Joe Root’s composed half-century guided England to a tense five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first Test at Old Trafford. Chasing a target of 205, England faced early setbacks, with Ben Duckett (11), Ollie Pope (6), and Dan Lawrence (34) falling to leave the team wobbling at 70-3.
Root, showing his usual calm, steadied the innings alongside Jamie Smith, whose 39 from 48 balls injected much-needed momentum. The duo put on a crucial 64-run partnership, helping England inch towards their target. Although Smith was bowled with just 22 runs needed, Root remained firm, finishing unbeaten on 62, alongside Chris Woakes, as England secured victory by 19:16 BST.
Earlier, Harry Brook (32) had added 49 with Root before being caught and bowled by Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who had caused significant problems for England. Jayasuriya’s probing spin, combined with disciplined seam bowling, kept the visitors in contention throughout the day.
Sri Lanka’s resistance was led by Kamindu Mendis, who scored a fine 113, and Dinesh Chandimal (79), whose partnership of 117 for the seventh wicket threatened to set a more daunting target. However, England’s bowlers, utilising the second new ball, quickly wrapped up Sri Lanka’s innings at 326, with the last four wickets falling for just 19 runs.
England’s victory gives them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, though injury concerns loom, with Mark Wood likely to miss the second Test at Lord’s, starting Thursday.
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