http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 – 2nd Test – Live Cricket Score and Update - England set 94 to win
Sri Lanka set England 94 to win after being bowled out on 278 in the second innings, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501 adding two more wickets on Day 5 to end with a six-for at the P Sara Oval, Colombo, April 7, 2012.
With their no.1 Test status on the line, the hosts began the final morning on a impressive note, with Swann getting rid of Lankan skipper and danger man, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/HMRKB-Herath-c1559.
Angelo Matthews rallied on to strike a few telling blows but fell four runs short of his fifty – succumbing to a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ST-Finn-c2566’s slower rising delivery. With the English contingent boosting a commanding first innings lead, they were left just 94 to chase – hoping to attain the target and save their Test supremacy.
It was another solid performance from Jayawardene, who stood tall against the tourist’s bowlers on Day four, despite losing his teammates on a regular basis. Day 5 began with him, partnering his deputy Mathews, in a bid to add as many runs to the 33-run lead they had conjured at stumps, the previous day.
Both men added 24 to their overnight score of 218 before Swann took the decisive wicket of Jayawardene. The pitch had been offering considerable turn to the off-spinner, who was further aided by some appreciable bounce – helping him to get the better of the Lankan talisman as he departed for a well made 64 after gloving the ball to short leg, where http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026 took a neat catch.
Prasanna’s stay was hardly of note and perished after scoring just 2 – bowled around his legs and becoming Swann’s sixth wicket. Herath tried to curb his aggressive nature and hung around to negotiate 21 deliveries but with the strip now becoming difficult to bat on – departed off Samit Patel.
Mathews cut loose and administered a few crisply timed boundaries but the unreliable nature of the track undone him – holed out at mid-wicket by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964 off Finn – leaving the visitors with an easy task of holding onto their Test dominancy for the time being at least.
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