Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said Pathum Nissanka had proved himself the "best batsman" in the country after the opener's superb century at The Oval helped the team end their 10-year wait for a test win over England.

Pathum Nissanka is easily one of the best batters to have come out of Sri Lanka in the recent past and he has delivered once again.

Quality 4 innings ton👏👏 pic.twitter.com/fL8hUlVZlp

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) September 9, 2024

Nissanka made 127 not out as Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 219, before lunch on the fourth day as they won the third test by eight wickets. England took the three-match series 2-1 after victories at Old Trafford (by five wickets) and Lord's (by 190 runs).

A fine knock from Pathum Nissanka gets Sri Lanka over the line in south London.

Well played, @OfficialSLC 🤝 pic.twitter.com/QXUuohIMTE

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 9, 2024

The victory was a significant moment for Sri Lanka whose last test-match win over England was a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life," said de Silva.

"We had a tough time in the last two weeks so to come here and get a win in English conditions against an English team, it is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country as well."

A maiden Test hundred in England that Pathum Nissanka will never forget 🌟#WTC25 | #ENGvSL 📝: https://t.co/hm9ewo1kmE pic.twitter.com/X3PMEMLX3W

— ICC (@ICC) September 9, 2024

The victory was a personal triumph for Nissanka, who only returned to test cricket following a two-year exile at Lord's. The 26-year-old was named player-of-the-match after also making a fine 64 in Sri Lanka's first innings at The Oval.

"The moment he came in, he proved he is the best batsman in Sri Lanka right now," said De Silva.

England captain Ollie Pope, meanwhile, admitted his side "shot ourselves in the foot" after two poor batting displays cost them the chance of a first home test sweep since 2004 after a rejuvenated team overwhelmed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season.

Pope, on his Surrey home ground, scored his first century since stepping as skipper for the injured Ben Stokes at the start of this series.

Despite his 154, England declined from 261-3 to 325 all out in their first innings. Worse followed as they were dismissed for a mere 156 in just 34 overs second time around.

- 'Weren't up to it' -

"It's been disappointing, on the third day we shot ourselves in the foot," said Pope.

"With the bat we weren't good enough and, in the second innings, we weren't up to it."

When play resumed on Monday, Sri Lanka needed only 125 more runs for victory, while England required nine wickets.

Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson showed the strain of playing six tests in a relatively short space of time, while the 20-year-old duo Josh Hull and Shoaib Bashir never threatened to derail Sri Lanka's run chase.

Atkinson, who had been carrying a quad injury, was subsequently withdrawn from the one-day squad to face Australia, with Olly Stone taking his place.

Atkinson, a 26-year-old Surrey quick, made his debut during England great James Anderson's international farewell in July and has enjoyed a sensational start to his test career, taking 34 wickets in six matches at an average of just 20.17.

Atkinson appears set for a key role during England's tour of Pakistan next month, with county colleague Pope saying: "Obviously there's a few of our guys carrying a few small injuries but credit to them on the way they fronted up and cracked on."

Joe Root, who passed the England record of 33 test centuries held by Alastair Cook with twin hundreds at Lord's, tried to put Monday's loss in context by telling the BBC: "I don't think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time.

"Coldplay can't be No 1 every week."

Pathum Nissanka's superb unbeaten century guided Sri Lanka to an ultimately commanding eight-wicket win at The Oval on Monday as they ended a decade-long wait for a test-match victory in England.

Sri Lanka, set a target of 219, reached that total for the loss of two wickets before lunch on the fourth day, with Nissanka 127 not out and Angelo Mathews 32 not out in an unbroken stand of 111.

Victory gave Sri Lanka just a fourth test win in England and first since a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.

England, however, took this three-match series 2-1 after wins at Old Trafford (five wickets) and Lord's (190 runs).

But defeat meant England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, failed to achieve a first home campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

Nissanka, named player-of-the-match after also making 64 in the first innings, told Sky Sports: "It was a great opportunity to play in England and I enjoyed that innings."

"I just wanted to play my normal game and I have done that," added the opener, who spent two years out of the test side.

And for Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva, there was no doubting the significance of leading his country to only their fourth win in 21 tests in England.

1998 🤝 2024

Two Tests at The Oval, two unforgettable wins for Sri Lanka 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lSfpziwxeI

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2024

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life," said De Silva.

"We had a tough time in the last two weeks so to come here and get a win in English conditions against an English team, it is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country as well."

Sri Lanka resumed on 94-1, already well-placed to end a run of seven straight test defeats by England.

Nissanka, recalled at Lord's, was 53 not out and Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 30.

Mendis, however, had added just nine runs to his score when he hooked a Gus Atkinson bouncer to fine leg where Shoaib Bashir, doing well to sight the ball on a gloomy morning, held an excellent low catch diving to his left.

Sri Lanka were now 108-2 as Mathews, who made a brilliant 160 in their Headingley success a decade ago, walked in to bat.

England captain Ollie Pope, with Sri Lanka making good progress against the quicks at 137-2, brought on offspinner Bashir.

Bashir, however, promptly conceded 10 runs in an over, Nissanka pulling a dragged down ball to square leg and Mathews sweeping another four.

The diminutive Nissanka's punched three off Atkinson through point saw the 26-year-old complete an excellent 107-ball hundred including 11 fours.

And having reached the landmark, Nissanka hooked fast bowler Olly Stone for two sixes.

Pathum Nissanka hits the winning runs, Sri Lanka stun England with a famous victory at The Oval! 🇱🇰 #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/omRwq9XsxE

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2024

Nissanka ended the match by cutting Bashir for four, having already surpassed his previous highest test score of 103 against the West Indies at North Sound in 2021.

ENGLAND 'SHOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT'

England squandered several strong positions, including collapsing from 261-3 to 325 all out in their first innings despite 154 from Pope – his first century since stepping in for the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

They also allowed Sri Lanka to recover from 93-5 to 263 in reply, with Pope deploying an all-spin attack after tea on a gloomy second day.

England led by 62 runs on first innings.

But their top-order batted as if they had double that lead second time around, with England collapsing spectacularly to 82-7 before being dismissed for 156 in just 34 overs on Sunday.

Lahiru Kumara took 4-21 and left-arm swing bowler Vishwa Fernando 3-40 including the prize scalp of Joe Root for just 12.

Only wicketkeeper Jamie Smith's counter-attacking 67 off 50 balls, including 10 fours and a six, ensured Sri Lanka were chasing more than 200 for victory.

