“Too soon!” That was the mood as autumnal conditions enveloped an Oval ground which, it felt like only yesterday, had hosted a packed-out Men’s Hundred eliminator tie in stunning summer twilight, T-shirts, shorts and sunglasses everywhere in the stands.
But as a crowd of 9,860 raided the back of their wardrobes for more suitable attire and turned up on a chilly Monday morning to see Sri Lanka overhaul a target of 219 and claim a consolation victory over England, the mood among those clad all in white was more like: “Finally!”
It had all come together at last for the tourists, albeit too late when they were 2-0 down. The eventual 3-1 series scoreline didn’t matter though to Pathum Nissanka, whose calm century delivered victory inside four days and could well have cemented his place in Sri Lanka’s top order after two years in the wilderness.
It took Sri Lanka 25.3 overs on the fourth day to complete their first Test win in England since 2014, their speed entitling spectators to a 50% refund on their tickets. The visitors resumed on 94 for 1 and needing 125 more. Nissanka’s unbeaten 127 off 124 balls built on his first-innings 64 and saw his side home by eight wickets.
There was also a hint of relief that this match was over and done with for an England side that had dropped their bundle in the second innings and proved far from potent on the final morning when they managed to extract just one of the nine wickets they still needed after Chris Woakes’ return catch had removed Dimuth Karunaratne cheaply the previous evening.
Bear in mind that no matter what the weather says, “summer” is far from over for England’s white-ball players who have a series looming against Australia from Wednesday, only the magnitude of Sri Lanka’s victory ensuring a gap of more than 48 hours in between.
Gus Atkinson, who is nursing a thigh problem which kept him out of the attack for the second half of Sri Lanka’s first innings on Sunday, took the only other wicket to fall.
He gingerly jogged halfway to Shoaib Bashir, who made up the rest of the ground from fine leg where he had taken an excellent catch running in and diving full-stretch to his left to remove Kusal Mendis for a brisk 39 in the fifth over of the day.
But Nissanka, supported by Angelo Mathews, kept at Sri Lanka’s task in impressive time. He moved to 95 by threading a Woakes delivery that was too short and too wide behind point and raised his century running three with a neat cut off Atkinson to deep point.
Nissanka soaked up the applause with arms spread wide and a warm bear-hug from Mathews, marking his second ton from 10 Tests, although this was only his second match in the format since mid-2022.
After bringing up the milestone, Nissanka clobbered an Olly Stone short ball over the fence at deep backward square and, two balls later, he saw Bashir spill his ramp to deep third.
A facsimile six from Nissanka off Stone’s next over took Sri Lanka past the 200 mark and, fittingly, he hit the winning runs cutting Bashir to the boundary at deep backward point.
The win was emphatic but followed a see-sawing contest which Sri Lanka’s bowlers seized control of on the third day.
After missing a trick in favourable conditions on Friday, their seamers bundled England out for 156 in their second innings, Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando particularly effective against a home side kept afloat only by Jamie Smith’s thunderous half-century.
They may want to forget it, but England will also have to examine their first-innings collapse from 261 for 3 to 325 all out.
Meanwhile, this is a victory Sri Lanka will remember long after the boys of summer have – finally – gone.
(BBC News)
