Cricket Classics - Part XXVi : 2014 Headingley Test – Sri Lanka vs England | The World of Sports
Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,
Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.
So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. I am with another iconic match.
It's always a treat to watch a Test match in England, the home of Cricket. When it becomes a nail-biting thriller, that played until the penultimate ball of Day 5, and your supporting team wins. Well, that feels magical. The 2nd Test match of the 2014 Sri Lankan tour of England at Headingley was such a kind of feeling, which still gives goosebumps.
It's Sri Lanka's first ever Test series win in England, and we completed the tournament in style, winning the whole three series of ODI, T20I, and Test.
From 13 May to 24 June 2014, Sri Lanka toured England for a T20I match, five ODIs, and two Test matches.
The Sri Lankan team was led by Angelo Mathews with big names like Sangakkara, Jayawardena, Rangana Herath, and many young talents like Chandimal, Eranga, Pradeep, etc. Alastair Cook led the England team with Ian Bell, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and some youngsters. Both teams were almost the same, but England had their home advantage. The first match was drawn, and they were looking for a win.
It was 20th June 2014 at Headingley, Leeds. England won the toss and elected to field. The Sri Lankan first innings ended inside the first day for 257 runs. Kumar Sangakkara scored 79 runs, and Chandimal helped him with 45. English pacers were quite impressive, destroying the innings. Liam Plunkett took his maiden five-wicket haul, and Anderson and Broad shared the rest.
The reply from England was good. With 127 runs from Sam Robson and fifties from Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, they posted a total of 365 in 115.5 overs. Shaminda Eranga and Mathews shared 4 wickets each.
Being 108 runs behind, Sri Lanka had to do something to stay alive in the match in the second inning. Dimuth, Sanga, and Mahela built the foundation from the top with fifties. But Angelo Mathews played a game-changing knock under pressure. His 160 runs were classy with 25 fours and a six. With that effort, England needed 350 runs to win in more than a day.
Sri Lanka started to bowl well in the fourth day evening. Dhammika Prasad destroyed England's top order, and they lost 5 wickets for just 57 runs in 26 overs. It was 5 wickets for Sri Lanka to win, and it was predicted to be a comfortable win. But England batters were looking for a draw and defended the wicket.
Moeen Ali took the lead, staying not out til the end. He secured 30 overs with Joe Root, 15 overs with Matt Prior, 17 overs with Chris Jordan, and another 8 overs with Stuart Broad. Runs were also slowly coming, but the tailenders were kept fighting in the 90 overs of the last day.
Anyway, when the 9th wicket fell, Anderson came to the crease, there were still 20 overs remaining, and just one wicket needed for Sri Lanka. But Anderson and Ali kept fighting.
The penultimate over was defended well by Ali against Prasad, but he couldn't get the strike for the last over. It was Shamind Eranga against Anderson. Fielders were around him for a catch.
The last over of the match - 0,0,0,0, and gone
With just 2 balls left in the day, Shaminda Eranga bowled a bouncer, and Anderson was caught by Herath.
Sri Lanka had a famous victory by 100 runs with just 1 ball to spare. Despite a full effort from the England tail, especially Moeen Ali scoring 108* runs, surviving 281 balls, and other batters surviving around him, they had to lose it.
It was one of the best matches I have ever seen.
See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.
src - espncricinfo
Wikipedia
Thank you.
Best Regards!