Root & Co sweep series against SL 2-0
GALLE: Dom Sibley scored an unbeaten half century as England chased down a target of 164 to secure a sweep of the series on Monday, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second Test on a day of drama at Galle International Stadium.
England scored 164-4, with Sibley 56 not out and Jos Buttler unbeaten on 46 as they overcame jittery moments to complete a 2-0 series triumph.
The tourist overturned a 37-run deficit after the first innings to win a sixth successive Test in Sri Lanka. England earlier dismissed Sri Lanka for 126 in its second innings, giving itself a confidence boost ahead of next month’s start of a four-Test series in India.
England’s run chase began nervously as it lost its first four wickets for 89 runs, including a tired-looking Joe Root, with Sri Lanka’s dangerous spinner Lasith Embuldeniya threatening with the new ball and taking three wickets for a match tally of 10.
But an unbeaten 75-run partnership between Sibley, who had previous failed with the bat on tour, and Buttler carried England home as it showed the application its host lacked in its batting.
“I was pleased to be able to spend time at the crease and get the boys over the line,” said Sibley.
England, which added only five runs to its overnight tally before being dismissed for 344, took just over a session to turn the match on its head as Dom Bess and spin partner Jack
Leach claimed four wickets each in
Sri Lanka’s second innings.
Bess took 4-49 and Leach 4-59 as the home batting line-up was undone by the turn of the wicket and rash shots.
BRIEF SCORES: Sri Lanka 381 & 126 (L Embuldeniya 40, D Bess 4/49, J Leach 4/59) lost to England 344 & 164/4 in 43.3 overs (D Sibley 56*, J Buttler 46*, L Embuldeniya 3/73)