"It's disappointing not to be on the right side of the result," said Pope. "Day three (Sunday), we probably shot ourselves in the foot a little bit.

"We weren't at our best and credit to Sri Lanka. The way Nissanka played was high-class and they deserved to win this test."

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

Jamie Smith's dashing 67 in the third test against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Sunday sparked memories of Australia great Adam Gilchrist for England assistant coach Paul Collingwood on what was an otherwise chastening day for the home side.

England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series, suffered a dramatic top-order collapse as they slumped to 82-7 on the third day.

Wicketkeeper Smith's outstanding 50-ball display, including 10 fours and a six, on his Surrey home ground helped them recover to 156 all out in their second innings.

100% reason to remember the name. pic.twitter.com/mRNSESi5wZ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2024

That left Sri Lanka chasing 219 to win their first test match in England in a decade and at stumps they were well on their way at 94-1, with Pathum Nissanka 53 not out – the opener's second half-century of the match.

Had it not been for the 24-year-old Smith, who has now scored three fifties and a hundred in six tests, since making his England debut in July, Sri Lanka might already be on the brink of victory.

Former England allrounder Collingwood played against Gilchrist, an outstanding wicketkeeper-batsman renowned for his dynamic run-scoring down the order. He now sees some of the same qualities in rising star Smith.

"He (Smith) is certainly an entertainer," Collingwood told reporters after stumps.

"You go back to the days of Adam Gilchrist when he came in at seven for Australia.

"He (Smith) is going to put a lot of teams under pressure when you have the skills and the power he has.

"It sucks the life out of the opposition when someone has the ability to do something like that. He's certainly shown some great skills in his short test career."

Leading the fightback! 👊 pic.twitter.com/NSB0OpDzrx

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2024

'NOT ONE OF OUR BETTER DAYS'

But there was no denying Sri Lanka were on top at the close.

"It certainly hasn't been one of our better days of test cricket this year," said Collingwood. "It's pretty easy to make the excuse and say it's complacency but there's plenty of fun and desire in there.

"We wanted a clean sweep. The lads are very proud of playing for England, so there's certainly been no complacency coming into this match. The guys in the dressing room will hold their hands up."

Collingwood, however, insisted all was not lost for England.

"We still have an opportunity to go and win the match," he said. "There's enough in the pitch to get nine wickets but we need a lot of things to go our way."

Meanwhile Sri Lanka fast-bowling coach Aaqib Javed lauded the tourists' quicks, with Lahiru Kumara taking 4-21 on Sunday and Vishwa Fernando's haul of 3-40 including the prize scalp of Joe Root, lbw for 12 to the left-armer's excellent inswinging yorker.

"If you look at the whole series, our bowlers had already done reasonably well, " said former Pakistan paceman Javed.

"This game we went for the extra seamer and that paid off...We wanted to do well away from home and the fast bowlers have stood out."

Pathum Nissanka's superb unbeaten fifty left Sri Lanka eyeing a memorable win over England as the third test at The Oval headed for a dramatic finish.

Sri Lanka were 94-1 when bad light led to an early close on Sunday's third day, needing a further 125 runs to reach a victory target of 219 that would end a run of seven successive test defeats by England.

More bad light means that's that for Day 3 🤝 pic.twitter.com/zpUP22ePdX

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2024

Dimuth Karunaratne was caught and bowled by Chris Woakes for eight when a drive ballooned off his pad.

But fellow opener Nissanka, who made 64 in Sri Lanka's first innings, was 53 not out having gone to his second fifty of the match in style when he blazed debutant left-arm quick Josh Hull through the covers for a seventh four in 42 balls faced.

The recalled Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, pounced on numerous loose deliveries during an unbeaten 30 featuring 24 runs in boundaries.

That Sri Lanka were chasing over 200 to win was mainly down to Jamie Smith's superb counter-attacking 67 that rescued England from a woeful collapse.

England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series, lost five wickets for 26 runs in slumping to 82-7.

But wicketkeeper Smith's dashing display on his Surrey home ground helped England recover to 156 all out, although they were still bowled out in a mere 34 overs.

Smith's innings left England, who routed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, with renewed hope of a first home test clean sweep since 2004.

'TRICKY SITUATION'

"It certainly hasn't been our best day of the summer," England assistant coach Paul Collingwood told the BBC after stumps.

"We've managed to find ways of getting out of tricky situations and we'll have to find a way tomorrow.

"Sri Lanka, give them full credit...They got a lot of movement and were very, very accurate with the ball."

Smith fell on the stroke of tea when he chipped Vishwa Fernando to short midwicket to end a brilliant 50-ball innings featuring 10 fours and a six.

Left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando, gaining prodigious swing, also captured the prize scalp of Joe Root for just 12 on his way to 3-40, with Lahiru Kumara enjoying a fine return of 4-21 in seven overs.

"This game we went for the extra (fourth) seamer and that paid off," Sri Lanka fast-bowling coach Aaqib Javed told reporters.

The former Pakistan fast bowler also praised Sri Lanka's quicks for finding a way to counter the England batsmen's dynamic 'Bazball' approach.

"This is what their style is, being aggressive," Javed said.

"Sometimes that puts pressure on the bowling side. The first day we didn't do well as we missed our lines. But they learned from that and bounced back. In the second innings, they showed good character."

Both opener Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, fresh from 154 in England's first innings -- his first test century since taking over as captain from the injured Ben Stokes -- fell for seven.

Dan Lawrence, a middle-order batsman by trade, had been promoted to open this series in place of the injured Zak Crawley.

Lawrence had yet to get beyond the 30s in four previous innings against Sri Lanka and it was a similar story on Sunday when a frenetic run-a-ball 35 -- England's second-top score of the innings -- ended with him caught behind off Kumara after charging down the pitch to drive.

Root's square-driven four off Vishwa Fernando took him past Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 12,400 Test runs and into sixth place in the all-time list.

Two balls later, however, Vishwa Fernando's excellent inswinging yorker struck Root on the boot and he was lbw.

Brook was also lbw to another fine inswinger from Vishwa Fernando.

Smith counter-attacked, scoring 20 runs in an over from Milan Rathnayake that featured several boundaries including a crunching pull for six.

Earlier, Olly Stone and 20-year-old quick Hull did the bulk of the damage as Sri Lanka, who resumed on 211-5, lost their last five first-innings wickets for 52 runs in 16.2 overs.

