England’s pace bowlers and Jamie Smith’s maiden Test century have put the hosts in a strong position against Sri Lanka in the series opener at Old Trafford.
On Friday, England took command with a compelling performance that saw Sri Lanka struggling.
England’s bowlers exploited favorable conditions early on, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 107-4 in their second innings by tea on the third day, still trailing by 15 runs. The visitors had suffered a dramatic collapse to 1-2 before lunch, struggling to keep pace with England’s first-innings total of 358.
Jamie Smith anchored England’s innings with a standout performance, scoring 111 runs. His century, achieved in 136 balls with seven fours and a six, was a significant highlight and followed his near-century against the West Indies.
Despite a brief recovery by Sri Lanka, they remained under pressure. Veteran Angelo Mathews was unbeaten on 48 but lacked substantial support from his teammates.
England’s bowlers, spearheaded by Chris Woakes and the pace of Mark Wood, capitalized on the conditions. Sri Lanka’s top order crumbled quickly, with Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis dismissed for ducks.
Wood’s pace and bounce overwhelmed Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva, while Matthew Potts made a key contribution with an lbw dismissal.
Smith’s innings, combined with a brisk 22 from tailender Mark Wood, bolstered England’s total before they were all out. As England’s bowlers took control, Sri Lanka faced a daunting task.
Weather interruptions extended the day’s play, but Sri Lanka’s resistance seemed increasingly futile against the relentless English pace attack. Despite some stubborn play from Mathews, the match increasingly looked set to favor England as they pushed for victory in the series opener.
