Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant fast bowler Milan Rathnayake both made fine fifties as Sri Lanka recovered from a dramatic top-order collapse on Wednesday's opening day of the first Test against England at Old Trafford. Sri Lanka were in dire straits at 6-3 after skipper De Silva won the toss, losing their first three wickets for no runs in 10 balls. Yet they recovered to 236 all out, De Silva top-scoring with 74 and tailender Rathnayake, with only his third first-class fifty, close behind in making 72.
The pair checked England's progress during an eighth-wicket partnership of 63, with no other Sri Lanka batsman making more than Kusal Mendis's 24. "The captain wanted me to stay in there and support him," number 9 Rathnayake, speaking via a translator, told reporters after stumps. "That's what I did and when he got out, then I played my natural game.
" Chris Woakes struck twice in an over on his way to 3-32 in 11 overs. De Silva's impressive innings ended when he turned a quicker ball from off-spinner Shoaib Bashir straight to Dan Lawrence at leg slip, with the 20-year-old taking 3-55 in 23 overs. Ben Duckett and Lawrence, recalled in place of the injured Zak Crawley, guided England to 22-0 before bad light ended play for the day at 5:52 pm (1652 GMT).
"I think it's a good day," Woakes, now the leader of England's attack following James Anderson's retirement, told Sky Sports. "When you bowl on day one on a Test surface like that, to be batting at the end of the day I think you.