MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Sri Lanka was battling to stay alive in the first test against England following another top-order collapse after wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s maiden century put the hosts in command at Old Trafford on Friday.
Smith’s 111 helped England to 358 all out and a first-innings lead of 122 early on Day 3, and it looked like the Sri Lankans might be headed for a big defeat after slumping to 1-2 when Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis were dismissed for ducks before lunch.
Angelo Mathews dug in to make 65 and Kamindu Mendis was 56 not out at stumps as Sri Lanka reached 204-6, with a lead of 82.
Dinesh Chandimal was there at the close on 20 not out, having returned to the middle after a trip to the hospital after being rapped on the right thumb off a rapid delivery by Mark Wood.
One more wicket would put the English into Sri Lanka’s tail in Manchester and they are big favorites to take the lead in the three-match series.
England also looks to have a gem in the 24-year-old Smith, who was chosen ahead of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow to keep wicket for this international summer and hasn’t let his country down, impressing behind the stumps and with the bat. He struck knocks of 70 and 95 in England’s 3-0 test series win over the West Indies last month and now has a century in his fourth test match.
“Missing out last time against the West Indies, it was a little bit more special to get over the line,” Smith said of his ton. “It’s something you always dream of and wish for growing up. It is a nice one to tick off.”
Smith’s century contained eight fours and one six as he guided the tail through to a strong total, considering England was 67-3 at one point on Thursday. Gus Atkinson (20), Matthew Potts (17) and Mark Wood (22) weighed in with important contributions in the lower order, while Asitha Fernando finished with team-best bowling figures of 4-103.
Sri Lanka had slumped to 6-3 at the start of its first innings and didn’t begin its second innings any better following the departures of Madushka and Mendis in Sri Lanka’s three overs in the middle before lunch.
Dimuth Karunaratne was the first to go in the second session when he was outdone by the pace of Wood — off his very first ball — and nicked an inside edge onto his body and up to Harry Brook at second slip for 27.
Chandimal looked in pain after his thumb was snapped back by Wood’s sharp delivery and, after some treatment, went to the hospital for an X-ray. It revealed no fracture and he would eventually return.
Mathews played beautifully as he often does in tests with England, an opponent against whom he now has 10 scores of 50 or more in 23 innings. And he put on 78 with Kamindu Mendis for the fifth wicket before looping a leading edge to midwicket off Chris Woakes.
In the final hour, Wood pulled up with an unspecified injury during his run-up and part-time spinner Joe Root completed the final four deliveries of the over. He took a wicket with one of them as Milan Rathnayake was tempted in to a big drive and holed out to Ben Duckett in the deep for 10.
That brought Chandimal back and he survived until the close, hitting Shoaib Bashir for 4 off the final ball as shadows lengthened at Old Trafford.
“Both sides have toiled on a good surface,” Smith said, “but to have them six down there … you can’t ask for much more than that heading into tomorrow.”
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