England’s Jamie Smith celebrates after reaching 100 runs and his maiden hundred on the third day of the first Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford. | Photo credit: AP
England were on the verge of victory over a combative Sri Lanka in their first Test match when the visitors took a narrow 82-point lead at 204-6 in their second innings at the end of the third day at Old Trafford on Friday.
Angelo Mathews (65) and Kamindu Mendis (56 not out) led a stubborn rearguard action as Sri Lanka managed to overturn a 122-run first-innings deficit.
But England, who were earlier bowled out for 358 after Jamie Smith scored his maiden Test century, have a good chance of taking the lead in the three-match series on Saturday.
Smith began a windy day with a 23-run lead and four wickets to spare in his first innings, and increased his score from 72 to 111 from 148 balls to become the youngest wicketkeeper to score a hundred for England in a Test match.
Gus Atkinson was dismissed on 20 after being caught behind for the first Test wicket of debutant fast bowler Milan Rathnayake, and Smith was dismissed three overs later as wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandimal got a good handle on a long delivery from left-handed spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
Tail-enders Mark Wood and Matthew Potts then shared a score of 33 to extend England’s lead.
Sri Lanka had a few overs left to bat before lunch and got off to a terrible start when Nishan Madushka was bowled for no score by Chris Woakes before Atkinson had Kusal Mendis caught behind by Smith, also for no score, to end the game at one for two.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Mathews gave their all after lunch as Sri Lanka edged closer to an equaliser, but the visitors fell behind to 95 for 4 and Chandimal also retired injured after hitting his thumb.
Mathews proved persistent before finally getting a lead off the bowling of Woakes and being caught at the top by the diving Matthew Potts.
Milan Rathnayake was caught in the deep for 10 but Mendis was still there at stumps to give Sri Lanka some hope.
