Broad strikes twice as Sri Lanka reach to 62-3 at lunch

Kathmandu : England paceman Stuart Broad led an inspirational bowling attack to rattle Sri Lanka’s top-order after the hosts elected to bat in the opening Test on Thursday.

The hosts suffered an early jolt when skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was ruled out of the first of the two Tests in Galle with a fractured thumb and Dinesh Chandimal took charge.

Angelo Mathews, on 17, and stand-in-captain Chandimal, on 22, put on an unbroken 40 after the early wickets to steer Sri Lanka to lunch at 65 for three.

Board struck twice in an over to send back opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who had scored four, and Kusal Mendis for nought.
The left-handed Thirimanne fell into a trap after he was caught at leg slip while Mendis edged behind to record his fourth successive duck.

Spin was introduced in the 11th over and Dom Bess with his second ball accounted for the wicket of Kusal Perera for 20 when the batsman top edged a reverse sweep to England captain Joe Root at first slip.

Sri Lanka had slumped to 25 for three but Mathews and Chandimal then stood firm as England persisted with spinners Bess and Jack Leach bowling in tandem in the final phase of the morning session.

Chandimal survived a dropped catch on 22 by Dan Lawrence, who was making his debut, in the covers off Leach’s left-arm spin.

The series resumed behind closed doors after being aborted in the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic in March.