12 C
Manchester
Monday, May 19, 2025
Other SportsSri Lanka punish poor England to close in on victory in Third...

Sri Lanka punish poor England to close in on victory in Third Test

England’s hopes of ending the summer with a 100 per cent record in Test matches was hanging by a thread with Sri Lanka closing in on victory at The Oval.

The tourists ended day three of the third Test on 94 for one, needing another 125 runs to chase down their victory target of 219, with bad light again bringing a premature close.

Sri Lanka started the day at 211 for five in their first innings but failed to make much more headway as England’s bowlers polished off the tail for the concession of just 52 runs.

The two overnight batters – Dhanajaya da Silva and Kamindu Mendis – departed swiftly having made 69 and 64 respectively with the lower order offering little resistance.

That gave England a first-innings lead of 62 and a position of strength. However, Sri Lanka wrestled back the momentum aided by another woeful batting display from the home side.

Only Jamie Smith, who continued his excellent summer, emerged with any credit with a superb 67 from 50 balls to push the score to 156 all out.

Dan Lawrence was the next-best scorer with a frantic 35 as England’s all-out attacking approach was undone by some excellent bowling from Sri Lanka for whom Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando shone.

Kumara ended with figures of four for 21 and Fernando three for 40.

With changeable conditions and intermittent cloud cover, England would have fancied their chances of making inroads before the close. But they looked uncharacteristically toothless.

Chris Woakes snared the only wicket with a smart caught and bowled to get rid of Dimuth Karunaratne for eight but fellow opener Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis played faultless cricket to carry the tourists through to the end of play with no further losses.

The pair played in attacking fashion, punishing anything full or wide with debutant Josh Hull frequently straying with his line and length. Nissanka was 53 not out when the light closed in with Mendis unbeaten on 30.

If England do lose it will be their only blemish of the summer after beating the West Indies 3-0 and holding a 2-0 lead over the Sri Lankans coming into the Oval Test.

Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher
Jon has over 20 years' experience in sports journalism having worked at the Press Association, Goal and Stats Perform, covering three World Cups, an Olympics and numerous other major sporting events.
Latest

Global tech fulfilment platform delivers profitable, double-digit revenue growth

A global tech enabled fulfilment provider has posted record revenues for FY25.  In the year ending March 31, 2025, fulfilmentcrowd – a global fulfilment platform,...

How QI Group transformed employee engagement into business growth

Who is the owner of QI Group? Under the stewardship of founders Vijay Eswaran and Joseph Bismark, the QI Group has grown from a startup...

From Tragedy to Triumph: GP Opens London’s First Skin Café for Women Over 50

In a moving tribute to resilience and womanhood, Dr Amina Adeniran — NHS GP and founder of The Super-Skin Clinic — is opening London’s...

National Fish and Chip Day to Celebrate Its 10th Anniversary on 6th June

Fish and chips: whether it’s cod, haddock or plaice on your plate, and whether you swear by curry sauce, mushy peas, or a splash...
Subscribe to our newsletter
Business Manchester will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
Don't miss

Why Choosing European Rice Can Shrink Your Mealtime Carbon Footprint

An environmentally focused initiative supported by the European Union is urging UK consumers to rethink what’s on their plate with the introduction of the...

National Fish and Chip Day to Celebrate Its 10th Anniversary on 6th June

Fish and chips: whether it’s cod, haddock or plaice on your plate, and whether you swear by curry sauce, mushy peas, or a splash...

Global tech fulfilment platform delivers profitable, double-digit revenue growth

A global tech enabled fulfilment provider has posted record revenues for FY25.  In the year ending March 31, 2025, fulfilmentcrowd – a global fulfilment platform,...

From Tragedy to Triumph: GP Opens London’s First Skin Café for Women Over 50

In a moving tribute to resilience and womanhood, Dr Amina Adeniran — NHS GP and founder of The Super-Skin Clinic — is opening London’s...

More News

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2025: Report, result, highlights as Norris savours ‘stressful’ win

Lando Norris praised McLaren's "amazing car" after overcoming unpredictable conditions to beat reigning champion Max Verstappen and win the F1 Australian Grand Prix 2025...

India vs Australia: Preview, expected lineups, how to watch on TV and prediction for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

India vs Australia: The State of Play India will be targeting a third consecutive appearance in the final when they face Australia in the first...

New Zealand vs India: Preview, expected lineups, how to watch on TV and prediction for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

New Zealand vs India: The State of Play Two teams in excellent form meet on Sunday when New Zealand and India collide in their final...