Key events
James Wallace
Righto, that’s enough from me. Our scribes at Old Trafford will be whanging their copy over the wires imminently. Thanks for your company and comments throughout this game and we’ll be back to bring you the second Test from Lord’s on Thursday. Until then, goodbye.
England take the lead in the series but will head to Lord’s later in the week with a gap to plug. It seems like Mark Wood will be unlikely to play after injuring his right thigh though we are yet to have any official word from the England camp. My money would be on Olly Stone to take the pace reins but there’s an outside chance the in-form Sam Curran could be called up in the all-rounder role too.
The Captains have their say:
England’s Ollie Pope:
It was the kind of pitch that suited the new ball. Once we got past 15-20 overs, we knew we could cash in. Credit to our bowlers. Root is a greedy Yorkshireman isn’t he?! There was a sense of calmness when he came into bat.
(On Jamie Smith)
There’s always nerves early in a Test career but he has the calmness and the game to deal with the step up. I couldn’t be happier for him and am sure it’ll be the first of many.
(On the Captaincy)
It was good, I enjoyed it – reading the game and finding different ways to take twenty wickets. The first day was a bit more taxing than I expected but that was always going to be the case.”
Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva:
I was pleased with the second innings batting and bowling but not the first innings. We haven’t done well and that’s why we are on the losing side. In the bowling we didn’t put the ball in the right areas.
I’m confident with the batting line-up but they have to execute their plans while batting in English conditions. We have to tighten our game. We have two more chances… If we execute our plans, we can do better.”
Jamie Smith is named Player of the Match. He played crucial knocks in both innings, the maiden Test century in the first will take the headlines but the assured and pressure busting 39 off 48 balls coming in with the game in the balance was mightily impressive too.
Jamie Smith speaks to Mike Atherton during the presentation:
It’s a great milestone to tick off (on the maiden century)… having missed out by five runs in the previous series it’s nice to get over the line. It was slightly attritional at times… it wasn’t always the most glamorous.
Rooty anchored the innings nicely and allowed guys to play around him. Thankfully we got over the line. It’s a really enjoyable team to be a part of. To be out there representing your country is a great honour.”
Lovely scenes at Old Trafford with a few pockets of the ground bathed in late summer sun.
In fourth innings wins, Joe Root now has 602 runs at an average of 100.33.
The only man in Test history who can beat *both* of those is Kane Williamson (682 @ 171.50). #ENGvSL
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) August 24, 2024
“The quiet genius of Joe Root” emails Tom Wellman. Quite.
Superb from Joe Root in tough conditions against testing bowling. But Smith’s cameo was crucial too. England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets to win the first Test here in Manchester.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) August 24, 2024
England win by 5 wickets!
There we go – Joe Root skips out of his crease and slots the winning runs with a lofted drive down the ground! He finishes unbeaten on 62* off 128 balls and got the job done in an old school fashion. It wasn’t easy, it was quite ugly at times but England got over the line and go 1-0 up in the series.
57th over: England 201-5 (Root 58, Woakes 8) A toddler squawks and it’s a single each to Root and Woakes. It’s been a long day for everyone. We’re all over tired.
56th over: England 199-5 (Root 57, Woakes 7) The motions are being gone through as Root and Woakes bring the target ever closer. Six runs needed for England. Excuse me whilst I go and discipline a toddler. Back for the moment of victory, promise.
55th over: England 195-5 (Root 54, Woakes 6) Just a Root single off Asitha Fernando with shadows lengthening at Old Trafford. On they/we go.
54th over: England 194-5 (Root 53, Woakes 6) Jayasuriya twirls away wearily, Sri Lanka have stuck to their task admirably here. They’ll rue their ill discipline yesterday morning that served to let England get into a commanding position in the game all too easily.
Twelve needed for England – “It’s just a shot two shots away…”
53rd over: England 191-5 (Root 51, Woakes 5) Chris Woakes drives in the air and just clears the fielder at mid on to pick up four runs. Woakes enjoyed that. Asitha Fernando less so.
52nd over: England 186-5 (Root 50, Woakes 1) Root does indeed notch up his 64th Test fifty and… he barely celebrates at all. He’s focused on getting England over the line.
51st over: England 185-5 (Root 49, Woakes 1) Chris Woakes is the new batter and is off the mark straight away. It would have been a completely different DeLonghi of Koi Karp had England still needed 60 or 70 odd but with just 21 left to get Woakes and England look pretty relaxed. Root has played wisely if scratchily but it’s been Smith who has broken the back of the chase in the last 45 minutes.
WICKET! Smith b A Fernando 39 (England 183-5)
Out of nowhere Jamie Smith is bowled! He tried to walk down the pitch and ended up yorking himself to a length ball with a hint of reverse-swing from Asitha Fernando. Looked a good ball in the end and Smith was trying to get on with things. Could be too little too late BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
50th over: England 182-4 (Root 47, Smith 39) Shot! A KP-esque front foot pull for four by Jamie Smith off Vishwa Fernando. A shot of a man in blistering form and full of confidence. This is only his fourth Test match, he’s really cemented his position in this side. England 23 runs away from victory.
49th over: England 174-4 (Root 45, Smith 33) England now need just 33 runs to win. Sri Lanka attempt one last throw of the dice with Asitha Fernando returning to the attack. Root drops a full ball into the covers and jogs down the other end. Jamie Smith does exactly the same to make it two runs off the over.
48th over: England 172-4 (Root 44, Smith 32) Joe Root hits his first four in nearly one hundred deliveries! He’s been a modicum of patience and nerve in this tricksy fourth innings chase. Vishwa Fernando offers some width and Root chops it away to the fence behind point. A glide down to third brings him a single and he inches closer to 64th Test match fifty. Remarkable.
