The year’s not yet done, but already Indian batters have struck 15 ODI centuries, with England hot on their heels on 13, while the Proteas have only cobbled together two, writes SIMON LEWIS.
England strode to a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first Test in Galle to win by 211 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
South African-born Keaton Jennings scored 146 not out on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle to allow England to declare on 322-6 and set Sri Lanka 462 to win in two full days.
England’s Test debutant Ben Foakes enjoyed a champagne day on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, completing a century on Test debut and taking two catches and a stumping.
Ben Foakes marked his Test debut with a superb undefeated 87 against Sri Lanka as England’s last five wickets added twice as many runs as the first five during an enthralling first day of the first Test in Galle.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Lahiru Kumara was left out of the final squad for the first Test against England in Galle as a result of reportedly breaking the team curfew on Sunday evening.
‘Pitches turn the most in the fourth innings, and I feel my strength is bowling line and length for long spells. You get a lot of support from the surface when you do that. Those are the reasons for that record, I think.’
A positive performance with the bat by the Sri Lankans wasn’t enough to deny England an 18-run win (courtesy of Duckworth-Lewis) after rain ended the match prematurely.
