Thirimanne's ton narrows England lead to 44 runs in 1st Test

Sam Curran 2-37 provided the much-awaited breakthrough when he got the inside edge off Thirimannes bat off a delivery which nipped back into the left-hander.Angelo Mathews, who was dropped on 11 at forward short leg, was unbeaten on 30 and stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal not out on 20 at lunch.Thirimanne, who wouldnt have played had regular captain Dimuth Karunaratne recovered from a thumb injury, grabbed the opportunity with both hands on a difficult wicket where the ball is spinning.

Lahiru Thirimanne scored his first test century in eight years as Sri Lanka narrowed England's lead to 44 at lunch on the fourth day of the first test on Sunday.

Thirimanne's patient 111 off 251 balls included 12 fours and carried Sri Lanka to 242-4 and in sight of making England have to bat again. Sam Curran (2-37) provided the much-awaited breakthrough when he got the inside edge off Thirimanne's bat off a delivery which nipped back into the left-hander.

Angelo Mathews, who was dropped on 11 at forward short leg, was unbeaten on 30 and stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal not out on 20 at lunch.

Thirimanne, who wouldn't have played had regular captain Dimuth Karunaratne recovered from a thumb injury, grabbed the opportunity with both hands on a difficult wicket where the ball is spinning. He showed lot of temperament against spinners and fast bowlers alike in raising only his second test century in his 37 test. England's spinners had created opportunities to dismiss Thirimanne after Sri Lanka resumed on 156-2, still trailing by 130 runs. Off-spinner Dom Bess (1-52) removed overnight batsman Lasith Embuldeniya for zero in the second over when the batsman played a loose shot to short extra cover.

Bess twice came close to have the wicket of Thirimanne, who resumed on 76, but first Dom Sibley dived full length for a catch at the cover boundary as the ball just eluded him and then a top edged slog sweep landed in no-man's land.

Thirimanne reached his hundred off 227 balls with a square cut boundary off Bess. It was Thirimanne's first test hundred in 54 test innings since he scored 155 not out against Bangladesh at the same venue in 2013.

England captain Joe Root's fourth double century had given England a massive lead of 286 as the visitors made 421 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings score of 135.

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