Hundred’s loss is England’s gain as Jamie Smith passes biggest test yet with flying colours

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Jamie Smith was so drained by his first taste of Test cricket that he asked for a break in the Hundred and England benefited from his prudent honesty with a half-century that promises to be a decisive factor in a low-scoring game at Old Trafford.

Smith was sapped by the exhaustive nature of Test cricket when he played against West Indies and felt he needed a few days off from the Hundred to recharge. To see a young, gifted white-ball cavalier like Smith decide to put Test cricket ahead of the pyjama circus warms the soul and bodes well for England’s future. Test cricket is about mental preparation as much as anything else, and Smith is approaching his first summer like a grizzled veteran with years of knowhow up his sleeve.

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Promoted to No 6 because of Ben Stokes’ injury added another layer of responsibility on his 24-year-old shoulders and with England 125 for four, still 111 behind when he came in, and the ball reversing for Sri Lanka’s seamers, Smith was facing the biggest challenge yet of his fledgling career.

But on GCSE results day, he passed his test with the ease of the school swot, getting his head down for an unbeaten 72 from 95 balls that steered England into a slender lead of 23 that he will look to extend on Friday morning when he is likely to play a few more shots with the tail for company.

He showed against West Indies at Edgbaston that he can blast runs very quickly when batting with the bowlers and with uneven bounce, and the pitch only likely to deteriorate further on day three, Smith could really take the Test away from Sri Lanka. But this intriguing game remains on a knife edge, especially if Sri Lanka can wrap England up early with a night’s rest in their seamers.

Smith batted here as if this were his 54th Test, not his fourth. He shared a useful 52-run stand with Chris Woakes and was the most composed of the three Surrey men in the top six. Harry Brook scored a top-class half-century too, and it took a dream ball from left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya to move him on.

It was a dismissal that led Smith, who had punched the left-arm spinner earlier down the ground for six, to reassess and play within himself, proving that England have listened and refined Bazball.

They are still scoring at 4.24 an over in this innings but it has been responsible accumulation; Smith batted at under three an over in the final session with Woakes as he ensured England did not concede a first-innings deficit.

Sri Lanka made them work hard by bowling superbly disciplined lines and lengths and even had the ball reversing after 20 overs, despite the soggy start that prevented play before lunch. It rendered the rest of the day as two very long sessions which is always more tiring for the bowling side but, despite their lack of practice, Sri Lanka never let England get away.

They sat back at times with their fields which meant England could still score quickly by running hard and that is the benefit of Bazball, it worms its way into the minds of the opposition and forces them to think how they can cut off the stream of boundaries. England have shown this summer they are generally better at coping with those stiller passages of play and not be reckless when the fours dry up.

Smith was a punt as keeper-batsman and it has paid off but the gut selection of Dan Lawrence as an opener did not start well. It was a very unconvincing 30 from 39 balls. It did feature two excellent pull shots but Lawrence had to overturn an lbw on 10 as he played across the line to the new ball with stiff legs. When the left-armer Vishwa Fernando switched ends to bowl with the wind and pushed one across Lawrence, he fiddled behind with limited foot movement.

Lawrence bats six for Surrey, Smith four, so it is clear which player the county champions believe is better equipped to face the newer ball but Lawrence has bided his time with England, carried around the world as a spare for several tours, and they feel he deserves a chance. Time will tell, but thrusting him into opening may turn out to be a decision made with the best intentions for the player but with a cruel outcome.

Ollie Pope’s first innings as England captain did not last long but he was beaten by a peach from the excellent Asitha Fernando, bustling into the crease and making the ball zip off the pitch quicker than expected. His three for 68 included hitting Pope’s off stump for six.

Ultimately, Pope needs runs more than wins as a Test captain because he will hand the job back at the end of this series. As a batsman at Test level he plays one great innings and five low-scoring ones. This is the summer that needs to end.

With the ball tailing through the air, England had to graft. Joe Root made an unfussy 42 before playing for the reverse but getting outside the line and inside-edging behind.

Sri Lanka looked for the reverse and bowled full, which did allow Brook to unfurl some superb drives down the ground as the pressure lifted from England a little.

Brook’s crisp fifty featured only four fours which showed how Sri Lanka were defending the boundary but was still made at a decent clip, England working the ball around to keep the board ticking. With Jayasuriya not turning a single ball all day, Brook’s look of total astonishment when he turned one viciously past the outside edge to hit the top of off stump was understandable. But Jayasuriya has a good Test record, 71 wickets from 12 games, so the warning signs were there.

