England’s spinners were put under pressure by a resurgent Sri Lanka side after late gloomy skies restricted their pace options on day two of the third Test at the Kia Oval.
England’s first-innings lead of 325 was slashed to 114 after bad light in the evening session of the final Test continued to frustrate as Sri Lanka’s captain Dhananjaya de Silva (64no) and Kusal Mendis (54no) shared an unbeaten 118-run partnership before the players were forced to come off at 5.36pm, with play abandoned at 6.00pm.
The light continued to be a contentious issue particularly when England seamer Chris Woakes (1-41) was forced to bowl spin midway through the seventh over. Four balls later, the umpires decided it was bright enough to allow pace back into the attack with the speedier Gus Atkinson (0-46) coming on.
England’s debutant Josh Hull (1-26) picked up his maiden Test wicket by removing Sri Lanka’s opener Pathum Nissanka (64) while Olly Stone (2-28) made dents in the middle order by dismissing Angelo Mathews (3) and Dinesh Chandimal (0) with the tourists on 211-5 at the close of play.
Sunday 8th September 10:15am
Earlier, England resumed day two on 221-3 looking to build a healthy first-innings score but Sri Lanka initiated a lower-order collapse which saw the hosts lose their final six wickets in just 56 deliveries.
Ollie Pope (154) added 51 runs to his overnight score and hit the fastest Test 150 at The Oval before the tourists mopped up England’s tail and dismissed them for 325.
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Chris Woakes was asked by the umpires to bowl spin mid-over due to bad light during the Test match at The Oval between Sri Lanka and England
Pope continues to shine under gloom
Harry Brook (19) and Pope shared a 70-run fourth-wicket partnership on either side of day one and two as they geared England towards a dominant first-innings total.
Asitha Fernando dropped a dolly at deep point offering Brook, who went past 5,000 Test runs, a lifeline on 12, and to add insult to injury, Pope edged an outswinger from Milan Rathnayake (3-56) two balls later that pierced the slip cordon for four.
The drop only cost Sri Lanka seven runs after a frantic-looking Brook hit Rathnayake straight to a diving Kamindu Mendis at short cover.
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England were all out for 325 as the final two batters both get caught out
Pope was supported by his Surrey team-mate Jamie Smith (16) who added two boundaries before Vishwa Fernando’s (2-46) challenging line paid off and he holed out to mid-wicket.
De Silva (2-18) initiated England’s lower-order collapse after dismissing Woakes (2) and Gus Atkinson (5) in quick succession to leave the hosts 307-7.
Pope momentarily relished in the delights of his home turf bringing up his 150 with a single guided to point but he gifted his wicket away after hooking Lahiru Kumara’s (2-97) short ball straight to deep square leg.
Sri Lanka employed the short-ball tactic to mop up England’s tail with Hull (2) lasting only 10 balls and Shoaib Bashir (1) only three, leaving Olly Stone (15no) stranded at the non-striker’s end.
Spirited Sri Lanka fight back
Nissanka made an emphatic start to Sri Lanka’s innings but cost his side the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne (9) after calling him through for a single that was never in question and a sharp, direct hit from Stone at cover gave England their first scalp.
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Olly Stone strikes the Sri Lanken stumps after some poor running in the Test match
Nissanka was, in some ways, forced to make up for that loss as he collected nine boundaries and shared a 36-run stand alongside Kusal (14).
After Woakes’ brief spin stint, which was both farcical and comical, he continued to bowl a teasing channel and eventually saw Kusal nick off to Brook at second slip.
Hull made a memorable start to his Test career by claiming the prized scalp of Nissanka, who drove a full delivery to a diving Woakes at cover with The Oval crowd erupting into cheers for the 20-year-old.
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Josh Hull takes his first England wicket on the second day of the Test match between England and Sri Lanka
Stone continued to make an impact on his Test return, trapping Chandimal lbw for a duck leaving the tourists 93-5.
De Silva was offered a lifeline after he was dropped by Hull on 23 at mid-on off Bashir’s bowling. The mistake so far has cost England 41 runs after a fruitful sixth-wicket stand saw Sri Lanka post 211-5 late on day two.
Stone: We tried to take positive option
England fast bowler Olly Stone, speaking to Sky Sports:
“It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option. We thought we could take wickets with our spinners. We feel we have the bowlers in any conditions… but Sri Lanka played well.
“Hull has been brilliant. He hasn’t looked nervous – he has been smiley, he has enjoyed it. I know he will be better for taking that wicket and hopefully he can take more in the morning.
“There is no greater job in the world. Going out there with a smile on our face, enjoying it.
“It doesn’t feel like international cricket, you are nice and relaxed and out there with your mates.”
Watch day three of the third and final Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Sunday September 7 (first ball, 11am).
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