England vs Sri Lanka: Visitors' first win in England in a decade, Nissanka's maiden Test ton and other stats

Opening batter Pathum Nissanka struck a magnificent century to guide Sri Lanka to a consolation eight-wicket victory over England at The Oval in London on Monday.

Nissanka struck an unbeaten 127 off just 124 balls, giving the Englishmen a taste of their own ‘Bazball’ medicine with 13 fours and two sixes as Sri Lanka reduced what appeared a challenging target of 219 with a little over a day left in the game to a cakewalk.

The 26-year-old opener, remained at the crease throughout the course of the chase to guide Sri Lanka to one of their most memorable victories in an era in which the former cricketing powerhouse has been starved for success.

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Nissanka was ably supported by Kusal Mendis (39) and Angelo Mathews (32 not out), stitching an unbroken partnership worth 111 with the latter. Both Mendis and Mathews played supporting roles and ensured they remained at the crease for as long as possible after Nissanka’s opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed early during the chase on Sunday.

What a player #Pathumnissanka #EngvSL great moment for @OfficialSLC.. superb win and credit to the seamers who ran in all series and showed skill and heart .. Congratulations on a fabulous win which will certainly make us believe 😃 pic.twitter.com/XQimIcl98Y

— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) September 9, 2024

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Pacers Lahiru Kumara (4/21) and Vishwa Fernando (3/40) had starred with the ball on Sunday to help Sri Lanka bowl England out for 156 in their second essay.

Sri Lanka had conceded a 63-run first innings lead, which could have been a lot bigger had the hosts not crumbled from 261/3 to 325 all out in the first innings. Kumara and Fernando’s efforts, however, gave the Sri Lankans a fighting chance of concluding what was otherwise turning out to be a disappointing tour on a happy note.

England had already sealed the three-match series with victories at Old Trafford (5 wickets) and Lord’s (190 runs), and Monday’s result allowed Sri Lanka to collect a consolation win and avoid a series whitewash.

Following their victory at The Oval, we take a look at a few statistics pertaining to Sri Lankan team and their record in England:

— The victory at The Oval in Sri Lanka’s fourth on English soil, and their first in a decade. Their first-ever victory in England was also at this venue, a 10-wicket victory in a one-off Test for the Arjuna Ranatunga-led team in 1998. Their other victories in England came in the 2006 and 2014 tours at Trent Bridge and Headingley respectively, the latter resulting in a historic 1-0 series win.

The Oval, 1998 🤝🏽 The Oval, 2024#ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/2bZuRyjslA

— Estelle Vasudevan (@Estelle_Vasude1) September 9, 2024

— Monday’s victory is also Sri Lanka’s ninth overall in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) nations. Sri Lanka have won 9 and lost 49 while drawing 16 in the 74 Tests they’ve placed in these four nations. Their last victory in SENA came in 2019 when it whitewashed a two-match series in South Africa.

— Nissanka’s unbeaten 127 is his first century in Test cricket and his seventh overall international cricket, with six of those coming in ODIs.

— Nissanka’s ton is also only the fourth by a Sri Lankan in England. Sanath Jayasuriya (213) and Aravinda de Silva (152) had starred in Sri Lanka’s 10-wicket victory in 1998 while all-rounder Angelo Mathews had scored a majestic 160 at Headingley in 2014 that played a key role in the visitors’ 100-run victory.