When he did it again to Woakes, it proved pre-series predictions that Sri Lanka have an attack that deserves respect and will put the skids on England.

With Gus Atkinson at the other end, Smith started to counter, unfurling the pull shot that is his trademark for four off the ambidextrous bowler Kamindu Mendis, who was oddly bowling off-breaks to two right-handers, and it was a sign of his approach when a crucial third morning begins.

England vs Sri Lanka, day two: As it happened

06:32 PM BST

It’s confirmed

That’s stumps at an increasingly murky Old Trafford. England lead by 23 with four wickets remaining heading into day three.

06:30 PM BST

More covers are coming on...

...terminal? Methinks so.

06:22 PM BST

That will be that...

...I think. The rain is coming down harder.

06:14 PM BST

Update

The light is still too bad to get the players back on and the forecast suggests there is a load of rain heading Manchester’s way shortly. If the players are not back out by 7pm that will be stumps for sure.

06:10 PM BST

A thrifty synopsis

It’s starting to rain, the players are off - imagine we are done for the day.

06:07 PM BST

The players are going off

Light appears to be the issue. The umpires offered De Silva the chance to bowl spin from both ends but he declined. The covers are coming on. The prospect of any more play looks bleak I’d say.

06:06 PM BST

Over 61: ENG 259/6 (Smith 72, Atkinson 4)

As a few umbrellas go up at Old Trafford, Asitha Fernando returns to the attack. He drops short, right into the danger zone for Jamie Smith. The subsequent pull is quite superb and takes him into the 70s.

05:59 PM BST

Over 60: ENG 252/6 (Smith 67, Atkinson 2)

Smith times one well out to deep mid-wicket and picks up two. That’s the perfect shot in this kind of situation, a fact he’s clearly aware of as he does exactly the same two balls later. Another two follows before Smith nabs a single to keep the strike. Really good batting amid strong questions being asked by Jayasuriya.

05:56 PM BST

Over 59: ENG 244/6 (Smith 60, Atkinson 2)

The challenge for Jamie Smith now is batting with this England tail. How much strike can he keep? Or how much will he trust Gus Atkinson to stick with him at the other end? England’s lead is not yet big enough to throw caution to the wind.

05:52 PM BST

Over 58: ENG 239/6 (Smith 57, Atkinson 0)

Excellent from Jayasuria and with England only leading by three, that wicket puts Sri Lanka firmly in this game.

05:49 PM BST

WICKET! Woakes b Jayasuria 25

Carbon-copy. It’s virtually the same ball that did for Harry Brook and it just shows you will get rewards on this pitch if you consistently put the ball in a good area. FOW: 239/6

05:47 PM BST

Over 57: ENG 239/5 (Smith 57, Woakes 25)

Kemindu Mendis is going to bowl amid growing gloom at Old Trafford. Smith plays a lovely drive through cover. He picks up four and with that takes England into the lead for the first time.

05:43 PM BST

Over 56: ENG 231/5 (Smith 50, Woakes 24)

Fifty for Jamie Smith. Another mature innings from England’s keeper, that’s not three half-centuries in four games for the young man. In less good news, there is some movement around the hover cover amid rumours of some rain heading towards Manchester.

A fifty of amazing maturity by Jamie Smith. He had to throttle back after that warning sign - the spinner that ripped across Harry Brook’s bows and sunk him - and he has done so, carefully nursing England towards a first innings lead, which will be highly desirable if this pitch misbehaves more and more.

05:40 PM BST

Over 55: ENG 226/5 (Smith 49, Woakes 24)

Perhaps England are relying on the attrition of this long final session. We could keep playing until 7:30 should light allow and that will surely take its toll on the Sri Lanka bodies. Brilliant fielding from Madushka in the gully saves at least two and possibly a boundary. Woakes responds, pumping Vishwa through cover for four.

05:36 PM BST

Over 54: ENG 225/5 (Smith 48, Woakes 20)

The time might have come to Sri Lanka to mix their field up here. They have committed to sweepers throughout the day but another wicket here would really give them a chance to get a foothold in this match. The strategy at the moment is not really creating chances.

05:32 PM BST

Over 53: ENG 224/5 (Smith 47, Woakes 20)

I suppose we’ve been spoiled by England’s style of late and in truth, this pair have done very well to just keep the sting out of the game while quietly acquiring runs and getting closer to Sri Lanka’s total. This has been real Test match batting.

