England’s dominance continued on the third morning at Lord’s as they extended their lead over Sri Lanka to a commanding 390 runs. Joe Root, the lynchpin of England’s batting, remained unbeaten on 45, while Jamie Smith contributed 23 not out.
Root and Harry Brook forged a brisk 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket, putting Sri Lanka’s bowlers under pressure. Brook, who was dropped on 9, played aggressively, hitting boundaries off Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara. However, he eventually fell to Prabath Jayasuriya for 37.
Sri Lanka had earlier made early inroads, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Duckett was caught in an unfortunate mix-up between slip and gully, while Pope fell to a bouncer from Fernando.
Despite these setbacks, England remained in control. Root, who has scored three consecutive half-centuries in the series, played with composure and guided his team towards a declaration.
Jayasuriya, who conceded 61 runs from his 10-over spell, was the most expensive of Sri Lanka’s bowlers. He did, however, remove Brook, but England’s lead continued to grow.
Smith, who came to the crease after Brook’s dismissal, played with confidence, hitting boundaries off Jayasuriya and Kumara.
As lunch approached, England had passed 150 for 4, with Root and Smith looking to extend their lead even further. Sri Lanka’s hopes of keeping the chase within reach were fading as England’s batting prowess proved too much to handle.
