SRI LANKA VS ENGLAND, 2018

England remove Mathews to edge closer to series win

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Mathews's wicket has put England on the brink of a 2-0 lead.
Mathews's wicket has put England on the brink of a 2-0 lead. © AFP

Two wickets in the space of three overs after Tea left Sri Lanka's hopes of winning the Pallekele Test, and with that leveling the three-match series, hanging by a thread as rain forced early stumps on Day 4.

Requiring 82 more to win, Sri Lanka resumed their fight post Tea with a well-set Angelo Mathews leading the way on 87 not out and Niroshan Dickwella on a run-a-ball 23, in the middle of an unbeaten 43-run stand. However, momentum swung rapidly as Moeen Ali got rid of the former Sri Lankan skipper just three balls into the final session.

Mathews had added only one more run to his fighting knock when in a potentially game-changing moment Moeen Ali pinged him plumb in front of the stumps. In a desperate attempt, Mathews opted for a review only to be turned down - exposing Sri Lanka's tail.

More drama ensued in Moeen's following over when Ben Stokes claimed a catch at first slip off the new batsman Dilruwan Perera's bat. However, the replays confirmed the edge hadn't carried and Sri Lanka heaved a sigh of relief. However, Perera's joy was short-lived as he was trapped leg-before by Jack Leach for his fourth wicket in the innings, shortly after which heavens opened up. Players were forced off the field and the rest of the play abandoned shortly afterwards, leaving England with three scalps to claim the series on the final day, and the hosts 75 more runs to ruin their party.

Earlier, it was Mathews's gusty partnerships with Dimuth Karunaratne first and then Roshen Silva that gave Sri Lanka hope on a spin-assisting track. In pursuit of 301 to draw level in the series, the home side was reeling at 26 for 3 as Leach ripped open the top-order for his three strikes in as many overs. Mathews along with Karunaratne put the chase back on track and later strengthened his team's grip on the game with another vital partnership with first-innings hero Roshen Silva.

After England's last wicket pair of Ben Foakes and James Anderson added 22 to their overnight score, Sri Lanka were set a target of 301 to force a decider in Colombo. What seemed a tough ask on a track offering plenty of assistance to spinners turned into a nightmare eight overs into Sri Lanka's reply.

Leach had Kaushal Silva stumped as he danced down the track but was beaten by ample turn. In his following over, Keaton Jennings plucked one out of thin air at forward short leg to send Dhananjaya de Silva on his way. Soon after, Kusal Mendis became yet another victim of a missed sweep attempt - adjudged lbw though only on England's review.

Moeen was twice unlucky in the morning session - inducing an outside edge off both Karunaratne and Mathews only for Ben Stokes to put down the tough chances at first slip. That was, probably, the luck Sri Lanka needed to turn their fortunes around. The pair showed immense patience as England kept attacking with their four spinners. They were happy to pinch singles, and convert ones into twos with some good running between the wickets that kept the scoreboard ticking along just fine.

Karunaratne, who had survived a caught behind appeal off Anderson early into his innings, went on to register his fifty before Lunch. The opener, however, fell soon after the break courtesy another stunning effort from Jennings at forward short leg. The England fielder anticipated a sweep from Karunaratne, moved to left immediately and parried the edge to the keeper to put an end to the fourth-wicket partnership.

Mathews hardly played a false shot, and relied more on hard running between the wickets to keep the runs coming. However, unlike Karunaratne, he swept more often for his boundaries. Despite losing a well-set partner, Mathews was in no mood to let go of the bad balls on offer. Rashid was dispatched to the fence twice on either side of the wicket, when he dropped it short.

After his first innings heroics, Roshen got a promotion in the batting order and repaid the team management's faith. With Mathews well-set at one end, Roshen took his time, even had some anxious moments in the middle but also played some delightful drives in his vital stay in the middle. He played a perfect second fiddle to Mathews, contributing 37 off the 95 balls he faced.

A confident DRS appeal from Joe Root, who claimed the catch, helped England break the threatening partnership at 73. Roshen got the faintest of edges to the English skipper trying to flick one on the leg side, giving Moeen a wicket after all his toil.

If Mathews's two partnerships until now were about caution, Niroshen Dickwella brought the aggression. The Sri Lankan keeper was down to sweeping (and reverse-sweeping) right from the second fall he faced. A couple of overs later, he slog-swept Moeen for his second boundary that got Sri Lanka within 100 runs of the target.

Sri Lanka headed to Tea more confident of the two sides having added 126 runs for only two wickets in the second session, only for two quick strikes to leave the match hanging in balance.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 336 and 226/7 (Angelo Mathews 88, Dimuth Karunaratne 57; Jack Leach 4-73) trail England 290 & 346 by 75 runs.

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