05:28 PM BST

Over 52: ENG 222/5 (Smith 46, Woakes 19)

Jayasuria reaches out to field a ball smacked back at him by Woakes. He does his job but looks to have injured the thumb on his bowling hand as a result. There’s blood clearly gushing from it. This would be a huge issue for the tourists if he was prevented from bowling. He looks to have recovered though and finishes his over.

05:20 PM BST

Over 51: ENG 221/5 (Smith 46, Woakes 18)

Vishwa goes back over the wicket to Smith, hoping the angle can make things tricky. It already looks better. There is still a hint of reverse there for Sri Lanka but the ball is soft now so they’re not getting the carry or zip they were earlier.

05:16 PM BST

Over 50: ENG 220/5 (Smith 46, Woakes 17)

Jayasuriya draws Smith forward and beats him with one that just grips enough. He’s fortunate that hasn’t taken an edge in truth. Smith then takes a risk in backing a long across to the leg side and opening up his stumps as he looks to pick up runs through the off side.

05:13 PM BST

Over 49: ENG 220/5 (Smith 46, Woakes 17)

Vishwa Fernando returns to the attack and his first ball is poor. Far too leg side, allowing Woakes to get just a slither of bat on it before the ball races away for four. The next ball is better, leaving Woakes late and resulting in an edge that flies through the slips for another boundary.

05:08 PM BST

Over 48: ENG 210/5 (Smith 44, Woakes 9)

An enthusiastic rendition of ‘Wonderwall’ goes up around Old Trafford. Just one from that Jayasuriya over. England trail by 26.

05:05 PM BST

Over 47: ENG 209/5 (Smith 44, Woakes 8)

England are in no rush here whatsoever. I keep expecting them to free their arms but it’s a credit to Sri Lanka’s bowling that they haven’t been able to dominate in the way they would usually like. Smith nurdles one into the off side for a single. It’s fairly tough going for England at present.

05:01 PM BST

Over 46: ENG 207/5 (Smith 43, Woakes 6)

Tight from Jayasuriya. A maiden.

04:58 PM BST

Over 45: ENG 207/5 (Smith 43, Woakes 6)

Rathnayake gets one to nip back a touch causing Smith to inside edge one that beats Chandimal. A frustrating one for the bowler there. The same thing happens a couple of balls later, only for a couple this time though. Smith is just looking a little loose at present.

04:54 PM BST

Over 44: ENG 201/5 (Smith 38, Woakes 6)

Woakes goes back to Jayasuriya and turns him into the leg side for a single. Same ball Harry Brook got out to, only this one did not turn. England still showing restraint here, more than I can remember them showing across a full day for some time in truth.

04:50 PM BST

Over 43: ENG 198/5 (Smith 36, Woakes 5)

Smith plays a lovely low punch through mid-wicket. That’s the sort of shot you can only play when really in good nick. Good from Asitha otherwise though, he’s been the one Sri Lanka seamer who’s been able to hold his line and length across spells. Woakes gets beaten by one that nips away from him off the pitch.

04:45 PM BST

Over 42: ENG 193/5 (Smith 33, Woakes 3)

You can tell that the ball to dismiss Brook is just playing on the mind of Waokes here. Suddenly they have to have slightly more respect for Jayasuriya for fear of that sudden turn.

04:42 PM BST

Over 41: ENG 192/5 (Smith 32, Woakes 3)

Good chance for Sri Lanka to put the squeeze on again here. Another wicket and England’s real tail will be exposed. Woakes, to his credit, is a fine player in his own right and as long as he and Smith are in the middle.

04:37 PM BST

Over 40: ENG 187/5 (Smith 30, Woakes 0)

Sky commentators confirm they were about to produce a state that said this pitch had produced virtually no turn today...not anymore.

04:33 PM BST

WICKET! Brook b Jayasuriya 56

Wow. The ball has barely turned all day, until now. Jayasuriya gets one to turn off leg stump and crash into the top of off. In Brook’s defence that’s the first time we’ve seen a ball move off the deck all day virtually. FOW: 187/5

04:32 PM BST

Over 39: ENG 187/4 (Smith 30, Brook 56)

Asitha Fernando has been Sri Lanka’s best bowler today and so it’s no surprise to see him take the second over after tea. Good running from Smith and Brook after the latter drops one into the off side before Smith pierces the infield with another good-looking drive. It would not be a surprise to see England press down on the accelerator in this session.