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

Michael Vaughan has warned England against "take the mick out of the game" after a careless batting display against Sri Lanka in the third test at The Oval.

England, well-placed at 221-3 come stumps on the opening day, were dismissed for 325 all out in their first innings as they lost all of their remaining seven wickets before lunch on Saturday's second day in south London.

Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down in this three-match series, then collapsed to 93-5 but reached stumps on 211-5 following an unbroken century partnership between captain Dhananjaya de Silva (64 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (54 not out).

England have become known for their aggressive 'Bazball' approach under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and currently injured captain Ben Stokes in recent years.

But Ashes-winning former England skipper Vaughan believes they got carried away on Saturday, citing a frenetic innings of 19 by Harry Brook as the worst example.

"I would ask England, 'were you on it all day like you would be against India and Australia?'," Vaughan told the BBC. "If they look themselves in the mirror and say they were I would say they are lying.

"There are cricketing gods up there and in a year's time there are tougher challenges (ahead). Just be careful, Harry Brook. He is an incredible player but don't take the mick out of the game (treat it lightly).

"England delight me a lot in the way they play, I like that they do things completely differently, but I sometimes watch and say be careful because this game has a way of biting you."

Vaughan's fellow ex-England captain Alastair Cook, a former opening batsman, was also unhappy with the way Brook approached batting when Sri Lanka set a defensive field.

"Sri Lanka bowled in the channel and he didn't like, so he was moaning to the umpire in jest that it was a bit boring and went to bat on sixth stump," said Cook. "He then hit one straight to cover.

"Rather than finding a method he was more about trying to talk about it than deal with it. England were complacent today."

Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the most outstandingly aggressive run-scorers of his generation, said there were occasions when batsmen had to change the tempo of their innings.

"He (Brook) was frustrated," Jayasuriya said. "Sometimes you have to slow it down a bit. You can't be in top gear all the time when you play this type of cricket."

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva and the in-form Kamindu Mendis frustrated England with a unbroken century partnership on the second day of the third test at The Oval on Saturday.

The tourists collapsed to 93-5 before tea, but had recovered to 211-5 when bad light forced an early close.

That left Sri Lanka 114 runs adrift of an England first-innings total of 325 built on Ollie Pope's 154 – his first century as England captain.

De Silva was 64 not out and left-handed batsman Kamindu Mendis, again down the order at No 7, 54 not out in an undefeated stand of 118 as Sri Lanka looked to salvage some pride at 2-0 behind in a three-match series.

It was a fine end to the day for Sri Lanka, who took seven wickets before lunch on Saturday to end England's innings.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis steady the ship before bad light brings an early end to the day's play.#WTC25 | 📝 #ENGvSL: https://t.co/yhXbhUGYkX pic.twitter.com/g4mHdMrhSv

— ICC (@ICC) September 7, 2024

For Mendis, currently boasting a staggeringly high test batting average of over 85, this was the seventh time in six matches at this level the 25-year-old had passed 50 – a run that also includes three centuries.

De Silva, however, should have been out for 23 but test debutant Josh Hull dropped a simple catch at mid-on, the ball bursting through the towering fast bowler's giant hands following a miscued drive offspinner Shoaib Bashir.

England, 211-3 overnight, could have batted Sri Lanka out of the game.

But an improved Sri Lanka bowling display, allied to several England batsmen giving their wickets away, helped the tourists fight back.

'CHARACTER'

"I think after what happened yesterday (Friday), we pulled ourselves back into the game," Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya told reporters after stumps.

"Getting seven wickets for about 100 runs was very good. The quicks and (offspinner) De Silva bowled well.

Jayasuriya, who scored a superb double century in Sri Lanka's 1998 test triumph at The Oval, also praised De Silva and Kamindu Mendis's batting by saying: "These guys have shown character. They know that they are the last two recognised batters"

Sri Lanka scored 69 runs without loss in 17 overs of all spin bowling after tea on Saturday, with England deciding against deploying their pacemen in case the umpires halted play for bad light even earlier than they eventually did.

England quick Olly Stone defended Pope's tactics by telling Sky Sports: "It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option.

"We thought we could take wickets with our spinners," added Stone, who had 2-28 in five overs at stumps. "But Sri Lanka played well."

Sri Lanka's innings suffered an early setback when Dimuth Karunaratne (nine) was run out by Stone's direct hit from short cover after Pathum Nissanka set off for a rash single.

Nissanka completed a fine fifty when he punched the 20-year-old Hull for four through mid-off. But the 6ft 7 inch (2 metres) tall Hull took his first test wicket by removing Nissanka for 64 when the opener's drive was well caught by a diving Chris Woakes at cover.

And 91-4 became 93-5 when Stone had Dinesh Chandimal lbw for a duck.

De Silva celebrated his reprieve by late-cutting Lawrence for four to complete an 81-ball fifty, while the stylish Kamindu Mendis reached the landmark in a mere 60 balls.

Joe Root was also given a couple of overs with his occasional off-breaks before, amid worsening natural light, play ended for the day.

Earlier, England lost their last six wickets for 35 runs after resuming on 221-3.

Pope was then 103 not out after managing a mere 30 runs in four innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

Ollie Pope smashes a rapid-fire 150 and Josh Hull takes his first Test wicket 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Catch it all in today's highlights 👇

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2024

Sri Lanka's wayward four-man pace attack had failed to make the most of overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch after De Silva won the toss.

Their performance improved markedly on Saturday, although Pope contributed to his own downfall by hooking left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando to deep square leg to end a 156-ball innings including 19 fours and two sixes.

England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season, are chasing their first home test clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out for the rest of the year following a right elbow injury, team management said on Friday.

The 34-year-old express quick had already been sidelined from the concluding two matches of England's three-test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a right thigh muscle strain while bowling in the series opener at Old Trafford.

We're backing you all the way, Woody 👊

Looking forward to the return of the rockets in 2025 🚀🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/cariGlf8bS

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 6, 2024

But Friday's statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said Wood, whose career has been blighted by injuries, had noticed increasing stiffness and discomfort in his elbow during the test series against the West Indies earlier in the season.

It added Wood had "managed the discomfort" while bowling in Manchester, where England won by five wickets in a series they are now looking to wrap up with a 3-0 clean sweep in the ongoing third test at The Oval.

Gutting news 💔

Mark Wood has been ruled out for the rest of the year following a right elbow injury.

