Joe Root smashes 103 runs vs SL, registers highest number of Test centuries for England

England batsman Joe Root. Pic/AFP

Sri Lanka were set a mammoth target of 483 to win the second Test at Lord's on Saturday after dismissing England for 251 in their second innings. Joe Root was the hosts' last man out for 103 on the third day.

Root, who made 143 in the first innings to move level with the previous England record of 33 hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook, went to a century on Saturday when he cut Lahiru Kumara for the 10th four off 111 balls faced.

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No side have made more to win in the fourth innings of any Test than the West Indies' 418-7 against Australia at St John's in 2002-03, with the corresponding Lord's record the West Indies' 344-1 (needing 342) against England in 1984.

Brief scores
England 427 & 251 (J Root 103; A Fernando 3-52, L Kumara 3-53) v Sri Lanka 196 (K Mendis 74; M Potts 2-19, C Woakes 2-21)

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