Ballance picks up where Root left off to put England in driving seat

England’s new No 3, pushed up the order in only his second Test, responded with an unbeaten 104 which rescued a second-innings slump on day four against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

The hosts, thanks in particular to Ballance’s seventh-wicket stand of 78 with debutant Chris Jordan, were able to close on 
267-8 after all in this first Investec Test.

England were in a decidedly awkward, if not necessarily parlous, state at 121-6 when Ballance and Jordan joined forces.

More than two hours later, the Zimbabwe-born left-hander completed his century with a six over midwicket off Rangana Herath in the final over of the day.

“It’s just a great feeling. I can’t really describe it,” said the 24-year-old

“It’s just very special, and I’m over the moon.”

The hard work was done before Ballance chalked up his milestone – but with a match to be won, England hope, did he fear he might be running out of time?

“A little bit,” he agreed.

“When Broady (Stuart Broad) came in, he was quite positive. That helped me be positive and luckily I got a few boundaries away and got nearer to three figures.

“With one over to go, I needed three – and I didn’t want to nurdle around in singles. So I thought I’d go with a slog-sweep and luckily it came out of the middle.

“I thought ‘if there’s a chance to get a hundred tonight, why not try to get it tonight?’”

Ballance was then able to celebrate in front of his close family, adding: “I had my parents and my brother fly over from Zimbabwe a few days ago.

“It’s special to score this hundred in front of them.”

Any sort of elation looked a long way away as England faltered to the spin of Herath (4-95) and seam of Shaminda Eranga (3-63) after bowling Sri Lanka out for 453 despite captain Angelo Mathews’s 102.

Ballance did not panic, though.

“We had a good lead, but Sri Lanka bowled well on a pitch which was getting a bit low and slow,” he said.

“It was a tough time. But I knew if we just batted time, we could score freely towards the end of the day.”

There was just one minor moment of anxiety, when Sri Lanka reviewed a not-out decision for caught-behind as Ballance tried to cut Eranga on 36.

He was reprieved and not surprised.

“I was confident I hadn’t hit it,” said Ballance. “But with DRS, you never really know, do you?

“My heart was in my mouth a bit, but I was pretty confident.”

Eranga had earlier made short work of both openers, Alastair Cook edging behind as he attempted a flat-footed drive and debutant Sam Robson bowled off an inside edge through the gate by a ball which held its line up the slope.

Ian Bell soon went to Eranga in a near action replay, although trying to play a more expansive shot.

Ballance’s Yorkshire team-mate and first-innings double-centurion Joe Root made only 15, Herath turning one past his defence to hit the back pad.

Moeen Ali responded by going up the pitch first ball to hit Herath over mid on for four, only to be bowled by the next delivery – a beauty that spun up the slope.

Matt Prior endured an uncanny repeat from the first innings, again reprieved on nought by ‘umpire’s call’ after a review when Herath thought he had hit him in line lbw – this time from the third rather than second ball he faced. Unlike on Thursday, however – when Prior went on to make 86 – he was unable to take significant advantage, cutting Nuwan Kulasekara straight to gully soon after tea.

Mathews’s 172-ball hundred, to add to Kumar Sangakkara’s memorable 147, had earlier helped to keep the hosts out in the field for another 75 minutes on a cloudy morning.

Mathews received enough support from the tail against England’s pace attack to move from an overnight 79 to three figures.

Herath faced 14 balls from Stuart Broad, almost all short, before he found himself having to deal with James Anderson (3-93) for the first time.

Anderson needed only one shot at the left-hander too, full and fast enough to knock out middle-stump.

Mathews went to his century, in his first Test innings in this country, smashing a full-toss over extra cover for his 12th four from the final ball of an Anderson over – after England had brought up the field to keep No 10 Eranga on strike at the other end.

Mathews lasted only one more delivery, Yorkshire’s Liam Plunkett immediately seeing him off when he missed a full-length ball and was leg before.

No 11 Nuwan Pradeep was then felled by a bouncer from Jordan (3-102) and smacked the stumps with his bat as he fell to be last out hit-wicket.