By Joe Mansfield.
JAMES Anderson completed his 30th career fifer but Sri Lanka will be the happier of the two teams after day two of the second Test in Galle.
Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruan Perera steered Sri Lanka to a commanding first innings total of 381 with their significant contributions, despite losing Angelo Mathews early in the day.
A 50th Test half-century by Joe Root contributed to an important partnership of 83 with Johnny Bairstow that left England 98-2 at stumps and trailing by 283 runs.
Anderson got England off to the start they desired as he removed Mathews for 110. The touring side picked up the wicket of Ramesh Mendis two balls later as the debutant failed to score.
The two wickets completed Anderson’s 5 wicket haul, the control and accuracy of ‘The Burnley Express’ were the key to his performance. It is testament to the ability and guile of Anderson that he was able to perform so well in conditions that do not suit his style.
The touring side did not have things their own way from that point onwards with ball in hand. Dickwella seized control of the innings and smeared the bowling of Dom Bess and Jack Leach to all-parts.
The vibrant wicketkeeper-batsman was able to sweep the spinners effectively and drive the quicks elegantly. His knock displayed the poise, balance and a decision-making nous of a top-level batsman.
The impressive showing begged the question ‘why does Dickwella not have a Test century to his name?’. It truly is mystifying; the fluid stroke maker has 16 Test match half centuries. That is the joint-most by any man who has not reached three figures in the international five-day game.
Dilruan Perera was keen to join in on the offensive against the England spinners. Jack Leach was the man to take the brunt of the onslaught. Hefty blows over long on and long off would suggest that Perera is a far better batsman than his average and place in the order suggests.
After Anderson took his sixth wicket, denying Dickwella a hundred by dismissing him for 92, Perera proved his class with willow in hand and notched 67 runs as he helped the Sri Lankan tail to wag.
The home side ended their torment of the England attack when Sam Curran picked up his first wicket in the game to remove Perera. All ten wickets were taken by the seam bowlers, the first time that has happened in Sri Lanka since 1994.
That statistic not only highlights the brilliance of Anderson and the hard graft of Mark Wood, it also illuminates the ineffectiveness of the spin bowlers. Bess and Leach went wicketless for a combined 195 runs.
England began their first innings after the Tea break and were quickly struck by setbacks from Lasith Emuldaniya who removed both openers.
Embuldeniya has now accounted for all of the English opening pairs dismissals in the series so far. Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley have not been able to play the left-handed off spinner.
The two of them will need to adjust in the second innings and they need not look further for a game plan against the spinner than the one demonstrated by their skipper.
The failure at the top of the order forced Johnny Bairstow and Root to rebuild once more, England had just five runs on the board for the loss of two wickets.
Root settled into his work seamlessly and swept the Sri Lankan spinners relentlessly from the offset and throughout. The strategy of the visiting captain was clear, he didn’t score a run in front of square on the off-side during his first 50 runs.
The two Yorkshire men guided England to the close of play without losing another wicket, Root ended the day on 67 and Bairstow on 24. For England to get a strong foothold in this game they need this partnership to flourish on the third day.
Play will resume at 4:30am GMT on Sunday.
England XI
Z Crawley, D Sibley, J Bairstow, J Root (C), D lawrence, J Buttler (WK), S Curran, D Bess, M Wood, J Leach, J Anderson.
Sri Lanka XI
L Thirimane, K Perera, O Fernando, D Chandimal (C), A, Mathews, N Dickwella (WK), S Lakmal, R Mendis, D Perera, L Embuldeniya, A Fernando.
