1st Test Day 4 ENG 575/9d & 267/8 v SL 453 (ENG lead by 389 runs)

SL started Day 4 415/7

Herath b Anderson 2 SL 430/8 
Mathews lbw b Plunkett 102 SL 442/9 
Pradeep hit wicket b Jordan 4 (SL 453 all out)

ENG 267/8 (LEAD 389)

Cook c P Jayawardene b Eranga 28 ENG 46/1
Robson b Eranga 19 ENG 51/2
Bell b Eranga 9 ENG 69/3
Root lbw Herath 15 (Eng 98-4)
Moeen b Herath 4 (Eng 102-5)
Prior c Thirimanne b Kulasekara 16 (Eng 121-6)
Jordan c Sangakkara b Herath 35 (Eng 199-7)
Broad c&b Herath 24 (Eng 256-8)

England 575 for 9 dec and 267 for 8 (Ballance 104*, Plunkett 2*) lead Sri Lanka 453 (Sangakkara 147, Mathews 102, Anderson 3-93) by 389 runs

Such had been the mastery of bat against ball at Lord's that few would have quailed at the notion that Gary Ballance might complete the fourth day with a maiden Test century to his name. 

This Test surface has not been short of largesse for any batsman worth his salt. What would have surprised them was that he would have achieved it from a position of adversity after Sri Lanka briefly transformed the complacent mood of the first Test with a wonderful bowling performance.

The sight of Ballance reaching his hundred in the final over by hoicking Rangana Herath's left-arm slows over the advertising boards at midwicket re-established batting supremacy. Joe Root, Kumar Sangakkara, and Angelo Mathews earlier on the fourth day - all had busied the Lord's sign writer.

But shortly after tea, England has been precariously placed at 121 for 6, possessing a vulnerable lead of 233. It was the discrimination of his first fifty, helped in his task by an exuberant contribution from Chris Jordan, which told most of Ballance's substance as a cricketer. 

Only in the last half-hour did Ballance, comfortably proportioned and increasingly ruddy of face, extend his range in a delighted dash to personal glory.

Sri Lanka claimed six wickets for 75 in 24 overs, all but one before tea, as they silenced premature chatter about exactly when England would have batted Sri Lanka out of the game and be able to push for victory. 

Some judges remained impatient for England to declare and have half an hour bowling at Sri Lanka, and whilst that policy would have been uplifting, England, in a parlous state, could easily have overstretched themselves in seeking it. 

By the time they added 58 in the last seven overs, moving the fourth-innings target into unchartered territory for Lord's, the chance for a declaration had gone.

Sri Lanka's retort after conceding a first-innings lead of 112 was some achievement on a pitch that by and large remained as politely accoutred as a civilised guest at a St John's Wood soiree. Only now is it offering some turn and low bounce: a little shabby in places, as if the first glass of red had been generously poured.

Their recovery was sparked by an excellent new-ball spell, comfortably the best of the match, by Shaminda Eranga, who took the first three wickets during a 10-over spell on a cloudy, floodlit afternoon. After the incursions were made by his spell of 3 for 24, Herath rabbited into the hole to leave England shaken.

Eranga took his time to bowl himself into rhythm in this Test but, after England resumed 45 minutes before lunch with a lead of 122, he reached the peak of his game. No other bowler has browbeaten such a response from this surface.

Eranga defeated Alastair Cook's forward push - as stiff limbed as a Buckingham Place guardsman - to have him caught at the wicket and, bowling with vigour from the Nursery End, then twice held his line up the Lord's slope to cause Sam Robson and Ian Bell to play on.

If the dismissals of Robson and Bell were identical, their mental approach was not. Robson, the young Middlesex opener on Test debut, has batted with suspicion throughout. He made 19 from 50 balls, largely through leg-side nurdles, and regarded deliveries outside off stump with mechanical distrust. If he makes it as a Test regular, he might prove to be an acquired taste.

Bell, by contrast, played with a suppleness Robson could only have dreamed of. Admiration was cut short before he had reached double figures. Perhaps there was over-confidence in his drive on the up but, as England's classiest batsman, he represented their best chance of achieving the impetus needed for a declaration before the close.

When Herath then dismissed Root and Moeen Ali in successive overs, the chance again rose that Sri Lanka could indeed be batting on the fourth evening - but by virtue of bowling England out. Herath's rotund shape and unthreatening countenance disguises his craft: indeed, it may be part of his deception.

Root was caught on the crease by one that turned to strike his back pad. Moeen, who had struck his first ball from Herath for six in the first innings, this time danced down the track to deposit him over mid-on for four. 

But there was a looseness in his defensive push at the following delivery and Herath turned the ball through the gate to bowl him. He will need to tighten his approach to succeed as a Test batsman.

