MANCHESTER: England finally saw off Angelo Mathews as they pressed for victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test here at Old Trafford on Friday.

Sri Lanka were 204-6 in their second innings at stumps on the third day of this three-match series, a lead of 82 runs with just four wickets standing.

But there was a worrying sign for England shortly before the close when express fast bowler Mark Wood, whose career has been blighted by injuries, went off two balls into his 11th over.

Two balls later, however, part-time spinner Joe Root, completing Wood’s over, induced tailender Milan Rathnayake (10) to hole out in the deep after the debutant paceman had made an impressive 72 in the first innings.

Sri Lanka were in dire trouble at 1-2 before lunch on Friday after conceding a first-innings deficit of over a hundred runs as Jamie Smith broke a 94-year-old record by becoming the youngest England wicket-keeper to score a Test century.

But Mathews, out for a duck in Sri Lanka’s first-innings 236, kept England at bay with a fine 65 while receiving sound support from Kamindu Mendis, who was 56 not out at the close of play.

Dinesh Chandimal, who retired hurt on 10 after a 93mph (149kph) delivery from Wood jagged back into his right thumb, was unbeaten on 20.

Both Mathews and Kamindu Mendis were dropped, with paceman Matthew Potts the unlucky bowler on both occasions.

But Mathews, floored by Root at first slip on 65, was unable to cash in, with Potts holding a chance at point off Chris Woakes.

Mathews, whose superb 160 at Headingley back in 2014 guided Sri Lanka to a series win in England, faced 145 balls, including two fours and a six.

England, being led for the first time by stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, were dismissed shortly before lunch but that left Sri Lanka with an awkward 15 minutes to bat prior to the interval.

And that was enough time for them to lose two wickets, with both Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis out for ducks.

Madushka fell to a Woakes delivery that nipped back before Kusal Mendis edged fast bowler Gus Atkinson low to Smith.

Dimuth Karunaratne batted well for his 27 before being dismissed by Wood’s first ball on Friday when the opener inside-edged a lifting ball onto his body.

An undaunted Mathews lofted Shoaib Bashir for a straight six and Kamindu Mendis later hoisted Wood high over deep square leg as well.

Sri Lanka though were 95-4 when captain Dhananjaya de Silva was lbw trying to pull a Potts ball that kept low.

Earlier, England resumed on 259-6, with Smith unbeaten on 72 after falling agonisingly short of a century last time out on international duty when making 95 against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July.

Smith drove Asitha Ferna­ndo’s first ball down the ground to go to 80 and ended the over with an equally textbook cover-driven four.

He completed his maiden Test century off 136 balls, including seven fours and a six, by clipping debutant Rathnayake for two off his pads.

In the process Smith became the youngest England wicket-keeper to score a Test hundred at 24 years and 40 days, surpassing a record set by Les Ames (24 years and 60 days) against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1930.

Smith was eventually dismissed for 111, before England were all out for 358 — a first-innings lead of 122 runs.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 236 (D. de Silva 74, M. Rathnayake 72; C. Woakes 3-32)

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 259-6):

B. Duckett lbw b A. Fernando 18

D. Lawrence c Chandimal b V. Fernando 30

O. Pope b A. Fernando 6

J. Root c Chandimal b A. Fernando 42

H. Brook b Jayasuriya 56

J. Smith c Chandimal b Jayasuriya 111

C. Woakes b Jayasuriya 25

G. Atkinson c Chandimal b Rathnayake 20

M. Potts c K.M. Mendis b V. Fernando 17

M. Wood b A. Fernando 22

S. Bashir not out 3

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-3, W-1) 8

TOTAL (all out, 85.3 overs) 358

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-30 (Duckett), 2-40 (Pope), 3-67 (Lawrence), 4-125 (Root), 5-187 (Brook), 6-239 (Woakes), 7-305 (Atkinson), 8-315 (Smith), 9-348 (Wood)

BOWLING: De Silva 2-0-14-0, Jayasuriya 31-5-85-3, A. Fernando 18-0-103-4 (1w), V. Fernando 19.3-1-73-2, Rathnayake 13-0-66-1 (3nb), K.M. Mendis 2-0-13-0

SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):

N. Madushka b Woakes 0

D. Karunaratne c Brook b Wood 27

K. Mendis c Smith b Atkinson 0

A. Mathews c Potts b Woakes 65

D. Chandimal not out 20

D. de Silva lbw b Potts 11

K.M. Mendis not out 56

M. Rathnayake c Duckett b Root 10

EXTRAS (LB-8, NB-1, W-6) 15

TOTAL (for six wickets, 60 overs) 204

STILL TO BAT: P. Jayasuriya, A. Fernando, V. Fernando

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Madushka), 2-1 (K Mendis), 3-52 (Karunaratne), 4-95 (De Silva), 5-173 (Mathews), 6-190 (Rathnayake)

BOWLING: Woakes 12-3-34-2, Atkinson 10-1-38-1, Bashir 16-0-61-0 (1nb), Wood 10.2-1-36-1, Potts 11-4-26-1 (2w), Root 0.4-0-1-1

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024