England vs Sri Lanka predictions: Will England wrap up series win at Lord’s?

After securing a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, England will be hoping to wrap up the series a game early with victory at Lords, starting on Thursday (11am, Sky Sports Main Event).

The home side will again be without skipper Ben Stokes, but in Ollie Pope it seems they have a more than able replacement, winning his first game in temporary charge.

Pope is missing fast bowler Mark Wood after he was ruled out of the rest of the series through injury and he has been replaced in the side by Olly Stone, who is set for his first Test appearance in more than three years.

This is the only change from the side that won in Manchester.

England are looking for their fifth successive test victory, following the 3-0 whitewash of West Indies earlier in the summer.

Their last match at Lords came during that series and that one ended with victory by an innings and 114 runs inside three days.

While Sri Lanka are a more difficult proposition it’s still hard to see anything other than an England win and betting sites have installed them as 1/4 favourites for the win, while the tourists are 6/1.

Stone, whose last appearance came in an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston in June 2021, has taken 10 Test wickets at an average of 19.40, and an economy rate of 3.25 runs per over.

Since that match, the 30-year-old has had surgery to have two screws inserted in his spine.

In total, the Nottinghamshire man has had four stress fractures in his back, so understandably he is delighted to return to the England squad for the contest at Lord’s.

He doesn’t quite have the pace of Wood but is capable of reaching speeds of 90mph, so there will be no let-up for the Sri Lanka batters.

Stone has played one Test at Lord’s and took three wickets, but albeit against weaker opposition as part of the England line-up that beat Ireland by 143 runs in 2019.

He has also taken wickets against India and New Zealand and we’re backing him to add to that tally at Lord’s. There’s value to be found on cricket betting sites for Stone to outshine his team-mates in the first innings to lead the wicket column.

England v Sri Lanka 2nd Test Tip 1: Olly Stone to be England top bowler in the first innings - 16/5 BetVictor

In the absence of captain Stokes, Joe Root’s experience was vital in the first Test as a slightly more patient England side were forcded to overcome a few scares to finally secure the win.

The home side were set just 205 to beat Sri Lanka and that seemed an easy ask until they found themselves at 70-3 following the dismissals of Ben Duckett, Pope and Dan Lawrence.

In stepped Root, who had also provided a sounding board for stand-in skipper Pope, and calmed the nerves by hitting an unbeaten 62 to guide England to victory.

Root and Harry Brook added 49 before Jamie Smith added to the 111 he scored in the first innings with 39 from 48 balls, effectively steering England over the line.

Smith is a player to watch in the top batter market after his maiden ton, continuing his impressive start to his Test career. But, we believe that Root is the player to back at Lord’s.

You can get 13/2 on Root to be the player of the match with the best betting sites, and he is due a substantial score in the middle.

Root has scored just three centuries in his last 25 innings and bizarrely two of them have been 122 but he has also scored six 50s in those matches.

He looked to be on good form last weekend and if he can carry that on this week then we expect him to be the leading run-scorer. Betting apps price him as the favourite to achieve the feat, and we’re inclined to agree.

England v Sri Lanka 2nd Test Tip 2: Joe Root to be top match batter - 13/5 Bet365

In the first Test, Sri Lanka lost their first wicket for just six runs when Dimuth Karunaratne was bowled by Gus Atkinson and caught by Smith. Nishan Madushka and Angelo Mathews quickly followed without the visitors adding any runs.

In the second innings, they lost their first wicket after just three balls and without scoring when Chris Woakes bowled Madushka. It was quickly 1-2 when Atkinson and Smith combined again to take the wicket of Kusal Mendis.

England have started quickly in each of their last four matches taking early wickets in all bar one innings in the last eight so this bet is an interesting one.

Woakes and Atkinson have been on their mettle with the new ball, ensuring that England have not missed James Anderson’s presence following his retirement earlier in the summer.

Against a shaky opening partnership, we like the odds of 5/6 for England to strike within the first 20 overs.

England v Sri Lanka 2nd Test Tip 3: Sri Lanka’s first wicket to fall under 20.5 overs - 5/6 Betfred

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