Gus Atkinson took 5 wickets to place himself on the Lord’s honours board for the second time within the match as England sealed a complete 190-run win over Sri Lanka on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead within the three-Take a look at collection.
England’ latest celebrity adopted his swashbuckling first innings century with 5-62 in Sri Lanka’s second because the guests in the end crumbled to 292 all out, regardless of a spirited counterattack on the fourth day.
“I couldn’t have requested for rather more, to get on each honours boards is unimaginable and it’ll take a little bit of time to sink in,” Atkinson stated.
“It’s nice to have the ability to assault and never fear about runs. Bodily it may be demanding, being aggressive each over, however I’m having fun with it very a lot.”
England captain Ollie Pope stated Atkinson’s capacity to bowl close to 90 miles per hour whereas providing swing and seam made him a harmful bowler, and backed him to maintain growing.
They’ll want air pace with their bowling assault after they journey to Australia on the finish of subsequent yr to attempt to win again the Ashes as their medium pacers have struggled to penetrate on the wickets Down Below.
Set a large 483 to win and resuming on 2-53 in a single day, Sri Lanka’s process seemed all however unattainable. Their method was to disregard the match state of affairs and assault, guaranteeing a gradual move of wickets and limits that at occasions resembled a limited-overs contest.
The morning session value the guests solely nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya (4) and Dimuth Karunaratne (55). Karunaratne made the primary half-century by an opener within the collection, putting Atkinson for 3 fours in a single over earlier than fending a lifter from Olly Stone to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Gus Atkinson celebrates dismissing Milan Rathnayake. (Photograph by Gareth Copley/Getty Pictures)
Angelo Mathews (36) had seemed sometimes assured after lunch earlier than chipping a catch to Chris Woakes off Shoaib Bashir.
Dinesh Chandimal (58) seemed to be subsequent out, trapped lbw by Woakes having raced to a half century off simply 42 balls, however a assessment confirmed the thinnest of edges. He went quickly after, caught by Dan Lawrence at quick leg off Atkinson.
Kamindu Mendis got here to the crease with little probability of affecting the outcome at 6-192. A star within the making with an astonishing common of 92 in his four-Take a look at profession so far, he for as soon as failed, slashing Atkinson to Ben Duckett within the slips.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva (50) and Milan Rathnayake (43) then reduce and hooked England’s quick ball barrage in a stand of 73.
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That was nearly as good because it obtained for Sri Lanka nevertheless, as Rathnayake swung as soon as too typically at a brief ball to offer Atkinson his fifth earlier than Woakes induced Lahiru Kumara to sky one and finish proceedings.
One sore level for the sport’s directors was the considerably sparse crowd, with Lord’s solely half-full within the September sunshine.
The third and last Take a look at begins on Friday at The Oval.
© AAP
