England vs Sri Lanka: Gus Atkinson’s maiden century helps hosts into commanding second Test lead at Lord’s

A maiden Test and first-class century from Gus Atkinson set England on course to establish a commanding lead on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s

Atkinson’s sublime 118 from just 115 balls helped England reach 427 all out on the morning of day two, with Asitha Fernando getting his name on the honours board thanks to figures of 5-102, but Sri Lanka found themselves reduced to 35-3 in reply shortly after lunch.

The seam quartet of the returning Olly Stone (2-70), Atkinson (2-40), Chris Woakes (2-21) and Matthew Potts (2-19) shared the wickets around as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 196 late in the day, with Kamindu Mendis the one shining light for them following his innings of 74.

England lost Dan Lawrence to a contentious DRS decision before the close after choosing not to make the visitors follow-on, but will resume on day three aiming to build on their overnight lead of 256 runs and put themselves on the verge of wrapping up a series win with one Test still to play.

Atkinson shines with bat and Stone strikes on return

Resuming on 74 not out overnight, Atkinson’s second day was almost over before it had begun when he was given out lbw to Lahiru Kumara third ball of the morning, having already added eight runs to his tally with consecutive boundaries, only to successfully overturn it via a DRS review.

He duly seized that opportunity as well and went on to reach the century milestone with a sumptuous drive to the long-on boundary off Kumara in the fifth over of the day, beating his previous-best score with the bat of 91.

Potts departed for 21 the following over as he edged Fernando to wicketkeeper Nishan Madushka, ending England’s eighth-wicket stand at 85, but there was a sense it was going to take something special to dislodge Atkinson.

That proved to be the case as a stunning diving catch from Milan Rathnayake in the deep off Fernando, after Atkinson had struck the 17th and 18th fours of his innings in consecutive balls, saw the Surrey man depart in the 100th over of England’s innings.

Stone’s demise for 15 brought about the end of the home side’s innings and gave them around 40 minutes to bowl at Sri Lanka before lunch, with England’s bowlers making early inroads to leave the tourists 32-2 at the interval.

Woakes had been denied a breakthrough in the third over of the reply when Madushka edged one which went in between wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and slip fielder Joe Root, but eventually got the opener for seven four overs later when the right-hander chopped one on.

Stone then took just seven balls of his first Test appearance for over three years to claim a wicket as Dimuth Karunaratne (7) dragged on and he resumed after lunch with the wicket of Pathum Nissanka (12), who airily flicked the ball straight to Potts at leg slip.

Mendis a rare bright spot as Sri Lanka falter

Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal mounted something of a fightback with a 48-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but the introduction of Potts to the attack broke that stand as he clean-bowled Mathews for 22 in the 21st over.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva was on his way without troubling the scorers three balls later as he got an inside edge which Harry Brook grabbed in the slips, and then Atkinson struck in the 24th over to remove Chandimal for 22 when he airily flicked one to Lawrence on the leg side.

Rathnayake made a quickfire 19 from just 14 balls, including four fours, only to get an edge on one from Woakes, which was gratefully grabbed by Smith behind the stumps, in the 29th over when the seamer returned in place of Potts at the Nursery End.

The introduction of Shoaib Bashir saw the spinner bowl Prabath Jayasuriya for eight when he skipped down the track and missed, but Mendis proved a thorn in England’s side with a half-century which he brought up with a boundary in the 52nd over.

He was granted a second life in the 55th over on 62 when Root put him down on the square-leg boundary off Stone and the left-hander followed that by cracking a four and a six, the latter of which hit a spectator in the pavilion seats and caused a brief stoppage while he was checked.

However, partner Kumara was run out for a duck in the same over thanks to an excellent direct hit from Ollie Pope and Mendis eventually ran out of luck when he was caught by Woakes off Atkinson to end his and Sri Lanka’s innings.

With a lead of 231, England skipper Pope opted against enforcing the follow-on, but soon found himself at the crease after opener Lawrence was deemed to have got an inside edge by DRS after being initially given not out following an appeal for caught behind off Kumara.

The right-hander was not happy with the call, insisting the spike on UltraEdge was the ball hitting his pad rather than bat, but had to depart for seven. Ben Duckett (15no) and Pope (2no) then saw England through to the close on 25-1.

‘I didn’t think I’d be on the Lord’s honours board for batting!’

England’s Gus Atkinson on his maiden Test and first-class century:

“It was very surreal, I don’t think it has sunk in yet. To be out there and score a 100 – I didn’t ever think I would be on the Lord’s honours board for batting, so a pretty cool day.

“My dad, brother and sister were here – it’s my brother’s birthday so it was a nice treat for him – then a few mates as well.

“I went for dinner with Zak [Crawley] and [Harry Brook] last night and they were saying ‘Oh yeah, it took me five Tests to get a hundred’ and stuff, so there was a bit of pressure on there.

“It is hard not to smile in that situation. I don’t think I cracked a smile when I was walking off but it was hard not to.

“I have had a pretty terrible year for Surrey with the bat, so to come here and have a Test hundred is special.”

Watch day three of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Saturday August 31 (first ball, 11am).

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.