Nissanka shines as Sri Lanka defeats England in the third cricket Test match.
Pathum Nissanka’s outstanding unbeaten century led Sri Lanka to a decisive eight-wicket victory over England in the third Test, ending a decade-long drought.
Chasing 219, Sri Lanka comfortably reached the target with two wickets down before lunch on the fourth day at The Oval. Nissanka remained undefeated on 127, alongside Angelo Mathews, who was 32 not out in a 111-run partnership.
This win marked Sri Lanka's fourth Test victory in England, their first since a 100-run triumph at Headingley in 2014.
Despite England winning the series 2-1 with victories at Old Trafford and Lord’s, the loss meant they missed the chance to secure their first home series clean sweep since 2004. Nissanka, named Player of the Match after scoring 64 in the first innings, expressed his joy to Sky Sports, saying, "It was a great opportunity to play in England, and I enjoyed that innings... I just wanted to play my normal game, and I have done that," added the opener, who had spent two years out of the Test squad.
Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva highlighted the significance of the win, saying, "This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life... To come here and get a win in English conditions is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country."
Resuming on 94-1, Sri Lanka was in a strong position to end their streak of seven consecutive Test defeats by England. Nissanka was unbeaten on 53, and Kusal Mendis on 30. Mendis added just nine more runs before being dismissed, hooking a Gus Atkinson bouncer to fine leg, where Shoaib Bashir made an impressive low catch.
At 108-2, Mathews, a key player in Sri Lanka's Headingley win a decade earlier, joined Nissanka at the crease. The duo made steady progress, with Mathews and Nissanka taking advantage of the quicks before Bashir was brought into the attack. Nissanka reached his century off 107 balls, hitting 11 boundaries, and followed it up with two sixes off Olly Stone. He sealed the win by cutting Bashir for four, surpassing his previous highest Test score of 103 against the West Indies.
England squandered several promising positions in the match. Despite Ollie Pope’s 154 in the first innings, they collapsed from 261-3 to 325 all out. Sri Lanka, in turn, recovered from 93-5 to 263, keeping the match balanced. England’s second innings saw a dramatic collapse to 82-7, eventually being bowled out for 156 in just 34 overs on Sunday. Lahiru Kumara took 4-21, while Vishwa Fernando claimed 3-40, including the key wicket of Joe Root for 12.
Only Jamie Smith’s counterattacking 67 off 50 balls provided some resistance, ensuring Sri Lanka had over 200 to chase.
Reflecting on the loss, Pope admitted, “It’s disappointing not to be on the right side of the result... We probably shot ourselves in the foot on day three. Credit to Sri Lanka and Nissanka, who played brilliantly.”
