Debutant Josh Hull experienced the highs and the lows of Test cricket at the Kia Oval yesterday, celebrating his first international wicket but dropping a costly catch as Sri Lanka fought back. England batted carelessly in a chaotic morning session to turn their overnight position of 221 for three into an underwhelming 325 all out, with Sri Lanka finishing 211 for five after a rocky start to their reply.
Hull, 20, has fast-tracked from Division Two of the County Championship after just 10 first-class appearances, promoted due to his imposing 6ft 7in frame and left-arm angle, and found himself in the thick of the action on day two.
Coming in at number 10 he was part of England’s batting collapse in the morning session, with the hosts losing their last six wickets for just 35, but the youngster’s real challenge came when stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, who had earlier turned his overnight century into 154, threw him the ball for the first time.
Midway through his third over, Hull had a moment he will never forget as Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka was brilliantly caught at short cover by a diving Chris Woakes.
The tourists slumped to 93 for five soon after – Olly Stone taking two as well as executing an opportunistic run out – but rallied as Dhananjaya de Silva (64no) and Kamindu Mendis (54no) put on 118.
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