Galle
Sri Lanka rattled England with three quick wickets late on the fourth day of the first Test in Galle on Sunday, but the visitors remained favourites to win the match with just 36 more runs needed and seven wickets in hand.
England were expected to comfortably close in on a victory after Jack Leach took 5-122 with Sri Lanka all out for 359 in their second innings, leaving the visitors needing only 74 to win.
But Sri Lanka struck early, with Dom Sibley (2) and Zak Crawley (8) falling to left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya. Captain Joe Root was run-out for one after a mix-up with Jonny Bairstow.
Bairstow and Dan Lawrence, who was making his debut, took a nervous England to 38-3 as bad light brought an early end to proceedings at Galle International Stadium.
Earlier, left-armer Jack Leach tighten the noose around the hosts with a five-wicket haul while off-spinner Dom Bess claimed three wickets.
Sri Lanka were bundled out for 135 runs in their first innings. Angelo Mathews struck 71 after hitting his 36th half century in Tests to hold fort at one end after opener Lahiru Thirimanne made 111 to steady the innings.
This was Thirimanne’s second hundred of his Test career and his first in seven years. England, who made 421 in their first innings on the back of a fine double century by Root, had struck in the first over after lunch, with Bess having Chandimal caught at first slip.—AP
