The overnight batters Gus Atkinson and Matt Potts extended their fifty-run stand with a smart approach in the morning season of the second day. The former capitalized on the looseners and raced to his maiden Test ton. While Potts was already a goner, with an 85-run seven-wicket stand coming to an end, Olly Stone accompanied Atkinson for a while to steer them past 400. However, a jaw-dropping flying catch from Milan Rathnayake ended Atkinson’s stay for 118 leading up to England’s 427 run score.
Coming out to bat in the second innings, Sri Lankan openers Nishan Madushanka and Dimuth Karunaratne struggled against the hosts attack, departing at the stroke of Lunch with the score reading 32/2 in 9.1 overs.
Olly Stone continued his good run with the ball by getting the better of Pathum Nissanka in the initial half of the second session. Right after, the experienced duo of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal withstood the opposition’s bowling with a 48-run stand before Matthew Potts’ swing and precision was rewarded with a double wicket maiden. Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Chandimal were outdone in a space of 18 balls with Sri Lanka struggling at 87/6. While Milan Rathnayeke caressed four boundaries in his 14-ball stay, Chris Woakes tasted success in the 29th over to leave England dominated in the session with Sri Lanka wobbling with 129/7 at Tea.
Jayasuriya withstood with a defensive mindset while Kamindu kept milking away for runs, steering Sri Lanka to 150 runs by the 39th over. The duo added 35 runs before Jayasuriya tried to break the shackles and smoke Shoaib Bashir to only get cleaned up. Soon after, Lahiru Kumara assisted Kamindu to get to a fluent fifty by rotating the strike and withstanding the opposition attack. But a superb direct hit from Ollie Pope inside the thirty-yard circle removed him in the 55th over. With a single wicket in hand, Kamindu was left with no choice but to hurry for runs and eventually, Sri Lanka avoided follow-on but got bundled for 196.
With half an hour left in the day, Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence failed to offer a stable opening stand with the latter getting dismissed in an unlucky fashion in the sixth over. Thereafter, Pope and Duckett saw through the remainder of the day with England having a lead of 256 runs and the score reading 25/1 in seven overs.
