England on track to win series against Sri Lanka by dominating second test after Atkinson century

LONDON (AP) — England moved into a powerful position to win the series against Sri Lanka by taking a stranglehold on the second test at Lord's after an unlikely century by fast bowler Gus Atkinson and another batting collapse by the tourists on Friday.

After Atkinson's entertaining 118 led England to 427 all out, Sri Lanka was skittled for 196 in 55.3 overs to face a 231-run, first-innings deficit on Day 2 at the home of cricket.

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England's Olly Stone bowls to Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — England moved into a powerful position to win the series against Sri Lanka by taking a stranglehold on the second test at Lord's after an unlikely century by fast bowler Gus Atkinson and another batting collapse by the tourists on Friday.

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis reacts behind England's Olly Stone during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson bats during day one of the second Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, in London, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Lahiru Kumara is run out by England's Olly Pope, not shown, during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson bats during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Chris Woakes bowls during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson, right, and Matthew Potts prepare to bat during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson celebrates his century during during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Chris Woakes unsuccessful appeal for the wicket of Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Olly Stone celebrates bowling out Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Olly Stone celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

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LONDON (AP) — England moved into a powerful position to win the series against Sri Lanka by taking a stranglehold on the second test at Lord's after an unlikely century by fast bowler Gus Atkinson and another batting collapse by the tourists on Friday.

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis reacts behind England's Olly Stone during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson bats during day one of the second Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, in London, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Lahiru Kumara is run out by England's Olly Pope, not shown, during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson bats during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Chris Woakes bowls during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson, right, and Matthew Potts prepare to bat during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson celebrates his century during during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Chris Woakes unsuccessful appeal for the wicket of Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Olly Stone celebrates bowling out Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England's Olly Stone celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka during day two of the second Rothesay Men's Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's, London, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

England chose not to enforce the follow-on and reached stumps on 25-1, with a lead of 256.

Having won the first test in Manchester last week, England is on track to wrap up a second straight series victory this international summer — after a 3-0 win over the West Indies last month.

Arguably the star of England's test summer has been Atkinson, who has his name on both of the honours boards in the England dressing room at Lord's.

He took 12 wickets there against the Windies on debut, and has now starred with the bat by scoring a maiden test century with a display of crisp hitting that, at times, made him look like a top-order batter.

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland’s right-wing opposition party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, on Saturday accused the pro-European Union government of acting against the nation’s interests and violating its laws, at a rally of a few thousand supporters in the capital.

Kaczynski also called on the supporters to be active at social and political levels and to back his Law and Justice party’s candidate in next year’s presidential election. He is still to name the candidate.

Up to four thousand people with national white-and-red flags gathered for the rally held in windy weather outside the Justice Ministry in Warsaw, which has become a symbol of years of deep rifts between the backers of Kaczynski and Donald Tusk, now the prime minister.

Law and Justice that ruled in 2015-23 drew criticism from Brussels and Tusk alike for making changes to Poland’s judicial system that were deemed undemocratic. Many in the nation of 38 million were also tired of the aggressive and divisive language that Kaczynski, who dictated the government's policies from the back seat, used to energize support.

The party lost power in the 2023 election but is still exerting control over the presidential office through President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with Law and Justice.

Duda has been blocking many of the government's draft laws in what is a rather rough cohabitation. Duda's second and last term runs out in August.

England on track to win series against Sri Lanka by dominating second test after Atkinson century

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