On day two of the opening Test at Old Trafford, Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 72 guided England to a 23-run lead over Sri Lanka before play was halted due to bad light. Only 57 overs were bowled after a rain-affected morning session.
England, who had begun the day at 22-0, faced a challenging start as Sri Lanka’s bowlers took advantage of the overcast conditions. Asitha Fernando removed Ben Duckett leg-before and then dismissed stand-in captain Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence in quick succession. Vishwa Fernando also contributed by catching Lawrence behind.
Despite the early breakthroughs, Harry Brook (56) and Joe Root steadied the innings with a 58-run partnership. However, Asitha Fernando struck again, dismissing Root with a catch by wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal. Brook continued to score aggressively until he was bowled out by Prabath Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya also dismissed Chris Woakes, who was perplexed by a sharply turning delivery.
Smith’s resilient innings included four boundaries and a big six, contributing significantly to England’s total of 259-6. His partnership with Gus Atkinson added 51 runs before tea. Smith’s knock was his third fifty in four Tests since his debut.
As the light faded, the umpires decided to end the day’s play early, with covers placed on the pitch as the players left the field. The delay and early conclusion limited the day’s play, but England’s solid position sets up an intriguing remainder of the Test.
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