Back stronger, Woody 💪

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 6, 2024

The Durham paceman, who will continue to work closely with the ECB medical team on his management and rehabilitation, will now miss England's upcoming three-test tours of both Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December.

The ECB said Wood aims to return to full fitness by early 2025, in time for England's white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled to begin in February 2025.

Ollie Pope returned to form on his Oval home ground with a first hundred as England captain on Friday's opening day of the third test against Sri Lanka.

Pope had managed a mere 30 runs in four previous innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

But when bad light ended play for the day, Pope was a run-a-ball 103 not out, with England well-placed on 221-3.

A Test match century as England captain! 🥳

Well batted, Ollie Pope 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ccOTSmoPvf

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 6, 2024

Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down in this three-match series, failed to make the most of overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch after captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss.

And England should arguably have had two century-makers on Friday with opener Ben Duckett, not for the first time, giving his wicket away after making 86.

Duckett praised his skipper for ignoring the comments from the likes of former England captain Michael Vaughan, who questioned whether Pope could cope with the competing demands of leadership and batting at No 3.

"It shouldn't be the case but there has been quite a lot of noise around Popey in the last couple of weeks," Duckett told reporters after stumps.

"To block that out and score an incredible hundred was so good," he added following Pope's 12th first-class hundred on his Surrey home ground.

A rare bright spot for struggling Sri Lanka was the dismissal of Joe Root for 13 shortly before tea.

Root was fresh from two hundreds in a 190-run win at Lord's where he set a new England record of 34 test centuries.

England, who swept the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season are chasing their first home test campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

Duckett was soon into his stride, with the left-hander cover-driving fours off successive Milan Rathnayake deliveries.

'MISSED OUT'

It was a different story for makeshift opener Dan Lawrence, a middle-order batsman by trade.

Lawrence was forced to face the new ball this series in the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.

He had made just five when he got in a tangle against a short-pitched Lahiru Kumara delivery and top-edged a simple catch to gully.

No 3 Pope got off the mark in style by cutting a loose ball from fast bowler Rathnayake for four and he also hooked a six off Lahiru Kumara.

The 29-year-old Duckett completed a speedy fifty off just 48 balls, including seven fours.

Even with the floodlights on, the umpires decided it was too dangerous to continue and stopped play for bad light, with England 76-1 off 15 overs. Rain then fell as well and the match did not resume until 1410 GMT.

It was not long before Duckett ramped Kumara for six over fine leg and uppercut him high over third ma, with all of Sri Lanka's four-man pace attack struggling to maintain a challenging line and length.

But Duckett, in sight of just his fourth century in 26 tests, was out when he miscued an extravagant scoop off Rathnayake to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

"When you play like that for a period you can't really kick yourself but I've obviously missed out on a test hundred there," said Duckett.

"It might be a learning day for me but it's a shot I've been thinking of playing in test cricket for a long time. It felt like the right option."

The 26-year-old Pope was fortunate with a top-edged six off Kumara but the persevering paceman did have Root hooking to fine leg, where Vishwa Fernando held onto the catch despite slipping on the wet turf.

Surrey favourite Pope, 84 not out at tea, went to his first test hundred at the Oval, when he stylishly square-drove Asitha Fernando for his 13th four in 102 balls, also including two sixes.

In the process Pope, playing his 49th match at this level, became the first player to score his first seven test centuries against different teams.

The reaction from the dressing room says it all 🥰 pic.twitter.com/v4fUiyowTz

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 6, 2024

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

Sri Lanka's in-form Kamindu Mendis is set to stay at No 7 in the batting order as his side try to avoid a 3-0 series whitewash by England.

The visitors head into the third test at The Oval starting on Friday already 2-0 down in the series after last week's 190-run loss to England at Lord's, which followed a five-wicket defeat at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old Kamindu Mendis, however, has been a shining light for Sri Lanka, topping their series batting averages with 203 runs, including a century in Manchester, at an impressive average of more than 50.

Initially best known as an ambidextrous spin bowler, the left-handed batsman has now scored three hundreds in his five tests.

Against England he has generally been batting down the order and, despite the struggles of Sri Lanka's specialist batsmen, is likely to stay there.

"If he is scoring runs there, let him score runs at No 7," Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said at The Oval on Thursday.

"We should not upset his momentum as well.

"That would be a tough call for him, to ask him to bat early. If he gets out early, the blame will come on me.

"He is doing well at No 7. For now let him play at No 7."

'AWESOME'

The series may be lost but De Silva said victory, which would end a run of seven straight test defeats by England, would still be valuable.

"Winning a test match will be awesome," he explained. "The main thing is we need points for the World Test Championship."

De Silva was speaking before Sri Lanka named their side for the match, with two changes from the team that played across London at Lord's.

Kusal Mendis returns as a No 3 batsman after Nishan Madushka, who had the tough dual role of opener and wicketkeeper in the second test, was dropped.

It had been thought Kusal Mendis would also keep wicket but Sri Lanka confirmed later Thursday that Dinesh Chandimal, who kept in the second innings at Lord's after his thumb injury meant Madushka initially took over the gloves, would remain behind the stumps.

Meanwhile, left-arm paceman Vishwa Fernando was recalled in place of left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya as Sri Lanka opted for a four-man seam attack.

"If there is left-arm variety, that's great," said De Silva. "It will be handy for the attack. Vishwa has some experience here (playing for Yorkshire)."

England will also have a left-arm quick in their side, with towering 20-year-old Josh Hull given a test debut.

The 6 feet, 7 inches (2 metres) tall Hull replaces Matthew Potts despite having taken just 16 wickets in 10 first-class matches.

Sri Lanka came across Hull in their lone warm-up match against the second-string England Lions last month, with the rookie quick taking five wickets.

"He was good," said De Silva. "Tall, quick and swinging the ball both ways."

Sri Lanka team: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

Leicestershire seamer Josh Hull will make his England debut in the third test against Sri Lanka starting on Friday.

The 20-year-old left-armer replaces Matthew Potts for the final game of the series at The Oval, with England 2-0 up.

Hull, who only made his first-class debut last year, was added to the squad ahead of the second test following an injury to Mark Wood.

England: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir

England stand-in captain Ollie Pope said he had been surprised by the meagre attendance at Lord's on Sunday as his side wrapped up a convincing series victory over Sri Lanka.

While the opening three days of the match saw the ground close to its 31 000 capacity, only some 9 000 spectators were present as England completed a 190-run win after tea on the fourth day of the second test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match contest.

