England Dominates as Sri Lanka Faces Collapse at Lord's

Sri Lanka collapsed to 129-7 at tea on day two of the second test at Lord's, struggling against England's score of 427. Key dismissals included Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. England's Olly Stone, in his test comeback, made significant contributions. Sri Lanka trails by 298 runs with slim hopes of recovery.

Sri Lanka crumbled to 129-7 at tea on day two of the second test at Lord's, unable to withstand England's imposing total of 427. Gus Atkinson's maiden century was pivotal to England's innings, but it was the afternoon session that saw Sri Lanka's key wickets fall, including veterans Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. The visitors are now trailing by 298 runs.

Olly Stone, playing his first test since 2021, struck early in the afternoon session, dismissing Pathum Nissanka for 12. Despite a 48-run partnership between Mathews and Chandimal, Sri Lanka's middle order collapsed under pressure. Mathews was bowled for 22, and Dhananjaya de Silva fell for a duck, leaving the visitors in dire straits at 83-5.

England's bowlers continued to dominate. Chandimal's departure for 23 further dented Sri Lanka's hopes. Milan Rathnayake counter-attacked briefly, but fell to Chris Woakes, reducing Sri Lanka to 87-6. Kamindu Mendis remains not out on 26, tasked with the Herculean effort of avoiding the follow-on in a match that could decide the series.

(With inputs from agencies.)