04:26 PM BST

Over 38: ENG 182/4 (Smith 27, Brook 54)

Jayasuriya will start after tea. Sri Lanka would love to see a little turn in this session. Conditions have not helped their left-arm spinner today and he will need to bowl plenty of overs as the three-man seam attack rotates. Smith slaps him through cover for four, no mean feat considering the speed of the outfield.

04:21 PM BST

Tea report

An absorbing session of Test cricket with England challenged by reverse swing before Harry Brook and Jamie Smith steadied the innings with a mature partnership that shows the strength in depth of this side.

Brook’s fifty only contained four fours but was still made at a decent lick off 59 balls which shows his ability to work the ball around and always look to score.

Smith slapped spinner Prabath Jayasuriya down the ground for six and again looks a class apart, better technically than some of his colleagues further up the order.

Sri Lanka bowled superbly with the new ball to reduce England to 67 for three, their seamers revelling in good bowling conditions and making the ball reverse after just 20 overs thanks to the hard, abrasive Old Trafford surface.

Asitha Fernando bowled England captain Pope with a beauty that hit the top of off and found a bit of reverse to take the edge of Joe Root driving. Dan Lawrence fell fiddling outside off stump in an unconvincing start as an England opener.

04:03 PM BST

Over 37: ENG 176/4 (Smith 22, Brook 53)

Vishwa keeps things tight in the final over before tea. England trail by 60 heading into the tea break.

03:58 PM BST

Over 36: ENG 175/4 (Smith 21, Brook 53)

Sri Lanka’s over-rate is hovering just above 12 here. That’s pitiful, especially as they’ve had a spinner bowling at least some of those overs.

03:56 PM BST

‘Very controlled and crisp’

Terrific half-century from Harry Brook: very controlled and crisp, yet also scoring at a strike rate of 86. There’s been some pristine driving, but Brook has actually only hit four boundaries, taking advantage of the gaps left in the field.

03:55 PM BST

Over 35: ENG 171/4 (Smith 19, Brook 51)

This Old Trafford outfield is slow and again pulls up a Brook drive short of the boundary. He runs three though and that’s enough to get him to a fifty that receives a warm reception from the stands. Vishwa is coming round the wicket looking for that magic ball that leaves the right-hander. Not sure the ball is doing quite enough at present but we’ll see. Loose from Smith, who plays and misses at a ball that doesn’t quite pop through as expected.

03:50 PM BST

Over 34: ENG 168/4 (Smith 19, Brook 48)

Smith comes down to Jayasuriya and lifts the spinner back over his head into the stands. Textbook stuff from the England keeper and you sense he’s keen to really take on the left-arm spinner now. Good from Jayasuriya though, who spots Smith coming down a few balls later and pulls his length a little shorter.

03:46 PM BST

Over 33: ENG 160/4 (Smith 12, Brook 47)

Delightful from Brook, who drives Vishwa through mid-on for four. Class – end of. Angelo Mathews scurries off into the deep. He’s not quite the athlete he was I think it’s fair to say. Vishwa looks for the yorker from round the wicket and gets through Brook’s defences only for the ball to miss the stumps narrowly.

03:42 PM BST

Over 32: ENG 152/4 (Smith 12, Brook 39)

Jayasuriya is holding up an end pretty well. That might be doing him a disservice in truth but he is proving tricky to get away.

03:39 PM BST

Over 31: ENG 149/4 (Smith 11, Brook 37)

Vishwa Fernando also returns to the attack after a decent hiatus. Jamie Smith is looking to get down the track to the left-armer but Vishwa is proving tricky to get away. A couple of singles close the over

03:33 PM BST

Over 30: ENG 146/4 (Smith 10, Brook 35)

Jayasuriya is back into the attack. The first maiden of the innings...

03:31 PM BST

Over 29: ENG 146/4 (Smith 10, Brook 35)

Lovely from Smith, who glides down the wicket works Rathnayake through mid-wicket for a couple. Brook is looking a touch frustrated until he launches into straight drive that brings a boundary. Sri Lanka will not mind that though. Their field is set for full-pitched bowling, Rathnayake just missed his line on that occasion.

