Watch cricket video highlights of Sri Lanka of England 2024. First test between England vs Sri Lanka. Venue of the match will be Manchester.
After a terrific comeback with the bat from Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, England still needs to win the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford with seven wickets remaining. Three wickets in the first 16 overs of the fourth innings chase, including the captain Ollie Pope for his second score of exactly six in the match, supported Chandimal’s efforts. Although Sri Lanka kept up the pressure, Joe Root and Harry Brook had crawled England to 82 for 3 by teatime with a tentative stand of 12 in 6.3 overs.
Had Mendis, the substitute fielder, held onto a diving opportunity at backward square off a firm sweep from Brook on 4, their hopes of breaking through to an extended England tail would have been significantly enhanced. Soon after noon, England’s seamers, equipped with the second new ball, docked Sri Lanka’s tail with such discipline that the country was spared more division. The match had been turned on its head by an incredible seventh-wicket stand of 117 that lasted the whole morning session.
But it meant that the innings ended much as it had begun, with Sri Lanka’s final four wickets falling in the space of 26 balls, including the final three for five in ten. With hardly a moment of concern throughout their 30-over partnership, Sri Lanka changed their match chances thanks to Kamindu—who scored his third century in as many Tests—and Chandimal—who was last man out for 79 despite having retired injured on the third day.
After giving up a solid lead of 82 runs with the ball on the third morning, Sri Lanka’s concentration was unflinching as the two resumed on 204 for 6. Before Gus Atkinson removed Kamindu for 113 soon after lunch, they had more than quadrupled that lead, setting up a situation that Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts were eager to take advantage of. Mark Wood, England’s quickest bowler, had been absent from the start, which had made their troubles much worse.
Feeling a pain in his right thigh on Friday night, he exited the field and may be questionable for the remainder of the series. Overnight, there was substantial debate over the benefits of changing balls after the 41st over, which gave England’s seamers a lot more swing on the third night. After 20 more overs of rough play, though, there was little evidence of lateral movement as Kamindu took advantage of a glimmer of width in Woakes’ opening over to smash his first boundary of the day past point.
That started a proactive half-hour in which Chandimal built on his overnight 20 not out by following his partner’s example. Considering the horrific damage Wood had caused to his thumb on the third afternoon, it was amazing he was there at all. After retiring injured on 10, he underwent an X-ray and came back without any problems. However, he subsequently gave up wicketkeeping responsibilities, with Kusal Mendis taking over behind the wickets.
Pope called for improvements for England, but none of them could address a growing opposition. After two centuries and an undefeated 92 in his three prior Test matches, Kamindu entered this match with an average above 100. His strokeplay was on display as he drove and pulled back-to-back boundaries off Atkinson and showed a vicious eye for anything loose from Bashir’s spin. Kamindu’s concentration was unfazed by a brief glimpse of the new ball prior to the interval or a 30-minute rain delay in the second hour of play.
He quickly reached his third Test hundred with a decisive slash through deep third off Woakes, sending England into lunch with a true battle on their hands. Their immediate chances were not expected to improve much with the resumption. After the interval, Kamindu attacked, hitting three off-side boundaries as Atkinson was having trouble with his line. However, Pope’s intervention allowed him to quickly adjust to around the wicket. At the first slip, Root held on a short opportunity as Kamindu shaped into his left-handed stance and fenced at the new angle.
Atkinson was removed from the attack almost away, and Potts scored his second of the innings thanks to a clumsy grab from Harry Brook at second slip. Brook deflected a blow off the back foot of Prabath Jayasuriya, but he got back to snag the rebound. After witnessing two crucial opportunities disappear during his outstanding yet underappreciated performance on the third day, Potts gave a pat to his quivering heart in celebration.
With just Asitha Fernando for company, Woakes scored his third when Vishwa Fernando went down the incorrect line and was struck in front of middle and leg. To cap off an incredibly courageous effort, replacement fielder Harry Singh remained composed at deep cover despite Chandimal’s attempt to cut loose. When Ben Duckett poked his third delivery down the leg-side on the second ball, Kusal expertly stopped him with his outstretched right glove, almost sending England’s reply into a tailspin.
But as Kusal finished the catch, his palm was driving the ball into the ground, and the judgment was reversed—a replay of Duckett’s reprieve against Mitchell Starc in the previous Ashes series. Duckett played for the inswinger that had destroyed him in the first innings, but Asitha Fernando, the unfortunate bowler, made up in style in his third over, turning the glossy side of his swinging new ball to graze a more regulation edge through to Kusal.
By now, Dan Lawrence had hit Jayasuriya for a brilliantly clean straight six, but in his new position as the opener, his weaknesses outside off were constantly exploited, not least by Asitha, who was once again the best player in Sri Lanka’s assault because to her command of seam and swing. The next breakthrough, though, came from Jayasuriya, when Pope, who had been wary of the ball from the beginning of his innings, attempted a reverse sweep on a purposeful leg-stump line, only to toe-end an easy chance to Dhananjaya de Silva. And shortly after, a nip-backer trapped 34-year-old Lawrence leg before wicket, sending England to a precarious 70 for 3.
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