England Unpick Sri Lanka’s Good Work to Dominate Afternoon Session
In a thrilling afternoon at The Oval on Day Two of third Test,England Unpick England’s bowlers showed what they could do. They apart Sri Lanka’s strong start and took charge of the match. Even though Sri Lanka played well in the morning, England’s steady bowling, especially from Olly Stone, flipped the script and put the Sri Lankans in a tough spot.
Sri Lanka’s Strong Start and England’s Bowling Resilience
Sri Lanka put up a great fight in the morning. They bowled out England for 325 after the hosts seemed to be cruising at 221 for 3. After a rough first day, the Sri Lankan bowlers came back strong. They focused better on their game and used the conditions smartly. England had good runs from Ollie Pope (154) and Ben Duckett (86), but then disaster struck. They quickly lost seven wickets for just 64 runs.
Milan Rathnayake and Dhananjaya de Silva were key for Sri Lanka. Rathnayake took three wickets while Dhananjaya grabbed two important ones, slowing down England’s scoring. But then, it was time to see how well Sri Lanka could bat against a fierce English bowling lineup.
Olly Stone and the Changing Dynamics
After a solid showing from their bowlers, Sri Lanka needed to keep it going. But England’s bowlers weren’t going to let that happen easily. Olly Stone really stepped up during his second Test appearance in three years, making his mark in the afternoon session.
Stone’s efforts were huge. He took 2 for 28 and kept Sri Lanka’s runs in check. Big moment? Well, he got rid of Pathum Nissanka, who was looking good with a quick 64 off just 51 balls. Nissanka had his eye on more runs, but Stone made it tough for him. Chris Woakes made a sharp catch at cover to seal the deal.
Key Moments and Wickets
several big moments turned things around for England during this session. Josh Hull had a fantastic debut! He quickly became a fan favorite when he dismissed Nissanka, showing some awesome skills. His humble celebration showed he knows how to keep it cool on such a big day. The crowd loved him even asking for selfies!
Woakes played an important role too. After briefly switching to bowl off-spin due to some light issues, he returned to fast bowling and sent Kusal Mendis packing! Mendis was caught by Harry Brook at second slip in Woakes’ sixth over, tightening England’s hold on the match.
Stone didn’t stop there! He caught Angelo Mathews off Ollie Pope at gully and later got Dinesh Chandimal lbw. By tea time, Sri Lanka was struggling at 93 for 5, falling behind by 183 runs. Kamindu Mendis & Dhananjaya de Silva tried to fight back together, putting on an unbeaten stand of 49 runs to take Sri Lanka up to 142 for 5 by the break.
England’s Tactical Approach and Sri Lanka’s Response
In this afternoon session, England had a smart strategy going on. Their bowlers adjusted well and kept the pressure high throughout the game. Slowly but surely, they wore down Sri Lanka’s initial resistance with focused & clever bowling.
Earlier on, Sri Lanka’s bowlers listened to their fast-bowling coach Aaqib Javed—so they were already stepping up their performance from yesterday! They did better with the swing this time but still found it hard against England’s relentless pressure that kept them from forming solid partnerships or building their early momentum.
England’s performance during this afternoon session proved they can adapt & take advantage when it counts most. Even though Sri Lanka did well with their bowling & had a good start batting-wise, Olly Stone & England dismantled their progress efficiently. With Sri Lanka trailing by 183 runs & England’s bowlers clearly in control, we’re set for an exciting match ahead! As this series continues, it’ll be fascinating to see how England’s bowling faces off against Sri Lanka’s tough batting lineup—this Test series is shaping up to be quite the battle!
