Jamie Smith and Harry Brook starred with the bat as England secured a narrow first-innings lead over Sri Lanka following a rain-affected day two of the first Test at Old Trafford.
Smith was unbeaten on 72 at the close – brought forward due to bad light – with Brook departing earlier for a typically entertaining 56 as the hosts reached 259 for six – 23 runs ahead of Sri Lanka’s total of 236 all out.
Rain and bad light return ☔
But we move into a lead 💪
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Inclement weather saw the first session washed out but the tourists, and seamer Asitha Fernando in particular, cashed in when play finally got underway at 1.15pm under leaden skies.
Although Dan Lawrence successfully appealed after being given out lbw to Fernando, his fellow opener Ben Duckett was not so fortunate in the next over as the right-armer trapped him in front for 18.
Ollie Pope, standing in for injured captain Ben Stokes, was next to go, bowled by Fernando for just six.
Vishwa Fernando accounted for Lawrence (30) before Asitha Fernando returned to claim the prize scalp of Joe Root for 42, the Yorkshire batter getting an inside edge with wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal claiming a smart catch.
England were 125 for four and the game in the balance but Brook and Smith wrestled the advantage back in the hosts’ favour with a fifth-wicket partnership worth 62.
Brook played the more attacking role, his runs coming from just 73 balls as he jumped on anything over-pitched with a series of beautiful cover drives.
It therefore came as a surprise to see him totally bamboozled by a peach of a delivery from spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who got one to pitch on middle stump before rearing back to clip the top of the Yorkshireman’s off stump.
Jayasuriya proved it wasn’t a fluke by getting another one to turn sharply and hit Chris Woakes’ off-stump 18 overs later.
Woakes made a confident-looking 25 in tandem with Smith, who continued his fine start to Test cricket with another hugely impressive knock.
After averaging over 51 in the series against the West Indies earlier this summer, the Surrey man again looked in total control as he guided England through to a premature close without further alarm.
