The National Times - Ton-up Nissanka leads Sri Lanka to victory over England in third Test

Sri Lanka, set a target of 219, reached that total for the loss of two wickets before lunch on the fourth day, with Nissanka 127 not out and Angelo Mathews 32 not out in an unbroken stand of 111.

Victory gave Sri Lanka just a fourth Test win in England and first since a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.

England, however, took the three-match series 2-1 following wins at Old Trafford (five wickets) and Lord's (190 runs).

Sri Lanka resumed on 94-1, already well-placed to end a run of seven straight Test defeats by England.

Nissanka, recalled at Lord's, was 53 not out -- his second fifty of the match following a first-innings 64 -- and the recalled Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 30.

Mendis, however, had added just nine runs to his score when he hooked a Gus Atkinson bouncer to fine leg where Shoaib Bashir, doing well to sight the ball on a gloomy morning, held an excellent low catch diving to his left.

Sri Lanka were now 108-2 as Mathews, who made a brilliant 160 in their Headingley success a decade ago, walked in to bat.

England captain Ollie Pope, with Sri Lanka making good progress against the quicks at 137-2, brought on off-spinner Bashir.

Bashir, however, promptly conceded 10 runs in an over, Nissanka pulling a dragged down ball to square leg and Mathews sweeping another four.

And when Chris Woakes too carelessly dropped short, the diminutive Nissanka, out of the Test side for two years, cut him for four to go to 95.

Nissanka's punched three off Atkinson through point saw the 26-year-old complete an excellent 107-ball hundred including 11 fours.

- Double six -

And having reached the landmark, Nissanka hooked fast bowler Olly Stone for two sixes.

Nissanka ended the match by cutting Bashir for four, having already topped his previous highest Test score of 103 against the West Indies at North Sound in 2021.

Defeat for England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, ended their hopes of a first home campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

England squandered several strong positions, including collapsing from 261-3 to 325 all out in their first innings despite 154 from Pope -- his first century since stepping in for the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

They also allowed Sri Lanka to recover from 93-5 to 263 in reply, with Pope deploying an all-spin attack after tea on a gloomy second day.

England led by 62 runs on first innings.

But their top-order then batted as if they had double that lead second time around, with England collapsing spectacularly to 82-7 before being dismissed for 156 in just 34 overs.

Lahiru Kumara took 4-21 and left-arm swing bowler Vishwa Fernando 3-40 including the prize scalp of Joe Root for just 12.

Only wicketkeeper Jamie Smith's counter-attacking 67, off 50 balls including 10 fours and a six, ensured Sri Lanka were chasing more than 200 for victory.

A.M.Owen--TNT