1st Test Match Eng Vs SL 2018
Eng Vs SL Match
England Beat The Sri Lanka
In
1st Test Match
England
win by 211 runs
Test 01 of 03 (ENG Leads 1-0)

Sri Lanka - 203 & 250
England - 342 & 322/6d
v
England
win first Test by 211 runs
v
Debutant
Ben Foakes named the Player of the Match
v
Jack
Leach and Moeen Ali rip through the Sri Lankan batting
Moeen Ali and Jack Leach shared
seven wickets as England win by 211 runs.England wrapped up victory comfortably
on the fourth day against Sri Lanka, with Moeen the standout, claiming four
wickets. They struck regularly throughout the day, and though Sri Lanka’s
batting performance was an improvement on their first innings effort, England
were never unduly troubled.

It was the first wicket which
proved the hardest to get, and Leach who provided the breakthrough, drifting
one into Kaushal Silva, who missed a sweep and was struck on the pad. Dimuth
Karunaratne then drove one hard back to Moeen Ali, who clung on for his 150th
Test wicket, and England were in amongst it.
Stokes took three catches and
bowled a fierce spell Stokes took three catches and bowled a fierce spell
Dhananjaya de Silva was next to
go, edging Ben Stokes to Joe Root. It was the only wicket to fall to a seamer
in the innings, and the combative all-rounder very much earned his scalp,
keeping up the pace during a lionhearted spell.

Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews
both looked good, but each fell to spin either side of fifty. Kusal fell
attempting one big stroke too many and swiping to Moeen, before catcher turned
wicket taker, coaxing the ex-skipper into prodding ungracefully to Jos Buttler
at midwicket. Mathews had made his second half-century from the game,
confirming his status as his side’s premier batsman.
In between, Leach had bowled
captain Dinesh Chandimal with a gripping beauty, and Moeen had enticed Niroshan
Dickwella into edging to slip, where Stokes took the first and best of his
three catches, making up for an easier chance he’d dropped earlier in the day.
The same combination accounted for Akila Dananjaya, who was forced to play and
could only edge, before Rashid got in on the act, another excellent ball
finding Dilruwan Perera’s edge.

It didn't end too happily for
Herath – last man out for Sri Lanka as England won by 211 runs It didn't end
too happily for Herath – last man out for Sri Lanka as England won by 211 runs
In walked Rangana Herath, for his
final actions in Test cricket. His stay was almost a short one, but he was
reprieved on review, having been given out well caught down the leg side by Ben
Foakes. It was eventually the debutant who accounted for Herath, a good pick-up
running him out by a frame.
For Foakes and England, it capped
off a wonderful, and wonderfully unexpected performance. For Sri Lanka, it left
them with plenty of questions, about how they’ll replace Herath, why their
batsmen couldn’t kick on from starts, and why England adapted better to
conditions than they did.
The second Test starts on
Wednesday 14 September.
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