England Dominates Sri Lanka Before Rain Halts Play

England swiftly reached 76-1 on the first day of the final test against Sri Lanka, with Ben Duckett hitting a half-century. Bad light and rain caused delays, leaving only 15 overs bowled. Sri Lanka, already down 2-0 in the series, failed to capitalize on early conditions.

England raced to a swift 76-1, with Ben Duckett reaching his half-century, before bad light and rain caused significant delays on the opening day of the third and final test against Sri Lanka on Friday.

Sri Lanka, already trailing 2-0 in the series, could not leverage the advantage of winning the toss and chose to bowl first under thick cloud cover at The Oval. England lost only Dan Lawrence (5) before umpires deemed the light too poor and led the players off the field within an hour of the morning session.

An early lunch ensued, but rain continued to disrupt play on a bleak day in south London, with only 15 overs bowled by mid-afternoon. Duckett reached 51 for his 10th half-century in 26 tests, showcasing impressive form before poor light halted the game once again.

Stand-in captain Ollie Pope (14 not out) joined Duckett when play stopped, while makeshift opener Lawrence stumbled yet again, giving away an easy catch to Pathum Nissanka after scoring just 5. Sri Lanka's all-seam attack was left frustrated as England coach Brendon McCullum introduced debutant seamer Josh Hull.

Despite the interruptions, England is on course to complete a clean sweep of a home test series this summer for the first time since 2004, following their victories over the West Indies and earlier wins against Sri Lanka.

(With inputs from agencies.)