England seal series win over Sri Lanka on dramatic day in Galle
England’s spinners came to the fore in thrilling style and Dom Sibley passed a significant test of character as the tourists sealed a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka on a dramatic day in Galle.
Galle provides fireworks
Joe Root’s side had spent most of the first three days chasing the game in this second Test but made their move emphatically on Monday, with Jack Leach and Dom Bess flooring the accelerator as they shared eight wickets to bowl Sri Lanka out for just 126.
That left England chasing a potentially thorny 164 for victory, with a wearing pitch and an ebullient Lasith Embuldeniya standing in their way.
YES LADS! 🦁 🦁 🦁
We win the second Test by six wickets and the series 2-0 😍
Scorecard: https://t.co/g6a0fiVGdp#SLvENG pic.twitter.com/roICVgyZI3
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 25, 2021
Jos Buttler leads the way
For once they had to get there without a significant contribution from the bat of captain Root, with Sibley and Jos Buttler sharing a priceless stand of 75.
Buttler’s 46 not out came quicker, more pleasingly and with a greater degree of confidence but he has been in good form for some time and is a well-renowned player of spin, meaning Sibley’s hard-working 56no was the more significant.
After managing just six runs from his previous three innings the opener was facing rising speculation over his place for next month’s tour of India and dug in to play his part.
He did need the benefit of ‘umpire’s call’ to save him from three separate lbw appeals, but he was tighter in defence and found a way to open up scoring areas and see his team home with the winning run.
Victory was England’s fifth in a row overseas, stretching back to last winter’s trip to South Africa and matching a streak last seen in 1914.
Latest
-
NewsJofra Archer to step up injury return in Sussex’s Championship game with Kent
Archer’s last first-class appearance for the county came in the 2018 season.
-
NewsStuart Broad: England not finished article but on verge of ‘something special’
Joe Root’s side finished fourth in the WTC’s inaugural league table.
-
NewsTom Harrison warns ‘we’re not out of the woods yet’ as ECB reports £16.1m losses
Prior to the onset of the global health crisis the ECB had expected the past year to be characterised by rising revenues.
-
NewsECB reports £16.1m loss with cash reserves down to £2.2m due to impact of Covid
Cricket as a whole in England and Wales has accrued revenue losses of more than £100m.
-
NewsMCC stresses requirement for law change to permit use of bamboo cricket bats
A Cambridge University study suggested a prototype bamboo bat was stronger, more sustainable and cheaper to produce than the willow blade.
-
NewsTymal Mills says initiatives are more important to cricket than taking a knee
The Sussex left-arm paceman feels inclusive schemes will prove more significant than gestures in broadening cricket’s appeal in years to come.
-
NewsAshley Giles will not allow England commitments to play second fiddle to IPL
Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler could find themselves involved in a calendar clash.
-
NewsAshley Giles hints at possible new faces for England in New Zealand series
Giles suggested players who recently returned from the postponed Indian Premier League into quarantine may be eased back into action gently.
-
NewsCraig Overton and Lyndon James star in big wins for Somerset and Nottinghamshire
The paceman picked up five second innings wickets to set up victory.
-
NewsGloucestershire escape the bad weather as David Payne rolls over Middlesex
The seamer claimed six for 56 and 10 wickets in the match as the visitors secured a comfortable win.