Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne led his team to victory against England in the third Test match held at the Oval on September 7, 2024. England, already leading 2-0 in the series, had a shaky start on day two despite Ollie Pope’s century as captain. The England team resumed their innings at 221-3 but collapsed in the face of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, losing six wickets for just 35 runs before being dismissed for 325. Pope was the standout performer for England, scoring 154 runs before being out. Sri Lankan bowlers Milan Rathnayake and captain Dhananjaya de Silva were instrumental in restricting England’s total.
England, aiming for their first clean sweep at home since 2004, faced a tough challenge from the Sri Lankan bowlers who capitalized on the overcast conditions at the Oval. Pope, who had struggled with the bat in previous innings, showed resilience and determination with his century. The Sri Lankan fast bowlers found their rhythm on day two, with Lahiru Kumara leading the charge with a disciplined bowling performance. However, luck favored England at times, with Harry Brook surviving a close call and Pope being given out lbw but successfully reviewing the decision.
Despite the partnership between Pope and Brook, England continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with Rathnayake and De Silva causing trouble for the English batsmen. Pope’s innings came to an end when he played a shot straight to deep square leg, contributing to England’s downfall. Sri Lanka’s bowlers, especially Rathnayake, made sure to capitalize on England’s struggles to finish off the innings quickly. With better bowling on the first day, Sri Lanka could have put England in an even more challenging position.
Overall, Sri Lanka’s strong bowling performance on day two played a crucial role in restricting England’s total and giving them the upper hand in the Test match. Despite Pope’s heroics with the bat, England was unable to capitalize on his performance, succumbing to Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. The series outcome hangs in the balance as both teams look to gain the upper hand in the remaining matches. Sri Lanka will be buoyed by their performance at the Oval, while England will need to regroup and come back stronger in the following matches to secure a clean sweep at home.
