Our guide to everything you need to know as England kick off their three-match Test series against Sri Lanka…
When are the Tests taking place?
There are three Test matches taking place between England and Sri Lanka from August 21 through till September 10.
Emirates Old Trafford will host the first Test, Lord’s the second, and the Kia Oval will round off the series.
- 1st Test: England v Sri Lanka, 21-25 August 2024, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
- 2nd Test: England v Sri Lanka, 29 August-2 September 2024, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
- 3rd Test: England v Sri Lanka, 6-10 September 2024, Kia Oval, London
Who is in the England squad?
England will be without their skipper Ben Stokes for the series after he was carried off holding his left hamstring while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
They will also be missing injured opener Zak Crawley after he fractured the little finger on his right hand during the third Test victory over the West Indies at Trent Bridge.
Uncapped batter Jordan Cox and fast bowler Olly Stone earned call ups to the squad but have not been included in England’s team that was named on Monday.
Dan Lawrence will open the batting in Crawley’s absence while seam bowler Matthew Potts is set to play his first Test since last summer at home to Ireland meaning wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will move up a place in the order to six and Chris Woakes to seven.
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England batter Dan Lawrence says the game plan against Sri Lanka won’t change under stand-in captain Ollie Pope who leads the team in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes
England XI to face Sri Lanka
Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
England vice-captain Ollie Pope will skipper his country for the first time, giving him a chance to see what messaging, demeanour, and contributions he can bring to the role.
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Sky Sports’ Nick Knight discusses what Ollie Pope’s stint as England captain will look like with former England captains Nasser Hussain, Eoin Morgan and Michael Atherton
How have the sides been performing?
England enter the series after a 3-0 series sweep against West Indies and a convincing one at that.
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Gus Atkinson impressed on his Test debut against the West Indies at Lord’s earlier this summer
They won the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs, the second at Trent Bridge by 241 runs, and the third at Edgbaston by 10 wickets, Gus Atkinson announcing himself in international red ball cricket with 22 wickets across the three games.
Sri Lanka head into the series on the back of an historic ODI series victory over India in Colombo, a real confidence booster just two weeks out from the series starting.
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Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have both been impressed by Gus Atkinson’s performances in England’s Test series win over the West Indies
They secured the series victory with an emphatic 110-run victory over India in the third one-day international to win the three-match series 2-0. India had not lost a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka since 1997.
Six players from Sri Lanka’s ODI squad – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando – have been included in the Test squad.
Sri Lanka last beat England in a Test series in 2014 when they won the two-match series 1-0 after the first game at Lord’s ended in a draw.
What comes next?
Next up on the international calendar for England is a three-match T20I series then a five-match ODI series against Australia, with all matches live on Sky Sports.
England vs Australia: T20I Series
- September 11: 1st Men’s IT20 – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
- September 13: 2nd Men’s IT20 – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
- September 15: 3rd Men’s IT20 – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
England vs Australia: ODI Series
September 19: 1st ODI- Trent Bridge, Nottingham
September 21: 2nd ODI – Headingley, Leeds
September 24: 3rd ODI – Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street
September 27: 4th ODI – Lord’s, London
September 29: 5th ODI- Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol
How can I watch the first Test?
Watch the first Test between England and Sri Lanka on Wednesday August 21 on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 10am.
England’s three-Test series against Sri Lanka gets under way at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday August 21. Watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am (first ball bowled at 11am).