England lost Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and the well-set Ben Duckett cheaply to post 97-3 at lunch on day one, with Joe Root (29) and Harry Brook (9) at the crease.

De Silva's decision to gamble on early swing under glorious sunshine seemed like a risk, even as opening bowlers Asitha Fernando and Milan Rathnayake found some movement.

And when Duckett hit three boundaries in Fernando's second over, De Silva – who opted to bat at Old Trafford last week, only to see his side fall to 6-3 – may have had second thoughts.

It was seam though that brought the first wicket when Lawrence (9) played at a wide ball from Lahiru Kumara that nipped away and caught the edge to keeper Nishan Madushka.

England's stand-in captain Pope (1) then threw his wicket away, top-edging a swipe off Fernando high into the air to give De Silva a simple catch and leave the hosts on 42-2.

Duckett scored at nearly a run a ball throughout and Root clipped his first delivery for four, before the impressive Kumara beat Root's outside edge and then rapped him on the pad, with a review for lbw turned down on umpire's call.

England, who won the first test of the three-match series by five wickets, appeared comfortable until Duckett (40) mis-hit a reverse sweep in spinner Prabath Jayasuriya's first over to Kumara at deep point.


--Reuters--