By Srian Obeyesekere
Si Lanka crashed to 5 for 72 in a disaster start to the first test match against a hostile England attack before two resurrections unfolded first via skipper Dhananjaya de Silva who stood on the burning ship deck in a fierce counter attacking 74 off 84 balls laced with 8 boundaries followed by debutant Milan Rathnayake who took over from the 176 for 8 that the skipper had lifted to in forging a brilliant leash of 72 off 135 deliveries decorated in 6 boundaries and 2 over the top to the respectability of 236 on a havoc opening day at Old Trafford, Manchester yesterday.
The scenario of England 22 for no loss at stumps with the Lankans with a semblance of a chance of fighting back with the ball on a tricky pace-spin friendly surface offering movement that left to be seen whether the twosome efforts of Dhananjaya and Rathnayake would suffice to get even with the Brits witnessed an end of the day rearguard sparkle that decorated them in the valiant against the harshest of odds. There were a rearing threesome of fast man Gus Atkinson and wily swing master Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir in a tearing up destruction that the Lankan captain walked into with the frontline of Dimuth Karunaratne 2, Nishan Madushka 4, Kusal Mendis 24, Angelo Mathews without scoring and Dinesh Chandimal 17 whisked out with the first three gone without a run scored in a run lurch of 6 for 3, and 5 for 72 into the 23rd over.
Dhananjaya de Silva rose to sparring such a deadly England attack in a one for one offensive sashing 8 boundaries to resurrecting Sri Lanka’s hopes with the skipper departing having lifted the side to 176 when he was eighth out going back and mistiming a flick to a drifting leg side delivery o Lawrence at leg slip.
It was to herald 28 -year-old debutant Milan Rathnayake, who had kept his captain company in a vital eighth-wicket partnership of 63 runs to take it further going on to translate the 32 he had added to taking I Lanka past the 200-mark and to that final score that left the Lankan bowlers some respite to defend 236. That bravado in the left-hand mold was muscled around 6 boundaries and 2 over the top.
From a personal effect, Rathnayake had turned a wrecked stage he stepped into to a truly praiseworthy dream start to his test career of an all-rounder selected more for his ability to swing the ball in English conditions.
Doing the job for England were Chris Woakes with 3 for 32, Shoaib Bashir 3 for 55 and Gus Atkinson 2 for 48.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 236 (74 Overs) (Dhananjaya de Silv 74, Milan Rathnayake 72, Kusal Mendis 24, Dinesh Chandimal 17, Vishwa Fernando 13, Prabath Jayasuriya 10, Chris Woakes 3/32, Shoaib Bashir 3/55, Gus Atkinson 2/48)
England 22/0 (4 Overs) (Ben Duckett n.o. 13, Dan Lawrence n.o. 9)
