England v Sri Lanka in England, 2011

Sangakkara's arrival at net practice on the eve of this match was greeted by his team-mates with handshakes and high-fives - tribute to his MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture, delivered at Lord's the night before. Blunt but eloquent in his critique of the Sri Lankan cricket board, Sangakkara did just as well to shut out the firestorm his comments had caused back home. Attempting to salvage an innings that soon staggered to 20 for four in swinging conditions, he hit only seven fours in a 107- ball knock high on technique and patience and - helped by Mathews's late cameo - gave his side hope. Instead, England answered criticism of their laborious efforts at Headingley and Lord's in style, interrupted only by a shower which cost two overs. Cook struck the ball as well as he had ever done in international cricket, cutting and flicking 16 fours in 75 balls, and with Kieswetter, who hit three sixes and eight fours in 68, set an all-wicket England record against Sri Lanka of 171, surpassing the unbroken 154 between Graeme Hick and Neil Fairbrother at Adelaide in 1998-99. Despite eyeing a second successive hundred, Cook could hardly ask Kieswetter to slow down after angrily invoking higher forces at Lord's, and settled instead with the instruction to get the runs "in sixes or singles". Kieswetter hedged his bets, reaching the Duckworth/Lewis par score with a huge blow over midwicket off Kulasekara, then levelling the series with a glance to square leg. More than half the available overs remained.