03:27 PM BST

‘Recognising the talent’

Chris Silverwood heavily promoted Sri Lanka’s seam bowling talent when he was head coach and they are reaping rewards at Old Trafford today. Bowling seam is tough, unrewarding work on the pitches of Galle and Colombo but Silverwood recognised the talent and instead of passing off seamers as simply there to bowl a few overs before the spinners came on, he made them a focal point of the attack. Now, in good bowling conditions in Manchester, that faith is being rewarded even though Silverwood is no longer working with the team to enjoy it.

03:27 PM BST

Over 28: ENG 138/4 (Smith 7, Brook 30)

Got to credit Asitha here. Not only for his three wickets but also for the fact he’s still running in and hitting an area for his side in what has been a long spell. Though a few loose deliveries at the end of that over might just suggest he is tiring a touch.

03:21 PM BST

Over 27: ENG 134/4 (Smith 4, Brook 29)

Good fielding from Mendis who is very close at short cover and saves a certain Brook boundary. He’s looks very comfortable through that cover region so far. Virtually no false shot when taking on the drive thus far. He then goes for a paddle sweep which goes all wrong. Brook is lucky the leading edge lands safe rather than spooning up in the air.

03:16 PM BST

Over 26: ENG 129/4 (Smith 4, Brook 25)

Well now. Just as England were looking in control, Root falls and Sri Lanka get a look at Jamie Smith before tea. Asitha goes for a yorker first up but slightly misses his mark and Smith gets a fine tickle on it to pick up four through fine leg.

03:09 PM BST

WICKET! Root c Chandimal b Asitha 43

Asitha’s reverse swing has been Sri Lanka’s biggest threat and now he’s reaped some reward. Root takes on a risky square drive and gets an inside edge on it. Again, good work from Chandimal behind the stumps who takes a tricky low catch. FOW: 125/4

03:06 PM BST

Over 25: ENG 123/3 (Root 42, Brook 24)

Rathnayake back into the attack and again Brook has an easy single on the off side. Sri Lanka want to prevent boundaries but at the moment it’s death by a thousand cuts for them. Another no-ball for Rathnayake. He’s been pushing the line all morning. Brook then drives majestically through cover though the slow outfield will limit him to three.

03:00 PM BST

Over 24: ENG 117/3 (Root 40, Brook 21)

Slight stagnation in play here. England seem comfortable just soaking up pressure here. There is little ‘Bazball’ about things at present and that feels okay in the circumstances, especially with the run-rate at just shy of five. Good running from Root and Brook brings a couple behind square on the off side. England don’t need to take risks here, there’s singles and twos everywhere.

02:55 PM BST

Over 23: ENG 112/3 (Root 39, Brook 18)

Negative field for Jayasuriya makes little sense for me. Not only is the scoreboard ticking over but constant singles get the ball rolling across this dampish outfield, negating the impact of any reverse swing.

02:51 PM BST

Over 22: ENG 109/3 (Root 36, Brook 17)

The ball is really reversing for Asitha here. As Scyld Berry says, that’s quite remarkable for a ball that’s just over 20 overs old on a wet day in Manchester. Brook gets a ugly inside edge on one that tails in a touch late.

02:48 PM BST

‘Reverse-swing before 20th over’

Amazing that the ball is reverse-swinging before the 20th over is complete. It was raining or drizzling most of this morning yet Old Trafford, even though not dry, is still the most abrasive square in England it would seem.

And with reverse-swing, which necessitates a full length, comes some superlative driving from Joe Root and Harry Brook. A wonderful passage of Test cricket at its most skilful.

02:46 PM BST

Over 21: ENG 108/3 (Root 35, Brook 17)

Jayasuriya has a very simple, attractive action. An economical run-up and nice drift and shape into the right-hander. Not a huge amount of turn as yet though.

02:43 PM BST

Over 20: ENG 106/3 (Root 34, Brook 16)

Asitha is the only one of the seamers still getting a hint of movement and his head is on his hands after Root just about gets bat on one that tails in late. Moments later, Harry Brook is far more convincing as he pounds one through cover for four. Simply put, that’s delightful. Good comeback from Asitha, who raps the top of Brook’s bat with one that just spits up off a length.

02:37 PM BST

Over 19: ENG 100/3 (Root 33, Brook 11)

First bowl of the day for Prabath Jayasuriya. Will Brook attack him early? He has got something of a reputation for treating spinners with disdain early in their spells and with the movement drying up somewhat for the seamers, this seems as good a time as any for England to really sieze the initiative. England nudge away to get to three figures.