Large crowds for tests have long been taken for granted at Lord's, which styles itself as the 'Home of Cricket'.

The cost of tickets may have been an issue, however, with the cheapest price for adults on Sunday morning starting at £95 ($125) – although Under-16s were admitted for £15.

England's encounter with the West Indies at Lord's in July, part of a 3-0 whitewash of the Caribbean side, was all over inside three days and that may have had an impact on advance fourth-day sales as well.

The lack of spectators was certainly noticed by Pope.

"It was kind of weird," he said. "I think a few of us have been strolling in each day and it was just like 'jeez, it seems quiet today'. I'm not sure if people expected the game to be done by day four or not."

- 'Smashed it' -

On the field, Gus Atkinson extended his Lord's love affair with a five-wicket haul on Sunday after the fast bowler scored his maiden first-class hundred in England's first innings,

The 26-year-old also took 12 wickets on his test debut, against the West Indies at Lord's in July.

"He's smashed it so far in his test career," said Pope of Surrey teammate Atkinson. "I'm sure he's just going to keep developing and get better and better as a test bowler."

Joe Root's twin hundreds in this match meant he set a new England record of 34 centuries in a test career, but Pope has yet to reach 20 in four innings since taking charge this series in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes. .

"I'm not going to put down my average shots to the fact that I was captain this week," said Pope ahead of a third test at his Oval home ground starting Friday.

Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, who made one of three fifties for the tourists on Sunday along with Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne, admitted he had erred in opting to field first after winning the toss.

De Silva's decision was compounded by Sri Lanka only managing 196 in reply to England's first-innings 427.

"We need to do well in the first innings – a minimum of 320 is a must," he said.

But with England 216-6 in their first innings, Sri Lanka were in the game only for Root and Atkinson to regain the initiative for the hosts.

"Once the ball had got soft, Joe Root smartly started rotating the strike and put the loose ball away to the boundary," said De Silva. "We lost the grip of the game after that."

It is rare a player scores a century in both innings but fails to win the man-of-the-match award, but that is the fate that befell Joe Root as he ceded the honour to allrounder Gus Atkinson as England swept aside Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Atkinson became only the third man to bag five wickets in an innings and score a century in the same Lord's test, following India's Vinoo Mankad in 1952 and Ian Botham for England against Pakistan in 1978.

"I couldn't have asked for much more, to get on both honours boards is incredible and it'll take a bit of time to sink in," Atkinson said after helping England to a 190-run win that gave his side a 2-0 lead in the three test series.

"It’s great to be able to attack and not worry about runs. Physically it can be demanding, being aggressive every over, but I’m enjoying it very much," Atkinson said.

 

Tony Greig
Ian Botham (five times)
GUS ATKINSON

Atkinson becomes just the third England player to take a five-for and score a century in the same men’s test 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VD5kkDc6z0

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 1, 2024

 

England captain Ollie Pope said Atkinson's ability to bowl near the 90 miles per hour mark while offering swing and seam made him a dangerous bowler, and backed him to keep developing.

 

"He is quick, and seaming the ball both ways, so it's a pretty good headache for the batsman," Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya Da Silva told reporters about facing Atkinson.

Atkinson's rise has come at a crucial moment for England, following the successive retirements of their all-time greatest wicket taker Jimmy Anderson and his chief strike partner over the years, Stuart Broad.

Gus Atkinson took five wickets to get himself on the Lord's honours board for the second time in the match as England sealed a comprehensive 190-run win over Sri Lanka on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-test series.

England' newest superstar followed his swashbuckling first innings century with figures of 5-62 in Sri Lanka's second as the visitors ultimately crumbled to 292 all out despite a spirited counterattack on the fourth day.

Set a massive 483 to win and resuming on 53-2 overnight, Sri Lanka's task looked all but impossible. Their approach was to ignore the match situation and attack, ensuring a steady flow of wickets and boundaries over the course of a fourth day that at times resembled a limited-overs contest.

Tony Greig
Ian Botham (five times)
GUS ATKINSON

Atkinson becomes just the third England player to take a five-for and score a century in the same men’s Test 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VD5kkDc6z0

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 1, 2024

The morning session cost the visitors only nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya (4) and Dimuth Karunaratne (55). Karunaratne made the first half century by an opener in the series, striking Atkinson for three fours in one over before fending a lifter from Olly Stone through to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Angelo Mathews (36) had looked typically assured after the lunch interval before chipping a catch to Chris Woakes at mid on from the bowling of Shoaib Bashir.

England's new frontline spinner had endured a tricky start to the day, leaking boundaries as Sri Lanka tried to hit him out of the attack.

Two Tests at Lord's, two Player of the Match awards for Gus Atkinson!

His unbelievable century and five-wicket haul trump Joe Root's twin tons 🏅 #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/zS3TmW3y1G

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 1, 2024

At the other end of his career, the 35-year-old Woakes was typically metronomic on his favourite hunting ground, sending down seven maiden overs to give England a measure of control.

Dinesh Chandimal (58) appeared to be next out, trapped lbw by Woakes having raced to a half century off just 42 balls, but a review showed the thinnest of edges. He went soon after, caught by Dan Lawrence at short leg as a thick edge from an Atkinson rocket ballooned off the pad.

One strange subplot of the series has been Sri Lanka's refusal to promote their most effective batsman so far, Kamindu Mendis, up the order.

He came to the crease with little chance of affecting the result at 192-6. A star in the making with an astonishing average of 92 in his four-test career thus far, he for once failed, slashing Atkinson to Ben Duckett in the slips to depart for just four as England broke through to the tail.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva (50) and Milan Rathnayake (43) then cut and hooked England's short ball barrage on their way to a punchy eighth-wicket stand of 73.

That was as good as it got for Sri Lanka however, as Rathnayake swung once too often at a short ball to give Atkinson his fifth before Woakes induced Lahiru Kumara to sky one and end proceedings.

The home side's commanding position in the match had been built on back-to-back centuries by Joe Root, who became the country's all-time top scorer of hundreds in tests with his 34th in the second innings.

One sore point for the game's administrators was the somewhat sparse crowd, with Lord's only half full to see England close in on a series victory in the September sunshine.

The third and final test of the Sri Lanka series starts on September 6 at The Oval, with the visitors hoping to avoid a 3-0 whitewash.

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir.

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka(wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.

Joe Root set an England record of 34 test centuries as Sri Lanka were left with a mammoth chase to win the second test at Lord's on Saturday.

