In a spin: England's win against Sri Lanka sets new record

Spin was king as England clinched a series victory against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, with a record-breaking bowling stat achieved.

Published : Nov 18, 2018 14:53 IST

England spinners Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
England spinners Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
lightbox-info

England spinners Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.

England clinched their first away series victory since January 2016 with a 57-run win against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Sunday, but the second Test was also notable for its record-breaking bowling stats.

The match - which also sealed England's first series win in Sri Lanka since 2001 - saw 38 of the 40 wickets taken by spin bowlers, setting a new marker in Test cricket.

RELATED | England seals series win over Sri Lanka

Akila Dananjaya and Jack Leach took eight wickets apiece, while Dilruwan Perera was one off that pair with seven and Moeen Ali boasted six scalps.

Malinda Pushpakumara and Adil Rashid each ended the match with four wickets and England captain Joe Root took one.

Dimuth Karunaratne was run out by Ben Stokes during Sri Lanka's first innings, leaving Suranga Lakmal as the only non-spin bowler to claim a wicket.

The previous best was 37 in a Test between India and New Zealand in 1969, while India's clashes with Australia in 1956 and Pakistan in 1987 featured 35 spin wickets.

The third and final Test gets under way in Colombo on Friday.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment