News England, Woakes again benefit from ball change Decision to grant home side a replacement during Sri Lanka's second innings tips balance Vithushan Ehantharajah 23-Aug-2024 • 24 mins ago Ollie Pope discusses the ball change with the umpires • PA Photos/Getty Images {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://img1.hscicdn.
com/image/upload/f_auto/lsci/db/PICTURES/CMS/386500/386533.jpg","caption":"Ollie Pope discusses the ball change with the umpires"} For the second time in as many Test summers, England found themselves on the right side of a ball change. After the 41st over of Sri Lanka's second innings on day two of this first Test at Emirates Old Trafford, standing umpires Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel agreed to the hosts' request to swap out a raggedy Dukes ball.
At the time, Sri Lanka were 146 for 4, nursing a slender lead of 24, but with Angelo Mathews not out on 59 and Kamindu Mendis on 33. A firmer ball with a prouder seam brought the quicks back into the game. The prized wicket of Mathews came in the 10th over with the replacement ball as the veteran was squared up by Chris Woakes and caught at gully to end the fifth-wicket stand on 78.
Though England would only go on to take one more wicket before the close, they did create a host of chances with the replacement ball. Mathews (on 65) and Kamindu (39) were dropped by Joe Root and Gus Atkinson at first slip and gully respectively, both off the bowling of Matthew Potts. The extra.