Coach Paul Collingwood acknowledged England had “one of those days when things just didn't go well” after Sri Lanka finished the third day of the final Test of the summer at 94 for 1, needing 125 to secure their first win over the home team in a decade and their fourth victory in the country.
Needing to win this match to complete their six-match Test victory of the summer, England scored 156 in their second innings and were bowled out after just 34 overs, avoiding humiliation only thanks to Jamie Smith's explosive 50-ball 67. “It was definitely not our best day in a Test match this year,” England assistant coach Collingwood said. “We always try to find good ways to slow our bowlers down and put pressure on the opposition but sometimes it doesn't work. In Test matches, you have good players and you find ways to put pressure on them.
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“It doesn't always work out and today was one of those days where it didn't work out. We still have a chance to win the match tomorrow. I think the pitch is moving well enough and we can take nine wickets quickly. Of course, a lot of things have to go right but you still have to keep the belief. We can take wickets in batches so the chance to win a Test match is exciting for us.”
Smith's innings was his third half-century in a summer on debut Test and another hundred-plus that summer, averaging 48.70. It has drawn comparisons to Australia's great wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist. “When you have the skill and power he has, you're going to put a lot of teams under pressure,” Collingwood said. “He's definitely an entertainer and it reminds me of when Gilchrist used to play at No. 7 for Australia. When opponents can do that, it puts them off.”
Vishwa Fernando, who dismissed Joe Root and Harry Brook, also dismissed Smith despite a sore hamstring. “As a bowler, sometimes you don't know how far you can push yourself,” Sri Lanka bowling coach Aqib Javed said. “He went out to give it his all and it worked. Sometimes people take the safer option but he had the courage to take the challenge.”
