England Struggles at The Kia Oval

England 325 (Pope 154, Duckett 86) & 156 (Smith 67, Kumara 4-21)  

Sri Lanka 263 (De Silva 69; Stone 3-35, Hull 3-53) & 94-1 (Nissanka 53)  

Sri Lanka need 125 runs to win  

Jamie Smith’s exhilarating knock of 67 gave England a brief hope, but Sri Lanka remains firmly on course to claim the final Test at The Kia Oval. Chasing 219 for victory, the visitors ended day three at 94-1 after just 15 overs, needing 125 more runs to secure an impressive win.

Sri Lanka could have been much closer to their target, or possibly already celebrating, had it not been for Smith’s dazzling display. His innings sparked the home crowd into life, momentarily turning the tide after England’s dismal performance over the past two days.

England, having lost seven wickets for just 82 runs, seemed hopeless before Smith launched a spectacular counter-attack. Starting cautiously with 15 from 31 balls, he exploded into action, smashing 52 runs off his next 18 deliveries, sending the ball all over the field. While his partner Olly Stone contributed only five runs in their 58-run partnership, Smith’s aggressive strokeplay had fans wondering if he might pull off England’s fastest-ever Test century. However, his innings came to an abrupt end when he found the fielder at mid-wicket, walking off to a standing ovation.

England managed just 16 more runs before being bowled out for 156, with Lahiru Kumara leading Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling effort, taking 4-21. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka had been dismissed for 263 in their first innings, with England debutant Josh Hull taking an impressive 3-53.

In response, Sri Lanka wasted no time as Pathum Nissanka capitalised on some erratic England bowling. Although Chris Woakes managed to dismiss Dimuth Karunaratne with a caught-and-bowled, Nissanka powered to 53 off 44 balls and was well supported by Kusal Mendis, who ended the day on 30. 

With Monday promising a thrilling conclusion, Sri Lanka has a golden chance to break their 10-match winless streak against England, while the hosts aim for their sixth consecutive victory of the summer. The match is poised for a grand finale, despite the earlier days being disrupted by poor light.

England’s chances now look slim. Their lacklustre batting and careless fielding on Saturday carried over into Sunday, where their infamous “Bazball” approach once again came under scrutiny. England’s reckless batting led to their shortest Test innings in over three years, with just 34 overs bowled. 

Ben Duckett’s dismissal to mid-on and stand-in captain Ollie Pope’s chopped-on delivery set the tone. Dan Lawrence, perhaps playing his final Test innings, scored 35 before edging behind. Sri Lanka, sensing the opportunity, pounced. Vishwa Fernando swung the ball expertly, trapping both Joe Root and Harry Brook lbw. Woakes fell for a duck, leaving the Oval crowd in stunned silence.

Smith’s thrilling innings gave a glimmer of hope, but with Nissanka and Mendis showing no signs of slowing down, it seems that Sri Lanka’s victory is within reach. The conditions remain favourable for both batting and bowling, setting the stage for what promises to be a fascinating final day.