Sri Lanka fights back after Bairstow 167
Sri Lanka’s top order did well to keep the England bowlers at bay in the final session of the second day at Lord’s on Friday (June 10). When the stumps were drawn, Sri Lanka was 162 for 1, a deficit of 254, after Jonathan Bairstow helped England post 416 in the first innings.
Kaushal Silva (79 not out) and Kusal Mendis (25 not out) will resume Day 3 for England.
In the morning, a 144-run stand for the seventh wicket between Bairstow and Chris Woakes propelled England after it resumed the day at 279 for 6. Woakes scored his maiden Test half-century, while Bairstow ended unbeaten on his Test-best score of 167.
However, the Sri Lankan openers came out fighting thereafter, as Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne put on a 108-run stand for the opening wicket. Karunaratne should have been dismissed for 28 when he edged Woakes, only for Bairstow to drop a regulation catch. That proved a costly mistake as Karunaratne cashed in and, at one point, struck Jimmy Anderson for three fours in as many balls.
He went on to complete a 95-ball 50 before he was dismissed, Bairstow doing well this time to hold on to a leg-glance off Steven Finn. However, Silva carried on with Mendis for company. He brought up the 150-mark with a sublime drive through the covers and the two ensured the remainder of the day passed without incident.
Earlier, Bairstow carried on from his overnight 107 to reach his Test-best score. He has now converted all five of his first-class fifties this season, for Yorkshire and England, to hundreds.
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, spread the field wide, allowing both batsmen to find the fence. Woakes was particularly aggressive among the two. He cut Rangana Herath for four and later flicked Nuwan Pradeep off his pads for another boundary, before unleashing a textbook cover drive off Shaminda Eranga to the ropes. The running between wickets was also a key feature in their partnership.
The conditions didn’t prove too threatening either, as Woakes reached his half-century in 102 balls. However, England couldn’t see the first session through without losing a wicket as Woakes chipped one back to Herath. Bairstow carried on though and surpassed his Test-best – an unbeaten 150 against South Africa at Cape Town in January – before lunch.
England couldn’t last long after resumption. Bairstow remained unbeaten, but all of Stuart Broad (14), Steven Finn (7) and Jimmy Anderson (4) were snuffed out within ten overs after the restart.
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