Sri Lanka promoted usual No.9 Prabath Jayasuriya to No.4 in the fourth innings of the second Test match at Lord's, effectively deploying a nightwatchman over an hour before the scheduled end of play.
Sri Lanka were facing a huge chase of 483 after Tea on day three, following Joe Root's record-breaking hundred earlier in the day. They were also faced with challenging conditions in which to bat, with the lights already having been long switched on at the ground, and grey skies over head. Nishan Madushka was caught in the slips by Root off Gus Atkinson within the first ten overs of the innings, before Olly Stone dismissed Pathum Nissanka with the last ball before the drinks break, finding his edge to give Root another catch in the slips.
Following that wicket, instead of Angelo Mathews walking out at No.4 as expected, Jayasuriya was sent out to bat. As the players took drinks, the umpires once again checked the light meter, with the visibility judged to be marginal enough to necessitate spin having to be bowled instead of pace.
In sending out Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka were hoping to avoid losing another wicket before the end of play, if the day was brought to a close early because of the poor light. Play continued without interruption for several more overs, Shoaib Bashir and Root operating in tandem from either end.
While on the field longer than Sri Lanka would have hoped, Jayasuriya saw out the overs with no dramas. He reached three off 23 balls by the time the light was eventually deemed poor enough to halt play six overs after he came to the crease.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
