England were unable to force victory on the final day of the third Test with Sri Lanka as rain allowed only 12.2 overs of action.
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Sri Lanka – 2nd innings: D. Karunaratne (not out) 37, K. Silva lbw b Anderson 16; K. Mendis (not out) 17; Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-1): 8; Total (for one wicket in 24.2 overs ): 78.
Bairstow made a Test-best 167 not out in the first innings at Lord’s and in the series as a whole scored 387 runs at an average of 129, including two hundreds.
More realistically, their goal was to prevent England, already 2-0 up in the three-match series, taking the 10 wickets they needed to complete a whitewash.
With no play possible before lunch on the fourth day, Cook faces a fitness test to determine whether he can come out to bat at the fall of the next wicket should play resume.
“In South Africa I was a bit tentative, not leaving as many balls as I should have done outside off stump”.
Yet Mathews proved the party-pooper as he pinned Hales in front, ensuring Cook took centre stage for the remainder of England’s innings, amid three brief rain interruptions.
Hales had moved on to 45 from his overnight score of 41, when Sunday’s third ball saw him survive a confident lbw appeal from Shaminda Eranga.
“Chris Woakes, as well, has really impressed me. He showed that he can play and it’s unfortunate he couldn’t get to a hundred”, he added. Lord’s authorities just as quickly told Sri Lanka to remove the flag.
Having been set 362 to win after Alastair Cook declared, positive intent at the end of day four meant they were looking for 330 runs in a day to win, a hard but not impossible task.
“To try and hit the ground running at the start of the season was the aim, so I’m really pleased to back up the form I’ve shown for Yorkshire in an England shirt”.
England named uncapped batsman Dawid Malan, fast bowler Tymal Mills and spinner Liam Dawson in the Twenty20 squad with Joe Root and Alex Hales rested.
The controversy at Lord’s had echoes of the Adam Voges let-off earlier this year when the Australian was bowled by New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell during the first Test at Wellington by a delivery that was called as a no-ball by English umpire Richard Illingworth.
By the time he was lbw on the back foot to Angelo Mathews, however, he had used up his fair share of good luck in a hard-working innings which contained 10 fours and a six over long-on off Rangana Herath.
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Realistically, despite a promising opening partnership, had England enjoyed a full day of play it would only have been a matter of time before the England bowlers had secured a 3-0 series victory.
