England spin out Sri Lanka in first Test

By AFP

November 10, 2018

GALLE: Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal paid tribute Friday to an “outstanding” England after Moeen Ali spun the visitors to a commanding first Test victory in Galle.

Set a mammoth 462 to win, sustained pressure from Ali, fellow spinner Jack Leach and aggressive seam bowling from Ben Stokes bundled out the hosts for 250 on day four.The 211-run victory, England’s first Test win away from home in 13 matches, leaves Joe Root’s men 1-0 up in the three-match series, with the second Test starting in Kandy on Wednesday.

“We played some really good stuff,” Root said. “We can go to Kandy with huge amounts of confidence and look to still improve and get better.”In England’s second innings an assured unbeaten 146 by Keaton Jennings, his first century since a ton on his 2016 debut that has silenced his critics for now at least, allowed Root to declare at 322 for six.

“Our batting was below-par during the game, you can’t stay in the game (with this kind of batting),” said Chandimal.“Credit goes to England, they played some outstanding cricket,” he said.

Fifteen without loss overnight, Sri Lanka’s openers Kaushal Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne withstood the pressure from England’s formidable bowling attack for the first hour on Friday.But both fell after attacking shots, with Kaushal leg before trying to sweep Leach for 30 and Karunaratne caught and bowled by Ali for 26 as he skipped down the pitch for an attempted heave.

Dhananjaya de Silva, after a confident start, was caught at first slip by Root off Stokes in the last over before lunch for 21. The ball earlier he was given out but reprieved on review.After the break Kusal Mendis hit Leach for four over his head but attempting a repeat the next ball skied the ball to Ali, departing for an otherwise impressive 46.

Chandimal, suffering from a groin injury that kept him off the pitch all of Thursday, was skittled by Leach for 11. Niroshan Dikwella fell the first ball after tea, caught adroitly by Stokes one-handed at slip off Ali for 16.

Soon afterwards Angelo Mathews went for 53, caught by Jos Buttler at midwicket with Ali again the wicket-taker. He was followed into the pavilion by Akila Dananjaya for 8.Last out was silver fox Rangana Herath, cricket’s most successful left-arm spinner, run out for five in his swansong before retirement.

England won toss

England 1st Innings 342 (B Foakes 107; D Perera 5-31)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 203 (A Mathews 52; M Ali 4-66)England 2nd Innings 322-6 dec (K Jennings 146*; R Herath 2-23)

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings

F Karunaratne c and b Ali 26

J Silva lbw b Leach 30

D de Silva c Root b Stokes 21

K Mendis c Ali b Leach 45

A Mathews c Buttler b Ali 53

*D Chandimal b Leach 1

†N Dickwella c Stokes b Ali 16

D Perera c Stokes b Rashid 30