PATHUM Nissanka's unbeaten century led Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win at The Oval on Monday, ending their 10-year wait for a Test victory in England.
Set a target of 219, Sri Lanka reached the total before lunch on the fourth day, losing only two wickets in the process. Nissanka finished 127 not out, with Angelo Mathews unbeaten on 32 in a partnership of 111 runs.
This victory marked Sri Lanka's fourth Test win in England and their first since their success at Headingley in 2014.
Despite the defeat, England won the three-match series 2-1 after victories at Old Trafford and Lord's.
England, having whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, missed the chance to secure their first clean sweep of a home campaign since 2004.
Nissanka, who was named player of the match after scoring 64 in the first innings, told Sky Sports, "It was a great opportunity to play in England and I enjoyed that innings."
"I just wanted to play my normal game and I have done that," said Nissanka, who had been out of the Test side for two years.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva highlighted the significance of the win. "This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life," said de Silva. "We had a tough time in the last two weeks, so to get a win in English conditions against an English team is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country."
Resuming on 94-1, Sri Lanka were already in a strong position to break their seven-match losing streak against England. Nissanka was unbeaten on 53, and Kusal Mendis was on 30.
Mendis added just nine more runs before being caught by Shoaib Bashir off a Gus Atkinson bouncer. Mathews then joined Nissanka at the crease, and the pair steadily took Sri Lanka towards victory.
Nissanka's 107-ball century included 11 fours, and he further punished England’s bowlers, hitting Olly Stone for two sixes. He finished the match by cutting Bashir for four, surpassing his previous highest Test score of 103.
England's captain Ollie Pope acknowledged his team's mistakes. "Day three, we probably shot ourselves in the foot a little bit," said Pope. "We weren't at our best and credit to Sri Lanka. The way Nissanka played was high-class and they deserved to win this Test."
(With inputs from AFP)
