Anderson’s six keeps SL in check

GALLE: England paceman James Anderson on Saturday said it is a “bigger achievement” to get five-wicket hauls in the subcontinent than back home after he helped bowl out Sri Lanka for 381 on Day Two in the second Test.

The tourists were 98 for two at stumps after Lasith Embuldeniya struck early to remove the openers. Skipper Joe Root, on 67, and Jonny Bairstow, on 24, were batting as England trail by 283 runs in Galle.

Anderson, 38, denied wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella a century after sending him back for 92 in Galle to claim his 30th five-wicket haul with figures of six for 40. It was Anderson’s best figures in Asia as he went past his five for 75 in Galle in 2012 and said he felt good to get wickets in the hot and humid conditions.

“Yeah, I guess so. Certainly because conditions are very different you do feel it’s a bigger achievement,” Anderson told reporters. “The weather has been rocket hot and to bowl the amount of overs, get the wickets and the rewards certainly feels very good.”

Anderson bowled 29 overs with 13 maidens before Sri Lanka were bowled out in an extended second session with

Dilruwan Perera scoring a defiant 67. The pace spearhead struck in his first over of the day to send Angelo Mathews caught behind for 110 after the former captain added just three runs in the morning.

But the dismissal was skipper

Joe Root’s mastermind after he reviewed the umpire’s call, which was not out, and replays suggested the ball had grazed Mathews’s bat.

Fast bowler Mark Wood sent debutant Ramesh Mendis trudging back for nought with wicketkeeper Jos Buttler taking a one-handed diving catch towards his left. Dickwella made the team fight back with his 16th Test fifty as he put together a 89-run seventhwicket stand with Perera.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 381 all out in 139.3 overs (A Mathews 110, N Dickwella 92, D Perera 67; J Anderson 6/40, M Wood 3/84) v 98/2 in 30 overs (J Root 67 batting)

James Anderson