Sri Lankan batsmen make England bowlers to toil hard

The second day of 2^nd Npower Test was continued yesterday at Lords, in bright sunshine as in the previous in the presence of capacity sell- out crowd. Although England dominated the first session of play when they added a further 162 quick runs for the loss of their last four batsmen, in just 24.5 overs.

At the end of the day in the remaining two sessions of undisrupted play, the openers Skipper Tillekeratna Dilshan and left handed Tharanga Paranavithana batted with authority playing orthodox cricket, making the English bowlers to toil hard. At the end of the session between lunch and tea they added 101 runs. The first fifty was made in 96 balls and the 100 in 164 balls. Left hander Paranavithana was given a life earlier on in his innings when on 13 Cook dropped a regulation catch. But it was Dilshan who played aggressive and flamboyant cricket delighting the capacity appreciative crowd. After tea both batsmen continued in the same vein and after tea the 150 of the Sri Lankan innings was posted in 244 balls, Sri Lanka was sitting pretty with a spirited reply to England’s formidable first innings total of 486 runs all out. It was a run feast at the ‘Mecca’ of cricket, Lords.

Dilsha,s 50 was made in just 58 balls which contained eight fours and a six. The partnership was extended to 200 and it was made in 51.4 overs. This was the third time this pair on this tour had made double century opening partnerships .Dilshan completed his 12 Test match hundred, made in 129 balls which contained 11 power packed boundaries and two sixes. His inning was not chanceless having survived a chance while on 80,Paranavithana,the lessor aggressor in this double hundred partnership made in 50 in 150 balls and it contained eight fours. For the double century partnership was posted in just 51.4 overs in which Dilshan’s contribution was 112 while Pranavithana’s was only 65.The England bowlers got the first break through after toiling for nearly 54 overs, when Paranavithana was caught by Strauss off the local boy Finn with the total on 207.Former Skipper Sangakkara joined Dilshan and batted until end of play. Sri Lanka had posted a spirited reply having lost only one wicket and had made 231 at stumps. The runs coming in only 63 overs.  Dilshan who played a great captain’s innings was unbeaten on 127 having faced 166 balls which comprised of 12 fours and 2 sixes while Sangakkara was on 13.

England continued their overnight score of 324 for the loss of 6 wickets. Both batsmen Matts Prior and Broad played aggressive cricket. The pair added a century partnership for the 7^th wicket in just 85 balls. Broad made a quick fire 54 in just 51 balls while Prior after completing his century accelerated the score until he was bowled by Herath by deceiving him but not before he had made 126 useful runs having made them in just 131 balls with 19 fours. On the stroke of lunch England were all out for a formidable score of 486 runs made in 112.5 overs. In this session they scored 162 runs in 25 overs to swell the England’s first innings score. Left arm paceman Chanaka Welagedera was the most successful bowler finishing with figures of 4 for 122 in 28 overs , the 24 year old Suranga Lakmal captured 3 for 126 in25 overs while Herath had figures of 2 for 64 in 18 overs.

At the end of Day 2 Sri Lanka was trailing by 255 runs with 9 first innings wickets in hand. The Test, in interestingly poised, with a slight tilt in favour of Sri Lanka.

By Sunil Thenabadu © SLPLT20.Co