Gus Atkinson scored a dashing maiden century earlier than England strengthened their grip on the second Check in opposition to Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Friday. Atkinson’s glowing 118 helped take England to 427 all out of their first innings after Joe Root had made a masterful 143 on Thursday to equal the England document of 33 Check a whole lot held by Alastair Cook dinner. Sri Lanka then collapsed to 87-6 on the second day. However Kamindu Mendis, recent from a advantageous 113 in Sri Lanka’s five-wicket loss within the first Check at Outdated Trafford, made an admirable 74 to stop full humiliation earlier than he was final man out in a complete of 196.
All of England’s tempo assault took two wickets every, Matthew Potts returning figures of 2-19 in 11 overs and Chris Woakes 2-21 in 13.
Sri Lanka had been 231 runs behind however stand-in England captain Ollie Pope didn’t implement the follow-on, with the hosts 25-1 of their second innings at stumps — an general lead of 256 as they appeared to go 2-0 up in a three-match collection.
Ben Duckett was 15 not out with Pope, having managed simply three single determine scores since changing the injured Ben Stokes as skipper, two not out after deciding in opposition to shielding himself from the brand new ball with a nightwatchman.
However the day belonged to Atkinson as he cemented his love affair with Lord’s.
The 26-year-old, whose earlier highest first-class rating was 91 for Surrey in opposition to a Sri Lanka Growth XI in 2022, solely made his Check debut in opposition to the West Indies, additionally at Lord’s, final month.
Atkinson marked that event with 12 wickets (7-45 and 5-61) to etch his identify on the famed Lord’s dressing room honours boards reserved for bowlers who take 5 or extra wickets in a Check innings and 10 or extra in a match.
Few would have backed Atkinson to get on the equal honours board recognising those that rating Check a whole lot on the ‘House of Cricket’ — a feat that proved past such star batsmen as India’s Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies’ Brian Lara and Australia’s Ricky Ponting.
Atkinson was 74 not out in a single day in a Thursday stumps complete of 358-7.
No 8 Atkinson carried on from the place he left off, hitting two fours off Friday’s first two balls, as he leg-glanced and cover-drove paceman Lahiru Kumara leg-glanced for a pair of textbook boundaries.
However to the third he was given out lbw, just for Australian umpire Paul Reiffel’s determination to be reversed by a assessment indicating the ball would have missed leg stump.
Atkinson went to his century in storybook style, driving Kumara down the bottom into the pavilion for an additional 4 — his eleventh in a century accomplished in simply 103 balls and likewise that includes 4 sixes.
A spectacular innings got here to a spectacular finish when Atkinson mistimed a pull off an Asitha Fernando bouncer and was brilliantly caught by a diving Milan Rathnayake as he launched himself in the direction of the rope.
Atkinson walked off to a rousing reception, having confronted simply 115 balls.
Fernando ended the innings by dismissing Olly Stone to safe his place on the honours boards with a return of 5-102 in 21 overs.
Sri Lanka openers Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne then each performed on for seven earlier than wickets continued to tumble.
However in-form left-hander Mendis, once more batting curiously low within the order at No 7, hooked three sixes off recalled fast Stone, the final injuring an MCC member within the pavilion, throughout a 120-ball innings additionally that includes eight fours.
Dropped on 62 when Root floored a routine likelihood within the deep, the 25-year-old finally holed out off Atkinson to spherical off a memorable day for the quick bowler.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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