Lanka force a draw - 127 for 3

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from England

Fears that the Sri Lankans would re-run their collapse act of Cardiff at the home of cricket Lord’s when they lost Kumar Sangakkara 12, Mahela Jayawardena 25 and Tharanga Paranavitana 44 early, fighting for survival was looming at one stage but Sri Lankan forced a draw by scoring 127 for 3 wickets by the close.

Hanging on for survival were Thilan Samaraweera on 17 and Prasanna Jayawardena on 12.

Skipper Strauss gave the England pacemen attacking fields, placing three slips and two gullys and a leg slip and short leg and silly mid on for spinner Swann. But there was no movement or vicious spin and with the wicket playing easy, the batsmen were not troubled.

Sri Lanka who came out second best in the First Test in Cardiff, were set 343 for victory in 58 overs. It was no easy ask considering that Dilshan would not be opening. If Sri Lanka could come out with a draw, it will still keep the series alive with one more Test to go.

Disaster struck when Kumar Sangakkara who was opening the batting steered a Tremlett delivery to Morgan in the covers for 12 with the score on 13. But Paranavitana and Mahela Jaywardena steered them to tea at 32 without further loss batting in 13 overs. Jayawardena was nicely taken by a diving Pietersen off Broad.

Paranavitana was plumb in front to Trott and Sri Lanka were 96 for 3.

After lunch Alastair Cook and Ian Bell showed more purpose going for runs, which was an indication that Andrew Strauss was contemplating a declaration. Cook reached his 18th Test hundred with a glance for 4. He had 10 fours in his 106. He was stumped by Jayawardena off Herath.

England were chasing runs and in the process lost Eoin Morgan for 4 caught Lakmal off Dilhara Fernando and first innings century maker Matt Prior run out for four.

Bell who was on urgency mode completed a quick 50 in 40 balls with 7 fours and with the dismissal of Stuart Broad caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardena for 3 the declaration was made at 335 for 7 with Bell remaining unbeaten on 57. Rangana Herath returned figures of 3 for 87.

When play began on the final day, the bad news for Sri Lanka was that Captain Tillekeratne Dilshan had suffered a hairline fracture of his thumb and would not bat unless the team was drowning and the point of interest was as to when and what score England would declare and set Sri Lanka a target.

It must be remembered that England had the Lankans under pressure in the second innings and dismissed them in 24.4 overs in Cardiff for 82 to win by innings. Can England perform a similar act or will Sri Lanka attempt the chase for victory that will level the series or will they stay afloat or sink? When the final ball is bowled will tell.

England when they resumed at 149 for 2 with Alastair Cook on 61 and Kevin Pietersen on 15, were not in any undue hurry to move the score along. They were content to wait for the loose ball to score. Pietersen was the more aggressive, driving on either side of the wicket for runs, while Cook was slow and boring to watch.

As for the Lankans the bowlers did not seem capable of luring the batsmen into false strokes and the game meandered on, until Herath once again bowled Pietersen just before lunch with a beauty that pitched leg, turned enough to knock his off stump. Pietersen fell victim once again to a left arm spinner. He made 72 with 7 fours.

England went to lunch on 260 for 3 with Cook on 87 and Ian Bell on 13 with an overall lead of 267 after Pietersen and Cook had put on 127 in 248 balls for the third wicket.

In contrast to the overcast, showers and gloomy conditions where even the lights had to be switched on for play to continue, the final day today looking down from my window, what greeted me was lovely conditions with the sun blazing down and an exciting day’s cricket in store.

The previous two day’s was not what a game of cricket would want. There was rain and bad light and it was chilly and certainly not what conditions the Lankans would want to perform in, considering that at home they always have sun on their backs when playing. On the penultimate day, when the Lankans were sitting pretty on 372 for 3, and when what was required, a determined batting effort to build a substantial lead and have England under pressure, the Lankans with a poor batting effort, lost the last seven wickets for 85 runs to be out for 479 and concede a seven-run lead.

The England bowlers who were wayward and who had got a telling off from bowling coach David Saker, who called the bowling ‘inexcusable’ and ‘lackadasical’, bowled with more purpose, line and movement to strangle the Lankans. Steve Finn who took 4 for 108 became the youngest bowler to pocket 50 Test wickets.

After England lost Strauss for a second ball duck to Welagedera, vice captain Alastair Cook and the heavy scoring Jonathon Trott added 117 for he second wicket, before Trott was bowled by Herath for 58. Cook on 61 and Kevin Pietersen 15 took them to close without further hiccups and a lead of 156. Lord’s, Tuesday