England's captain Ollie Pope plays a shot on day four of the first Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester, north-west England on August 24, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Manchester, United Kingdom: England faced a target of 205 to win the first Test against Sri Lanka after dismissing the tourists for 326 in their second innings on Saturday's fourth day at Old Trafford.
Kamindu Mendis top-scored for Sri Lanka with 113 -- his third hundred in just four Tests -- having coming in with his side in trouble at 95-4 after they had been in the even worse position of 1-2.
Together with Dinesh Chandimal (79) he shared a seventh-wicket stand of 117 in 30 overs.
But Mendis's dismissal sparked a collapse. Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 19 runs, with wicketkeeper Chandimal the last man to fall when he holed out off Matthew Potts.
Durham paceman Potts, recalled after England captain Ben Stokes was ruled out with a torn hamstring, took 3-47 in 17.3 overs.
This is the first of a three-Test series.
