losing eight for 40.

The only redeeming factor for the Lankans was the batting of 21-year-old Kusal Mendis in the number three slot. The youngster dropped at 29 by Bairstow and at 47 by James Vince in the slips rode his luck to score a maiden Test fifty and his third of the tour off 62 balls with eight fours.

Mendis was able to score because he always had a positive attitude and was ready to take on the England bowlers despite the conditions which the others lacked. His team mates were more cautious waiting for the swinging balls than capitalise on the loose ones and missed out on whatever opportunities they had. The only wicket to fall other than for swing was that of vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal who played a poor shot after resumption to rain and dragged the ball from spinner Moeen Ali onto his stumps. Sri Lanka have a lot of homework to do against the swinging ball as they travel to Durham for the second Test starting on May 27.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS 298
SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS 91
SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS
(nought for no loss continued)

D Karunaratne c Bairstow b Anderson 	 	07	
K Silva c Bairstow b Anderson 			14
K Mendis b Anderson 				53
D Chandimal b Ali 				08
A Mathews c Bairstow b Broad 			05
L Thirimanne c Root b Finn 			16
D Shanaka c Bairstow b Anderson 		04
R Herath c Broad b Finn 			04
D Chameera c Compton b Finn 			00
S Eranga not out 				02
N Pradeep b Anderson 				00
Extras (lb-5, nb-1) 				06
Total (all out, 35.3 overs) 		       119

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Karunaratne), 2-35 (Silva)
		 3-79 (Chandimal), 4-93(Mathews)
		 5-93 (Mendis), 6-101 (Shanaka)
		 7-111 (Herath), 8-117 (Chameera)
		 9-118 (Thirimanne), 10-119 (Pradeep)
Bowling: Anderson 13.3-5-29-5,
	 Broad 13-0-57-1,
	 Finn 8-0-26-3 (nb1),
	 Ali 1-0-2-1.