Despite a late rally from Sri Lanka, England took a comfortable 42-run win in the third Test at Colombo to secure a 3-0 series win.
Kusal Mendis and Lakshan Sandakan added 29 runs in the morning before Sandakan was caught in the slips by Ben Stokes off a ripper from Jack Leach, the batter scoring just seven off 41 balls.
Roshen Silva joined Mendis and the pair added 102 runs for the sixth wicket, before Sri Lanka’s hopes faded when Mendis was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Leach throwing to the ‘non’ danger end.
Mendis’ 86 came off 129 balls, with eight fours and a six, and almost doubled his mediocre run haul from the series, taking his tally up to 176 runs at an average of 29,33.
Silva added 30 with Niroshan Dickwella (19 off 19 balls), but three wickets fell for 12 runs to leave Sri Lanka on 226-9, with Silva falling for a well-played 65 off 161 balls (4×4).
Two of those wickets were secured by Keaton Jennings in close catching positions as he took his match tally to six catches, thus becoming the 38th outfielder in Test history to take six or more catches in a Test match. Six players have taken seven catches in a match while one (India’s Ajinkya Rahane) has taken eight.
Malinda Pushpakumara hit some lusty blows as he built a half-century stand with his skipper Suranga Lakmal in a defiant last-wicket stand. Pushpakumara suffered a nasty blow just before tea when he ducked into a short ball from Stuart Broad who had just taken the new ball.
The pair survived the rest of the over to take Sri Lanka to 284-9 at tea (Lakmal 11 not out, Pushpakumara 42 not out), still needing 43 runs for an unlikely victory. Leach completed proceedings with the fourth ball after the break, trapping Lakmal leg before to clinch the win.
Ali finished with figures of 4-92. Leach took 4-72 as England completed a series 3-0 whitewash, with Jonny Bairstow taking the Player of the Match honours.
Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
