England v Sri Lanka: Tourists win Test series with one ball to spare

Sri Lanka beat England with just one ball to spare to win the second test at Headlinley by 100 runs on Tuesday and so takes the two-match series 1-0.There were more than 20 overs remaining when England No 11 James Anderson came into bat but he survived for 55 balls,unfortunately he was caught by Rangana Herath at leg gully by seamer Eranga.

When the fifth day started, with England 57 for 5 needing 350 runs to win or six sessions to bat out a draw, it seemed Sri Lanka were assured of victory. But Srilankan bowlers were frustrated by the efforts of Moeen Ali’s along with James Anderson. Moeen, who was playing his second test match show some great skills with bat,he batted for 281 balls in his 101 runs. To bat 281 balls in any situation is a test of a player’s skill and endurance. Since 2000, only Michael Vaughan batted more deliveries in the final innings of a Test match for England.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, the man-of-the-match, responded with a superb Test-best 160 and a key eighth-wicket stand of 149 with Herath, who made a valuable 48. Mathews’s hundred, his second of the series, followed by taking 4 wickets off 44 earlier in this match.Sri Lanka created history by winning the only T20, then they won the ODI series 3-2 and now the test series. England need to go back to the drawing board before they take the field once again against India starting from 9th of July. Sri Lanka will go home and start afresh against South Africa visiting the island

MATCH FACTS
Sri Lanka 257 (Sangakkara 79, Plunkett 5-64) and 457 (Mathews 160, Jayawardene 79, Sangakkara 55, 4-112) and England 365 (Robson 127, Ballance 74, Bell 64, Mathews 4-44, Eranga 4-93) and 249 (Moeen 108*, Prasad 5-50) by 100 runs

MAN OF THE SERIES -JAMES ANDERSON (ENGLAND)

MAN OF THE MATCH-ANGELO MATHEWS (SRI LANKA)