1st Test
Day-1 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Dhananjaya de Silva has scored a resilient fifty, but England has continued to take wickets
At The Tea of Day-1:
Sri Lanka scored 178/8 vs England.
Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva scored a resilient half-century in the post-lunch session on the opening day of the Test at Old Trafford, but England remained firmly in control.
After being reduced to 80/5 by lunch, Dhananjaya ensured his team didn’t capitulate immediately once play resumed.
Sri Lanka reached Tea at 178/8.
England struck early in the second session as Chris Woakes dismissed Kamindu Mendis, who edged a delivery through to the keeper.
At 92/6, Sri Lanka’s situation looked dire, but Prabath Jayasuriya provided a glimmer of hope with an early boundary.
Dhananjaya also began to assert himself, playing a stylish cover drive off Woakes.
However, any hope Sri Lanka had was dashed when Gus Atkinson dismissed Jayasuriya.
Jayasuriya had previously been given a reprieve for a no-ball but eventually edged another delivery to the keeper.
With debutant Milan Priyanath Rathnayake joining the fray, England saw an opportunity but Rathnayake showed resolve at the crease.
Dhananjaya continued to impress, hitting a pull shot off Atkinson to reach his fifty, while Rathnayake grew more confident, executing a square cut off Mark Wood.
England nearly had Dhananjaya out before the break when he missed a ball from Shoaib Bashir, but the keeper failed to collect the stumping cleanly.
The pair added over 50 runs for the eighth wicket, and it looked as though they might carry Sri Lanka through to the break.
However, Bashir eventually got his man, with Dhananjaya glancing a delivery to the leg slip fielder.
Sri Lanka now relies on Rathnayake to help them surpass the 200-run mark.
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