Jamie Smith was the hero of first test match for England though Joe Root’s nerveless half-century helped England overcome some significant scares to defeat Sri Lanka on a tense fourth day of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford. Joe Root starred in a tricky win for England at Old Trafford in the opening Test against Sri Lanka with a measured, unbeaten half-century. Jamie Smith after scoring a century in first innings to give England a handy lead in the first innings vs SL followed it with another match winning innings in the 2nd chance too.
Chasing 205, England stuttered before significant contributions from Harry Brook and Jamie Smith aided them, and Joe Root (62*) got the job done. At one point earlier in the day, victory didn’t seem certain for the home side following a brilliant century from Kamindu Mendis. However, on a topsy-turvy day, England eventually prevailed to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pitch and Toss
Unlike Lord’s or other venues in England, Old Trafford helps the batter as the average score here at this pitch is 332. Seamers will get assistance in the starts but the fans can expect a high scoring game.
Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya De Silva won the toss and have opted to bat with debutant Milan Ratnayake making his place in Sri Lanka Playing XI. England skipper Ollie Pope bowling first would be without the services of Ben Stokes .
Prior to the start of play, both sides lined up on the outfield for a tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, who died on August 4, aged 55. England will be wearing black armbands throughout the match in memory of an England great who averaged 44.66 in a 100-Test career, and went on to play a key role as a batting mentor to many of the current team, including Pope, Root and Stokes.
Milan Ratnayake shines on debut to drag Sri Lanka to 236 on Day 1
Milan Ratnayake made an impression on debut to drag Sri Lanka to a respectable 236 after England put in a dominant performance with the ball on the opening day of the first Test at Old Trafford. Sri Lanka lost their top five in the morning session and were looking in deep trouble before skipper Dhananjaya de Silva stepped up with a crucial half-century. Dhananjaya joined forces with Ratnayake as the duo ensured Sri Lanka went past the 200-run mark.
England needed only five overs to strike in the morning after Sri Lanka opted to bat first. Dimuth Karunaratne was caught off guard by a rising delivery from Gus Atkinson which he attempted to pull, only to get a top edge and depart. Chris Woakes then reduced the visitors to 6/3 by picking two wickets in a single over, including the big one of Angelo Matthews.
The first boundaries of the match came in the 11th over when Kusal Mendis smashed Matthew Potts for successive fours. He repeated the feat in Potts’ next over as well which prompted the introduction of Mark Wood. That move worked as Wood bowled a snorter to see the back of Mendis. Shoaib Bashir then opened his account before the lunch break to trap Dinesh Chandimal plumb in front.
England continued to make merry post lunch as well with Woakes picking his third to see the back of Kamindu Mendis. Dhananjaya then got going with a boundary but when the seventh wicket fell, England sensed a real chance to bowl Sri Lanka out for a paltry score. However, there was a turnaround in store with Ratnayake standing firm. While Dhananjaya scored fluently, Ratnayake put up a dodgy resistance at the other end. The pair added over 50 with the skipper looking good for a three-figure score.
Against the run of play, England struck before the Tea break much to their relief as Bashir got rid of the dangerman Dhananjaya as the skipper only managed to find the fielder at leg slip in his attempt to glance. That put the onus on Ratnayake to put up a fight in the final session.
He frustrated England for a brief period after resumption and found support from Vishwa Fernando at the other end. A massive six over long on brought up a stunning fifty and at one stage, England were forced to bowl spin from both ends as a result of the light conditions. That played into the set batter’s hands as he hammered a six off Joe Root and a four off Bashir to keep England at bay.
The resistance finally came to an end when Ratnayake couldn’t get enough elevation in his attempt for a third six as he departed for 72. England then completed the formalities quickly to bowl Sri Lanka out for 236. The poor light conditions persisted which meant Sri Lanka had to open with spin from both ends. England did knock off 22 runs from four overs before the light was deemed not good enough for further play in the day.
Jamie Smith, Harry Brook drive England into lead on Day 2
Half-centuries from Jamie Smith and Harry Brook gave England the first innings lead at Old Trafford in the opening Test against Sri Lanka. On the second day’s play, when only 57 overs were bowled due to weather conditions, both teams traded blows and held the upper hand at different junctures before England recovered to go into stumps at 259/6.
Sri Lanka made an excellent start to the day when play finally got underway following a frustrating wait due to rain and wet outfield. Asitha Fernando trapped Ben Duckett leg-before-wicket early and then managed to breach Ollie Pope’s defence to hit the timber. Joe Root could have also departed early after the pacer found the outside edge but the ball flew between second slip and gully. Dan Lawrence, who looked good during his short stay, poked one off Vishwa Fernando as Sri Lanka took early control.
It needed a counterattacking partnership between Root and Brook for England to claw their way out of trouble as the pair added over 50 for the fourth wicket. However, against the run of play, England lost a key wicket when Asitha came back into the attack to prize out Root, who edged behind while attempting to drive a full length delivery. The onus was now on Brook to revive the innings alongside Smith. The pair added runs in quick fashion as Brook first timed an on drive to perfection which was followed by Smith launching a six over long on.
