A summer of renewal for England’s Test team delivered five straight wins, two series victories and, with that eye on the future, ushered in a few new faces. It also ended with a sloppy defeat to Sri Lanka at the Oval, the tourists shepherded to a deserved first win on English soil in 10 years by a sublime unbeaten 127 from Pathum Nissanka.
England came into the fourth day still hopeful of being able to induce some jeopardy like the collapse they themselves suffered on that pivotal third day. Nine wickets needed, 125 runs to defend, a perfect home season to strive for; it was a grey, acutely end-of-season Monday and the crowd was sparse but there was no reason not to throw everything at it.
But on the day there was only one twist when Shoaib Bashir dived full stretch in the deep to remove Kusal Mendis and reward Gus Atkinson’s determination to push through a thigh niggle and keep bowling. Otherwise it was a cruise, Nissanka throttling back a touch from the previous evening’s rapid half-century, reaching his second Test century from 107 balls, and then at 1.03pm rocking back to cut his 13th four off Bashir and seal an eight-wicket win.
It was fitting that Angelo Mathews should be there at the end with him, 32 not out. The catalyst for his side’s 1-0 series win here in 2014, the 37-year-old Mathews provided a second calm head in what became a pretty clinical victory push. England’s attack was simply unable to generate the same movement that derailed their own batters 24 hours early, with this Sri Lankan victory very much to the efforts of their seamers.
A 2-1 series win for England, then, and perhaps a useful reminder that a drop in intensity can be costly. Sri Lanka, by contrast, could have easily felt beaten after a ragged first day, and again after conceding a 62-run deficit on first innings. Instead the tourists dug deep, stayed serious, and found a way to flip this Test match, with Vishwa Fernando’s removals of Joe Root and Harry Brook in the third innings providing the spark for this fire.
But there was no doubt which way the player of the match was heading, with Nissanka, who did not start the series, delivering 191 runs across the two innings and suggesting a player who made his first Test century on debut three years ago is more than just the ODI star he has become in the intervening time.
Compact, orthodox and skilful enough to score his runs briskly, the 26-year-old could well become a fan favourite in this format. He certainly was on the day, with the 25.3 overs it took to reel in the remainder of the target meaning a 50% refund for ticket-holders.
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