Kaushal Silva has urged Sri Lanka to fill the void left by Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara when it returns to the scene of one their greatest triumphs for the first Test against England at Headingley Thursday. Two years ago, Yorkshire's headquarters ground was the stage where Sri Lanka clinched a dramatic victory off the penultimate ball to secure its first Test series win in England. But its first tour of England since that campaign sees it without Sangakkara and Jayawardene, both now retired from international duty. "We did well here," said Silva, an opening batsman who played in that victorious 2013 team, at Headingley Tuesday. "We were thrilled with that, but this is a new series. Sanga and Mahela have left now. So it's time for all these youngsters to take their responsibility and do their jobs. "We need to make sure we put up at least 300 ... to put ourselves in the game." Sri Lanka will also be without injured paceman Dhammika Prasad, whose five second-innings wickets played a key role in the tourists' 2014 victory at Headingley. Sri Lanka will again be captained by Angelo Mathews, with the all-rounder's excellent hundred paving the way for their success at Headingley two years ago. The once feared pitch at Headingley, in Leeds, northern England, is now generally a good surface to bat on, albeit one with pace and bounce, and overhead conditions largely determine how much assistance a seam attack will receive. Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie said it was important bowlers avoided a "pretty length." "Sometimes if fast bowlers see the ball whizzing through to the keeper at chest height a bit of ego then comes into play," the former Australia quick told the Sunday Times. "It is that ‘pretty length'. It looks good but is it actually challenging the batsmen and putting him under pressure?" England has a poor recent record at Headingley, with just one win and four defeats at the northern venue since 2007. England captain Alastair Cook needs just 36 more runs to become the first Englishman to reach 10,000 in Tests. By contrast, Alex Hales, Cook's opening partner, and number three Nick Compton both go into the match badly needing rather larger scores to cement their places. Thursday's match is set to break fresh ground by being the first in men's cricket where a new points system, modeled on the one used by England and Australia for the women's Ashes, will be employed. Middlesex quick Steven Finn has beaten the uncapped Jake Ball for the final place in England's XI. With England having selected just a 12-man squad, Cook took the unusual step of effectively naming his side 24 hours before the start of a match. "Steven Finn is going to play," Cook told reporters Wednesday. Finn missed the World Twenty20 in India earlier because of calf and side injuries and his Test career has been interrupted by fitness problems. England will though give a debut to James Vince, with the Hampshire batsman filling the vacancy caused by James Taylor's retirement with a heart condition. England team: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root, James Vince, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and James Anderson.
