Smith thrills but Sri Lanka favourites to win Test

Third Test, The Kia Oval (day 3 of five)

England 325 (Pope 154, Duckett 86) & 156 (Smith 67, Kumara 4-21)

Sri Lanka 263 (De Silva 69; Stone 3-35, Hull 3-53) & 94-1 (Nissanka 53*)

Sri Lanka request 125 runs to win

Scorecard

Jamie Smith’s pulsating 67 breathed beingness into England but could not halt Sri Lanka moving into rod presumption to triumph the last Test astatine The Kia Oval.

Needing 219, the tourists ended the 3rd time connected 94-1 from lone 15 overs, 125 runs abbreviated of a celebrated win.

Sri Lanka would person been overmuch closer, oregon whitethorn already person the crippled won had it not been for the brilliance of Smith, who electrified his location crushed with immoderate breathtaking batting.

England person been atrocious for ample parts of the past 2 days and were successful tatters astatine 82-7, 144 ahead, erstwhile Smith launched his astonishing assault.

On 15 from 31 deliveries, Smith clobbered 52 disconnected the adjacent 18 helium faced, cleanly striking the shot to each parts.

In a basal of 58 for the eighth wicket, Olly Stone contributed lone five. With Smith successful afloat flow, thoughts were turning to England’s fastest Test period of each clip erstwhile helium recovered mid-wicket and departed to a rapturous ovation.

England added lone different 16 to beryllium 156 each out, Lahiru Kumara starring a magnificent Sri Lanka bowling effort with 4-21.

That near Sri Lanka batting doubly successful the time aft earlier being dismissed successful their archetypal innings for 263, with England left-armer Josh Hull picking up 3-53 connected his Test debut.

Pathum Nissanka tucked into immoderate wayward England bowling precocious successful the day. Though Chris Woakes had Dimuth Karunaratne caught and bowled, Nissanka has 53 from lone 44 balls, alongside Kusal Mendis connected 30.

Monday could supply a fantastic extremity to the Test summer, with the location broadside looking for their sixth successive triumph and Sri Lanka successful possession of a aureate accidental to extremity a 10-match winless streak against England.

A fabulous finale would beryllium astatine likelihood with the quality of this Test, which had its archetypal 2 days dogged by atrocious light. If England bash someway propulsion through, it volition beryllium contempt an overly casual attack that has near their 100% summertime successful superior jeopardy. Realistically, this is Sri Lanka’s to lose.

England frittered distant wickets and shipped casual runs connected Saturday. Instead of putting things close connected Sunday, they doubled-down, batted horrifically and gave ammunition to those who accidental their Bazballing attack is occasionally ill-suited to the subject required for Test cricket.

Ben Duckett chipped to mid-on, stand-in skipper Ollie Pope chopped on. Dan Lawrence, possibly alert helium was playing his past innings arsenic a Test cricketer, slogged 35 past edged behind.

Sri Lanka, sensing their moment, were excellent. Vishwa Fernando swung the shot to person some Joe Root and Harry Brook lbw. When Woakes was caught down for a duck, The Oval was stunned into silence.

Then came Smith, the tantalising people and Nissanka’s aggression. The transportation is existent and the shot has done capable to involvement the bowlers.

All the ingredients for a marvellous Monday.

In his archetypal summertime arsenic a Test cricketer, 24-year-old Smith has shown himself to beryllium comfy astatine the highest level. He made his maiden period successful the archetypal Test of this bid to spell with 2 half-centuries against West Indies.

This was different. In part, England picked Smith for his quality to displacement gears, predominate attacks and marshal the tail. In a scintillating five-over period, helium did conscionable that, evoking memories of Kevin Pietersen’s breakout period connected this crushed against Australia successful 2005.

As England floundered, Smith scratched astir successful the aboriginal portion of his innings. On 7 helium slashed past the fingertips of gully and, connected 15, chipped Milan Rathnayake beyond mid-off.

The 2nd near-miss kicked Smith into action. Rathnayake was crunched done the covers and pulled for six. Two much fours made it 20 disconnected the over. The assemblage was alive.

Left-armer Vishwa was summoned, but helium was taken for 16 successful an implicit arsenic Smith passed 50 from 43 balls. Sri Lanka were scrambled and Stone played his portion by fending disconnected bouncers.

Smith continued to loop down the crushed and nine to the limb broadside until helium picked retired Kamindu Mendis disconnected Vishwa. It was an abrupt extremity to a thrilling ride, 1 that kept England successful the match.

England person been below-par successful this match, not slightest connected a 2nd time erstwhile Sri Lanka moved to 211-5, 114 down connected archetypal innings.

Even without Gus Atkinson, incapable to vessel due to the fact that of a quad injury, England were instantly improved connected Sunday morning. Entrusted with the archetypal implicit of the day, 20-year-old Hull had Dhananjaya de Silva hook to agelong limb for 69 past pinned Vishwa leg-before. Hull would person had his 4th wicket had Stone not spilled a elemental accidental disconnected Kumara astatine good leg.

Stone, though, played his portion successful wrapping up the tail. Overall, Sri Lanka mislaid their past 5 wickets for 52 runs and England had the accidental to bat them retired of the game.

Sri Lanka starting a run-chase earlier the time was retired was not successful England’s script, but astatine slightest Atkinson was acceptable capable to instrumentality the caller ball.

Left-hander Nissanka began with trademark gusto, scoring down the ground. England were unsuccessful with a reappraisal disconnected an Atkinson lbw appeal, Pope’s 10th DRS nonaccomplishment of the series.

Woakes was nimble capable to instrumentality Karunaratne’s bat-pad successful his follow-through, but Kusal arrived to articulation Nissanka’s attack. When the airy drew in, Sri Lanka were favourites.