Opener lives the dream after a nightmare spell

KEATON Jennings could celebrate with a “rum and coke” after he ended 18 months of torment with a brilliant second Test-match hundred.

Jennings plundered 146 unbeaten runs against a wilting Sri Lanka attack to put England on course for their first Test win here before opening up on the difficulties he has been through in Test cricket.

Dropped in 2017 after a lean summer against South Africa, Jennings was recalled against Pakistan and India this year, but he still struggled to make a telling score until this innings.

With England able to declare and set Sri Lanka a fanciful 462 runs to win built on his innings, the 26-year-old was refreshingly honest about what it has taken for him to get here. “All you can do is try to score runs when you get a chance,” said Jennings.

“Previously, my performances weren’t up to scratch and I’m happy to admit that.

“Today is a very special day for myself personally and for the team, and to help get us into a winning position makes me proud. The relief is something I can’t really explain. Over the past 18 months I have faced some things in my cricketing life that I have had to learn from. I have had to develop myself.

“It is just really pleasing and there’s a big thank you to people who have stuck with me, helped me over the past 18 months and backed me through some tough times waking up in the night panicking and stressing.

“At times I have been guilty of feeling the pinch in seeing myself in terms of runs. Cricket is a job and when it is done [you can] go home, have a beer or enjoy a rum and coke in the evening, time with your niece and nephew and have a life away from cricket.

“At times this year and last year that has kept me sane.”

Jennings came into this Test under huge amounts of pressure, but he was fortunate that head coach Trevor Bayliss and national selector Ed Smith were able to cut through the numbers and continue their rediscovery of the art of selection.

Numbers are not everything and although Jennings did not score many runs in the summer, here was a man who already showed he had the ability to score a Test century in the subcontinent.

Here was a man who had shown resolve and determination to succeed despite his struggles, and through it all he had remained a genial and likeable chap who is good for the wellbeing of a dressing room.

And when a giant of the game such as Alastair Cook calls it a day to leave a team almost in mourning at the start of a tour, a good man like Jennings can go a long way to restoring some equilibrium.

What he did at Galle was let his batting shine through using a simple method, mixing a solid defence with a liberal use of the sweep and reverse sweep to great effect. Like Cook, he will never be an emptier of bars, but Test cricket needs its painter decorators as much as it needs its artists, and as Jennings clipped the ball into the leg side for his ton, the appreciation was loud and real.

“It was elation, relief, happiness – you go through a mixture of feelings,” he said. “I am not a massively emotional guy, so it is weird for me to feel those kind of things.”

At the other end, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler played with more freedom and power. Stokes, who made 62, looked somewhere near back to his most destructive best.

Ben Foakes added a flurry of sixes to elevate England’s total to 322-6 before Joe Root declared to give his bowlers plenty of time to take 10 wickets, even if a little rain arrives at some point over the next two days.