UNITED KINGDOM, May 30: Alastair Cook became the first England batsman to score 10,000 Test runs as his side closed in on a series-clinching win over Sri Lanka at the Riverside today.
England were were 33 without loss at tea on the fourth day, needing just a further 46 runs to reach their winning target of 79.
England captain Cook was 23 not out at the Riverside, having scored the five he needed to and just the 12th player of all time to score 10,000 Test runs.
Fellow opener Alex Hales was 10 not out.
Victory in this match would see England take an unassailable lead in the three-match series following their innings and 88-run win in the first Test at Headingley.
Left-hander Cook reached the landmark when he clipped Nuwan Pradeep for four through mid-wicket, having got off the mark with an edged single against left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.
At 31 years and 157 days he was the youngest player ever to achieve the feat, beating the previous record of India great Sachin Tendulkar (31 years and 326 days).
Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal’s excellent hundred denied England a second straight innings victory as Sri Lanka, following on, made 475.
Chandimal’s 126 was his sixth hundred in 27 Tests but first outside Asia.
He received excellent support from Herath (61) in seventh-wicket stand of 116.
Sri Lanka resumed on 309 for five, 88 runs adrift of England’s 498 for nine declared built around Moeen Ali’s Test-best 155 not out.
Chandimal was 54 not out overnight and Milinda Siriwardana unbeaten on 35 after Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (80) and Kaushal Silva (60) initially kept England at bay.
Play began Monday under a heavily grey sky.
The cloud cover promised ideal conditions for England pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who were just four overs into a spell with the new ball. (AFP)
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