Jamie Smith‘s newest Take a look at fifty took England right into a slender first-innings lead of their sequence opener towards Sri Lanka at Previous Trafford on Thursday. England had been 259-6 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 236, a slender benefit of 23 runs, when a mixture of unhealthy gentle and rain pressured an early near the second day of the three-Take a look at sequence. Smith, promoted up the order to No 6 within the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes, was 72 not out — the 24-year-old wicketkeeper’s third fifty in his 4 Exams.
As soon as once more he demonstrated his skill to each assist a longtime batsman and hold the runs coming batting with the decrease order.
Along with Harry Brook (56) and Chris Woakes (25), Smith shared stands of 62 and 52 respectively earlier than each batsmen had been bowled by very good deliveries from left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who loved a cheap return of 2-58 in 21 overs.
After rain washed out Thursday’s morning session, England had been faltering at 67-3 within the fifteenth over, with paceman Asitha Fernando main the best way throughout a haul of 3-68 in 14 overs.
Sri Lanka had collapsed to 6-3, dropping their first three wickets for no runs in 10 balls on Wednesday.
However their bowlers nonetheless had runs to play after captain Dhananjaya de Silva top-scored with 74 after profitable the toss, whereas Milan Rathnayake made 72 as he set a brand new document for the best rating by any Take a look at debutant batting at No 9.
Shortly after play resumed Thursday beneath gray skies, Asitha Fernando thought he had Dan Lawrence lbw for 10.
However Lawrence, recalled to open after Zak Crawley was sidelined with a damaged finger, efficiently reviewed umpire Paul Reiffel’s choice on peak.
Two balls later, nevertheless, the paceman’s inswinger to Ben Duckett, who added simply 5 to his in a single day 13, had the left-hander leg earlier than with Sri Lanka overturning Reiffel’s unique not out verdict on this event.
Pope bowled
Asitha Fernando’s day obtained even higher when he dismissed Ollie Pope, captaining England for the primary time after Stokes was dominated out by a torn hamstring, for six with a ball that nipped again by a spot between bat and pad.
Lawrence, nevertheless, seemed in good contact till on 30 he edged a ball angled throughout him from left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando to diving wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.
Pope’s exit, nevertheless, had introduced in Root, with the previous England captain boasting an excellent document towards Sri Lanka of greater than a 1,000 runs, together with 4 tons of, in 11 earlier Exams at a median of practically 60.
Asitha Fernando, although, ended a promising stand of 58 when Root, who had made a sometimes elegant 42, inside-edged an supposed drive, with Chandimal diving ahead to carry a fantastic low catch.
However new batsman Smith confidently superior down the pitch to drive Jayasuriya for six earlier than Brook accomplished a 59-ball fifty.
However on the identical floor the place Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting with the ‘Ball of the Century’ in 1993, Jayasuriya made a bid for the modern-day equal by snaring Brook in beautiful model.
The 25-year-old rising star had added simply three runs to his tea rating of 53 not out when he was turned inside out by a ball from left-armer Jayasuriya that dipped in on the road of center and leg stumps earlier than spinning sharply and bouncing to clip the highest of off stump.
Brook’s exit left England 187-5 and Woakes fell in comparable vogue when clear bowled by a faster Jayasuriya supply that angled in and spun considerably away from the right-hander.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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