Root's 103, the star batsman's second hundred of the match after he made 143 in the first innings, took England to a second-innings total of 251 all out on the third day.

That left Sri Lanka needing 483 to level this three-test series at 1-1 following England's five-wicket win at Old Trafford last week.

Root was last man out after edging ahead of retired England opener Alastair Cook's mark of 33 test centuries.

Alastair Cook hails Joe Root as England's greatest 🐐 pic.twitter.com/dCAqdvigkE

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 31, 2024

And having made the quickest century of his 145-test career, off just 111 balls, the 33-year-old Root then held two catches at first slip before bad light ended play for the day.

Sri Lanka were 53 for two at stumps, needing 430 more runs for what would be an astounding win.

His seventh test hundred at Lord's gave Root sole possession of the record for the most test centuries at the 'Home of Cricket' he had shared with his fellow former England captains Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan.

It was also the first time Root had made hundreds in both innings of the same test, with the Yorkshireman joining the West Indies' George Headley, Gooch and Vaughan as the only batsmen to have achieved that feat at Lord's.

England resumed on 25 for one, already 256 runs ahead, after dismissing Sri Lanka for 196 in reply to their first-innings 427.

POPE FALLS CHEAPLY AGAIN

Ollie Pope, two not out overnight, ended a run of three single-figure scores since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as England captain at the start of this series.

But Pope, who prior to this match had spoken about the difficulties of balancing the responsibility of captaincy with his role as a No 3 batsman, gave his wicket away on 17.

Asitha Fernando dropped short and Pope backed away, only for his square slash to fly straight to Prabath Jayasuriya at deep point.

JOE ROOT, INCREDIBLE!

TWO HUNDREDS IN A TEST FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER! 👏 #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/vkIDx8KPFM

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 31, 2024

England, who have won their last six tests against Sri Lanka, were now 69-3 but led by exactly 300 runs.

Harry Brook should have been out for nine when he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Jayasuriya only for Nishan Madushka to drop a routine catch.

Jayasuriya did dismiss Brook for 37, with Madushka making no mistake at deep midwicket, and had Jamie Smith lbw for 26 after the wicketkeeper missed a sweep.

The serene Root, however, twice swept and then reverse-swept Jayasuriya for three fours in an over.

After Gus Atkinson, fresh from his maiden first-class century of 118 in the first innings, and Matthew Potts both fell in quick succession, Root – then 88 not out – risked running out of partners before he reached three figures.

But Olly Stone held firm, with an elated Root going to his hundred when he cut Lahiru Kumara for a 10th four before he holed out off the paceman.

That left Sri Lanka needing to make history of their own, with the highest fourth-innings total to win a match in 147 years of test history the West Indies' 418 for seven against Australia at St John's in 2002-03, and the corresponding record at Lord's the West Indies' 344 for one against England in 1984.

Even with the floodlights on, the increasingly gloomy conditions made batting difficult and Pope deployed frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir and Root's part-time off-breaks in a bid to stop the match being halted for bad light.

But the umpires did let England's quicks bowl as Atkinson had Madushka (13) edging to Root before the injury-plagued Stone, in his first test for three years, removed Pathum Nissanka (14) in similar fashion.

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir.

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka(wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.

Gus Atkinson scored a dashing maiden century before England strengthened their grip on the second test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Friday.

Atkinson's sparkling 118 helped take England to 427 all out in their first innings after Joe Root had made a masterful 143 on Thursday to equal the England record of 33 test hundreds held by Alastair Cook.

Sri Lanka then collapsed to 87-6 on the second day.

But Kamindu Mendis, fresh from a fine 113 in Sri Lanka's five-wicket loss in the first test at Old Trafford, made an admirable 74 to prevent complete humiliation before he was last man out in a total of 196.

All of England's pace attack took two wickets each, Matthew Potts returning figures of 2-19 in 11 overs and Chris Woakes 2-21 in 13.

Sri Lanka were 231 runs behind but stand-in England captain Ollie Pope did not enforce the follow-on, with the hosts 25-1 in their second innings at stumps – an overall lead of 256 as they looked to go 2-0 up in a three-match series.

Another delightful day at Lord's 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Yt1t79Cxto

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

Ben Duckett was 15 not out with Pope, having managed just three single figure scores since replacing the injured Ben Stokes as skipper, two not out after deciding against shielding himself from the new ball with a nightwatchman.

ATKINSON'S LORD'S LOVE AFFAIR

But the day belonged to Atkinson as he cemented his love affair with Lord's.

"Incredible, it was very surreal, I don't think it has sunk in yet," Atkinson told Sky Sports as he reflected on his century

"To be out there and score a hundred. I didn't ever think I would be on the Lord's honours board for batting so yeah, a pretty cool day."

He added: "I have had a pretty terrible year with Surrey for the bat so to come here and have a test hundred is special."

The 26-year-old, whose previous highest first-class score was 91 for Surrey against a Sri Lanka Development XI in 2022, only made his test debut against the West Indies, also at Lord's, last month.

Atkinson marked that occasion with 12 wickets (7-45 and 5-61) to etch his name on the famed Lord's dressing room honours boards reserved for bowlers who take five or more wickets in a test innings and 10 or more in a match.

Few would have backed Atkinson to get on the equivalent honours board recognising those who score test hundreds at the 'Home of Cricket' – a feat that proved beyond such star batsmen as India's Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies' Brian Lara and Australia's Ricky Ponting.

Atkinson was 74 not out overnight in a Thursday stumps total of 358-7.

No 8 Atkinson carried on from where 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.

But to the third he was given out lbw, only for Australian umpire Paul Reiffel's decision to be reversed by a review indicating the ball would have missed leg stump.

Atkinson went to his century in storybook fashion, driving Kumara down the ground into the pavilion for another four – his 11th in a century completed in just 103 balls and also featuring four sixes.

The smile from Gus Atkinson says it all 😁 pic.twitter.com/gn7eQDvi0S

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

A spectacular innings came to a spectacular end when Atkinson mistimed a pull off an Asitha Fernando bouncer and was brilliantly caught by a diving Milan Rathnayake as he launched himself towards the rope.

Atkinson walked off to a rousing reception, having faced just 115 balls.

A sensational catch marks the end of a brilliant innings 🤯

Well batted, Gus 🫡 pic.twitter.com/tVX53BZdT1

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

Fernando ended the innings by dismissing Olly Stone to secure his place on the honours boards with a return of 5-102 in 21 overs.

