England and Sri Lanka are currently locking horns in the first Test of the three-match series at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. On Day 3, Sri Lanka gained a lead of 82 runs over the hosts as they are aiming to set up a reasonable target.
At the end of Day 2, England were on a score of 259 runs for the loss of six wickets in their first innings. However, they began the third day on a high note and significantly added to their total, with Jamie Smith scoring a crucial 111 runs off 148 balls to bolster the score to 358 runs. Harry Brook has earlier contributed 56 off 73 deliveries, including four boundaries.
Asitha Fernando emerged as the standout performer for Sri Lanka in England’s first innings, claiming four wickets for 103 runs. Meanwhile, Prabath Jayasuriya picked up three wickets, Vishwa Fernando contributed two, and Milan Rathnayake added one wicket for the tourists.
Sri Lanka, who had scored 236 runs in the opening innings, aimed to reduce their deficit and set a challenging target for Ollie Pope and Co. Unfortunately, their batting on Day 3 seemed poor. Opener Nishan Madushka was out for a three-ball duck, Dimuth Karunaratne managed to score only 27 runs. Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis also struggled and was dismissed without scoring.
Despite a disappointing start from the top order, Angelo Mathews provided a sigh of relief, stabilizing their innings. The all-rounder managed to score 65 off 145 deliveries, including two boundaries and one maximum, before being dismissed by Chris Woakes. Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Chandimal was unbeaten on 20, while Kamindu Mendis remained not out at 56.
By the end of Day 3, The visitors had accumulated 204 runs in their second innings for the loss of six wickets. The Dhananjaya de Silva-led side thus established a lead of 82 runs over England on Day 3 stumps.
For the hosts, Chris Woakes emerged as the key bowler, having picked up two wickets on Day 3. In addition, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Matthew Potts, and Joe Root have each contributed one wicket.
