Gus Atkinson and bowlers shine as England take on Sri Lanka on day 2 of Lord’s Test

Gus Atkinson‘s girlfriend Test in the century arranged the forum for another day of In EnglandDominance at Lord’s, as the hosts posted an impressive 427 in their first innings on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test. To answer, Sri Lanka they were bowled out for 196, trailing by 231 runs, just by runs Kamindu Mendis showing great resistance. England chose not to bat and forced the follow on, opting to bat again, ending the day at 25/1 with a lead of 256.

Kamindu Mendis stands tall amid Sri Lanka’s collapse

Mendis was Sri Lanka’s lone hero, hitting a gritty 74 off 120 balls. His innings, which included eight fours and three sixes, helped Sri Lanka recover to 118/7, briefly raising his Test average back to 100. Despite his efforts, none of his colleagues were able to pass Dinesh Chandimal‘s 23, leaving Sri Lanka in dire straits on a field already showing signs of turning around. Mendis’ innings was a testament to his fighting spirit. He took England’s attack from the front and collected the fastest runs for his team. However, his heroic effort was not enough to save Sri Lanka from a huge first innings deficit.

Kamindu Mendis fought back with a classy knock!#Ngilandi #Sri Lanka #KaminduMendis # Test #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/EQctTBbBAN

– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 30, 2024

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Gus Atkinson’s maiden century sets the tone for England

Earlier, Atkinson led England’s innings on the second morning with 74 not out and wasted no time in reaching his century. His century came off just 103 balls, making it the sixth fastest century in a Test match at Lord’s. Atkinson’s innings featured controlled aggression, with his knock including back-to-back boundaries off Lahiru Kumara to start the day. Although initially he was given lbw by the umpire Paul ReiffelAtkinson successfully reviewed the decision, with the ball missing the leg stump.

From there, Atkinson continued to dominate, bringing up his century with a drive at long on. His celebration, with a beaming smile and greetings from the four corners of the world, was the only sign that this was no ordinary day for the young cricketer. Matthew Potts provided vital support to an 85-run partnership for the eighth wicket before Atkinson’s innings ended with a stunning catch Milan Rathnayake to deep midwicket.

England’s bowlers continue to rock

Sri Lanka’s response started badly, with Nishan Madushka fall 7 to Chris Woakes again Dimuth KarunaratneThe poor form continued when Olly Stone was dismissed for 7 runs. Stone, returning to the Test team after a long absence, took his second wicket in quick succession, delivering. Pathum Nissanka of 12. Angel Matthews and Dinesh Chandimal tried to stabilize the innings, but Mathews was dismissed by a delivery from Potts who hit the top of the stumps. Dhananjaya de Silva fell for a duck, leaving Sri Lanka in deep trouble.

Atkinson continued his impressive run at Lord’s by getting Chandimal his 13th wicket in less than three innings, dismissing him for 23 runs with a cut at leg gully. Rathnayake is briefly attacked, but Stone and Woakes combine to chase him and the rest of the tail off. Shoaib Bashirmaking his first appearance at Lord’s, he bowled well and ended up getting out Prabath Jayasuriya. Despite the late life for Mendis there Joe Root hit it to deep square leg, England’s dominance was never in doubt. They finished the day strong, with Sri Lanka facing a battle to avoid defeat.

Another happy day in the Lord 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Yt1t79Cxto

– England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2024

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