In a remarkable display of skill and determination, Gus Atkinson etched his name into cricketing history with a stellar performance during his debut summer as an England Test cricketer. The young all-rounder not only achieved his first century but also claimed five wickets in the second innings, helping to dismantle Sri Lanka's resistance in the second Test.
Sri Lanka, facing an improbable target of 483 to stay alive in the series, put up a valiant fight in the fourth innings. Despite gritty half-centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dhananjaya de Silva, and a determined effort from Milan Rathnayake in only his second Test, they ultimately succumbed to a 190-run defeat within four days.
Though the crowd at Lord's was sparse, those present offered applause for Sri Lanka's resilience. Atkinson received a warm ovation as he celebrated Rathnayake's dismissal, bringing Sri Lanka's innings to a close. This success added to Atkinson's impressive tally of 19 Test wickets at an average of 10.94 in just two Test appearances at Lord's, complemented by three five-wicket hauls and a century.
Atkinson's achievements also placed him in an elite group of England cricketers, becoming only the third player to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test match. England resumed play on Sunday morning, needing eight wickets to secure a 2-0 series lead and their fifth consecutive Test victory this summer. Sri Lanka made them work for it, with contributions from Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, and Shoaib Bashir, alongside Atkinson, as the visitors fought to extend the match.
Although chasing 483 seemed unlikely, Sri Lanka had hopes of pushing the game into a fifth day. According to Dhananjaya, the plan was to "bat simply and bat long," with Karunaratne first fifty of the series setting the tone in the morning session. Sri Lanka lost only two wickets, one of them being the nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya.
Karunaratne's patient 55 came from 129 balls, but he fell to a bouncer from Stone. Chandimal then shifted gears, racing to a fifty off just 43 balls on either side of lunch. Dhananjaya maintained his composure, forming the highest partnership of the innings with Rathnayake. However, once Dhananjaya was bowled by Atkinson with the new ball, Sri Lanka's hopes began to fade.
Ollie Pope, England's stand-in captain, frequently adjusted his tactics, though his success with the Decision Review System (DRS) remained elusive. Three unsuccessful reviews brought his tally to eight without a single on-field call being overturned.
England experienced one moment of frustration when Chandimal had an lbw decision reversed due to the faintest edge detected by UltraEdge. Woakes was visibly disappointed, believing there was no contact with the bat. Nonetheless, Chandimal's aggressive innings, which included 11 boundaries, was eventually cut short by a bat-pad catch at short leg off Atkinson. Atkinson then struck again in his next over, dismissing Kamindu Mendis with a drive to third slip.
Dhananjaya and Rathnayake continued to resist, as they had done in the first Test at Old Trafford, extending the match into a third session. Rathnayake showed courage against Stone's short-ball assault and, after surviving a dropped catch by Joe Root at slip off Atkinson, seemed poised to score his second fifty in as many Tests. However, he was caught behind while attempting a pull shot, and Woakes finished off the innings by having Lahiru Kumara caught at mid-on.
Earlier in the day, Karunaratne had a fortunate escape when a review for lbw off the second ball of the morning showed that Woakes' delivery had pitched just outside leg stump. He had another chance when a slash at Atkinson evaded Root, who made a valiant one-handed attempt at slip. England lost a second review when they believed Karunaratne had edged the ball behind off the same bowler.
Woakes eventually dismissed Jayasuriya, who had battled for 41 balls to score just four runs, with a thick-edged drive well held by Harry Brook at second slip. Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews then formed a crucial fourth-wicket partnership, and it seemed that a run-out might be England's best chance for a breakthrough.
Despite managing just one fifty in 13 previous innings in England, Karunaratne remained watchful. He did, however, strike three boundaries off Atkinson in one over, including a cover drive and a controlled pull. A low edge between slip and gully brought him to 49, and a single to point allowed him to raise his bat for the first time on the tour.
Mathews attempted to take on Bashir, who found some turn but was not as threatening as England had hoped. Pope brought Stone back for a short-ball barrage just before lunch, which succeeded in dislodging Karunaratne, who gloved a rising delivery to Smith down the leg side.
Chandimal appeared determined to counterattack, hitting Woakes for consecutive boundaries at the start of his spell after lunch and taking three more off Bashir in one over. A wild swipe over the slips brought him to fifty, and he did most of the scoring during a 59-run partnership with Mathews.
The pair was eventually separated when Bashir tempted Mathews to go for a big shot, only for him to find Woakes at mid-off. Woakes thought he had removed Chandimal on 55 with a delivery that struck him on the knee roll, but the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, ruled that there had been an edge, much to Woakes' frustration. However, the delay was short-lived, as England closed in on a clean sweep ahead of the final Test of the summer at The Oval next week.