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2nd Test: Joe Root hits record-breaking 34th Test century for England

Last updated on: August 31, 2024 20:25 IST

IMAGES from Day 3 of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, on Saturday.

Joe Root celebrates his 34th century

IMAGE: England's Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Joe Root hit his 34th Test century for England at Lord's on Saturday, surpassing the 33 scored by Sir Alastair Cook to become his country's greatest centurion in the game's longest format.

England were building an enormous lead on day three of the second Test against Sri Lanka when Root steadily made his way to a back-to-back century in the second innings, smashing a four to reach 102.

Root had pulled level with Cook in the England record books in the first innings with a knock of 143.

Harry Brook 2nd Test against Sri Lanka

IMAGE: England's Harry Brook in action as he scores four runs. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Earlier, England built their lead over Sri Lanka to a commanding 390 runs on the third morning of the second Test under lights on a grey day at Lord's on Saturday, losing the wickets of Ben Duckett, captain Ollie Pope and Harry Brook.

 

Harry Brook 2nd Test against Sri Lanka

IMAGE: Sri Lanka's Nishan Madushka takes the catch to dismiss England's Harry Brook off the bowling of Prabath Jayasuriya. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

England were on 159 for four, with Joe Root on 45 and Jamie Smith on 23 at the lunch break.

Harry Brook 2nd Test against Sri Lanka

IMAGE: Sri Lanka's Nishan Madushka takes the catch to dismiss England's Harry Brook. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Duckett (24) was dismissed with a wonderful two-man catch off Milan Rathnayake, getting a thick edge on the ball that Nishan Madushka at gully dived for but could only parry into the air for Angelo Mathews at second slip to grab hold of.

Ollie Pope against Sri Lanka in 2nd Test

IMAGE: England's Ollie Pope in action before losing his wicket, caught out by Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya off the bowling of Asitha Fernando. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Pope (17) trudged back to the pavilion not long after Duckett, having stepped back and slashed at a ball from Asitha Fernando only to send it sailing into the air towards deep backward point and down into the hands of Prabath Jayasuriya.

Brook (37) racked up the runs and was lucky to survive one dropped catch by Madushka but eventually offered him another near the boundary that the Sri Lanka man held onto.

In the first innings England piled up an impressive 427 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 196 on Friday afternoon, and they lost only Dan Lawrence (7) before stumps at the start of their second innings.

Source: REUTERS
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