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England turn screw on Sri Lanka after Smith century

Published : Saturday, 24 August, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 196
MANCHESTER, AUG 23: Jamie Smith scored his maiden Test hundred before England reduced Sri Lanka to 10-2 in their second innings as the hosts strengthened their grip on the series opener at Old Trafford on Friday.

Surrey wicketkeeper Smith's 111 on the third day was the centrepiece of England's first-innings 358 all out -- a total that left them 122 runs ahead of Sri Lanka's initial 236.

But with the hours of play extended after weather interruptions on the first two days of this three-match series, by the time England were dismissed it meant Sri Lanka faced an awkward short session before lunch.

And that was enough time for them to lose two wickets in three overs.

Nishan Madushka fell for a third-ball duck when shouldering arms to a Chris Woakes delivery that nipped back off the pitch before Kusal Mendis was also out for nought when edging Gus Atkinson low behind to Smith.

Sri Lanka must look to Dimuth Karunaratne (four not out) and veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews (six not out) to prevent further collapse, with England pressing hard in what is stand-in captain Ollie Pope's first match in charge after Ben Stokes was ruled out with a torn hamstring.     

England resumed on 259-6, with Smith -- playing just his fourth Test -- 72 not out overnight after falling agonisingly short of a century last time on England duty when making 95 against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July.

Together with Harry Brook (56) and Woakes (25), Smith had shared stands of 62 and 52 respectively on Thursday before both batsmen were bowled by superb, sharply turning deliveries from left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. 

Once again Smith demonstrated his ability to both bat with an established batsman and then maintain a good tempo with the lower order and he enjoyed another useful stand of 66 with Surrey team-mate Atkinson on Friday.

Smith, however, drove his first ball Friday down the ground for a boundary straight out of the coaching manual to go to 80 and five deliveries later he struck him for an equally textbook four through extra cover.

And he completed a 136-ball century, including seven fours and a six, by confidently clipping paceman Milan Rathnayake for two off his pads.

Sri Lanka eventually broke the seventh-wicket stand when Atkinson (20) glanced Rathnayake down the legside to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

And soon afterwards England were 315-8 when Smith toe-ended an intended cut off Jayasuriya, with Chandimal holding a tough catch to dismiss his opposing gloveman.

Jayasuriya took an economical 3-85 in 31 overs.     —AFP



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