Dhananjaya hits fifty but England chips away
On the opening day of the Old Trafford Test, Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva showcased his fighting spirit by scoring a determined half-century in the post-lunch session. Despite his efforts, England maintained control over the match. Sri Lanka's innings faltered dramatically before lunch, collapsing to 80/5. However, de Silva's steadfast performance prevented a total collapse, as Sri Lanka reached the tea break at 178/8.
England's bowlers struck early in the second session, with Chris Woakes dismissing Kamindu Mendis quickly. Mendis, attempting to play a delivery, edged the ball through to the wicketkeeper, leaving Sri Lanka in a precarious position at 92/6. Prabath Jayasuriya provided a brief spark of resistance, scoring a boundary with intent. De Silva also made his presence felt with a well-executed cover drive off Woakes.
Sri Lanka's fleeting hopes were dashed when Gus Atkinson dismissed Jayasuriya. Earlier, Jayasuriya had been granted a reprieve when dismissed off a no-ball, but Atkinson eventually claimed his wicket as Jayasuriya edged the ball to the keeper. The dismissal of Jayasuriya provided a boost to England, particularly with debutant Milan Priyanath Rathnayake at the crease. Rathnayake displayed resilience and determination, confidently hitting a square cut off Mark Wood.
Despite a close call when Dhananjaya attempted a third consecutive boundary off Shoaib Bashir, only for the wicketkeeper to fail in a stumping attempt, the pair of Dhananjaya and Rathnayake added over 50 runs for the eighth wicket. It seemed briefly as if they might hold out until the break. However, Bashir finally got his man when Dhananjaya's attempt to glance a delivery resulted in a catch at leg slip. England's relief was palpable as Sri Lanka’s hopes now rested heavily on Rathnayake to push their total past 200 runs.
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