47th over: England 167-4 (Root 39, Smith 32) Do not bowl there! Jayasuriya sends down a tired looking half tracker that Smith sees early and maaaarmalises for SIX over square leg! A fine sweep brings two more and suddenly it all looks very comfortable for England. A broad smile on Smith’s face as he shares a glove punch with Root in the middle of the wicket – he’s having the time of his life.
46th over: England 153-4 (Root 37, Smith 20) Vishwa Fernando tries out the middle of the pitch but he doesn’t have the venom to worry Smith who simply rocks back and hooks for four. England need 52 more, Root is becalmed but Jamie Smith clearly wants a day off tomorrow.
45th over: England 148-4 (Root 37, Smith 15) Jamie Smith finds the boundary and releases the shackles! Jayasuriya is bowling a leg stump line and Smith latches onto a full one and sweeps wide of the fielder on the ‘45. And another! Next ball is dragged down by the spinner and clubbed away to the fence wide of mid-on by Smith – his stock continues to rise.
44th over: England 139-4 (Root 37, Smith 6) Vishwa Fernando tells me to shut my trap keeps it tight, a single each to Root and Smith brings England’s target down to 66 runs. Time for a drink. The last ten overs have seen just 22 runs and the wicket of Harry Brook. At that rate maybe we won’t be finished today.
43rd over: England 137-4 (Root 36, Smith 5) Root drives for a single to bring Smith on strike. The Surrey man the collects two with wristy flick into the leg side. Vishwa Fernando is coming on to bowl, he’s probably been the loosest of all the Sri Lankan bowlers in this match so there could be some more run scoring opportunities for England incoming.
42nd over: England 134-4 (Root 35, Smith 3) Just one run off the over, England haven’t found the boundary in twelve overs and yet it is a gripping spectacle.
41st over: England 133-4 (Root 34, Smith 3) Jayasuriya does his job and keeps things tight and the pressure on with a maiden. England need 72 runs, Sri Lanka need six wickets.
40th over: England 133-4 (Root 34, Smith 3) Six runs off the over as Root finds the gaps. Some stat this:
39th over: England 127-4 (Root 29, Smith 2) Joe Root has seen and done it all before. He punches into the covers and then sweeps into midwicket. His serenity must be calming for new man Jamie Smith. He collects a single down the ground as a rapt hush hangs over Old Trafford.
38th over: England 123-4 (Root 26, Smith 1) Whilst Root is there England will be pretty calm and confident. All that could change in a heartbeat if Sri Lanka pick him up now. It’s a bit of a grind out there, Root has yet to hit a boundary and there are still 84 runs needed.
It isn’t the high octane cricket we’ve been used to watching from England under Stokes and McCullum over the past few years but it is intriguing and extremely watchable nonetheless. A decent format, Test cricket, if you ask me. Which you didn’t.
37th over: England 121-4 (Root 25, Smith 0) Jayasuriya has his dander up now after snaring the wicket of Brook. He keeps Root honest with five dots landed on a handkerchief just outside off stump. The final ball is a smidge too full and Root drives for a single to keep the strike.
36th over: England 120-4 (Root 24, Smith 0) As was always going to be the case should a wicket fall, the Sri Lankan’s are bobbing about with enthusiasm. England need 86 to win and Root and Brook are the last two recognised batters at the crease… although Chris Woakes and his Test match hundreds might want a word about that. He’s in next. Gird your loins for a nervy finish if we get to him in the next few minutes.
WICKET! Brook c & b Jayasuriya 32 (England 119-4)
Huge breakthrough for Sri Lanka! Harry Brook is crestfallen as he pats back a return catch to Jayasuriya. The ball didn’t turn and just held up in the pitch, the bowler clinging on to a good low catch. The door creaks ajar for Sri Lanka as first innings centurion Jamie Smith joins Root in the middle.
35th over: England 120-4 (Root 24, Smith 0)
34th over: England 117-3 (Root 22, Brook 31) Milan Rathnayake replaces Vishwa Fernando. He oversteps with his front foot to gift another run onto the total. Root defends stoutly but isn’t happy with his bat, looks like it might’ve hit its last ball, as he calls for a replacement. Stuart Broad and Mike Atherton recall bats of yore. They are not the only ones…
33rd over: England 116-3 (Root 22, Brook 31) An oddly flat atmosphere at Old Trafford as the game drifts a little. That’ll all change with a wicket or a flurry of boundaries to get England in sight. In the meantime, Jayasuriya sends down a maiden to Harry Brook.
32nd over: England 116-3 (Root 22, Brook 31) Vishwa Fernando goes over the wicket as tries to incite the edge from the two right-handers. Brook glides comfortably for a single and Root flicks a shorter ball of his hip for a couple.
31st over: England 113-3 (Root 21, Brook 29) Two singles worked off Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka desperate for a breakthrough. England still require 92 runs but with every over Brook and Root are at the crease the visitors are deflated.
30th over: England 111-3 (Root 19, Brook 29) The target is now less than a hundred for England as Harry Brook skips down the wicket and launches Vishwa Fernando for a tracer bullet drive over cover for a one bounce four!
29th over: England 104-3 (Root 18, Brook 23) Brooks sweeps and collects three runs behind square, the ball pulling up before the boundary. Root gets the broom out too and sweeps for a single. Brook muscles into the off side for a couple and England are reaping the benefit of their earlier patience. The hundred comes up and is greeted by smattering off applause from a somewhat sparsely populated Old Trafford.