Sri Lanka openers Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne then both played on for seven before wickets continued to tumble.

But in-form left-hander Mendis, 25, again batting curiously low in the order at No 7, hit back.

He hooked three sixes off the injury-plagued Stone, playing his first test in three years, with the last hitting an MCC member in the pavilion on the head after the ball burst through his hands as he attempted a catch.

A member of the Marylebone Cricket Club was struck in the head in the Lord’s pavilion by a six hit by Sri Lanka batsman Kamindu Mendis. The MCC member attempted to catch the ball, but was unable to do so with it bursting through his hands and striking him in the head.🥴Ouch!" pic.twitter.com/YCsahiIMtx

— Sumner (@renmusb1) August 30, 2024

Paramedics checked on the spectator, who appeared to be fine, before Mendis enquired about his health when returning to the pavilion after he holed out off Atkinson.

---

ENGLAND: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir.

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka(wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.

Joe Root scored a record-equalling 33rd test hundred as England established a strong position against Sri Lanka on the first day of the second test at Lord's on Thursday.

England, 42-2 when Root came in to bat, reached stumps on 358-7, with the star batsman having made 143 – his sixth test century at the 'Home of Cricket'.

Root moves ahead of his Fab Four contemporaries 💪 pic.twitter.com/F3M1A73YMt

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 29, 2024

No other England top-order batsman made more than Ben Duckett's 40.

But fast bowler Gus Atkinson was 74 not out at the close – his maiden test fifty in just five matches at this level – after providing Root with excellent support in a seventh-wicket stand of 92 in 19 overs.

"I think we have had a really good day," Root told Sky Sports. "Hopefully we can carry that on now and over 400 would be a really good total."

Root's 206-ball innings saw him equal the England record of 33 test hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook.

"I had to be quite patient and they bowled well for periods of time," said Root, who made his test debut in 2012.

'GOOD BALANCE'

Long freed from the burden of captaining England, he added: "I am very much in a really good place at the minute, I am really enjoying everything, I have got a good balance of things."

All of Sri Lanka's pace trio took two wickets on Thursday, with Lahiru Kumara leading the way with 2-75 in 20 overs after being recalled in place of Vishwa Fernando following England's five-wicket win in last week's first test at Old Trafford.

Sri Lanka fast-bowling coach Aaqib Javed praised the seamers' efforts, while being disappointed that England had recovered from 216-6.

But the former Pakistan paceman Javed lauded Kumara by saying: "He bowled 90 mph (145 kmh) and that's what you want from a fast bowler. It was pleasing to see."

Earlier, Ollie Pope was out in single figures for his third successive innings as England's stand-in captain, with Sri Lanka taking three wickets before lunch after winning the toss.

Despite the sunny conditions, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva decided to field first, with his side looking to level this three-match series at 1-1 following England's five-wicket win in the first test at Old Trafford last week.

It looked a questionable move when left-handed opener Duckett scored three fours in an over off Asitha Fernando.

But makeshift opener Dan Lawrence fell for nine when caught behind off Lahiru Kumara, recalled in place of Vishwa Fernando.

Pope, twice out for six at Old Trafford in his debut match as England skipper in place of the still-injured Ben Stokes, had made just one when he top-edged a pull off paceman Fernando and De Silva held a well-judged catch as he ran back from square leg.

Not for the first time in his long England career, the 33-year-old Root came in with the innings in the balance.

He was on 11 when rapped on the pad by a full-length Kumara delivery to spark a raucous lbw appeal.

Paul Reiffel ruled not out, with Sri Lanka's review seeing the decision upheld on umpire's call.

But no reviews were needed when left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya struck with just his fourth ball, Duckett top-edging a reverse scoop to Kumara on the point boundary as his 47-ball 40 came to a disappointing end.

Former captain Root took guard fresh from his match-clinching 62 not out at Old Trafford, with England faltering at 97-3 come lunch at Lord's.

Root shared stands of 48 and 62 with Harry Brook (33) and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (21), who scored his maiden test century at Old Trafford.

Chris Woakes, however, carelessly pulled Fernando straight to long leg on six to leave England 216-6.

Root, 81 not out at tea, spent 12 balls on 99 and the 33-year-old almost played onto Kumara when one run shy of a century.

But Root, opening the face, elegantly guided the paceman for four between slip and gully to complete a hundred, his sixth in tests at Lord's, with his 13th four in 162 balls faced.

Joe root scoring a 33rd test hundred in the ongoing 2nd test match? who says no! #ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/ncOGitBHsj

— Kakarot (@sa___heem) August 29, 2024

That meant Root drew level with fellow former England captain Cook's record of 33 test centuries, but in his 145th match compared to the retired opener's career tally of 161 games at this level.

By reaching three figures, Root moved into joint-tenth place in an all-time list of test century-makers headed by India's Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 51 hundreds in 200 tests.

But Root, who made his test debut in 2012, is the only active cricketer in this elite group, with all the others now retired from international duty.

Having batted in largely classical fashion, Root was out when he skyed an unorthodox ramp off fast bowler Milan Rathnayake to Pathum Nissanka at point, with England then 308-7.

But Atkinson, who drove Jayasuriya for two superb straight sixes, went to fifty in just 61 balls when he cover-drove Rathnayake for a textbook four.

And the 26-year-old took a toll of the new ball too, pulling Kumara for six over midwicket.

---

England: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka(wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara

Joe Root equalled the England record of 33 test centuries held by Alastair Cook when he reached three figures on the first day of the second test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Thursday.

Root, 81 not out at tea, spent 12 balls on 99 and one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation almost played onto Lahiru Kumara when one run shy of a century.

But Root, opening the face, elegantly guided the paceman for four between slip and gully to complete a hundred with his 13th four in 162 balls faced.

A point to the sky. A kiss of the badge. ANOTHER Joe Root century. pic.twitter.com/9fIm1CsS8e

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 29, 2024

He was eventually out for 143, his sixth test century at Lord's, when he miscued a reverse scoop off fast bowler Milan Rathnayake high to Pathum Nissanka at point, with England then 308-7.

By then, Root had drawn level with fellow former England captain Cook's record of 33 test centuries, but in his 145th match compared to the retired opener's career tally of 161 tests.

It also took the 33-year-old Root into joint-tenth place in an all-time list of test century-makers headed by India great Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 51 hundreds in 200 tests from 1989-2013.