It could have been even better for Sri Lanka. Matt Prior was reprieved second ball, on nought, in the first innings when Sri Lanka narrowly failed to overturn the umpire's refusal of Herath's lbw appeal. 

Remarkably, the sequence was re-enacted to his third ball in the second innings, Prior pushing forward to a wide, round-arm delivery, umpire Bowden turning down the appeal as it thudded into his pad and Prior surviving, again by Umpire's Call, because the ball was not in line of off stump. Prior, though, did not remain for long.

Before lunch, Angelo Mathews became the second Sri Lanka batsman to add his name to the Lord's honours board, at his first attempt. It was an innings characterised by ebullient, bottom-hand blows, the target reached with full-blooded smite through the off side as James Anderson served up a low, wide full toss. 

He was out in the next over, to the next ball he faced, as Liam Plunkett had him lbw with a ball of full length, Mathews' decision to review the decision failing to spare him.

England would be satisfied to have removed Sri Lanka's last three wickets for 38 runs in 14.4 overs, but their tactics invited discussion. Mathews was starting a new day, but England saw only the swagger of his unbeaten 79 on Saturday afternoon. They encouraged him to get off strike, preferring boundary riders to slips, and concentrated on battering the tail.

They did batter them, too. Of the 17 balls he faced, only the last one, a near-yorker from James Anderson which crashed into his middle stump, was full length; Broad, by contrast, was short and uncompromising.

There was even more physical threat in the fall of Sri Lanka's last man, Nuwan Pradeep. Failing to handle a short ball from Chris Jordan, he was struck on the right shoulder, swung around in a mixture of pain and self-preservation and was out hit wicket as he careered his bat into middle stump. England showed decent concern for his welfare.

But it would be surprising if there was not some smirking iat the comedy of it all in the privacy of the dressing room. 

Tea England 575 for 9 dec and 117 for 5 (Ballance 25*, Prior 13*) lead Sri Lanka 453 (Sangakkara 147, Mathews 102, Anderson 3-93) by 239 runs

Sri Lanka transformed the complacent mood of the first Test at Lord's with a wonderful bowling performance which claimed five England wickets on the fourth afternoon and banished presumptuous talk about exactly what time England would have batted Sri Lanka out of the game and be able to push for victory.

England led by 239 at tea, desperately needing further sustenance from the bottom half of the order. Sri Lanka's recovery was sparked by an excellent new-ball spell, comfortably the best of the match, by Shaminda Eranga who took the first three wickets as he bore the brunt of a 10-over spell on a cloudy, floodlit afternoon. 

After the incursions were made by his spell of 3 for 24, Rangana Herath rabbited into the hole with his left-arm slows to leave England shaken.

It was quite an achievement on a pitch that by and large remained as politely accoutred as a civilised guest at a St John's Wood soiree. Only by now it was behaving with the merest hint of unreliability, as if the first glass of red had been generously poured.

It could have been even better for Sri Lanka. Matt Prior was reprieved second ball, on nought, in the first innings when Sri Lanka narrowly failed to overturn the umpire's refusal of Herath's lbw appeal. 

Remarkably, the sequence was re-enacted in the second innings to Prior's third ball, as he pushed forward at a wide, round-arm delivery, umpire Bowden turning down the appeal as it thudded into his pad and Prior surviving, again by 'umpire's call', because the ball was not in line with off stump.

Eranga took his time to bowl himself into rhythm in this Test but, as England resumed 45 minutes before lunch with a lead of 122, he was at the peak of his game. They reached lunch unscathed, moved to 46 securely enough, but then five wickets tumbled for 56 in 15 overs.

Eranga defeated Alastair Cook's stiff-limbed forward push to have him caught at the wicket and, bowling with vigour from the Nursery End, then twice held his line up the Lord's slope to cause Sam Robson and Ian Bell to play on.

If the dismissals of Robson and Bell were identical, their mental approach was not. Robson, the young Middlesex opener on Test debut, has batted with suspicion throughout. He made 19 from 50 balls, largely through leg-side nurdles, and regarded deliveries outside off stump with mechanical distrust. If he makes it as a Test regular, he might prove to be an acquired taste.

Bell, by contrast, burst with confidence, playing with a suppleness Robson could only have dreamed of. His sweetness of touch was apparent from the start, but admiration was cut short before he had reached double figures. 

Perhaps there was over-confidence in his drive on the up but, as England's classiest batsman, he represented their best chance of achieving the impetus needed for a declaration before the close.

Such thoughts of a fourth-day declaration realistically departed with him. 

When Herath then dismissed Joe Root and Moeen Ali in successive overs, the chance again rose that Sri Lanka could indeed be batting again on the fourth evening - but by virtue of bowling England out. Herath's rotund shape and unthreatening countenance disguises his craft: indeed, it may be part of his deception.

Root, with a double-century behind him, was caught on the crease by one that turned to strike his back pad. Moeen, who had struck his first ball from Herath for six in the first innings, this time danced down the track to deposit him over mid-on for four. 

But there was a looseness in his defensive push at the following delivery and Herath turned the ball through the gate to bowl him.

Before lunch, Angelo Mathews became the second Sri Lanka batsman to add his name to the Lord's honours board in successive days as he completed a pugnacious century. Kumar Sangakkara had to wait until the closing phase of his career before finally making a Test hundred at Lord's. 

Mathews did so at the first attempt in an innings characterised by ebullient, bottom-hand blows, a vital innings which took Sri Lanka close enough to England's first innings to make their anticipated declaration on the final day all the trickier.

Mathews reached his third hundred in Tests with a full-blooded smite through the off side as James Anderson served up a low, wide full toss. 

He was out in the next over, to the next ball he faced, as Liam Plunkett had him lbw with a ball of full length, Mathews' decision to review the decision failing to spare him.

England would be satisfied to have removed Sri Lanka's last three wickets for 38 runs in 14.4 overs, but their tactics invited discussion. Mathews was starting a new day, but England saw only the swagger of his unbeaten 79 on Saturday afternoon. 

They encouraged him to get off strike, preferring boundary riders to slips, and concentrated on battering the tail.

Of the 17 balls Herath faced, only the last one, a near-yorker from James Anderson which crashed into his middle stump, was full length. Stuart Broad, by contrast, was short and uncompromising. One ball clattered into his glove and helmet, but fell safely into the off side.

Herath, in his mid-30s now, of comfortable build and gentle disposition, stared out charily from beneath his helmet. He was under assault and, as staunchly as he bore it, was getting no pleasure. Softened up by Broad, he never zoned in on Anderson.

For a dismissal with physical intent though, there was no looking beyond Sri Lanka's last man, Nuwan Pradeep. 

Failing to handle a short ball from Chris Jordan, he was struck on the right shoulder, swung around in a mixture of pain and self-preservation and was out hit wicket as he careered his bat into middle stump. 

Lunch England 575 for 9 dec and 27 for 0 lead Sri Lanka 453 (Sangakkara 147, Mathews 102, Anderson 3-93) by 149 runs

Angelo Mathews became the second Sri Lanka batsman to add his name to the Lord's honours board in successive days as he completed a pugnacious century to restrict England's first-innings lead to 122 in the first Test. 

England quietly extended that advantage to 149 by lunch and still had the opportunity to put Sri Lanka under severe pressure on the final day.

Kumar Sangakkara had to wait until the closing phase of his career before finally making a Test hundred at Lord's. 

Mathews did so at the first attempt in an innings characterised by ebullient, bottom-hand blows, a vital innings which took Sri Lanka close enough to England's first innings to make their anticipated declaration on the final day all the trickier.

Mathews reached three figures with a full-blooded smite through the off side as James Anderson served up a low, wide full toss. 

It was his third hundred in Tests, following equally assertive affairs on similar surfaces at SSC and in Abu Dhabi. He was out in the next over, to the next ball he faced, as Liam Plunkett had him lbw with a ball of full length, Mathews' decision to review the dismissal failing to spare him.

England's attack could be satisfied with how they had stuck to their task in favourable batting conditions. The pitch remained as politely accoutred as a civilised guest at a St John's Wood soiree.

England would be satisfied to have removed Sri Lanka's last three wickets for 38 runs in 14.4 overs on the fourth morning but, as the task was undertaken, their tactics caused lots of discussion. Mathews was starting a new day, but England saw only the swagger of his unbeaten 79 on Saturday afternoon. 

They encouraged him to get off strike, preferring boundary riders to slips, and concentrated on battering the tail.

Of the 17 balls Rangana Herath faced, only the last one, a near-yorker from James Anderson which crashed into his middle stump, was full length. 

Thirteen of Broad's 14 deliveries to Herath, within the space of three overs, were short and uncompromising. One clattered into his glove and helmet, but fell safely into the off side.

Herath, in his mid-30s now, of comfortable build and gentle disposition, stared out charily from beneath his helmet. 

He was under assault and, as staunchly as he bore it, was getting no pleasure. Softened up by Broad, he never zoned in on Anderson who duly went second in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers at Lord's, only Ian Botham ahead of him.

For a dismissal with physical intent though, there was no looking beyond Sri Lanka's last man, Nuwan Pradeep. 

Failing to handle a short ball from Chris Jordan, he was struck on the right shoulder, swung around in a mixture of pain and self-preservation and was out hit wicket as he careered his bat into middle stump.