On the third day in Manchester, after Jamie Smith’s maiden Test century had powered England to a commanding first innings lead of 122 runs, it looked for all money like Sri Lanka could potentially fold, not least when Mark Wood forced Dinesh Chandimal off to hospital for X-rays on a suspected broken thumb.
Bazball’s human cannonball had already struck with his first ball of the innings and with this vicious blow – an 89mph brute that reared off the Old Trafford surface – Sri Lanka appeared to be 74 for four in effect, still 48 runs short of making England bat again. Ollie Pope, in his first Test as stand-in captain, was eyeing the perfect start.
But at the other end was a certain Angelo Mathews, whose 160 at Headingley 10 years ago set up a famous series victory on these shores. Driven in part by a duck in the first innings, the 37-year-old pushed back masterfully and, as news filtered through that Chandimal’s thumb was only bruised, his stand of 78 with the lively Kamindu Mendis had taken Sri Lanka into the lead, four wickets down.
England were starting to creak out in the middle, while Matthew Potts was positively fit to combust. Having earlier trapped Dhananjaya de Silva lbw for the fourth genuine Sri Lanka wicket with a short ball that kept low, Potts saw two catches go down off his bowling in the evening session, including the big fish, Mathews, on 65.
For a bowler who is making his comeback in this Test match – and who took 21 overs to catch Pope’s eye after a leaky first innings – the cries of agony were understandable. In the end there was nothing left but to show his teammates how it was done as Chris Woakes finally induced a leading edge from the tiring Mathews and Potts safely held on at backward point.
Though just 51 runs ahead at the time, Sri Lanka still had Kamindu fighting his corner on 45 and Chandimal bravely returned before the close. Kamindu, who like Mathews had resisted the pace of Wood and even carted him into the stands for six, did enjoy some fortune along the way, however, having been dropped by Gus Atkinson on 39 and saved by an inside edge when given out lbw to Woakes late on.
After two days of gloom and an overnight storm that sent Manchester’s tram system slightly haywire, blue sky had broken out over Old Trafford in the morning. And with it came an opportunity for Sri Lanka to make good on their previously characterful resistance, provided they could knock over the last four English wickets cheaply.
But what followed from the tourists was exasperating: a shoddy start that involved confusion over who could bowl which end – Asitha Fernando finishing off the night before – and an instant delay for fielding pads to be brought out. It set the tone for Smith and his tail-end chums to add 99 runs to a slender overnight lead of 23 and by lunch, the tourists were already two down for spit.
That final instalment before the break brought with it thoughts of another three-day finish. Woakes wobbled his third ball into Nishan Madushka’s off stump as the opener shouldered arms to an outswinger that wasn’t and, in a continuation of what has been a promising start as England’s new-ball pairing, Atkinson soon induced an edge from Kusal Mendis that Smith gobbled up cleanly on the dive. Not discounting a missed stumping in the first innings – and a rare no-ball given during a reviewed lbw against Kamindu that showed his gloves were in front of the stumps – it is here where Smith has settled any external nerves about his elevation to Test wicketkeeper despite not performing the role at Surrey.
The right-hander’s batting was always fancied to thrive a level up and after a couple of succulent drives to get his overnight 72 moving, he set about crafting a patient seventh-wicket stand of 66 with Atkinson (20) that went largely untroubled.
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And an hour into play, as he clipped Milan Rathnayake and scampered a couple of runs, Smith erased the agony of that near-miss 95 at Edgbaston by becoming the youngest England wicketkeeper to score a Test century. The 24-year-old, three weeks younger than Les Ames was back in 1930 and not the type for histrionics when it comes to celebrating milestones, certainly looks like a keeper.
Smith eventually perished trying to up the ante – a smart piece of bowling for Prabath Jayasuriya’s third of the innings – but momentum was still generated by Potts and Wood. The latter struck three fours – including one a sumptuous late cut past gully – and hooked a towering six into the party stand where, with a beer in one hand, a spectator held a contender for catch of the series.
As Chandimal will attest, Wood’s 13-ball 22 was not the only damage he managed to inflict on the day but through Mathews, the old warhorse who seems to relish playing against England, Sri Lanka were in no mood to roll over even though they lost a sixth wicket late on when Rathnayake holed out off Joe Root who was finishing an over started by Wood. England’s pace demon had limped off gingerly after pulling up in his run-up. Root bowled the last four balls and was all smiles when Rathnayake skied one to Ben Duckett.