02:33 PM BST

Over 18: ENG 94/3 (Root 30, Brook 8)

Single for Root before Brook pumps Rathnayake back down the ground for four. Just a sense that the ball has started to calm down in terms of movement here. How Sri Lanka would like another one before the warmth of the day and clearing skies make this yet easier for batting, especially with arguably two best players at the crease. Back-to-back fours from Root to end the over. Both down the ground, both utter class.

02:29 PM BST

Over 17: ENG 80/3 (Root 21, Brook 1)

That was nicely done as Root comes forward slightly to steer Fernando through midwicket for a single. It has been a class knock from Root so far at Old Trafford. Harry Brook runs in two off the last with a shot through point.

02:23 PM BST

Over 16: ENG 75/3 (Root 18, Brook 1)

Rathnayake goes full again but it’s just too straight to a player of Root’s calibre and is whipped wide of mid-on for four. Really like the fact that Rathnayake is showing a willingness to get the ball full though. Asitha and Vishwa have tended to be just short of a length so this offers a nice contrast, especially with conditions as they are.

02:18 PM BST

Over 15: ENG 69/3 (Root 13, Brook 1)

Harry Brook joins Joe Root out in the middle and is off the mark with a little flick around the corner for one. England are 47/3 this morning so far. Certainly Sri Lanka’s session thus far.

02:13 PM BST

WICKET! Lawrence c Chandimal b Vishwa 30

Delightful from Vishwa Fernando. The ball just slides across Lawrence, who hangs his bat out and gets a fine edge. Chandimal has to dive forward and takes a good catch. FOW: 67/3 

02:09 PM BST

Over 14: ENG 66/2 (Root 11, Lawrence 30)

Rathnayake is really throwing it up there and giving it a chance to move as Root pumps a drive right to the man at mid-off before picking up two after running one down to third-man.

02:05 PM BST

‘Imperious’

Imperious. Consecutive pulls from Dan Lawrence – the first in front of square, the second behind – as Asitha Fernando goes short.

02:05 PM BST

Over 13: ENG 62/2 (Root 8, Lawrence 29)

Like what Asitha is showing here, that is until he drops far too short allowing Lawrence to pull one to the boundary just in front of square. Asitha goes short again and it’s four again. Same ball, same shot, same result. Not sure why Asitha has gone away from a strategy that was causing England headaches.

02:00 PM BST

Over 12: ENG 53/2 (Root 8, Lawrence 20)

A bowling change. Milan Rathnayake is into the attack after his superb effort with the bat yesterday. Early indications are that he is going to try and attack the stumps, the ball tailing in a touch the pads of the right-hander. Root and Lawrence both pick up singles into the leg side as Rathnayake struggles to find his line early. His length though is good as he gets Root to prod at one just outside off stump.

01:55 PM BST

Over 11: ENG 49/2 (Root 7, Lawrence 17)

Root picks up a streaky boundary through the slips. Asitha has found the right length on this pitch and is really asking questions of this England top order despite his moderate pace. Lawrence picks up a couple into the leg side, bringing England up to fifty.

01:50 PM BST

Over 10: ENG 44/2 (Root 2, Lawrence 17)

Barring that early lbw review, Dan Lawrence has looked pretty solid thus far. The negative Sri Lanka field setting has helped, allowing the right-hander to pick up easy singles all round the circle. Vishwa is still searching for that shape back into the left-hander, as Joe Root allows one to slide across him and through to Chandimal.

01:46 PM BST

‘An absolute corker’

Ollie Pope’s temperament was not at fault there. It was an absolute corker by Asitha Fernando that seamed back to hit the top of offstump.

01:45 PM BST

Over 9: ENG 40/2 (Root 1, Lawrence 15)

Another excellent over from Asitha. He’s doing a serious job for his team here on day two.

01:42 PM BST

WICKET! Pope b Asitha Fernando 6

Bang. Asitha gets one to nip back off a length and Pope has no chance. You just have to chalk those up to good bowling I’m afraid. There is plenty of movement, bothy in the air and off the pitch, for Sri Lanka at present FOW: 40/2

01:39 PM BST

Over 8: ENG 39/1 (Pope 6, Lawrence 14)

Pope crashes Vishwa Fernando to the boundary for four through point. Poor delivery. This is a good match-up for Sri Lanka though. Pope has often had an issue against left-arm seam, especially early in his innings. Think Trent Boult. Vishwa hasn’t quite got the ball talking like his namesake at the other end quite yet.

