Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir took three wickets apiece as England ended day one of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford on top, despite a lower-order fightback from Sri Lanka which helped them reach 236 all out.
Woakes (3-32), Bashir (3-55), and Gus Atkinson (2-48) made key breakthroughs early on as Sri Lanka collapsed to 92-6 after choosing to bat, the visitors unable to cope with the line and length on display from the England attack.
In what was Ollie Pope’s first Test – in both senses of the word – as England’s stand-in captain, he displayed his leadership skills as his bowling attack led the way in tough windy conditions, continuing the philosophy championed by the injured Ben Stokes to help his side get on top.
However, it was a case of experience and youth combining for Sri Lanka as they tried to rebuild from a tough start. Dhananjaya de Silva was a shining light as he epitomised the term ‘captain’s knock’ with 76 runs from 84 deliveries and Milan Rathnayake (72) had a debut to remember to help bring his side back into the contest.
England faced spin as they got their first innings under way for just four overs before bad light forced an end to proceedings, closing the day on 22-0 and in a comfortable position.
More to follow…
This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.
Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.
Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.
Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports, you can follow @SkySportsNews on X to get the latest updates and you can also now follow Sky Sports’ WhatsApp channel.
Watch the second day of England’s first Test against Sri Lanka, from Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am on Wednesday (11am first ball)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
