Sri Lanka collapse again

The touring Sri Lankan side followed up their top order surrendering meekly to Jon Lewis yesterday by doing the same at the end of the second day, reaching 68/5 at the close of play having let England A score 259.

England A resumed on 96/2, with captain Robert Key and Ed Joyce at the crease. The two saw the score to 127 before Key edged Farveez Maharoof to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara having scored 63.

England’s middle order all made solid contributions, with Joyce reaching 49 before becoming one of Nuwan Kulasekara’s 4 victims, along with Ravinder Bopara, 41, and Alex Loudon, 31. Between them, they took England past Sri Lanka’s total set yesterday and started building a lead.

However, the Sri Lankans gave themselves hope of restricting England’s lead when offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan caught Bopara off his own bowling, then Chris Read and Rikki Clarke joined Bopara back in the pavilion soon afterwards, both dismissed without scoring. Liam Plunkett and Stuart Broad then put on a useful partnership at the bottom of the order before Farveez Maharoof cleaned up the tail.

The English possessed an 80 run lead, which proved more than useful as Lewis picked up where he left off yesterday, trapping Vandort lbw with the first ball of the innings to strengthen his claims for a place in the full England side for the first Test. From then on Sri Lanka’s batting withered in a remarkably similar way to yesterday’s. Clarke, Bopara and Broad claimed wickets, before Samarweera fell to give Lewis his 8th of the match and leave Sri Lanka in dire straits at the end of the second day, still 12 runs behind England’s total.

Sri Lanka 179
Tillakaratne Dilshan 47, Chamara Kapugedera 36
Jon Lewis 6-49, Liam Plunkett 3-47

England A 259
Rob Key 63, Ed Joyce 49
Nuwan Kulasekara 4-83, Farveez Maharoof 3-41

Sri Lanka 68-5
Kumar Sangakkara 27, Upul Tharanga 20
Jon Lewis 2-30, Ravinder Bopara 1-0