England in command after Adil Rashid spins out Sri Lanka with Test-best figures

ADIL RASHID and Ben Stokes sparked a sensational collapse as England took control of the Third Test.

And there was more brilliant fielding at short leg by Keaton Jennings, who caught four of the first five batsmen to be dismissed.

Rashid took his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket while Stokes had figures of 3-30 in a ten-over spell that was interrupted only by the tea interval.

Sri Lanka collapsed in scarcely-believable fashion from 173-1 to 240 all out. That’s nine wickets for 67 runs.

Stokes also held a catch at slip while Rashid even managed to complete a run out. Rarely have two men enjoyed themselves so much.

By the close of day two, England had reached 3-0 and extended their lead to 99 runs.

Captain Joe Root was initially reluctant to use Rashid and Stokes but, once paired together, they caused devastation.

Rashid spun the ball more than anybody and, although he bowled plenty of long hops, there were some unplayable deliveries, too.

Stokes came thundering in, trying to rough up Sri Lanka’s middle and lower-order. His long spell in the ferocious heat was a good example of why England were wrong to consider batting him at No.3.

Jennings held one brilliant catch and helped with an outrageous assist in the Second Test in Kandy.

And he was soon at it again here. Jennings’ first catch came when opener Danushka Gunathilaka attempted to clip a ball from Jack Leach into the legside, it struck his pad and, anticipating superbly, Jennings was able to clasp the catch to his belly.

But then Dimush Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva put on 142 for the second wicket and threatened to drag the game out of England’s reach.

Root would have been cursing because he dropped both of them.

First, he spilled Karunaratne on two at slip off Stuart Broad and later grounded an easier chance offered by de Silva on 42. Again Broad was the unlucky bowler.

The partnership was broken courtesy of Jennings’ second catch, a sharp effort to remove de Silva off Rashid.

Catch No3 for the opening batsman came when he snaffled Karunaratne for 83 off Rashid.

Angelo Mathews toe-ended a pull shot against a Stokes bouncer and Ben Foakes held a tumbling catch behind the stumps.

The last – and probably the best - of Jennings’ grabs came when he stuck out his left hand and found the ball in it. Rashid was delighted, Roshen Silva was on his way.

Stokes used the short ball liberally and had Niroshan Dickwella strangled down the legside and Dilruwan Perera caught behind via the glove.

Foakes twice needed treatment after being struck on the left hand but it did not appear to affect his keeping.

Rashid’s fourth victim arrived when Kusal Mendis guided into Stokes’ hands at slip.

And the Rashid show continued when, after a slight mis-field, he gathered the ball at mid-off, threw down the stumps and ran out Lakshan Sandakan by a couple of feet.

His fifth wicket was the last of the innings when No11 Malinda Pushpakumara was nailed lbw.