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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Stubborn Silva inches SL past England in Kandy

By AFP
November 16, 2018

KANDY: Roshen Silva hit a stubborn 85 to guide Sri Lanka to a 46-run first innings lead over England in the second Test on Thursday.

The hosts, down 1-0 in the three-match series, were bowled out for 336 in reply to England’s 290. England’s Rory Burns and tail-ender Jack Leach had to see out one nervy over before the end of the second day in Kandy.

After Adil Rashid struck twice to England’s tourists’ hopes of securing a lead on the turning pitch, Silva built crucial partnerships including a 56-run ninth wicket stand with Akila Dananjaya as the hosts edged past England’s total.

Dananjaya frustrated England’s spinners before falling to Moeen Ali leg before for 31. Stand-in skipper Suranga Lakmal was unbeaten on 15 at the end.The visitors were yet to open their account after nightwatchman Jack Leach faced six balls from Dilruwan Perera in the final over of the day. Rory Burns was accompanying Leach at close of play.

England had made inroads into the Sri Lankan middle order through some brilliant fielding by Ben Stokes before lunch but Silva frustrated the opposition bowlers for the rest of the day.

Dimuth Karunaratne, who made 63, put on 96 for the third wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva, who hit 59, to steady the innings after they had slipped to 31 for two early in the day.But Stokes broke the partnership when he pounced to run out Karunaratne with a direct throw from gully.

He then took a stunning one-handed catch low to his left at first slip to dismiss Kusal Mendis for one off the slow left-arm spin of Leach.England’s first innings total was 285 but Sri Lanka were docked five runs after the umpires deemed that Silva did not ground his bat properly while taking a run.

England won toss

England 1st Innings 290 (S Curran 64; D. Perera 4-61)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings

D Karunaratne run out 63

K Silva b Leach 6

M Pushpakumara c Burns b Ali 4

D de Silva c Foakes b Rashid 59

K Mendis c Stokes b Leach 1

A Mathews c Foakes b Rashid 20

R Silva c Ali b Rashid 85

†N Dickwella lbw b Root 26

D Perera lbw b Leach 15

A Dananjaya lbw b Ali 31

*S Lakmal not out 15

Extras (b6, lb5) 11

Total (all out, 103 overs) 336

Fall: 1-22, 2-31, 3-127, 4-136, 5-146, 6-165, 7-211, 8-252, 9-308, 10-336

Bowling: Anderson 14-2-40-0, S Curran 4-0-19-0, Leach 29-5-70-3, Ali 25-1-85-2, Rashid 22-2-76-3, Root 8-0-26-1, Stokes 1-0-9-0

England 2nd Innings

J Leach not out 0

R Burns not out 0

Total (0 wickets; 1 over) 0

To bat: K Jennings, B Stokes, *J Root, J Buttler, M Ali, †B Foakes, S Curran, A Rashid, J Anderson

Bowling: D Perera 1-1-0-0

Umpires: Marais Erasmus (South Africa) and Sundaram Ravi (India). TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney (Australia). Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)