ZCZC
BSP-19
CRICKET-SRI-ENG LEAD
England close in on whitewash win over Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Nov 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – In a day of sublime and ridiculous
cricket, Jos Buttler halted a batting collapse while Moeen Ali claimed key
wickets Sunday to keep England on track for victory in the third and final
Test against Sri Lanka.
The home side were reeling at 53-4 at the close of the third day as they
chased an unlikely 327 to avoid suffering only their third whitewash series
defeat on home territory.
Dilruwan Perera took Keaton Jennings lbw with the first ball of the third
day to shake England who at one stage looked in trouble on 39-4 after more
failures by their top-order batsmen.
But after the scare, spinner Lakshan Sandakan made basic blunders that set
the tone for England to score 230 and set their sights on a third straight
win.
The left-arm spinner had Stokes caught at cover on 22, then at slip on 32,
only for replays to show Sandakan had overstepped the bowling line on each
occasion.
Stokes had to be called back from his march to the pavilion both times. He
shook his head in disbelief as he walked off for lunch.
Buttler was given out lbw on 27 to part-time spinner Dhananjaya de Silva,
but the decision was overturned by a review which deemed the ball was heading
over the stumps.
The pair came back to complete an 89-run fifth wicket stand that rescued
England and became the centrepiece of the second innings total.
Jos Buttler made 64, Stokes 42 and Ben Foakes an unbeaten 36. England
scored just 11 boundaries, with the lower order batsmen sweeping singles and
doubles to build the score.
Spinner Perera took a creditable 5-88 to pass 100 wickets in home Tests but
Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled in the hour they faced, and an England victory
inside four days looks near certain.
Moeen Ali opened the bowling for England and took openers Danushka
Gunathilaka for six and Dimuth Karunaratne for 23 on the spin paradise pitch.
Jack Leach claimed Dhananjaya de Silva, who failed to score, while Stuart
Broad took a brilliant catch off Stokes to end Angelo Mathews’ innings after
nine balls which produced five runs.
Buttler said after that it would be “fantastic” for England to get a rare
whitewash triumph in an overseas series.
India, whose position as number one Test nation is now at risk, did the
same in their tour of Sri Lanka last year.
England scored 336 in their first innings and Sri Lanka 240.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1917 hrs