CRICKET:AS IT began, so it finished. The Test series came to a watery end at teatime yesterday as the expected rain arrived on cue. By then Sri Lanka, who had begun the day facing the prospect of an innings defeat, had batted their way into the clear.
In the 55 overs of play possible England managed only the wicket of the nightwatchman Rangana Herath, though not before he had made 36 and added 75 with Kumar Sangakkara.
And finally, after six-and-a-quarter hours of trying, that of Sangakkara himself for a magnificent 119, his 25th in Tests, that in all probability will mark his swansong in the format in England. But by then he and Thilan Samaraweera had added 141 for the fifth wicket and taken their side to safety. When the rain arrived, with Sri Lanka on 334 for five, a lead of 141, Samaraweera had made an unbeaten 87, largely through working the onside.
At the final time of asking Sri Lanka had given an account of themselves more commensurate with their standing. They lose the series as a result of a single freak session in Cardiff, although it would be hard to argue that England were anything but the superior side thwarted by the weather which has seen 184 overs lost in this Test and 369 overs in the series.
Sri Lanka were unfortunate to encounter pitches and conditions that made life difficult for batsmen used to subcontinental surfaces but they lacked the bowling resource to take advantage of it themselves.
As a result the England batting prospered, with a brace of centuries each from Ian Bell and Alastair Cook and one apiece for Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior. Beyond this there was ominous evidence that the work put in by Kevin Pietersen on his game in the early part of the summer, largely involving keeping things simple and playing straight down the ground with the full face of the bat, was paying dividends. He is coming nicely to the boil.
The bowling, despite the conditions, has had its problems. The Cardiff finish was freakish but at Lord’s, where the ball swung hugely, and at the Rose Bowl, where an enterprising groundsman had given them some pace and bounce with which to work, they let themselves down.
At Lord’s, Sri Lanka ought not to have made 250 and instead, thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan’s swashbuckling, were able to match England.
In the first innings in this match, they found Chris Tremlett a handful – and he was deemed a deserving man of both match and series – but beyond that little trouble. Only on Sunday afternoon did they get their lengths right and start to bowl as the sort of unit that troubled Australia.
Guardian Service
