Cook shines as England shrug off morning losses
ENGLAND bounced back from the loss of three early wickets to reach 342-6 on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s yesterday.
Captain Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen were all dismissed before lunch as the hosts slumped to 22-3.
Ashes hero Alastair Cook steadied the ship but fell four runs short of his century, while Ian Bell (52), Eoin Morgan (79) and Matt Prior (73) also contributed sturdy totals.
Seamer Suraj Lakmal was the most successful of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack with 3-79 as the tourists look to avenge their first Test defeat in Cardiff.
Strauss departed lbw to newcomer Chanaka Welegedara as early as the third over, having amassed just four runs, after Sri Lanka had won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Trott could not reprise his double-century heroics of last week and also went cheaply, playing across his ninth ball from Lakmal after two runs.
The under-fire Pietersen went for the same score to the same bowler, snatching at a wide ball for Tillakaratne Dilshan to dive and catch at gully.
Cook and Bell wrestled momentum back in England’s favour with 108 in 32 overs, and when the latter fell shortly after his half-century Morgan picked up where he left off.
Extravagance cost Cook his ton and his wicket, Dilhara Fernando catching his lofted boundary attempt, but there was respite for Sri Lanka as Prior and later Stuart Broad steered England to stumps.