Lankans looking down the barrel once again
The Queen of England who is celebrating her birthday, received a pleasant gift, courtesy, the Lankan batsmen when they lost five wickets in just one session, to give the home team a golden chance of white washing their opponents on a flat Lords wicket.
None of the batsmen could come to terms with the bowling of the English seam attack. Yes, the bowling would have been potent, but, at the same time the Lankan batting lacked purpose.
The Lankans for the first time managed to avert the follow on in the series and at lunch Sri Lanka were 218 for 6 with Kusal Janith Perera not out on 12 and Rangana Herath not out 2.
After their high at the end of the second day finishing on 162 for 1, the Lankans faced the now familiar slide losing the surviving batsmen Mendis and Silva along with the prize scalp of skipper Angelo Mathews for 3. Chris Woakes ticked a double as he had Mendis (25) and Mathews while Stewart Broad accounted for the wicket of stonewall -Kaushal Silva ( 79) – same as Mendis overnight score. Soon Sri Lanka slid to 169 for 4.
In the first hour of play, Sri Lanka had lost three wickets for only 20 runs in 15 overs.
The rest of the morning session then became a grind. Thirimanne still finding his feet in big time cricket looked steady while last game’s centurion Dinesh Chandimal was tightening his act.
Definitely, the England bowl- ing attack that looked pedestrian on the previous day, had got back their zip, and they bowled well to take the wickets rather than plucking them off the air. Even Chandimal had a near thing close off Anderson, but the ball was inches off the clutching arms of Joe Root in the slips.
In the last ball of the 70th over the Lankans went past the 200 mark when Thirimanne back cut off spinner Moeen Ali, for four. But, right then the dreaded umpires all came into focus when Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out lbw off paceman Steven Finn for 19, when the ball was hitting the stump off the middle of the leg stump. Sri Lanka slumped to 202 for 5. Sri Lanka reviewed and lost the call.
Looking for the Lords’ clock, waiting for lunch, Lanka lost the wicket of Thirimanne – another ordinary dismissal prolonging the misery of the batsman -- caught in the slips for 17 off Finn bowling on his home turf.