JAMIE SMITH’S first international century handed England control of the first Test against Sri Lanka before the pace attack took charge at Old Trafford today.
Smith capped his rapid rise this summer by converting his overnight score of 72 to 111 on the third morning in Manchester, lifting the hosts to 358 all out.
After running up a 122-run lead on the back of Smith’s classy effort England then left the tourists 107 for four at tea, with England’s quartet of seamers each taking a wicket.
Mark Wood, who struck with his first ball, made life even harder for Sri Lanka by forcing Dinesh Chandimal to retire hurt after taking a painful blow to the index finger. Chandimal was suffering from a suspected fracture and left the ground immediately to undergo an X-ray.
The stage was set by Smith, who fell for 95 in his previous Test knock against the West Indies last month. In only his fifth Test innings the 24-year-old played a wonderful hand that further cemented his burgeoning reputation.
Promoted to number six in place of injured skipper Ben Stokes, the Surrey wicketkeeper came to the crease at 125 for four on Thursday afternoon and finally departed with the score at 315.
He hit eight fours and a six in his 148-ball stay, a measured performance that relied on concentration and composure as much as the attacking flair he is known for at the Oval.
Things were still in the balance at the start of play, England just 23 in front on 259 for six, but Sri Lanka were unable to find a foothold.
They were flat for the first half-hour, allowing Smith and Gus Atkinson to find rhythm. Smith, perhaps wary of his near miss at Edgbaston, looked fully focused on nailing his hundred and built some confidence with a couple of punchy driven boundaries off Asitha Fernando.
He did not rush his way through the nineties, eventually getting to three figures with a flick off the hips and a dashed two. His reaction was admirably restrained but the Manchester crowd made sure to mark the moment in style.
Atkinson was caught down the leg side off debutant Milan Rathnayake for 20 and Smith’s polished effort finally came to an end when he slashed at a wide one from Prabath Jayasuriya and nicked through to the keeper.
England still added another 43 runs for the last two wickets, each one taking the game away from their opponents. Wood clubbed three fours and a six on his way to 22, while Matthew Potts hit 17.
That left Sri Lanka little more than 10 minutes to survive before lunch but they endured a horror start as they lost their first two wickets with just one on the board.
Chris Woakes got things going with a wicket maiden, Nishan Madushka offering no stroke to an inswinger that hit off stump. Atkinson followed up at the other end, taking Kusal Mendis’ outside edge without scoring.
It took stand-in England captain Ollie Pope 13 overs to send for Wood and when he did the rewards were instant, a short, sharp ball spearing into Dimuth Karunaratne and looping to slip via bat and hip.
Wood’s fiery first spell also proved too hot for Chandimal, who was left unable to grip the bat after wearing one on the glove. By now all that was missing was a wicket for Potts, the returning quick who failed to open his account in the first innings.
A dose of inconsistent bounce got him there, Dhananjaya De Silva lbw as it scuttled through low. Angelo Mathews was offering some resistance with an unbeaten 48 but it already looked a doomed cause for the tourists.
