Ollie Pope returned to type on his Oval dwelling floor with a primary hundred as England captain on Friday’s opening day of the third Test in opposition to Sri Lanka. Pope had managed a mere 30 runs in 4 earlier innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the beginning of this collection. But when dangerous gentle ended play for the day, Pope was a run-a-ball 103 not out, with England well-placed on 221-3. Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down on this three-match collection, didn’t profit from overcast situations and a green-tinged pitch after captain Dhananjaya de Silva received the toss. And England ought to arguably have had two century-makers on Friday with opener Ben Duckett, not for the primary time, giving his wicket away after making 86.
A uncommon shiny spot for struggling Sri Lanka was the dismissal of Joe Root for 13 shortly earlier than tea.
Root was recent from two tons of in a 190-run win at Lord’s the place he set a brand new England report of 34 Test centuries.
England, who swept the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season are chasing their first dwelling Test marketing campaign clear sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.
Duckett was quickly into his stride, with the left-hander cover-driving fours off successive Milan Rathnayake deliveries.
It was a unique story for makeshift opener Dan Lawrence, a middle-order batsman by commerce.
Lawrence was compelled to face the brand new ball this collection within the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.
He had made simply 5 when he obtained in a tangle in opposition to a short-pitched Lahiru Kumara supply and top-edged a easy catch to gully.
Number three Pope obtained off the mark in model by chopping a unfastened ball from quick bowler Rathnayake for 4 and he additionally hooked a six off Lahiru Kumara.
The 29-year-old Duckett accomplished a speedy fifty off simply 48 balls, together with seven fours.
Even with the floodlights on, the umpires determined it was too harmful to proceed and stopped play for dangerous gentle, with England 76-1 off 15 overs. Rain then fell as nicely and the match didn’t resume till 1410 GMT.
It was not lengthy earlier than Duckett ramped Kumara for six over effective leg and uppercut him excessive over third ma, with all of Sri Lanka’s four-man tempo assault struggling to keep up a difficult line and size.
But Duckett, in sight of simply his fourth century in 26 Tests, was out when he miscued an extravagant scoop off Rathnayake to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.
It was a careless finish to a stand of 95 in 16 overs with Pope.
The 26-year-old Pope was lucky with a top-edged six off Kumara however the persevering paceman did have Root hooking to effective leg, the place Vishwa Fernando held onto the catch regardless of slipping on the moist turf.
Surrey favorite Pope, 84 not out at tea, went to his seventh hundred in 49 Tests, however first on the Oval, when he stylishly square-drove Asitha Fernando for his thirteenth 4 in 102 balls, additionally together with two sixes.
Soon afterwards dangerous gentle at 1653 GMT once more noticed the gamers depart the sector, with no extra play attainable Friday.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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