PIX: England tighten grip on third Test as Sri Lanka stumble

IMAGES from the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at The Oval on Saturday

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Sri Lanka were on 211 for five in reply to England's first-innings total of 325 when bad light stopped play on the second day of the third Test on Saturday at The Oval.

The floodlights were on all day in south London. As the afternoon progressed the light deteriorated gradually, with England only allowed to use their spin bowlers, and fielders sometimes clearly struggling to judge the speed and direction of balls hit their way.

Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva (64) and Kamindu Mendis (54) put on a classy century partnership to help haul their side over the 200-run mark after the visitors gave up a flurry of early wickets.

With the exception of opener Pathum Nissanka (64), who became England debutant Josh Hull's first international Test wicket victim, the visitors' top-order batters struggled to reach double figures.

Earlier, England crumbled to 325 all out on the second morning of the third Test on an overcast Saturday at The Oval, with captain Ollie Pope underpinning the innings with a knock of 154, peppered with 19 fours and two sixes.

Sri Lanka's openers, Pathum Nissanka (1) and Dimuth Karunaratne (0), were not out in reply at the lunch interval.

Having started the day on 221 for three, the hosts, 2-0 up in the three-test series, gave up their remaining wickets steadily and cheaply, with the exception of Pope.

Harry Brook (19) was dropped early on by Asitha Fernando but fell to Milan Rathnayake soon after, smashing a ball towards cover that Kamindu Mendis leapt to his right to catch.

Jamie Smith (16) then put up some resistance before smashing another ball into the hands of Mendis, and Chris Woakes (2) and Gus Atkinson (5) both lofted balls from Dhananjaya de Silva to Rathnayake.

Pope then finally succumbed, uncharacteristically swishing at one as well and being caught by Karunaratne off Vishwa Fernando. Pope had been under pressure after a run of low scores but silenced his critics with his seventh test century.

Olly Stone was not out on 15 but ran out of partners after Josh Hull (2) and Shoaib Bashir (1) put up little resistance to a much improved Sri Lankan bowling lineup.