‘Happiest moment of my career and life’

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva ecstatic as Sri Lanka end 10-year wait for Test win in England; Pathum Nissanka stars with unbeaten century for the visitors

Pathum Nissanka’s superb unbeaten century guided Sri Lanka to an ultimately commanding eight-wicket win at The Oval on Monday as they ended a decade-long wait for a Test-match victory in England. 

Sri Lanka, set a target of 219, reached that total for the loss of two wickets before lunch on the fourth day, with Nissanka 127 not out and Angelo Mathews 32 not out in an unbroken stand of 111. Victory gave Sri Lanka just a fourth Test win in England and first since a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014. 

Pathum Nissanka during his 127 not out. Pic/Bipin Patel

England, however, took this three-match series 2-1 after wins at Old Trafford (five wickets) and Lord’s (190 runs). But defeat meant England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, failed to achieve a first home campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins. 

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Nissanka, named player-of-the-match after also making 64 in the first innings, told Sky Sports: “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 spent two years out of the Test side. And for Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva, there was no doubting the significance of leading his country to only their fourth win in 21 Tests in England. “This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life,” said De Silva. “We had a tough time in the last two weeks so to come here and get a win in English conditions against an English team, it is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country as well.” 

Dhananjaya de Silva

Sri Lanka resumed on 94-1, already well-placed to end a run of seven straight Test defeats by England. Nissanka, recalled at Lord’s, was 53 not out and Kusal Mendis unbeaten on 30. 

Brief scores
England 325 & 156 lost to SL 263 & 219-2 (P Nissanka 127*, K Mendis 39, A Mathews 32*) by eight wickets

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