Spinners hand England first away Test win in 14 matches

Led by Moeen Ali’s fourwicket haul, slow bowlers share 8 wickets as visitors win first Test by 211 runs

GALLE: England crushed Sri Lanka by 211 runs with a day to spare in winning a Test in Galle for the first time on Friday.

Set an improbable target of 461 and two days to do the unprecedented, Sri Lanka was all out for 250 after tea on the fourth day, Rangana Herath conceding the match in his farewell Test trying to get a second run but diving a whisker short.

This earned England their biggest win against Sri Lanka in terms of runs, eclipsing a 137-run win at Lord’s in 1991.

This was also England’s first win overseas in more than two years. They had gone 13 Tests away from home without a win, losing 10.

“We played some really good stuff. We were consistent throughout the four days,” England skipper Joe Root said. “That partnership between Jos (Buttler) and Foakesy (Ben Foakes) was vital after lunch (from 103-5 on day one) and from that point on we were pretty much in control of things. Really pleasing to be in this position going into the second game.”

England posed the question of whether Sri Lanka’s batsmen possessed the resolve to take the game to the final day, and they fell short badly as spinners Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, and Jack Leach, playing his third Test, shared eight wickets. Moeen finished with 4-71 and a match bag of 8-137.

Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha rued missed opportunities, especially on the first day.

“The first day, until lunch we were top of the game having taken five wickets for 100. But after that, the way they batted, they took the game away from us,” Hathurusingha said. “In Tests, especially on wickets like these, it is difficult to come back.

CHANDIMAL DOUBTFUL

Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal is doubtful for the second Test against England in Kandy next week.

Chandimal strained his groin during the first test in Galle which Sri Lanka lost by 211 runs inside four days on Friday.

He didn’t field during England’s second innings on Thursday, and batted in pain for scores of 33 and 1.

Brief scores: England 342 & 322/6 decl bt Sri Lanka 203 & 250 (K Mendis 45, A Mathews 53, M Ali 4/71, J Leach 3/60) by 211 runs.

AFP AFP Moeen Ali (second from right) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella on the fourth day of the first Test in Galle on Friday. Rangana Herath completed 100 wickets at Galle but walked into Test retirement with a defeat at one of Sri Lanka’s favourite grounds.