01:36 PM BST

More relaxed as captain?

Ollie Pope was playing a bit of touch football on the outfield 15 minutes before the resumption today. England supporters will hope that he is more relaxed as captain, not so desperate to get bat and ball, altogether less skittish at the start of this innings - and leaves more balls.

01:34 PM BST

Over 7: ENG 32/1 (Pope 1, Lawrence 12)

Ollie Pope is in his first game as captain. The lacquer is coming off this Dukes ball now and under leaden skies at Old Trafford it is moving for Sri Lanka. A cautious prod from Lawrence leads to an inside edge and he is lucky to see it skate past the stumps.

01:31 PM BST

WICKET! Duckett lbw Asitha Fernando 18

Gone! Fernando has got this ball talking all of a sudden and it’s a classic right-arm over wicket to a left-hander. Pitching in line and just ducking in enough to take out leg stump. FOW: 30/1

01:30 PM BST

REVIEW

All action here. Sri Lanka think they’ve got Duckett LBW now.

01:28 PM BST

NOT OUT

Ball tracking shows the ball is going over the top. Lawrence survives.

01:27 PM BST

REVIEW

Dan Lawrence is given out LBW....he reviews straight away. Height maybe?

01:25 PM BST

Over 6: ENG 29/0 (Duckett 18, Lawrence 10)

Vishwa Fernando is the man from the other end. What Dhananjaya de Silva would give for this left-armer seamer to channel a smidge of Sri Lanka legend Chaminda Vaas. Duckett get squared up by one that just shades away from him but he still picks up a single into the vacant point region. Stuart Broad tearing his hair out on commentary about these sweepers. “No way that ball should be leading to a single this early in the day,” the England legend says.

01:20 PM BST

Over 5: ENG 27/0 (Duckett 17, Lawrence 9)

I imagine England, Duckett in particular, will not be planning on hanging around this morning and sure enough the left-hander is off the mark with a drive out to a sweeper on the cover boundary. Sri Lanka said before this match that cutting off boundaries would be critical when in the field. That said, I’m still not sure that a pair of boundary riders is the right move with an almost new ball in hand. Nothing halts scoring like taking wickets.

01:16 PM BST

Here we go

Asitha Fernando will take the first over. The first Sri Lanka seamer we have seen after four overs of spin in the gloom last night.

01:11 PM BST

Silly clash

It would have been much better if the James Anderson presentation had not been on the same day (day one) as the Graham Thorpe memorial.

The presentation to Jimmy would have made a nice start to day two i.e. now.

01:10 PM BST

There are men in white...

...gathering on the boundary at Old Trafford. Play starts in around five minutes.

01:08 PM BST

Update

82 overs to be bowled today. Should be dry now for the rest of the day.

12:57 PM BST

Big session...

...for one Dan Lawrence. He will resume on 9 this morning alongside Ben Duckett and will be desperate to post a score. His Test career has yet to take off and many had expected but he has a huge opportunity to give the selectors a headache moving forward with Zak Crawley out of this series.

12:46 PM BST

Play to start at 1.15pm

Back on: 1:15 start. We can play till 7 o’clock. Could be a late one.

12:28 PM BST

Our man on the ground

Good news: it’s not raining anymore. But there are some wet patches on the ground, and as it’s so grey and not very warm - 18 degrees - it’s not going to dry that quickly. The covers are still on, suggesting that the groundstaff are still worried it will rain again, even though that’s not forecast.

12:28 PM BST

Now this is better...

12:15 PM BST

Latest from Old Trafford

Lunch will be taken at 12.30, it has been confirmed.

Looking at the forecast I’d say the prospect of us getting started between 1.10 and 1.30 looks fairly promising.

12:02 PM BST

Elsewhere...

There is cricket going on elsewhere in the country as the County Championship cranks back into gear. You can stay up to date with all the action across Division 1 and Division 2 with Telegraph Sport’s live scoreboards. Rocky Flintoff is currently batting for Lancashire at the Oval on his first-class debut against Surrey.

• Division 1: live scoreboards

• Division 2: live scoreboards

11:55 AM BST

Bad news/good news

Sad to report it’s raining again. Looked like it was clearing up, now a vicious new bout of rain is hitting the pitch. The covers are fully on. Most the crowd here are finding shelter. The forecast is that this shower will pass quickly though, and then it looks clear for the rest of the day.

