The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from day three of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval
It was a bizarre afternoon, almost certainly the worst of England's summer, as the home side – looking to seal a second successive Test series whitewash – collapsed from 56 for 2 to 82 for 7 inside 12 overs.
It began before that, with an error-strewn morning, in which Olly Stone shelled a straightforward catch at fine leg and both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell in reply. Duckett chipped to mid-on, and Pope chopped on.
But it was Dan Lawrence's knock – by the scorecard, a more than useful, run-a-ball 35 – that was most curious. The Surrey man, covering for Zak Crawley at the top of the innings in this series, played a shot a ball, charging regularly at the seamers and looking to dispatch them over both legside and off-side. He was twice fortunate not to be bowled around his legs, but he also sumptuously hit over the top on occasion. It was little surprise when he fell in wild fashion.
This was his highest score of the series, and it is clear that throwing him in to open has not paid off as intended. Having waited so long for his chance, he has struggled in an unnatural role.
And those collective errors were compounded as the afternoon rolled into evening, as Pathum Nissanka (54*) and Kusal Mendis (30*) gave Sri Lanka a terrific opportunity to complete a victory on Monday, where they will resume needing 125 more runs to win.
Dinesh Chandimal hobbled off the field for Sri Lanka (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The comparisons with Kevin Pietersen were inevitable as Jamie Smith counterattacked, and in the space of 84 minutes he once again highlighted why England were so desperate to fit him into their top seven, even at the expense of more experienced glovemen.
There were 10 fours and a six in a 50-ball 67, dragging his side from the depths of 82 for 7 to a total that was at least defendable. He drove elegantly through cover and over mid-off, and he swatted anything short through midwicket, all with a minimum of fuss.
Briefly, Gilbert Jessop's record was once again in view, only for Smith to surprise everyone by picking out midwicket with the final delivery of the afternoon session.
Jamie Smith is good at cricket 😍#ENGvSLpic.twitter.com/aX55tcYv7k
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) September 8, 2024
It has been an eventful tour for Dinesh Chandimal, the experienced Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter.
In the first Test of the series, he was struck on the thumb by a rapid Mark Wood short ball, which caused him to relinquish the gloves at Old Trafford and Lord's.
But he regained keeping responsibilities at the Kia Oval, only to hobble from the field on the third afternoon, having dived full-length to his left to field a wild legside short ball from Lahiru Kumara. He landed awkwardly and had to be helped from the ground by a pair of substitutes. Nishan Madushka, dropped for the third Test after keeping in the second, took over behind the stumps and comfortably caught both Olly Stone and Shoaib Bashir.
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