Predat0r
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Jamie Smith hit a fighting fifty. © AFP
An overwhelming session for Sri Lanka saw them get into the box seat of the third Test against England at The Oval at tea on the third day. Vishwa Fernando (3-40) and Lahiru Kumara (3-13) wrecked havoc on a pitch that has spiced up considerably with movement and variable bounce to put England on the mat. If not for Jamie Smith's (67 off 50) rearguard, the home side would have been in further disarray. For the first time in the series, England were put under relentless pressure by Sri Lanka's bowlers and the home side couldn't wriggle themselves out of it.
The session started with Daniel Lawrence keen to play his shots but his methods were too funky for a pitch of this kind. While he did step out to hammer Asitha Fernando for a six and a four, it was only a matter of time before he nicked one. Kumara produced that inevitable moment to end Lawrence's misery before Vishwa struck a big blow by trapping Joe Root LBW. It capped a rare poor game for England's no.4 as the tourists gained momentum in the session. Harry Brook and Chris Woakes didn't last long either, leaving Smith with the lower order.
However, the wicket-keeper batter once again rose to the occasion, showing steady temperament to weather the initial storm before unlocking his T20 mode. Sri Lanka also helped his a cause a bit as they drifted away from their plans once Smith took on the bowling. However, the session ended on a positive note for the visitors yet again as Smith fell at the stroke of tea, miscuing a pull to mid-wicket. It meant that Sri Lanka went into the break on top, albeit by a narrow margin as chasing 200-plus on this pitch will still take some doing.
Brief scores: England 325 and 140/8 (Jamie Smith 67; Lahiru Kumara 3-13, Vishwa Fernando 3-40) lead Sri Lanka 263 (Dhananjaya de Silva 69, Pathum Nissanka 64, Kamindu Mendis 64; Olly Stone 2-28) by 202 runs
An overwhelming session for Sri Lanka saw them get into the box seat of the third Test against England at The Oval at tea on the third day. Vishwa Fernando (3-40) and Lahiru Kumara (3-13) wrecked havoc on a pitch that has spiced up considerably with movement and variable bounce to put England on the mat. If not for Jamie Smith's (67 off 50) rearguard, the home side would have been in further disarray. For the first time in the series, England were put under relentless pressure by Sri Lanka's bowlers and the home side couldn't wriggle themselves out of it.
The session started with Daniel Lawrence keen to play his shots but his methods were too funky for a pitch of this kind. While he did step out to hammer Asitha Fernando for a six and a four, it was only a matter of time before he nicked one. Kumara produced that inevitable moment to end Lawrence's misery before Vishwa struck a big blow by trapping Joe Root LBW. It capped a rare poor game for England's no.4 as the tourists gained momentum in the session. Harry Brook and Chris Woakes didn't last long either, leaving Smith with the lower order.
However, the wicket-keeper batter once again rose to the occasion, showing steady temperament to weather the initial storm before unlocking his T20 mode. Sri Lanka also helped his a cause a bit as they drifted away from their plans once Smith took on the bowling. However, the session ended on a positive note for the visitors yet again as Smith fell at the stroke of tea, miscuing a pull to mid-wicket. It meant that Sri Lanka went into the break on top, albeit by a narrow margin as chasing 200-plus on this pitch will still take some doing.
Brief scores: England 325 and 140/8 (Jamie Smith 67; Lahiru Kumara 3-13, Vishwa Fernando 3-40) lead Sri Lanka 263 (Dhananjaya de Silva 69, Pathum Nissanka 64, Kamindu Mendis 64; Olly Stone 2-28) by 202 runs