LONDON // England gave themselves a chance to win their Test series against Sri Lanka with a match to spare after losing captain Andrew Strauss for a duck at Lord's.
The hosts, at stumps on the fourth day of the second Test, were 149 for two in their second innings — a lead of 156 — with Alastair Cook 61 not out.
Cook, under skies brightened by the Lord's floodlights, helped England recover from none for one after the exit of Strauss and together with Jonathan Trott (58) put on 117 for the second wicket.
Kevin Pietersen, despite coming in when Rangana Herath was on — left-arm spinners, including Herath, have removed him 19 times in Tests — was unbeaten on 15.
England had dismissed Sri Lanka for just 82 inside 25 overs to force an improbable innings and 14-run win in the similarly rain-interrupted first Test in Cardiff.
But here they still have 98 overs left on Tuesday's final day in which to achieve a win that would put them 2-0 up in this three-match series.
And the time remaining means a Sri Lanka victory can't be ruled out completely either.
Sri Lanka, after rain washed out all of Monday's morning session, made 479 in reply to England's first innings 486 — a deficit of just seven runs.
Strauss was then plumb lbw to left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara off the second ball of the innings, the skipper wasting a review before walking back to the Pavilion.
The in-form Trott, sometimes criticised for slow-scoring, prospered against an under-powered Sri Lanka seam attack to score a 66-ball fifty, completed when he punched Dilhara Fernando through the covers for his eighth four.
Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara, captaining the side as Tillakaratne Dilshan was off the field following the finger injury he'd suffered making a Sri Lankan Lord's Test-best 193 on Sunday, then opted for spin.
And it took Herath just four balls to bowl Trott, playing over the top of a dipping delivery.
Trott's exit meant Pietersen had to face Herath immediately but he played out the over with two forward defensive shots.
Cook then drove Fernando through the covers for a sixth four to go to an 86-ball fifty.
An even bigger roar came after Pietersen, advancing confidently down the pitch, drove Herath straight back over the bowler's head for the first four of his innings.
Earlier, Sri Lanka lost two wickets — Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera — for no runs in three balls to be 409 for six.
But wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (no relation), who made 112 in the first innings in Cardiff, hit back with a stylish 40 featuring a six and five fours and put on 57 with Herath in a lively seventh-wicket stand.
England's pace attack, wayward on Sunday in the absence of injured Ashes spearhead James Anderson, showed signs of early improvement Monday.
But a huge total of 58 extras, including 23 byes, most of which could not be blamed on wicketkeeper Matt Prior, was evidence of a lack of accuracy.
Steven Finn, recalled in place of Anderson, took four for 108 while off-spinner Graeme Swann polished off the tail with three for eight in 16 balls.
SCORECARD
England 1st Innings: 486 all out
Sri Lanka 1st Innings (Overnight 372-3):
Tharanga Paranavitana c Strauss b Finn 65
Tillakaratne Dilshan b Finn 193
Kumar Sangakkara c Prior b Tremlett 26
Mahela Jayawardene c Cook b Finn 49
Thilan Samaraweera c Prior b Tremlett 9
Prasanna Jayawardene c Swann b Finn 40
Farveez Maharoof lbw b Broad 2
Rangana Herath st Prior b Swann 26
Dilhara Fernando c Strauss b Swann 5
Suranga Lakmal not out 0
Chanaka Welegedara c Broad b Swann 6
Extras: (25b, 23lb, 8w, 2nb) 58
TOTAL: (all out, 131.4 overs) 479
Fall of wickets: 1-207, 2-288, 3-370, 4-394, 5-394, 6-409, 7-466, 8-472 9-472, 10-479.
Bowling: Stuart Broad 32-5-125-1, Chris Tremlett 30-8-85-2 (1nb), Steven Finn 33-8-108-4 (1nb, 3w), Graeme Swann 32.4-5-101-3, Kevin Pietersen 4-0-12-0.
England (2nd Innings):
Andrew Strauss lbw b Welegedara 0
Alastair Cook not out 61
Jonathan Trott b Herath 58
Kevin Pietersen not out 15
Extras: (5lb, 1w, 9nb) 15
TOTAL: (for two wickets, 41 overs) 149
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-117.
Still to bat: Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matthew Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn.
Bowling: Chanaka Welegedara 7-1-25-1 (1nb), Suranga Lakmal 8-0-31-0 (3nb, 1w), Farveez Maharoof 7-0-24-0 (2nb), Dilhara Fernando 11-1-47-0 (3nb), Rangana Herath 8-1-17-1.
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
57%20Seconds
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.