Smith leads England into first test against Sri Lanka

Manchester, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 23rd Aug, 2024) Jamie Smith’s latest Test fifty took England into a tight first innings lead in their series opener against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford on Thursday.

England were 259-6 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 236, a slender 23-run lead, when a combination of poor light and rain forced a close start to the second day of the three-Test series.

Smith, promoted up the order to No. 6 in the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes, was not out on 72 – the 24-year-old wicketkeeper’s third fifty in his four Tests.

Once again he showed his ability to support an established batsman and keep the runs coming by batting with the lower order.

Along with Harry Brook (56) and Chris Woakes (25), Smith shared stands of 62 and 52 respectively before both batsmen were bowled by superb deliveries from left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who had an economical return of 2-58 in 21 overs. .

“I think we’re in a decent position,” England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick told reporters after stumps. “Ahead of their total with four wickets to spare, we’re pretty happy with where we’re at.”

Meanwhile, former England opening batsman Trescothick praised Smith’s temperament saying: “We talk about being positive and aggressive and putting teams under pressure, but the skill is to identify the moments when it’s the good moment”.

After rain washed out Thursday morning’s session, England were reeling at 67-3 in the 15th over, with Asitha Fernando leading the way during a haul of 3-68 in 14 overs.

– ‘Asitha Fernando to watch’ –

Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Aaqib Javed said Asitha Fernando reminded her of her former Pakistan teammate Mohammad Asif.

“I told him (Asitha) I saw the same quality as Mohammad Asif, the ability to make the ball move both ways with little change in wrist position.

“Good length which is the key. If she is batting regularly in that spot, I think Asitha is one to watch.”

Sri Lanka collapsed to 6-3, losing their first three wickets without a run in 10 balls on Wednesday.

But they still had runs to play for after captain Dhananjaya de Silva made 74 after winning the toss, with Milan Rathnayake’s 72 a new record for the highest score by any Test debutant batting at No 9.

Shortly after play resumed on Thursday under gray skies, Asitha Fernando had left-hander Ben Duckett lbw for 18 on review of a decision by umpire Paul Reiffel.

That wicket came two balls after Dan Lawrence, opening in place of the injured Zak Crawley, had successfully denied Asitha Fernando an lbw in defiance of former Australian paceman Reiffel’s original verdict.

Asitha Fernando’s day got even better when she dismissed Ollie Pope, captaining England for the first time after Stokes was sidelined by a torn hamstring, for six with a ball that slipped into a gap between bat and pad.

Pope’s exit, however, had led to Root, with the former England captain boasting a superb record against Sri Lanka of more than 1,000 runs, including four hundreds, in 11 previous Tests at an average of almost 60.

Asitha Fernando, however, completed a promising stand of 58 when Root, who had made a typically elegant 42, introduced a targeted drive, with Chandimal diving forward to take a fine low catch.

New batsman Smith, however, drove Jayasuriya for six straight before Brook completed a 59-ball fifty.

But on the same ground where Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting with the ‘Ball of the Century’ in 1993, Jayasuriya bid for the modern equivalent by snaring Brook in stunning style.

The 25-year-old rising star had added just three runs to his tea score of 53 not out when he was turned by a ball from left-armer Jayasuriya that dived into the middle stump line and leg before spinning sharply and bouncing to hit the top of the stump.

Brook’s exit left England 187-5 and Woakes similarly fell when clean bowled by another hard delivery from Jayasuriya.