By Srian Obeyesekere

Kamindu Mendis defied the England attack to his third test century in only his fourth game in crowning the magical feat in the excellence of brilliant counter attack in a resurrecting 117-seventh-wicket bonding with Dinesh Chandimal who shrugged off a smashed right thumb to a wicked Wood delivery the previous day to coming out of retirement for a gritty 79 as Sri Lanka  fought back from a low to finally setting England a challenging 205 target which the hosts did achieve but not before going through a testing phase when seamer Asitha Fernando and leggy Prabath Jayasuriya sent back the frontline three for 70 – Ben Duckett 11, Ollie Pope 6 and Dan Lawrence in 15.3 overs with Joe Root standing firm with an unbeaten 62 on the final day at Old Trafford Manchester.

England did dip to 4 for 119 after 35 overs before Joe Root was joined by first innings century hero Jamie Smith who sped the side flaying 4 boundaries and a six to a 48-ball 39.

Mendis by and large displayed tremendous willpower and aplomb of shot making to taking on a pace heavy bruising England attack that thrived on the physical to putting the Lankans out. He amply demonstrated an inherent skill of a wide range of stroke-play exemplified by an average in excess of 100 on two centuries and an unbeaten 92 in his three previous Tests by yesterday’s 183-ball execution of powering the boundary line 15 times and one over the top. 

Sri Lanka would rue having let England off the hook on the third day Having let a promising position slip with the ball on the third morning, The Mendis-Chandimal fightback from an overnight 204 for 6 was steadfast to Sri Lanka finally setting England a challenging target of 205 from a hollow. Chandimal shrugged off the effects of a bruised right index thumb by a Matt Woods delivery that typified the Engalnd intent of going for the man by the body language of their pace bowlers. His 119-ball stay consuming 358 minutes was demonstrated by 7 boundaries in being the last man out caught by substitute fielder Harry Singh off Potts. Mendis had been seventh out with the score 307 to an Atkinson delivery held by Root as it so happened that thw duo fell short of extending their battling knocks to a richer run vein that would have put England out of the game had the Lankans had a further 100 in front of them to bowl to. 

England was lifted from the lurch of 3 for 70 and 4 for 119 by which time Asitha Fernando had accounted for Duckett, and Prabath Jayasuriya for Pope and Harry Brook (32) with first innings century hero Jamie Smith going after the Lankan bowling to getting to 39 off 48 in taking the score close to victory when he was bowled by Asitha Fernando though it was a mere formality from there for Root and Woakes getting to 8.

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England was lifted from the lurch of 3 for 70 and 4 for 119 by which time Asitha Fernando had accounted for Duckett, and Prabath Jayasuriya for Pope and Harry Brook (32) with first innings century hero Jamie Smith going after the Lankan bowling to getting to 39 off 48 in getting to within victory when he was bowled by Asitha Fernando. There was Root and Woakes 8 finishing it off.

CHIEF SCORES:

Sri Lanka 236 & 326 (89.3 Overs) (Kamindu Mendis 113, Dinesh Chandimal 79, Angelo Mathews 65, Dimuth Karunaratne 27, Matthew Potts 3/47, Chris Woakes 3/58, Gus Atkinson 2/89, Joe Root 1/5, Mark Wood 1/36)

England 358 & 205/5 (57.2 Overs) (Joe Root n.o. 62, Jamie Smith 39, Dan Lawrence 34, Chris Woakes n.o.8, Ben Duckett 11, Asitha Fernando 2/25, Prabath Jayasuriya 2/98, Milan Rathnayake 1/31)

Dan Lawrence launched a huge straight six off Prabath Jayasuriya•Gareth Copley/Getty Images