England crushes Sri Lanka to win Test series 2-0

Paceman Gus Atkinson delivered an outstanding performance, taking 5 for 62 as England secured a comfortable 190-run win over Sri Lanka in their second Test at Lord’s, London, yesterday.

This win gave England a 2-0 series lead with one game to spare, marking Sri Lanka’s first defeat at Lord’s, where previous matches had ended in draws. England’s captain, Ollie Pope, celebrated his series win with a match to spare.

Sri Lanka showed some resistance with half-centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, along with a fighting 43 from Milan Ratnayake. Sri Lanka couldn’t withstand England’s pressure, crumbling to 292 all out with 33 overs left on the fourth day.

Chasing a daunting target of 483, Sri Lanka began the fourth day at 53 for 2. Dimuth Karunaratne fought hard, scoring his first half-century of the series and forming a 55-run partnership with Angelo Mathews, who contributed 36.

By lunch, Sri Lanka was 136 for 4, having lost two wickets, including the nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya. The more significant blow was Karunaratne’s dismissal.

Dinesh Chandimal offered hope with a brisk 58 off 62 balls, hitting 11 fours, and adding a 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Mathews. However, Kamindu Mendis fell quickly for 4, and Atkinson struck twice in quick succession to derail Sri Lanka’s efforts.