England U19 finished at 73 for 1, trailing Sri Lanka U19's 153 by 80 runs, on the first day of the second Youth Men's Test at Cheltenham, with Naavya Sharma's five-wicket haul leading the charge.
Sharma's career-best figures of 5 for 44 dismantled Sri Lanka's batting lineup, reducing them to 153 within 46 overs. Despite the loss of 25 overs to rain, England's bowlers maintained control, with debutant Harry Moore taking 2 for 38 and spinner Charlie Barnard adding 2 for 35. Gayana Weerasinghe's resilient 77 from 111 balls, featuring eight fours and a six, was the lone highlight for Sri Lanka.
In response, England's Jaydn Denly hit an unbeaten 57 from 59 balls, including 10 fours, guiding his team to 73 for 1 at stumps. Keshana Fonseka remained not out on seven, setting the stage for England to build a significant lead on the second day.
England captain Hamza Shaikh chose to bowl first under bowler-friendly conditions, a decision quickly justified by Sharma and Moore's new-ball performance. Sharma's fiery spell from the Chapel end saw him take three wickets in 12 balls, crippling Sri Lanka's top order. He dismissed Pulindu Perera, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, and Mahith Perera in quick succession, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 27 for 4.
After a rain interruption, Noah Thain took Dinura Kalupahana's wicket shortly after the restart. Moore continued England's dominance by removing Diniru Abeywickramasinghe with a sharp catch behind the stumps by Jack Carney. Weerasinghe then led a brief recovery, showing patience and application, but Sharma returned to claim two more wickets, including Praveen Maneesha and Vihas Thewmika, reducing Sri Lanka to 106 for 8.
Weerasinghe reached his 50 from 75 balls, forming a 42-run partnership with Manuja Chanthuka before being bowled by Barnard, who also dismissed Chanthuka to end Sri Lanka's innings.
England openers Denly and Archie Vaughan provided a strong start with a 54-run partnership in 8.2 overs. Vaughan fell to Chanthuka's bowling, but Denly's aggressive half-century ensured England ended the day in a commanding position.