Sri Lanka beats England in thrilling second Test to seal series win

Sri Lanka beats England in thrilling second Test
to seal series win

Sri Lanka beat England by 100 runs, with just one ball to spare to win the second Test at Headingley by 100 runs and took the two-match series 1-0.

Moeen Ali and James Anderson had batted for almost 21 overs when Shaminda Eranga dismissed the former off the penultimate delivery of the final day of the second Test.

England, set 350 for victory, were bowled out for 249 on the fifth and final day as Sri Lanka won a Test in England for only the third time in their history following victories at The Oval in 1998 and Trent Bridge in 2006.
England had been in charge of this match at 311 for for three after tea on the second day of this Test, thanks to Australia-born opener Sam Robson’s maiden Test century, and again when they reduced Sri Lanka to 277 for seven on Monday — a lead of just 169.

But Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, who earlier in this match took a Test-best four for 44 with the ball, went on to make a superb Test-best 160, having shared an eighth-wicket stand of 149 with Herath (48) that gave the tourists the advantage.

England then suffered a spectacular collapse late Monday as they slumped to 57 for five in the face of paceman Dhammika Prasad’s four-wicket burst.
From then on England, who were denied victory in the first Test at Lord’s when Sri Lanka No 11 Nuwan Pradeep saw out the last five balls of the match to secure a draw, were fighting a rearguard action.