England closing in on victory over Sri Lanka

First Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day 3 of five)

Sri Lanka 236 (Dhananjaya 74; Woakes 3-32) & 204-6 (Mathews 65, K Mendis 56*)

England 358 (Smith 111, Brook 56; A Fernando 4-103)

Sri Lanka are 82 runs ahead

Scorecard

England are closing successful connected triumph complete Sri Lanka aft an eventful 3rd time of nan first Test astatine Emirates Old Trafford.

The visitors closed connected 204-6 successful their 2nd innings, only 82 up astatine nan extremity of Friday that began pinch England’s Jamie Smith completing his maiden Test century.

Sri Lanka were successful threat of imploding erstwhile skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was retired to Matthew Potts. With Dinesh Chandimal having an X-ray connected his thumb aft being pinned by Mark Wood, nan visitors were efficaciously 95-5 successful their 2nd innings, still 27 adrift.

But Angelo Mathews showed immoderate much-needed defiance, dragging Sri Lanka into nan lead pinch 65 successful a guidelines of 78 pinch Kamindu Mendis.

Crucially, England persuaded nan umpires to alteration nan shot and sewage a replacement that swung, pinch Potts having chances dropped disconnected some Mathews and Kamindu.

Mathews yet poked Chris Woakes to Potts astatine constituent and though England will person been concerned by Wood leaving nan section midway done an over, his replacement Joe Root needed only 2 balls to induce a chaotic hack from Milan Rathnayake.

Sri Lanka were astatine slightest boosted by nan news that Chandimal has avoided a fracture and he returned to move to 20 not out, alongside Kamindu unbeaten connected an awesome 56.

Earlier, wicketkeeper Smith’s 111 lifted England to 358 and a first-innings lead of 122.