The tide slowly turned following the second successive half-century stand that also saw Brook go past fifty. While Smith began the final session with a boundary, England were pegged back immediately as Prabhat Jayasuriya bowled a dream delivery that pitched on leg before hitting the top of off stump and saw Brook depart. While it was indeed a telling blow, Chris Woakes started growing in confidence as England edged closer to Sri Lanka’s score.
Woakes hit back-to-back boundaries off Vishwa as the pair added crucial runs, much to Sri Lanka’s frustration. Smith managed to go past fifty in the process and then hit a boundary straight down the ground off Kamindu Mendis to put England in the lead. By this time, the light started fading again and the drizzle had returned.
Jayasuriya came up with another top delivery, this time to breach Woakes’ defence, but the players had to head back to the pavilion a few overs later as a result of poor light. With Smith still around, England would hope for a handy lead on the third day.
Bowlers deliver again to put England in command on Day 3
Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis hit fighting fifties for Sri Lanka on the third day at Old Trafford but England remained in control following another solid display with both bat and ball. Jamie Smith ensured England’s first innings lead went over 100 before the bowlers picked key wickets to put Sri Lanka under the pump. By stumps, the visitors had a lead of 82 but have only four more wickets to add to that on Day 4.
The morning session completely belonged to Jamie Smith, who brought up his maiden Test ton. Jamie Smith joined forces with Gus Atkinson, who looked resolute in defence, as the pair kept Sri Lanka waiting for a breakthrough in the morning session. Jamie Smith reached his landmark off 136 deliveries and became the youngest England wicketkeeper to score a ton before Milan Ratnayake broke the stand.
Soon after, Jamie Smith’s fine knock came to an end as well as Prabhat Jayasuriya, who kept bowling at one end continuously was rewarded with the centurion’s wicket.
Mark Wood then provided the crowd some entertainment with a cameo to add to Sri Lanka’s frustration before England finally ended their innings at 358, 122 ahead of Sri Lanka. The visitors then received a jolt just before the lunch break as they couldn’t negotiate those three tricky overs without damage. Chris Woakes bowled a beauty to knock over Nishan Madushka whereas Atkinson dismissed Kusal Mendis as both the batters went back without opening their accounts.
The experienced trio of Angelo Mathews, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal had a huge task in hand after that poor start. Karunaratne began the post-lunch session in positive fashion with a flurry of boundaries and Mathews looked steady at the other end. Their promising stand was broken only when England made bowling changes at both ends as Wood prized out Karunaratne with a short delivery. Wood caused more damage as Chandimal got hit on the thumb and was forced to retire hurt shortly.
Mathews at the other end looked unperturbed and even launched Shoaib Bashir for a six. Mathews found a reliable partner in the form of Kamindu Mendis as the pair first erased the deficit and gave Sri Lanka the lead. Mendis in particular looked in solid touch as Sri Lanka made it through to the drinks break in the final session without further damage. Luck appeared to favour the visitors as both the batters received reprieves at one point. But just when the lead past 50, Sri Lanka received a blow as Woakes ended Mathews’ resistance.
Milan Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s hero with the bat in the first innings, couldn’t replicate his feats this time as he went for a needless slog against Joe Root, only to get a top edge. Mendis at the other brought up his fifty and the visitors were also boosted by Chandimal’s return to the crease following confirmation that he didn’t sustain a fracture. Chandimal rounded off the day with a boundary from the final ball and Sri Lanka would need a lot more of that on the fourth day in order to set the hosts a challenging target.
Joe Root stars in England’s jittery win in Manchester vs SL
Joe Root starred in a tricky win for England at Old Trafford in the opening Test against Sri Lanka with a measured, unbeaten half-century. Chasing 205, England stuttered before significant contributions from Harry Brook and Jamie Smith aided them, and Joe Root (62*) got the job done. At one point earlier in the day, victory didn’t seem certain for the home side following a brilliant century from Kamindu Mendis. However, on a topsy-turvy day, England eventually prevailed to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
In the absence of Mark Wood, who wasn’t available to bowl after suffering a thigh injury, England struggled to break the partnership in the morning session. Kamindu and Chandimal batted through the entire session to frustrate the home side. In the process, Kamindu became the first Sri Lankan batter at No. 7 or below to score a century in England.
Kamindu got off to a bright start with a boundary off Chris Woakes, before Chandimal hit Gus Atkinson for a couple of boundaries to guide the lead past 100. The runs continued to flow despite bowling changes at both ends, and even a rain break didn’t disrupt the duo’s resilience. England, desperate for the new ball, saw Kamindu hit a boundary immediately after the hosts took the brand new cherry. That boundary brought up his third Test ton in just his fourth match, while Chandimal at the other end went past fifty.
The tables turned in the final session as England quickly polished off the Sri Lankan innings. Kamindu did get off to a flyer with three boundaries, but once he was dismissed, the rest collapsed after Sri Lanka’s lead went past 200. The chase got off to an eventful start, with England knocking off 33 runs inside the first five overs. Asitha Fernando then made a vital breakthrough for Sri Lanka, and soon after, Prabhat Jayasuriya dismissed Ollie Pope as the England skipper failed to make a clean connection in his attempt to reverse sweep.
