England stumble after Kamindu Mendis’ hundred heroics

MANCHESTER: England were once again left looking to star batsman Joe Root after losing early wickets in their run-chase for victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Set 205 to win, England were 82-3 in their second innings at tea on the fourth day, still requiring 123 more runs to go 1-0 up in this three-match series after Kamindu Mendis´s brilliant century kept a gutsy Sri Lanka in the game.

Root was 13 not out and Yorkshire team-mate Harry Brook, fresh from a first-innings fifty, unbeaten on six.

England opener Ben Duckett, almost out for two, fell for 11 when caught behind by stand-in wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, deputising for the injured Dinesh Chandimal, off Asitha Fernando.

And Root came in at 56-2 after stand-in England captain Ollie Pope, leading the side for the first time after Ben Stokes was ruled out with a torn hamstring, was out for six for the second time in the match when he spooned an attempted reverse sweep off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya to slip.

Dan Lawrence, recalled to open after Zak Crawley was ruled out with a broken finger, fell for 34 when he was lbw to an off-cutter from debutant paceman Milan Rathnayake, a decision upheld on umpire´s call.

Brook was almost out for six when diving substitute fielder Ramesh Mendis just failed to hold what would have been a spectacular one-handed diving catch at backward square leg following a sweep off the dangerous Jayasuriya.

Earlier, Kamindu Mendis scored his third hundred in just four Tests as he made 113 in a second-innings total of 326, having come in with Sri Lanka in trouble at 95-4.

Together with Chandimal (79), he shared a seventh-wicket stand of 117 in 30 overs. England suffered a setback before play started Saturday when express quick Mark Wood was ruled out with a thigh injury suffered while bowling late on Friday.

Sri Lanka resumed on 204-6, just 82 runs ahead, after Jamie Smith´s maiden Test century had been the cornerstone of England´s first-innings 358.

Kamindu Mendis, dropped on 39, was 56 not out and Chandimal 20 not out.

Kamindu Mendis was quickly into his stride on Saturday, having missed Sri Lanka´s lone warm-up match against the second-string England Lions at Worcester last week after visa problems delayed his entry into the UK,

The 25-year-old left-hander, drove fast bowler Gus Atkinson through the covers and pulled him behind square for fours off successive deliveries.

Chandimal, meanwhile, completed a 73-ball fifty after resuming his innings following a pain-killing injection, having retired hurt on 10 when struck on the thumb by Wood.

The seventh-wicket duo posed increasing problems for Pope, who took the new ball as soon as he could, with Sri Lanka 284-6 off 80 overs and Mendis unbeaten on 95.

Kamindu Mendis promptly took two off Chris Woakes before a well-struck cut off the seamer -- his 12th four in 167 balls also including a six -- saw him to a well-deserved century.

Kamindu Mendis struck Atkinson for three fours in the first over after lunch to take Sri Lanka past 300, saving the best for last with a flashing cover drive.

But the Surrey quick had his revenge when, bowling from around the wicket, a ball angled in cut away off the pitch to take Kamindu Mendis´s outside edge, with Root holding a low catch at slip.

His dismissal sparked a collapse that saw Sri Lanka lose their final four wickets for 19 runs, with Chandimal the last man dismissed when he holed out off Matthew Potts.