In the complete 147-year historical past of Check cricket, there have maybe been few cases the place a staff has made a extra shambolic begin to a day’s play than Sri Lanka did on the third morning of the primary Check towards England at Outdated Trafford.
First, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva tried to bowl Asitha Fernando for the primary over of the morning, solely to be stopped by the umpires because the seamer had bowled the ultimate over of the day prior to this. Then got here practically two minutes of delay whereas fielders put pads on as De Silva determined to bowl spinner Prabath Jayasuriya as a substitute.
If the morning session began badly for the vacationers, it went downhill from there and though they have been ultimately in a position to bowl England out for 358 and even hold a glimmer of hope alive by establishing an 82-run lead by the top of the day, it maybe summed up the hit-and-miss nature of Sri Lanka’s efficiency on this match.
“I cannot understand for the life of me how, at the start of a day’s play, you do not know exactly what you are doing,” former England batter Mark Butcher informed Sky Sports activities.
“Day three – an enormous day, you’re nonetheless very a lot within the Check match, you have hung in for 2 days and confirmed lots of character.
“How does each single man on that discipline not know precisely what will be taking place first ball, who’s bowling, what fields we’re going to have, what our plans are by way of protecting [Jamie] Smith away from the bowling or placing him below strain when he begins once more?
“I don’t understand how a professional Test cricket team cannot be ready to do that on a day such as today. It’s unfathomable they wouldn’t have had an idea as a collective, not just the captain.”
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Watch one of the best pictures from Jamie Smith’s maiden Check century for England on day three of the primary Check towards Sri Lanka.
As if England, impressed by Smith’s first Check century earlier than he was ultimately out for 111, establishing a 122-run lead was not dangerous sufficient for Sri Lanka, they then discovered themselves 10-2 at lunch after Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis each departed with out troubling the scorer.
Dimuth Karunaratne (27) and skipper De Silva (16), who was unable to construct on his first-innings prime rating of 74, then fell within the afternoon to go away their facet wobbling on 95-4, with Dinesh Chandimal being compelled off the sphere injured after being hit on the thumb by Mark Wooden.
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England declare two early wickets towards Sri Lanka within the second innings.
“The tone was pretty bad at the start of it,” former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara informed Sky Sports activities. “Did all of the players know what the plan was?
“Then you definitely noticed the fielding, the vitality was not likely there and that was dangerous.
“It’s about playing for their moment [with the bat], building the partnership…and just keep doing that for as long as they can.
“You’re going to get good balls and could be delaying the inevitable however delay it for so long as potential by scoring runs and reversing strain.”
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Mark Wooden strikes on his first supply as Dimuth Karunaratne falls.
Whether or not Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis heard the phrases of one in every of their nation’s greats will maybe by no means be recognized, however they actually batted like that they had taken Sangakkara’s evaluation on board to spark one thing of a revival from Sri Lanka within the afternoon and night.
Mathews, who lasted simply 5 balls in his facet’s first innings, put collectively a composed 65 to steer his facet away from hazard and placed on an excellent 78 partnership with Kamindu earlier than being caught by the diving Matthew Potts off Chris Woakes after the ball began swinging following a change.
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Matthew Potts’ diving catch ends the partnership of Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis.
Kamindu stood agency to finish the day unbeaten on 56, surviving after being dropped on 38 and a profitable DRS evaluate on 48, and can resume on day 4 with Chandimal again on the crease after his spell off the sphere.
England will undoubtedly really feel they’re nonetheless on prime and well-placed to press on for victory, but there have been glimmers for Sri Lanka – even when day three didn’t start precisely how they might have needed.
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A fan took an outrageous one-handed seize with a pint in his hand after Mark Wooden despatched a six into the gang.
“It has been a funny old day,” Atherton informed Sky Sports activities. “Sri Lanka have found some resistance, Angelo Mathews has played excellently, Kamindu Mendis looked in rare touch.
“They simply gave England two hours’ head begin within the morning.
“They have been competitive throughout this game, and they have been competitive for long periods.”
Watch the third day of England’s first Check towards Sri Lanka, from Emirates Outdated Trafford in Manchester, dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket and Sky Sports activities Important Occasion from 10.15am on Wednesday (11am first ball)
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