SL snatch victory after defiant Moeen ton
Sri Lanka won when they had almost abandoned hope. From the penultimate ball of a gripping final day, Shaminda Eranga found a hostile delivery to bring their first series win in England
20/06Result
2nd Investec Test, Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland at Leeds, Jun 20-24 2014
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
257 & 457 -
![England]( "England")
365 & 249 (116.5 ov)
Player of the Match
20/06Result
2nd Investec Test, Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland at Leeds, Jun 20-24 2014
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
257 & 457 -
![England]( "England")
365 & 249 (116.5 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 5
The pearl and the bank clerk
The stories of Shaminda Eranga and Rangana Herath sum up the Sri Lanka team, an under-prepared, under-financed group who refused to be beaten by England
'I never quit on anything' - Cook
Alastair Cook has acknowledged that time may not be on his side as he battles to turnaround his form after two more disappointing innings against Sri Lanka
Moeen shines amid rubble
It should not obscure the failures that led to England's defeat but Moeen Ali showed his talent and his temperament with a wonderful maiden Test century
The tale of two balls, one winner and a piece of history
With two balls remaining at Lord's, Nuwan Pradeep was saved by an inside edge (and the DRS). A little over a week later, with two balls remaining at Leeds, James Anderson fended a bouncer to decide the series
Rare away success for Sri Lanka
Stats highlights after the end of the fifth day's play between Sri Lanka and England at Headingley
Root provides Sri Lanka spark
As Sri Lanka sought a famous victory, Joe Root's words to Angelo Mathews were a pin prick that triggered an explosion
Day 4
Mathews, Prasad set up Sri Lanka for famous win
Sri Lanka have never won a Test series in England, but they are closing in on a magnificent achievement after their captain, Angelo Mathews, with a brilliant domineering hundred
New England, same mistakes
With Alastair Cook isolated and the deficiencies in his captaincy laid bare, the suggestion that English cricket is at a low point continues to gain credence
Mathews unlocks another dimension
Angelo Mathews' innings may have defined the Test match but it also has potential to define his career
Bell defends Cook captaincy
Ian Bell has rejected the suggestion Alastair Cook is on the brink of resigning the England captaincy and said it was the performance of the players rather than any tactical shortcomings that have cost the side in Leeds
England's comedy of errors
It was not hard to spot England's mistakes on a day when they even ran out of stupid ideas
Jayawardene turns up heat on Cook
Mahela Jayawardene shot barbs at England's tactics at Headingley and questioned their embattled captain's public comments, after Sri Lanka finished day four with a famous away win in sight
Mathews record invites comparisons with The Don
One of the great Test innings by Angelo Mathews, typical of his outstanding record as captain, has put Sri Lanka on the brink of a famous win
Captaincy no burden for Mathews
Angelo Mathews' flourishing batting during his stint as Sri Lanka Test captain features in the stats highlights from the fourth day at Headingley
Day 3
Moeen strikes but England grip slackens
Moeen Ali removed Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne in the evening session as England strived to press home their advantage in the second Test
Sangakkara finally leaves his hallmark on England
Having averaged only 30 in England before this tour, Kumar Sangakkara has finally restored his record
Moeen proves his worth - and unveils the doosra
A plethora of "experts" who have spent the last few weeks repeating the myth that Moeen is a "part-time" spin bowler may now afford him a little more respect
Day 2
Sri Lanka hit back after maiden Robson ton
Sam Robson's 127 guided England to a lead before Sri Lanka, armed with the second new ball, struck to pick 4 for 35, leaving the home side at 320 for 6 at the end of the second day
Eranga leads Sri Lanka's survivors
For much of the second day Sri Lanka toiled without reward and the Test match was slipping away from them, but they refused to yield and their hard-working seamers have ensured they retain hope
Old-school Robson plays it perfectly
As the home side stumbled in the final session the value of Sam Robson's maiden Test hundred, a model in concentration and self-denial, became clear
Boycott remains a priceless voice
Cricket is still the fire in Geoff Boycott's belly. His passion is undimmed and each moment of each day is watched, analysed and forensically thought through before the burst of opinion is unleashed
Robson does it the English way
Nothing about Sam Robon's batting against seam bowling even hints at coming from Australia at all. His pointy back elbow makes him look like an accountant from Somerset
Day 1
Plunkett and Broad rattle through Sri Lanka
Stuart Broad became the first England bowler to take two hat-tricks in Test cricket, and only the fourth bowler of all time, as England tore through Sri Lanka's lower order on the opening day of the Headingley Test.
England's potent attack overcomes errors
England made life harder for themselves than it should have been on the opening day, but their pace attack - and those vying for selection - are offering the suggestion of a strong pack
Plunkett finds the shock factor
Liam Plunkett flogged himself into the ground at Lord's and did not have much reward to show for it, but on (new) home turf the ball was fuller and so was his wicket tally
Slapstick Sri Lanka give it away
There were a few occasions on the opening day at Headingley when Sri Lanka could be satisfied with their effort, but a succession of loose shots eventually proved costly and it could be a long road back
Others
Tend to Cook the batsman, before Cook the captain
Mike Selvey, in the Guardian, casts the magnifying glass on the captain Alastair Cook and suggests he might be trying too hard to change himself and the process if proving to be detrimental
Third England tour brings back fond memories for Herath
Before Rangana Herath wrapped up Pakistan's second innings at Galle in his comeback Test in 2009, he was playing in the Staffordshire leagues
A spellbinding micro-series culminating in a marvellous pile-on
Did England underestimate Sri Lanka's pace attack, or did the Sri Lankans bowl out of their skins?
The beard that's feared
There's something about Moeen Ali's long, dark beard
England's reticent champion
To be playing a 100th Test at the age of 32 is a walloping achievement. Better still, the very best of "Belly" may be yet to come
Poor form makes Cook sweat
At the ground where Kevin Pietersen once remarked that "it isn't easy being me" it has started to look a bit difficult to be Alastair Cook
Sri Lanka bowlers prepared for more toil
Headingley could be more responsive for the quick bowlers, but Sri Lanka's captain, Angelo Mathews, says his attack will not stray from basic principles of line and length
Marrying steel with silk
As Ian Bell reaches his 100th Test at Headingley - becoming the 12th England player to reach the landmark - ESPNcricinfo looks back at five of his best innings
Bell recalls career turning point
As Ian Bell sat in the dressing rooms at Edgbaston in May 2009 and watched his former England colleagues take the field in a Test against West Indies, the prospect of a 100th Test cap seemed almost impossibly distant
England crave tangible reward
ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between England and Sri Lanka