Smith thrills but Sri Lanka favourites to win Test

Third Test, The Kia Oval (day 3 of five)

England 325 (Pope 154, Duckett 86) & 156 (Smith 67, Kumara 4-21)

Sri Lanka 263 (De Silva 69; Stone 3-35, Hull 3-53) & 94-1 (Nissanka 53*)

Sri Lanka request 125 runs to win

Scorecard

Jamie Smith’s pulsating 67 breathed life into England but could not extremity Sri Lanka moving into rod position to triumph nan last Test astatine The Oval.

Needing 219, nan visitors ended nan 3rd time connected 94-1 from only 15 overs, 125 runs short of a celebrated win.

Sri Lanka would beryllium overmuch closer, aliases whitethorn already person nan crippled won, had it not been for nan brilliance of Smith, who electrified his location crushed pinch immoderate breathtaking batting.

England person been atrocious for ample parts of nan past 2 days and were successful tatters astatine 82-7, 144 ahead, erstwhile Smith launched his astonishing assault.

On 15 from 31 deliveries, Smith clobbered 52 disconnected nan adjacent 18 he faced, cleanly striking nan shot to each parts.

In a guidelines of 58 for nan eighth wicket, Olly Stone contributed five. With Smith successful afloat flow, thoughts were turning to England’s fastest Test period of each clip erstwhile he recovered mid-wicket and departed to a rapturous ovation.

England added conscionable different 16 to beryllium 156 each out, Lahiru Kumara starring a magnificent Sri Lanka bowling effort pinch 4-21.

That near Sri Lanka batting doubly successful nan time aft earlier being dismissed successful their first innings for 263, pinch England left-armer Josh Hull picking up 3-53 connected his Test debut.

Pathum Nissanka tucked into immoderate bad boy England bowling precocious on. Though Chris Woakes had Dimuth Karunaratne caught and bowled, Nissanka has 53 from 44 balls, alongside Kusal Mendis connected 30.

Monday could supply a awesome extremity to nan Test summer. The location broadside are looking for their sixth successive triumph and Sri Lanka person a aureate opportunity to extremity a 10-match winless streak against England.

A fabulous finale would beryllium astatine likelihood pinch nan quality of this Test, which had its first 2 days dogged by bad light. If England do someway propulsion through, it will beryllium contempt an overly casual attack that has near their 100% summertime successful superior jeopardy. Realistically, this is Sri Lanka’s to lose.

England frittered distant wickets and shipped easy runs connected Saturday. Instead of putting things correct connected Sunday, they doubled-down, batted horrifically and gave ammunition to those who opportunity their Bazballing attack is occasionally ill-suited to nan subject required for Test cricket. England were bowled retired successful 34 overs, their shortest Test innings successful much than 3 years.

Ben Duckett chipped to mid-on, stand-in skipper Ollie Pope chopped on. Dan Lawrence, possibly alert he was playing his past innings arsenic a Test cricketer, slogged 35 past edged behind.

Sri Lanka, sensing their moment, were excellent. Vishwa Fernando swung nan shot to person some Joe Root and Harry Brook lbw. When Woakes was caught down for a duck, The Oval was stunned into silence.

Then came Smith, nan tantalising target and Nissanka’s aggression. The transportation is existent and nan shot has done capable to liking nan bowlers.

All nan ingredients for a marvellous Monday.

In his first summertime arsenic a Test cricketer, 24-year-old Smith has shown himself to beryllium comfortable astatine nan highest level. He made his maiden period successful nan first Test of this bid to spell pinch 2 half-centuries against West Indies.

This was different. In part, England picked Smith for his expertise to displacement gears, predominate attacks and marshal nan tail. In a scintillating five-over period, he did conscionable that, evoking memories of Kevin Pietersen’s breakout period connected this crushed against Australia successful 2005.

As England floundered, Smith scratched astir successful nan early portion of his innings. On 7 he slashed past nan fingertips of gully and, connected 15, chipped Milan Rathnayake beyond mid-off.

The 2nd near-miss kicked Smith into action. Rathnayake was crunched done nan covers and pulled for six. Two much fours made it 20 disconnected nan over. The crowd was alive.

Left-armer Vishwa was summoned but he was taken for 16 successful an complete arsenic Smith passed 50 from 43 balls. Sri Lanka were scrambled and Stone played his portion by fending disconnected bouncers.

Smith continued to loop down nan crushed and nine to nan limb broadside until he picked retired Kamindu Mendis disconnected Vishwa. It was an abrupt extremity to a thrilling ride, 1 that kept England successful nan match.

England person been beneath par successful this match, not slightest connected a 2nd time erstwhile Sri Lanka moved to 211-5, 114 down connected first innings.

Even without Gus Atkinson, incapable to vessel because of a quad injury, England were instantly improved connected Sunday morning. Entrusted pinch nan first complete of nan day, 20-year-old Hull had Dhananjaya de Silva hook to agelong limb for 69 past pinned Vishwa leg-before. Hull would person had his 4th wicket had Stone not spilled a elemental chance disconnected Kumara astatine good leg.

Stone, though, played his portion successful wrapping up nan tail. Overall, Sri Lanka mislaid their past 5 wickets for 52 runs and England had nan chance to bat them retired of nan game.

Sri Lanka starting a run-chase earlier nan time was retired was not successful England’s script, but astatine slightest Atkinson was fresh capable to return nan caller ball.

Nissanka began pinch trademark gusto, scoring down nan ground. England were unsuccessful pinch a reappraisal disconnected an Atkinson lbw appeal, Pope’s 10th DRS nonaccomplishment of nan series.

Woakes was nimble capable to return Karunaratne’s bat-pad successful his follow-through, yet Kusal arrived to subordinate Nissanka’s attack. When nan ray drew in, Sri Lanka were favourites.

Ex-Sri Lanka all-rounder Russel Arnold: "Sri Lanka person sewage it nether control. All of nan unit is connected England. When you look astatine nan bowling effort, location was a batch of loose balls, it didn't plaything for illustration it did for Sri Lankan bowlers."

Former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook: "We saw nan champion of Sri Lanka today. The first innings was cleanable conditions but they didn't get it right. This innings they did get it right.

"We thought this was Bazball people II for England - nan improved version. They mislaid nan worth of nan tally successful this game. An illustration of it was staying connected for those 70 runs of off-spin past night."