England complete Lanka whitewash after comprehensive win at Galle

England overturned a 37-run deficit after the first innings to win a sixth successive Test in Sri Lanka, after earlier dismissing Sri Lanka for 126 in their second innings, giving themselves a confidence boost ahead of next month’s start of a four-test series in India. (Twitter/englandcricket)  

England’s run chase began nervously as they lost their first four wickets for 89 runs, including a tired-looking Joe Root, with Sri Lanka’s dangerous spinner Lasith Embuldeniya threatening with the new ball and taking three wickets for a match tally of 10.

But an unbeaten 75-run partnership between Sibley, who had previously failed with the bat on tour, and Buttler saw England home as they showed the application their hosts lacked in their batting. (Twitter/englandcricket) 

England, who added only five runs to their overnight tally before being dismissed for 344, took just over a session to turn the match on its head as Dom Bess and spin partner Jack Leach claimed four wickets each in Sri Lanka’s second innings. (Twitter/englandcricket) 

England won last week's first test by seven wickets in a victorious start to a year in which they will play 17 test matches. (Twitter/englandcricket) 

Bess took 4-49 and Leach 4-59 as the home batting line-up was undone by the turn of the wicket and rash shots. It included a wild sweep from veteran Angelo Mathews as he was bowled by Bess for five and a slog that was top-edged by captain Dinesh Chandimal (9) and expertly caught by James Anderson off Leach. (Twitter/englandcricket)