SIBLEY, BUTTLER HELP ENGLAND TO SWEEP SRI LANKA TESTS 2-0
GALLE: Dom Sibley and Jos Buttler anchored a run chase after a jittery start as England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets on Monday in the second Test to sweep the series 2-0. Sibley and Buttler put on an unbeaten 75-run stand as England, who were struggling at 89/4, got to their target of 164 in an extended final session on the fourth day in Galle.
The result gave England a second successive Test whitewash in Sri Lanka after winning all three matches in the island nation in 2018.
England were given a deadline to finish in the day after spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess skittled out Sri Lanka for 126 in their second innings.
Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya claimed three wickets that gave Sri Lanka hope and helped him to his Test-best match figures of 10-200. Debutant spinner Ramesh Mendis got the key wicket of skipper Joe Root, who scored 11 after his 186 in England’s first innings total of 344, to add to the scare given to the tourists.
Embuldeniya took Zak Crawley for 13 and then ended Jonny Bairstow’s stay after a quickfire 29, putting England’s nerves on edge, but Sibley calmly moved to his third Test half-century.
Leach and Sibley took four wickets each to set up England’s win. The hosts started their second innings early in the day with a lead of 37 but it all came to an end in the afternoon session.
Number 10 Embuldeniya topscored with 40, after taking seven wickets with his left-arm spin to end England’s first innings on 344. He was the only batsman to score more than 20 as Sri Lanka collapsed from 29 for one in their second innings.
Embuldeniya put up some resistance with a ninth-wicket stand of 48 with Suranga Lakmal, who made 11 not out, before Root took the final two wickets with his off-spin.
Leach’s left-arm spin got Kusal Perera trapped lbw for 14, and off-spinner Bess sent back Oshada Fernando for three in the first session.
England now head to India for a four-test series starting February 5 in Chennai. The first two Tests will be played to empty stadiums.
Brief scores: England 344 and 164/4 (Sibley 56*, Buttler 46*, Embuldeniya 3/73). Sri Lanka 381 and 126 (Embuldeniya 40, Bess 4/49, Leach 4/59). England won by 6 wickets.