Sunday 25 November 2018 19:53, UK
Collapses, costly no balls, and another England recovery – all you need to know from Sunday’s action in Colombo.
Four wickets late in the day left England just six away from victory in the third Test after setting Sri Lanka 327 to win in Colombo, writes Sam Drury.
Moeen Ali dismissed Danushka Gunathilaka Dimuth Karunaratne either side of Jack Leach removing Dhananjaya de Silva lbw, before Ben Stokes bounced out Angelo Mathews as Sri Lanka closed on 53-4 - Jos Buttler's 64 having earlier helped England to 230 in their second innings after they had slumped to 39-4.
Sri Lanka's hopes of completing Colombo's record Test run chase, topping the 326-5 they had managed against Zimbabwe in 1998, were slim enough but they are now almost kaput with the hosts closing four wickets down for just 53. The departure of Dimuth Karunaratne was the biggest blow, the opener has been Sri Lanka's best batsman over recent weeks but his series is now over after he was bowled through the gate by Moeen Ali for 17 playing for turn that never materialised.
With Keaton Jennings' four catches on day two and Kaushal Silva and Kusal Mendis' on day three, there have been six catches at short leg in this match. It is only the third match since 2006 to have featured six catches in that spot.
No balls - they twice cost Sri Lanka Ben Stokes' wicket, while a fair few others from wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan went uncalled by the umpires leaving England's healthy lead not as healthy as it should be.
Sandakan was guilty twice in three overs prior to lunch after Stokes cracked to cover and clipped to slip respectively - Stokes benefiting from his lifelines in the twenties and thirties to reach the forties and take his fifth-wicket stand with Buttler to 89 before he lashed to long-on.
Sandakan's overstepping and Dilruwan regularly pushing the line was a hot topic among our pundits. Rob Key called it "under-10s cricket", while Mahela Jayawardene urged Sri Lanka's management to "step in and say 'this is not good enough. Plus, Michael Atherton branded the errors "pathetic".
"I don't know why a spinner needs to have a fraction of his heel on or over the line," added Athers. "It's just ridiculous. And costly. It must be driving [Sri Lanka coach] Chandika Hathurusingha mad. He is a good coach and a good bloke and is trying to instil discipline."
MICHAEL ATHERTON on Jos Buttler's innings: "I like the way he has played in a completely different way. He is a smart cricketer. He immediately changed things in Kandy by going to the sweep and reverse sweep when England lost a few wickets, telling himself that was his safest option on a slow turner. In Colombo there is a bit more bounce so he is thinking the straight-bat shot is easier and the sweep more complex."
JOS BUTTLER on England wanting a whitewash: "In the build-up to the game we spoke a lot about that being the aim and I think the guys have backed that up really well with their actions. There's a really good feeling among the group, with everyone desperate to achieve that aim of 3-0."
BUTTLER on dealing with Sri Lanka's spinners: "At Kandy we were watching one of those Cricket Classics and Michael Clarke was batting and Jimmy Anderson was saying 'he used his feet nearly every ball and Graeme Swann couldn't bowl at him'. "I thought it seemed like a good way to go.
"Some days you feel confident with a different way of playing and actually using my feet today, especially with the off-spin and the angles from around the wicket, it felt like sweeping there was a risk of lbw and I'd take that out of the game by getting as far out as I could."
Watch day four of the third Test between Sri Lanka and England from 4.15am, Sunday on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event.
