Power-packed performances from Joe Root, Chris Woakes and Jamie Smith guided England to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Manchester on Friday. With this win, England takes a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first.
After struggling at 113/7, crucial innings from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (74 off 84 balls, with eight fours) and Milan Rathnayake (72 off 135 balls, with six fours and two sixes) lifted Sri Lanka to 236 all out. Silva and Rathnayake shared a 63-run partnership for the eighth wicket, followed by a 50-run stand between Rathnayake and Vishwa Fernando (13).
Chris Woakes (3/32) and Shoaib Bashir (3/55) were the leading bowlers for England.
Despite a shaky start, with England at 67/3, significant contributions from middle-order batsmen Joe Root (42 off 57 balls, with four boundaries), Harry Brook (56 off 73 balls, with four boundaries), and centurion Jamie Smith (111 off 148 balls, with eight fours and a six) enabled England to gain a lead of 122 runs, as they were eventually dismissed for 358. Root and Brook formed a 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while Smith had valuable stands with Brook, Woakes, and Gus Atkinson, including a noteworthy 66-run partnership with Atkinson (20) for the seventh wicket. Ashitha Fernando (4/103) and Prabhat Jayasuriya (3/85) were Sri Lanka’s standout bowlers.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka again faced difficulties, with the score at 95/4. However, Angelo Mathews (65 off 145 balls, with two fours and a six) and Dinesh Chandimal (79 off 119 balls, with seven fours) combined for a 78-run partnership to push Sri Lanka towards a respectable total. Kamindu Mendis, continuing his strong form, scored his second Test century in five innings, hitting 113 off 183 balls, with 15 fours and a six. Sri Lanka reached 326 all out, establishing a lead of 204 runs. Mendis’s 117-run partnership with Chandimal for the seventh wicket was crucial in surpassing the 300-run mark. Woakes and Matthew Potts (3/47) each took three wickets to lead England’s bowling attack.
In reply, England was initially in a tough spot at 70/3. However, a composed half-century from Root (62* off 128 balls, with two fours) and solid contributions from Brook (32 off 68 balls, with three fours) and Smith (39* off 48 balls, with four boundaries and a six) guided England to a five-wicket victory.