England cricket team secured a 1-0 lead in the 3-match Test series by defeating Sri Lanka in the first match on Saturday (August 24). Led by captain Ollie Pope, England comfortably chased down the target in the fourth innings, reaching it in 57.2 overs with 5 wickets to spare.
In the match, Sri Lanka batted first and put up a total of 236 runs. Dhananjaya de Silva was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, contributing 74 runs to the innings. On the bowling front, England's Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir were the standouts, each taking 3 wickets.
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Thanks to Jamie Smith's century and strong contributions from Harry Brook and Joe Root, England posted a solid first-innings total of 358 runs, securing a significant lead. Young batsman Jamie Smith was the standout performer, scoring 111 runs, including 8 fours and 1 six.
In the second innings, Sri Lanka put up a strong performance, scoring 326 runs and setting a competitive target for England. However, England chased down the target with ease, reaching it in just 57.2 overs, thanks to Joe Root's crucial fifty. Kamindu Mendis was the star for Sri Lanka in their second innings, scoring a century, while Dinesh Chandimal contributed 79 runs.
Let's have a look at updated World Test Championship Points Table after ENG vs SL 1st Test
England's win over Sri Lanka in ENG vs SL 1st Test helped them move ahead of Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Pakistan in WTC points table. Sri Lankan has dropped to 5th position with a 40% points tally. Meanwhile, South Africa and Pakistan have also slipped to 6th and 7th positions, respectively.
Team India continues to hold the top position in the World Test Championship points table, with a current percentage of 68.52%. Rohit Sharma & Co. are once again aiming to finish in the top two and secure a spot in the finals.
CLICK ON THIS LINK to see updated WTC Points Table