Cricket: Rangana Herath sends England spinning to Test loss

England’s miserable start to 2012 continued yesterday as they lost the first Test to Sri Lanka by 75 runs.They have now lost all four Tests since the turn of the year, with Sri Lanka’s spinners picking up where their Pakistani counterparts left off in the United Arab Emirates.

Rangana Herath, who took 12 wickets in the match, and Suraj Randiv accounted for all ten of England’s batsmen in the second innings, which fell well short of an imposing target of 340 despite the best efforts of Jonathan Trott.

He scored a gutsy 112, his seventh Test ton, but only Matt Prior, with 41, offered significant support as England were bowled out for 264.

Trott, 40 not out overnight, sent the third ball of the morning through the off-side for four but Kevin Pietersen looked troubled from the off. He added just a single to his overnight score of 29 when he fell to Randiv in the third over hitting a turning ball straight to mid-wicket, where Mahela Jayawardene held on.

After 12 overs, Jayawardene sent for Herath, who had taken six first-innings wickets, as Trott and Ian Bell were doing a decent job of neutralising the nervousness created by Pietersen’s dismissal.

But, with the score on 152, Herath won an lbw verdict against Bell. His replacement, Prior, settled quickly and England reached 177 for four at lunch.

Afterwards, the fifth-wicket pair looked comfortable and the England 200 was quickly followed by the fifty partnership.

After ten trouble-free overs after lunch, Jayawardene took the new ball but England’s scoring rate actually went up.

Trott brought up his century by sweeping Herath for four, ending a sequence of 18 singles, and celebrated lavishly.

But, four balls later Prior swept Herath hard towards short-leg, where Lahiru Thirimanne clung on after absorbing the impact with his body. Having contributed 41 in 88 balls, his scalp was a key one.

That brought debutante Samit Patel to the crease for his second Test innings. With 107 still to get, the tension was stifling.

The English fans began to count off the runs with cheers – and a roar as the target dipped into double figures.

But a wicket derailed their fun and it was Patel who was the man to go, for nine, clearing his front foot and picking out Tillakaratne Dilshan at short extra-cover.

The former captain juggled the chance initially, only to snare the ball one-handed at the second attempt, giving Herath his second five-wicket haul of the match.

All of England’s hopes now rested on Trott’s shoulders but he was gone in the next over, turning Randiv to Dilshan at leg-slip.

His five-and-a-half hour knock was a superb effort in trying circumstances but it appeared certain to be in a losing cause.

Graeme Swann lasted only nine balls before the now inevitable Herath lbw arrived, with Randiv seeing off James Anderson and Monty Panesar with successive deliveries after tea to seal the victory.