Significantly, the 33-year-old Root is the only batsman in this group who is still an active cricketer, with all the others retired from test duty.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ROOOOOOOOOT! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

💯 Thirty-three Test hundreds
⬆️ Joint most England Test centuries
🌍 The world's top-ranked men's Test batter
👀 Closing in on the most Test runs for England

Joe Root, you are 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Q4OEnApIVR

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 29, 2024

MOST TEST HUNDRES (number of hundreds, matches, player, team (s), span):

51 200 Sachin Tendulkar     IND      1989-2013

45 166 Jacques Kallis       RSA      1995-2013

41 168 Ricky Ponting        AUS      1995-2012

38 134 Kumar Sangakkara     SRI      2000-2015

36 164 Rahul Dravid         IND/ICC  1996-2012

34 118 Younis Khan          PAK      2000-2017

34 125 Sunil Gavaskar       IND      1971-1987

34 131 Brian Lara           WIS/ICC  1990-2006

34 149 Mahela Jayawardene   SRI      1997-2014

33 145 Joe Root             ENG      2012 -

33 161 Alastair Cook        ENG      2006-2018

Ollie Pope has asked Joe Root for guidance on how best to balance the demands of batting and captaincy after an awkward first outing as stand-in England skipper against Sri Lanka.

Pope, in the first of three matches deputising for the injured Ben Stokes, led England to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last week as they went 1-0 up with two tests to play.

Nevertheless, No 3 batsman Pope was himself twice out for six in Manchester – the second time to an ill-judged reverse sweep.

While Stokes may be absent, the England team still features star batsman Root, who led England in a record 64 tests from 2017-2022.

Significantly, the 33-year-old Yorkshireman scored 14 hundreds during his period in charge of what was often a struggling side.

Now, as England head into the second test against Sri Lanka at Lord's starting on Thursday, it is no surprise Pope has turned to Root for advice on how to be an effective batsman while captaining England.

"I really enjoyed the week," Pope told a pre-match press conference at Lord's on Wednesday. "The runs didn't translate for me but hopefully over the next two weeks, I can put aside my captaining when it's time to bat and focus on my batting.

"It's about having the two things separate. That's something I've spoken to Joe Root about. We just spoke about how it's more taxing in the field but it's finding a little routine and doing small things."

Five years on from his debut, Olly Stone is back at Lord's and ready to go 👊

🎙️ @OllyStone2 #EnglandCricket | @OfficialSLC pic.twitter.com/UsAr2DXWCt

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 28, 2024

GREAT CRICKET BRAIN

He added: "It's just finding a way to compartmentalise. Chatting to Rooty, he's obviously got a great cricket brain and is England's best batter, so we just bounced a few ideas off each other."

Since Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces, England have become known for their aggressive approach, particularly when batting.

But Root showed there was more than one way to win as his unbeaten 62 off 128 balls – featuring just two boundaries – anchored England's successful chase of 205 against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford on a slow pitch.

"We don't use the term 'Bazball' but we played a different style of cricket (at Old Trafford) and that's something that can keep taking us forward as a team," said Pope.

"When we can be ruthless, we've got to try and be ruthless just to win as many games as possible," the 26-year-old Surrey batsman added.

All eyes on series victory 👊

📍 Lord's Cricket Ground pic.twitter.com/cF7NRUQqdZ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 28, 2024

Stokes has been batting in the nets but is still a way off a return to competitive action following the hamstring tear he suffered earlier this month in The Hundred.

But Pope, whose England side for the second test shows just one change with Olly Stone replacing injured express quick Mark Wood, believes Stokes will be fit for the post-season tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

"Injuries are never ideal but they're also great chances for people to keep improving their game and a have a bit of time for reflection and think about what they can work on," said Pope.

"I'm sure that's exactly what he's doing in the nets. Going into that Pakistan series and then New Zealand he's going to be as fresh as anyone."

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva hopes his side can climb up the World Test Championship (WTC) table as they go in search of a maiden win in the five-day format at Lord's this week.

The tourists pushed England hard before losing last week's first test at Old Trafford by five wickets.

That defeat has left them needing to win at Lord's, where they have drawn six and lost two of their previous eight tests, if they are to level this three-match series at 1-1 and turn next month's finale across London at The Oval into a decider.

De Silva is also conscious of Sri Lanka's position in the WTC table, where his side are currently fifth – one place below England.

"It is all about getting a test win," he told a pre-match press conference at Lord's on Wednesday.

"It will mean a lot for the country. But more importantly we need to get points in the World Test Championship.

"We are more confident heading into this game. We were confident at Old Trafford as well but we failed to deliver. We have to be clear with our plans and execute them well."

NISSANKA AND KUMARA RECALLED

Sri Lanka have made two changes to their side.

Pathum Nissanka, who has enjoyed one-day international success this year but last played a test match in 2022, replaces Kusal Mendis in the top order and paceman Lahiru Kumara comes in for left-armer Vishwa Fernando.

"Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment," said De Silva. "He has a good mindset and he has a good technique."

Dinesh Chandimal, who made an impressive second-innings 79 at Old Trafford has been included despite suffering a painful blow to the thumb while batting against express quick Mark Wood, but he may not keep wicket with Nishan Madushka on standby to take over behind the stumps.

England will be without the injured Wood at Lord's, but De Silva said new-ball spearhead Chris Woakes was proving tougher to face for Sri Lanka's batsmen.

"I am not concerned about the speed," the 32-year-old middle-order batsman explained. "Speed is not troubling us. It is the line and length that's troubling us. Chris Woakes is able to bowl 20 to 30 balls at one area and that's what is troubling us."

But one Sri Lanka batsman who arrives at Lord's very much in form is Kamindu Mendis.

The left-hander scored his third hundred in just four tests with an excellent 113 at Old Trafford to leave him with a supremely high average of 92.16 ahead of fulfilling a childhood ambition by playing at Lord's.

"It was a dream to play at Lord's when I was a boy," said the 25-year-old Mendis. "I'm excited to play here."

Sri Lanka team for second test: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka (wkt), Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake

Fast bowler Olly Stone will replace the injured Mark Wood in the England team to play Sri Lanka in the second test at Lord's, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.

Wood injured his thigh during the first test and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.

The 30-year-old Stone, who has made three test appearances in an injury-plagued career, will play in his first test since June 2021.

England lead the three-match series after their five-wicket win at Old Trafford. The second test starts on Thursday.

TEAM: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir.