England Lions captain Chris Woakes has credited his team's preparation and their unrelenting focus on victory, for the 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka A.

So highly rated in county cricket but so emphatically embarrassed in his first Test at the Oval last year, Simon Kerrigan delivered an incisive spell in Colombo that may light his path to redemption.

Sri Lanka A's hopes of levelling the series diminished on Thursday, after England Lions had added a further 159 runs, but for Upul Tharanga and Suraj Randiv, the second day brought their possible return to the tips of the Test team

A polished 83 from Varun Chopra laid the base for a busy, unbeaten 130-run stand between Chris Woakes and Scott Borthwick in the evening, as England Lions moved to a comfortable 302 for 5

There was no Dambulla dustbowl on the final day and the only deterioration was on the forehead of England Lions captain Chris Woakes

James Taylor strengthened his case for a recall to England's Test side with an unbeaten double hundred against Sri Lanka A

Sam Robson's hundred - his fourth in five matches - gave England Lions control on the second day of the second unofficial Test

On the flattest pitch of the tour, with England Lions picking three spinners, Graham Onions, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett produced a display of unwavering discipline

England Lions have arrived in Sri Lanka's northern-most cricketing outpost hoping to wrap up the unofficial Test series