The visitors were right back in the contest when Milan Ratnayake trapped the well-set Dan Lawrence leg-before-wicket to reduce England to 70/3 before the Tea break. Post-Tea, the momentum swung slowly back in England’s favor as Harry Brook made a bright start with a boundary.
Out of desperation, Sri Lanka lost a review as England continued to chip away at the target. Jayasuriya was persisted with at one end, while the seamers rotated at the other in search of a breakthrough. It finally arrived when Brook offered a return catch to the spinner, getting dismissed with 86 still to get.
The next few overs turned out to be crucial as both sides fought hard. Jamie Smith, who made a watchful start, finally broke the shackles with successive boundaries off Jayasuriya before picking one off Vishwa Fernando in the following over. With confidence growing, Jamie Smith hammered Jayasuriya for a six as England needed less than 50 to win.
With 22 runs left, Jamie Smith was bowled after charging down to a full delivery from Asitha. However, with the half-centurion Root still at the other end, England didn’t panic. Woakes played the ideal foil, ensuring England got over the line.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Dhananjaya De Silva the loosing Sri Lankan skipper said : I would say that the second innings batting and bowling was better than the first, we haven’t done well overall though. We didn’t put the ball in the right areas, even in fielding, we didn’t take our chances. I’m confident about our batting line-up, they will have to find ways to score runs in these conditions and against a disciplined bowling line-up like England.
He has done well in all games so far (on Kamindu Mendis), averages 108 I think, he’s got the runs and the rest of us need to support him well. We need to stay with our plans and execute them better in the next Test.
Ollie Pope the winning England skipper said : I think it was the kind of pitch that suited new ball and we knew once we got past the 15-20 overs, we could really cash in. Credit to the bowlers for the way they led from the front, Woakes and Gus (Atkinson) managed to get them three down early on. I think that was very crucial.
Everyone likes him (Root) when he’s walking on the field, he’s a greedy Yorkshire man, there was a sense of calmness when he was out there, everyone had full confidence in him.
There are always a few nerves early on in your Test career, but I knew he (Smith) had the calmness to deal with it. He has transformed his form in the Test arena, couldn’t be any more happier for him. I enjoyed it on the field, reading the game and find ways to taking 20 wickets. It was tough to bowl on that pitch after 15-20 overs, it was taxing, but that’s always going to be the case.
Jamie Smith Player of the Match said : It’s a great milestone (on claiming his maiden international ton), having missed out by 5 runs in the previous series, it feels nice. To go over the line and to get us into the lead (in the first innings) is amazing. It’s when you come back after a day’s play and check those messages from all the people who have been part of your journey and supported you throughout, it really feels amazing. Very proud moment.
To put us into that position (gain lead in the first innings) is very pleasing because we knew it is not going to be easy to bat 4th on that surface. Always a semi-difficult chase, it was attritional and it was a nice wicket, but they bowled nicely. Root played well and allowed everyone to play around him. Enjoyable team to be part of, to be out there and representing your country is a great honor really.
England go 1-0 up in the series as a result of this clinical win in Manchester. The England bowlers did a fine job by restricting Sri Lanka to 236 in the first innings, and it was an even better effort by their batters who helped them gain a sizeable first innings lead. Jamie Smith and Harry Brook made significant contributions by notching up a century and half-century respectively, while the other England batters chipped in with handy contributions to help them gain that pivotal first lead of 122.
England had to chase down a target of 200-odd, and they never looked in a fuss despite losing wickets upfront. Their approach was always positive and despite a few nervy moments during the chase, their middle-order batters looked in control. Joe Root continued to do what he has been doing since his arrival in this format, while Harry Brook had a handy partnership with England’s most reliable batter for the fourth wicket. Just when Brook looked in control, he was dismissed by Jayasuriya.
With a century under his belt, Jamie Smith walked out with the same confidence and played another pivotal innings. Root in the company of Woakes finished off the formalities as England got over the line with 5 wickets. In reply, Sri Lanka didn’t get off to a great start in the second their innings either, however, Mathews made his experience count and played a crucial innings to lead Sri Lanka’s fightback. Once his resilience came to an end, Kamindu Mendis and the injured Chandimal built a solid partnership for the 7th wicket.
In fact, Sri Lanka didn’t lose a single morning in today’s morning session. It was in the post-lunch session that England managed to break that gritty partnership, and it didn’t take them long to wipe off the tail following that. Kamindu Mendis’ fine Test ton was the highlight of the first half of the day.
The centuries by Jamie Smith and Kamindu Mendis. The fight shown by Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva. The bowling contributions by the pacers of both teams. There were quite a few highlights in this game, but England were always ahead throughout the four days, despite the morning session of Day 4 dominated by Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis.
England have gained a 1-0 lead in this 3-match Test series and it wouldn’t be an easy task for Sri Lanka to bounce back against this England team with the kind of form their batters and bowlers are in. It would be interesting how these 2 teams fare in the remaining 2 test matches.