The Albany Gazette - Sri Lanka collapse against England after Atkinson hundred

At tea, Sri Lanka -- already 1-0 down in a three-match series -- were a mammoth 298 runs adrift of England's first-innings 457 that featured Atkinson's blistering 118.

Sri Lanka openers Nishan Madushka and Dimuth Karunaratne both played on for seven, to Chris Woakes and the recalled Stone respectively

Karunaratne's exit, one ball into an over, led the umpires to call lunch with Sri Lanka, beaten by five wickets in last week's first Test at Old Trafford, 32-2.

Three balls after the resumption, Pathum Nissanka (12) turned Stone, playing his first Test in three years after express quick Mark Wood was ruled out with a thigh injury, straight to Potts at leg-slip.

Potts enjoyed a similar double strike in the 21st over, bowling Angelo Mathews (22) with a delivery that trimmed the top of off stump and three balls later turning another batsman inside out, with Dhananjaya de Silva dismissed for a duck as the Sri Lanka captain edged to Harry Brook at second slip.

Sri Lanka were now 83-5 and, after Atkinson had Dinesh Chandimal (23) caught just behind square, they were 118-7 when diving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith held Milan Rathnayake's edge off Woakes.

- Lord's honours -

Atkinson had already cemented his love affair with Lord's earlier Friday.

The 26-year-old, whose previous highest first-class score was 91 for Surrey against a Sri Lanka Development XI in 2022, only made his Test debut against the West Indies, also at Lord's, last month.

Atkinson marked that occasion with 12 wickets (7-45 and 5-61) to etch his name on the famed Lord's dressing room honours boards reserved for bowlers who take five or more wickets in a Test innings and 10 or more in a match.

But few would have backed Atkinson to get on the equivalent honours board recognising those who score Test hundreds at the 'Home of Cricket' -- a feat that proved beyond such star batsmen as India's Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies' Brian Lara and Australia's Ricky Ponting throughout their illustrious careers.

Atkinson was 74 not out overnight, having strengthened England's grip on the game following Joe Root's 143 -- an England record-equalling 33rd Test century -- in a Thursday stumps total of 358-7.

No 8 Atkinson carried on from where he left off, hitting two fours off Friday's first two balls, as he leg-glanced and cover-drove paceman Lahiru Kumara leg-glanced for a pair of textbook boundaries.

But to the third he was given out lbw, only for Australian umpire Paul Reiffel's decision to be reversed by a review that indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.

Atkinson went to his century in storybook fashion, driving Kumara down the ground into the pavilion for another stylish four -- his 11th in a century completed in just 103 balls and also featuring four sixes.

A spectacular innings came to a spectacular end when Atkinson mistimed a pull off an Asitha Fernando bouncer and was brilliantly caught by a diving Rathnayake as he launched himself towards the rope.

Atkinson walked off to a rousing reception, having faced just 115 balls.

Fernando ended the innings by dismissing Stone to secure his place on the honours boards with a return of 5-102 in 21 overs.

(B.Ramirez--TAG)