Manchester (UK): England batsman Joe Root continued to write record books, becoming the English player with the most fifties in Test cricket after his match-winning performance against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Manchester.

After a superb first innings score of 42, Root again showed his class, composure and decisive play in a thrilling 205-run chase, scoring an unbeaten 62 in 128 balls, including two fours, as England were 56/2.

Root has now scored 64 fifties for England, the most by a batsman on his team and the third-highest overall. He is just behind West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar in the list of most Test half-centuries.

This was also Root’s 10th fourth-innings fifty-plus score, which shows his tremendous mastery and control of this phase of the game. Above him stand the likes of Michael Atherton and Alastair Cook, who have each scored 11 fourth-innings half-centuries.

This was also Root’s eighth 50-plus score in Manchester, making him the player with the most 50-plus scores at this venue in Test cricket.

When it came to play, SL won the toss and chose to bat first. Starting at 113/7, SL fought back to 236/10 with blows from captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Milan Rathnayake.

Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir were the best bowlers for England.

Despite a weak start and a tricky score of 67/3, fine performances from middle order batters Joe Root, Harry Brook and centurion Jamie Smith helped England to a 122-run lead after being bowled out for 358 runs.

Ashitha Fernando and Prabhat Jayasuriya delivered great performances for Sri Lanka.

In the second innings, SL again found themselves in a difficult position with the score at 95/4. However, veterans Angelo Matthews and Dinesh Chandimal formed a 78-run partnership to take SL ahead. Later, in fine form, Kamindu Mendis hit his second Test ton in five innings, scoring 113 runs in 183 balls, with 15 fours and a six. SL reached a total of 326/10, with a respectable lead of 204 runs.

Woakes and Matthew Potts took three wickets each to top the English bowling chart.

In reply, England were in a difficult position at 70/3. However, Root’s calm and composed half-century and solid contributions from Brook and Smith led England to a five-wicket victory.

England takes a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

For his century, Smith was awarded the Player of the Match award.

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