The first day of the third and final Test between England and Sri Lanka at The Oval saw Ollie Pope lead the way with a brilliant century. England, having already secured the series by winning the first two Tests, ended the day at 194/3 in difficult conditions. Ben Duckett also played a crucial role with an entertaining 86 before getting out.
Sri Lanka, after winning the toss and choosing to bowl under cloudy skies, put England under early pressure. Dan Lawrence was dismissed for just 5 runs, and the game was briefly halted due to bad light. However, Duckett played confidently, reaching his half-century in just 48 balls, but fell short of a century. He was caught by wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal while attempting a big shot off Milan Ratnayake.
Ollie Pope’s Heroic Knock
Ollie Pope, captaining the side in the absence of regular skipper Ben Stokes, took control of the innings. He batted brilliantly, reaching an unbeaten 103 by the end of the first day. Playing at a strike rate of 100, Pope’s innings included 13 fours and 2 sixes, keeping Sri Lanka’s bowlers under pressure throughout.
This century was a special one for Pope, who has been a consistent performer in Test cricket for England. So far, he has scored 2720 runs in 48 matches, with 6 centuries and 13 half-centuries to his name. His leadership in Stokes’ absence is proving valuable as England aims to finish the series on a high note.
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Sri Lanka’s Struggles with the Ball
Sri Lanka’s bowlers found it difficult to contain the English batsmen, especially Pope and Duckett. Despite getting early wickets, they couldn’t maintain consistent pressure. As the match moves forward, they will need to regroup and find ways to break England’s momentum.
Ben Stokes, the regular England captain, is missing this match due to an injury sustained during The Hundred tournament last month, leaving Pope to lead the side.
