Spinners led by Jack Leach helped England close in on a series-clinching victory after Sri Lanka lost a fighting Angelo Mathews for 88 in the second Test on Saturday before rain stopped play. Moeen Ali trapped Mathews lbw in the first over after tea to end the senior batsman's solid resistance that had kept alive Sri Lanka's hopes of chasing down a target of 301.
Leach struck soon to get Dilruwan Perera for one when torrential rain halted proceedings for the day with Sri Lanka on 226 for seven in Kandy. The hosts, who trail the three-match series 0-1, need another 75 to win with three wickets and three sessions in hand. Niroshan Dickwella was batting on 27 when play was stopped.
"It is evenly poised. Unfortunate I got out at a very crucial time. But we still have got a batter at the crease," a confident Mathews told reporters after an intriguing day's play. "Then guys like Akila Dananjaya and Suranga Lakmal are no mugs with the bat. So we are not out of the game. If we get one good partnership we are in with a win," said Mathews.
Leach has claimed four wickets with his left-arm orthodox spin while Ali has taken two on a turning pitch. Mathews, who hit his third half-century of the series, took the crease with Sri Lanka on a shaky 26-3.
The former captain played a gritty innings that lasted 137 deliveries and also built crucial partnerships.His 73-run fifth wicket stand with Roshen Silva (37) frustrated the English spinners in the afternoon session. Ali had Silva caught behind with a faint edge. The umpire had given Silva not out before England successfully reviewed the decision in their favour.
"It is a wicket where there is lot of assistance to the spinners. Credit to England for bowling so well. They didn't give too many loose balls. We had to work extremely hard to score runs," said Mathews.
SCOREBOARD
England 290 (J. Buttler 63, S. Curran 64; D. Perera 4-61)
Sri Lanka 336 (R. Silva 85, D. Karunaratne 63; J. Leach 3-70, A. Rashid 3-75)
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England (overnight 324-9)
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J. Leach lbw b Perera 1
R. Burns lbw b Pushpakumara 59
K. Jennings c de Silva b Dananjaya 26
J. Root lbw b Dananjaya 124
B. Stokes lbw b Perera 0
J. Buttler b Dananjaya 34
M. Ali lbw b Dananjaya 10
B. Foakes not out 65
S. Curran b Dananjaya 0
A. Rashid lbw b Dananjaya 2
J. Anderson b Perera 12
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Extras: (b4, lb9) 13
Total: (all out, 80.4 overs) 346
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Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Leach), 2-77 (Jennings), 3-108 (Burns), 4-109 (Stokes), 5-183 (Buttler), 6-219 (Ali), 7-301 (Root), 8-301 (Curran), 9-305 (Rashid), 10-346 (Anderson)
Bowling: Perera 20.4-2-96-3, Pushpakumara 27-1-101-1, Dananjaya 25-0-115-6, De Silva 4-0-7-0, Lakmal 4-0-14-0
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Sri Lanka (target 301)
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D. Karunaratne c Foakes b Rashid 57
K. Silva st Foakes b Leach 4
D. de Silva c Jennings b Leach 1
K. Mendis lbw b Leach 1
A. Mathews lbw b Ali 88
R. Silva c Root b Ali 37
N. Dickwella not out 27
D. Perera lbw b Leach 2
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Extras (b5, lb4) 9
Total (7 wickets, 65.2 overs) 226
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