England still have plenty to play for, insists Mark Ramprakash

Image: Nick Compton (left) walks across the field at Lord's alongside batting coach Mark Ramprakash ahead of the third Test

Mark Ramprakash believes England will still be fully motivated for this week's third and final Test against Sri Lanka despite already wrapping up the series.

England head to Lord's after claiming emphatic victories in the first two Tests but they have developed a habit in recent series of taking their foot off the gas late in a series.

Last summer, Alastair Cook's side lost the second and final Test to only draw against New Zealand - and then with the Ashes in the bag, they also came up short as Australia reduced their margin of defeat to 3-2 at The Oval.

It was then a similar story in South Africa - where the series was again won by the time England lost by 280 runs at Centurion.

However, batting coach Ramprakash does not expect England to slip up this time, especially with the added motivation of playing at Lord's.

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"A Test match at Lord's is the pinnacle of your career, or certainly one of the highlights," said Ramprakash.

"So all the players have plenty to play for individually, and that will help collectively as a team. It should come from within.

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"I hope lessons will have been learned because this group of players have come unstuck in the last Test, most recently in South Africa.

"That wasn't a good feeling, so we hope the guys will want to finish the job off this week."

Image: England won the second Test by nine wickets

Nick Compton is perhaps the player with most to gain or lose on his home ground, having admitted himself before last week's nine-wicket success at Chester-le-Street that he had to make runs to secure his Test future.

Compton mustered only nine in the first innings there but an unbeaten 22 as England cantered to victory second time round.

Ramprakash is hoping that will have boosted the No 3 batsman's confidence.

Image: Ramprakash was encouraged by Compton's knock in Durham

"I thought there were good signs at Durham," he said.

"He has something to build on - I thought he was very composed in the second innings there. I hope that will carry over into this game."

Ramprakash's thoughts were echoed by Joe Root, who has backed team-mate Compton to come good at Lord's.

"Traditionally it's a very good place to bat, it's his home ground and he has a point to prove," Root added.

"It would be great to see him put in a match-winning performance - which he's more than capable of doing."

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