By Joe Mansfield.
ENGLAND need 36 runs to seal victory in the first Test of the Moose Cup after an eventful fourth day in Galle.
Lahiru Thirimanne scored his second Test century and Angelo Mathews provided vital support as Sri Lanka posted 359 and set England 74 to win.
Jack Leach took 5-wickets as he and his spin partner Dom Bess found their groove. England appeared to be on their way to a comfortable victory, but Lasith Embuldaniya had other ideas and the visitors finished day 4 on 38-3.
Lahiru Thirimanne broke his seven-year barren spell to score a Test hundred. The Sri Lankan opener’s innings of 111 gave the hosts a glimmer of hope by surpassing England’s first innings total and setting the visitors 74 to win.
The home team started the day on 156-2 and added just two runs before Embuldaniya was removed by Bess. The removal of the nightwatchman brought Mathews out to the middle, he occupied the crease well and played responsibly for his 71.
When Thirimanne was removed by an excellent delivery from Same Curran, it was down to Mathews to guide the remainder of the innings. Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella and Wanindu Hasaranga all threatened to create a partnership with Mathews but were undone by the spin of Leach and Bess.
Leach eventually dismissed Mathews to complete his second Test five-for and end the innings. Regardless of the result it was a much improved batting display by Sri Lanka who made 359 all out after their dismal 135 first innings total.
Chasing less than a hundred the English batting line-up would have been confident they could secure victory.
That confidence would prove to be short lived, both England openers were removed early on by Lasith Embuldeniya. The left-handed off spinner turns the ball away from the right-hander and caused the top order all sorts of problems.
Things went from bad to worse for England as disaster struck when Joe Root was run out attempting an unnecessarily quick single. Wicket keeper Wanindu Dickwella scurried from behind the stumps, picked up the ball, turned and threw down the stumps with Root comfortably out of his crease.
With England reduced to 14-3 and their first innings double centurion removed for one run, a collapse looked like it could be imminent.
Johnny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence were tasked with navigating the minefield that the Galle pitch had become.
Having scored 73 in the first innings, Lawrence who is on debut looked composed once again and guided England to 38-3 at the close of play.
His partner, Bairstow, looked less assured at the crease but survived and will go into the final day looking to steer England home.
Play will resume at 4:30am GMT on Monday.
England XI
Z Crawley, D Sibley, J Bairstow, J Root (C), D lawrence, J Buttler, S Curran, D Bess, S Broad, M Wood, J Leach.
Sri Lanka XI
L Thirimane, K Perera, K Mendis, D Chandimal (C), A, Mathews, N Dickwella (WK), D Shanaka, W Hasaranga, D Perera, L Embuldeniya, A Fernando.