11:48 AM BST

Test cricket in a bind

This Test summer has felt like something of damp squib for many, and it is easy to see why. Writing this on a miserable day weather-wise in Manchester aside, the quality of opposition has led to uncompetitive cricket with much of the jeopardy, integral to allure of Test cricket, virtually absent.

This should not be taken as a criticism of either England or the Sri Lanka and the West Indies but rather of those whose job it is to secure cricket’s future, both domestically and internationally, across three formats.

Change is needed, and soon, writes Tim Wigmore.

11:46 AM BST

The rain is back

Hmmm. The covers are being pulled back on as showers return at Old Trafford. There had been a planned inspection at midday but that has now been cancelled. Any chance of play before 1pm has now been extinguished.

11:36 AM BST

Men on stilts...

...are playing in puddles. That is all.

11:32 AM BST

Latest from the ground

It is brightening up at Old Trafford. The super soper is out and they have started peeling back the covers. We may have had the last of the rain for the day and set for a start after lunch.

11:26 AM BST

Brighter news

There does appear to be some activity from the ground staff at Old Trafford. The pins holding down the thick cover sheets are starting to be removed. A reminder we can go as late at 7.30pm this evening to make up for lost time if the weather does hold. Stay tuned for the latest.

11:24 AM BST

Pitch question marks

England bowled well for the most part yesterday but they were certainly assisted by some gremlins in the pitch at Old Trafford. Shoaib Bashir was perhaps the biggest beneficiary, his delivery to dismiss Dinesh Chandimal keeping shockingly low.

Read Scyld Berry on a Test match pitch that ‘left Sri Lanka no chance’.

11:13 AM BST

Rain should ease around lunchtime

Right then, consulting various weather reports – the rain should be easing off around lunchtime. It will then depend upon how quickly Old Trafford drains.

The weather is set to clear up later on today – meaning we should have play.

11:06 AM BST

It may be raining at Old Trafford

But we should get some play in other parts of the country as the County Championship resumes after seven weeks away.

11:03 AM BST

The rain looks to be easing

Finally, bringing some good news on the weather. Just looking at the televsion shots, the rain seems to be easing and the clouds are very much clearing!

10:55 AM BST

Sir Geoffrey’s view

Click here to view this content.

10:48 AM BST

Whilst we wait . ..

Shoaib Bashir has been chatting to Nasser Hussain:

10:23 AM BST

Here we go another weather update

10:14 AM BST

Nick Hoult’s report

In case you missed it, our chief cricket correspondent report of day one’s play is here.

10:08 AM BST

The weatherwatch starts

10:05 AM BST

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09:50 AM BST

Good morning

Hello and welcome to day two at Old Trafford. England made a strong start to life under Ollie Pope’s captaincy bowling out Sri Lanka for 236 on the first day of the first Test at Old Trafford.

Pope’s first day as England captain started with a flurry of wickets before lower-order resistance brought the tourists back into the Test.

Pope, who became England’s 82nd men’s captain in place of injured Ben Stokes, lost the toss but looked to have the magic tough as England reduced their opponents to a miserable score of 6-3 in the opening half-hour.

Chris Woakes was impressed with Pope’s first day in charge, congratulating the new captain on a job well done against Sri Lanka.

“For his first day on the job, as an inexperienced captain, I thought he did a great job,” said Woakes.

“He probably found himself having to switch on a bit more than he would normally. As captain you have to be on the ball all the time, constantly thinking about fields, bowling changes, things like that.

“It’s talking and communicating with your bowlers, which is something he doesn’t have to do usually, so I thought he did a great job with us as bowlers.

“Obviously it feels different, not having Ben out there. Ben is Ben; he’s done it for a couple of years now and has got his own way.

“Ollie has been vice-captain for a little while now, there’s little traits he’s obviously picked up on from how Ben goes about it, and he’s probably brought a little bit of that into it.

“But he’s also himself, which I think is really important for him moving forward.”

The tourists slumped to 92-6 shortly before lunch but Pope’s hopes of a frictionless outing were met with defiance from opposite number Dhananjaya De Silva (74) and debutant Milan Rathnayake (72).

Without Stokes watching on, Pope would have been frustrated by Rathnayake, who came in at number nine and made the highest score of his first-class career.

England made 22 without loss from two overs before stumps were called, with Dan Lawrence surviving a difficult passage on his first outing in more than two years. He and Ben Duckett will get the chance to resume this morning, with England eyeing a sizeable lead.

Our team of reporters will provide updates throughout the day.